make A move

Hello Mr. Bourdain – Philadelphia Here

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 20:49:17 PDT

You’re not alone in the skepticism, or perhaps even grudge, you obviously have for Philadelphia. I’ve been here for about 6 years and spent the first half with a fairly similar attitude. On a first impression, it is a place easy to write off. After a weekend of liberty bells, cheesesteaks, and numerous encounters with the local homeless….it is just easier to insist NYC, DC, or Boston as superior. But it’s not a city that can be understood or simply visited in a weekend. This attitude by most of the weekend visitors keeps it off the map and maintaining a certain “freshness” only the seasoned locals can truly appreciate. Anyone that lives here will be quick to explain the city of brotherly tough love mantra.

I found a few quotes you’ve given on Philadelphia during a book signing back in 2007. Sure, it’s easily generalized as the empire of Stephen Starr, and don’t get me wrong his restaurants are often delectable. However, the diva personalities and expensive tabs often found at those restaurants are not where the true Philadelphia lies.

Philadelphia, in comparison to Boston, New York and Washington DC, is the most affordable major city in the northeast. A place where you don’t need to shell out $1,000 a month for a closet sized studio apartment. Historically a working class city, this dynamic pushes a lot of the most well to-do out to the various suburbs, and leaves a total mish-mash of people inside, and along with it an exquisite blend of cultures, histories, demographics, and of course foods.

Philadelphia is often categorized according to is gridlike North/South/East/West quadrants, but often overlooked by the weekender are the cultures that are found in between Ben Franklin’s gridlines. The rich melting pot of people that have settled here, literally since the inception of the United States, has left some of the most incredible sub-cultures found anywhere in any major city in the world.

The large populations of Irish and Italians that still command respect in the city have maintained the infamous Italian Market. This is a place where any morning of the week, the homemade pastas and fresh vegetables could only be rivaled by the imported cheeses and private butchers next door.

Perhaps you are looking for some traditional German fare? There is surely no where else to go other than Brauhaus Schmidt. Less than 6 months old, this traditional bier haus features 20+ imported draft beers from the mother country and 80+ bottles. This is all in addition of course to the authentic German food of the German chef and owners.

A short 15-minute walk north and you are in one of the largest and best China Towns of any city in the U.S. Hosting a blend of Vietnamese, Malaysian, Korean, and Chinese restaurants over a 12 block area, authentic and cheap eats are available round the clock. Restaurants such as Sang Kee serve fresh peking duck, braised squid, and slow cooked sweet and sour pork as good as any I’ve ever had, right next to the likes of Pho Cali, serving consistent and authentic pho and bun.

Then there is the Reading Terminal Market, a love affair location of any foodie I’ve ever met, and personally my favorite establishment of eats in the city. Featuring baked goods brought into the city from nearby Mennonite sects to fresh octopus to authentic soul food this daily market has enough content in and of itself for an entire episode.

Northern Liberties, a revitalized part of the city defined by it’s hipster and scenester culture has become a booming underground of individually held eating establishments. Known for it’s home cooked style, sustainable and fresh produce, and cheap, local brews, it is a perfect example of all that is still going on in this city. Take The Piazza for example, a nearly year old plaza that was designed to emulate a traditional Roman piazza, and is surrounded by bars and restaurants like Rustica, a well known gourmet pizza shop.

And what are good eats without good drinks? The recent Franklin Mortgage Investment Company is an underground abode painted all black and in the appearance of a run down office; but hark, upon opening the door you are welcomed to one of the most legitimate speakeasy’s the U.S. has seen since the 1920’s. They have hired nothing but the Einsteins of the alcohol world and have a menu full of fine cocktails from eras past.

So I can only hope that by this point you are at the least asking yourself, “Is there enough for a show in Philadelphia?”. As the 5^th largest city in the country, I challenge you that it at the least deserves a shot. You better than any know that a city is best seen through the eyes of a local, and Philadelphia is no exception. So join me and see all we have to offer.

Andy Hagerman

http://www.andrewhagerman.blogspot.com/

Vermont and all the hippies, ice cream, sharp cheddar, and beer you could ever need

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:37:39 PDT

Vermont, at least in the summer does provide most of life’s great pleasures in one manageable state…well maybe minus the hippies.

After a rather blurred stint in Montreal, we decided to wrap up our Labor Day mini road trip by heading down through Vermont. We left around 1:00pm on Sunday and headed towards the border, after which we quickly realized we had a mere 1.5 hours to get to Magic Hat brewery to fill the growlers we’d brought for just this occasion. We put 90 on cruise and got there with a half to spare. The bartenders were friendly and generous in their never-ending sample giving and we got to taste a number of brews not easily found elsewhere, such as the Brown Rice Lager, the Single Chair Ale, and my favorite, the Belgium Chocolate Stout.

We explored Burlington for about an hour; a town I’ve been to several times before and am always eager to return. It has that small town feel with a lively personality, enriched by the University of Vermont students, restaurants and taverns that cover it. A reminder of the most true beauty of Burlington, however, is seen by looking beyond the street signs and to the enormous Lake Champlain and mountains surrounding it. These are the types of things that typify why Vermont is great if you have even the slightest interest in the great outdoors. This is a place I could spend a few years.

We cruised through the mountains and valleys on an awe inspiring drive south to our home for the night at my Aunt and Uncle’s house in Granville. We stopped along the way to pick up some lobster and ribeye’s to prepare a surf and turf feast, as eating is always top of mind for me. By the time we arrived into the small town my extended family calls home, my uncle had a fire going in the backyard with some monstrous ears of corn roasting in a wet burlap bag. An interesting method that produces an incredible smoky flavor to corn on the cob. We feasted and indulged in our new beer supply, ending the day far less action packed than the night before.

The next day we had an early departure up to Waterbury. We had an agenda. After dining on some Breakfast Burritos (eggs, chorizo, black beans, chilis, guacamole, cheddar in a tortilla) and bloody mary’s at Maxi’s Diner, we moved onto Ben & Jerry’s for their famed creamery tour. And yes folks…it was 10:00am. We took the tour and dined on some Hubby Hubby Sundaes which apparently supported gay rights? Either way it was a bowl of vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, pretzels, and chocolate which suits any true Central Pennsylvanian.

Next we moved to the Cabot’s Annex tasting room, featuring a wide variety of cheddar cheeses of the area. We indulged, and then we indulged some more. One might question our ability to consume such a wide variety of heavy foods all before noon but somehow it all worked…and well for that matter.

After draining the East Coasts supply of dairy products turned unhealthy, we decided it was time to start back on our 8 hour journey to Philadelphia. The drive again was gorgeous and set us off in good spirits, ending around 1,200 miles more traveled than we’d been 3 days earlier.

Oh, Montreal…I have no words for you

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:02:14 PDT

My relationship with Montreal was short and sweet. But although it wasn’t quite what I’d expected, I find myself asking for another round.

A cliff-note summary of our Saturday night in Montreal:

1. Declined any cover charge to any bar, making our selection quite difficult.

2. Saw a girl flash us several times before eventually pulling off her underwear and urinating in the street.

3. Learned not to talk to unattended Asian women.

4. Went to bed at 5 am.

5. Were declined admission to a latex party, but were invited to give the "kink lifestyle" a try, by way of a business card that was pulled out of a strange man's wasteband.

6. Spent all remaining Canadian money on alcohol.

7. Knowingly hung out on the corner of the sex district for at least 15 minutes.

8. Witnessed a massive bar fight.

9. Learned that service is not included in our beer.

10. Were publicly called out for not leaving a tip upon immediately receiving our change at the bar.

11. Tried to bum a cigarette off a pimp.

12. Were directed to a homeless man for said cigarette, by pimp.

13. Learned that in Montreal, alcohol is done by 3 am. Pills, however, can apparently be obtained by following any man around any corner, although you may end up "sleeping with a dude".

14. Smoked cigars at 4:30 am.

15. Had a bank account compromised for the sake of 3 Molson Canadian Drys.

16. Purchased 3 Gin & Tonics at Love/Hate, totaling $30 Canadian.

17. Went into a pizza shop with intentions of buying a 6-pack, that is, until we found out a 6-pack costs $36 at a pizza shop in Montreal.

18. Learned that, to our knowledge, getting drunk for cheap in Montreal is impossible.

19. Received a legitimate offer to have our chests defecated upon, by a fairly attractive woman, in an elevator.

20. Learned that in Canada, nothing is done in moderation.

*Thanks to Greg for compiling

The Extended Account

It’s been about a week since returning home from a long weekend road trip to Montreal, and it’s taken about that long to come to terms with the fact that I’ve still not the faintest idea my opinion on the city.

I came to the realization it was Labor Day weekend about a week prior and decided it must be taken advantage of. I had 3 days. I had limited funds. I had two friends that would join, regardless of destination. I had a 2006 Hyundai Elantra with about 110,000 miles on it I would borrow from my parents because flights were too expensive already. We had a few choices – Charleston (oysters, mint juleps, sear sucker…tempting); Chicago (the bean, beautiful weather, some friends in the area…hmmm); we opted for the semi-international experience thought and decided to cross the border up to Montreal.

We departed late Friday and arrived around 1am. I was fortunate enough to have some hotel nights to dispose of so we checked into the W Montreal for the weekend which was needless to say a little out of our league as a few bum Philadelphians in Chuck Taylors and backpacks with iPods and cheap whiskey in hand. C’est la vie.

We wandered the city for a couple hours and recognized what appeared to be a pretty hopping night life. We settled in a park for about 8 minutes before being shoed away for a filming of some French romantic comedy. We went to bed intrigued. Saturdy we woke with no particular agenda in mind, and just began wandering. We started in a beautiful Vieux Montreal, or the old part of the city. We came across an infinite number of great little café’s and restaurants along a nice restored waterway. It and its people were very inviting, despite my broken French.

We then strolled up to the Palais de Congres, known for it’s modern take on stained glass, featuring dozens of colorful panels of glass on the wall, that when hit by the sun produces wildly fun colors inside the building. We took a number of pictures before being asked to leave because an artist thought we were trying to copy his artwork. The building is a large convention center though and houses many of the city’s festivals and conventions it is known for hosting.

From there we went through the Chinatown which although it did not feel as if it had developed too organically, did feature a number of decent looking restaurants and vendors, one of which being Pho Cali where we enjoyed one of our favorite comfort foods despite the place we’re in.

From there we ventured into what appeared to be the more working class area of the city. It was a great contrast to the very whitewashed stone and stainless steal façade we’d seen so far. We dipped in and out of several boutique shops and record stores before finding ourselves in the midst of the sex district. Little did we know this would not be our last encounter with the neighborhood. We picked up the cars and headed out to the Olympic park, constructed circa 1960-something. It was impressive but not quite as lavished as we’d seen in pictures. Worth seeing, but probably not worth seeing again.

From this point we headed back to center city and showered and prepared for dinner. We started back in Vieux Montreal again at Trois Brassiers, a brew pub of sorts with great microbrews and fantastic burgers. It was a fun place and looking back we’d probably have stayed there had we known what all was in store to follow. At this point I’ll simply direct you to the cliff-notes above to get an idea of what occurred between 11:30pm Saturday and 5:00am Sunday. In an effort to keep this blog somewhat tasteful, I will stress only the detail of how expensive the city turned out to be. None of us had any factual expectations so perhaps it just came to a surprise, but we were not prepared to spend what it apparently takes in Montreal. The majority of clubs and bars we entered had a $10+ cover and we failed to find any type of pub or more casual establishment to which our tastes most aligned. I supposed if we had stayed at one place the whole night we would’ve missed the other 19 events on our short list of memories, so it all worked out in the end. I’ve determined in all though that Montreal is a great, clean city, but appears to be one of those places best visited with an agenda of places recommended by the locals. I have a feeling we were quick to judge on such a speedy trip, but it was a wonderful city to see least and I think at some point it will have to be examined and visited in more detail and time.

Sunday we headed to Vermont for the remainder of the Labor Day weekend. See the following post to see details…

Philadelphia's Own Japanese Tea House

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 21:13:44 PDT

First off, what is a Japanese Tea House? And better yet, WTF is it doing hidden in the midst Philadelphia?

It was one of those weekends where for whatever reason each night had something to offer a little too enticing to pass up but it just so happened to turn out they all involved drinking...and too much of it. We had set out to tackle some recently opened restaurants and scenes around the city which warrant a post all their own (teaser: Brau haus Schmitz). Regardless, I woke hazily on Sunday and decided I needed to infuse my life with some culture and balance a bit.

What made me think of the Japanese Tea House I'll never be entirely sure. It was one of those things that nearly everyone sees in all the tourist pamphlets and Lonely Planet guides but I can only imagine about 2% of Philadelphians have actually seen. But that became the task of the day. I recruited several friends and we set off to Western Fairmount park.

The Japanese House & Garden (Shofuso) is designed in a 16th Century style of an upper class member of society, such as a government official, high ranking priest, or scholar. But seriously now...WTF is it doing in Philadelphia? Allegedly the grounds were designed for the 1876 Centennial Exposition. It has since burned down a few times, been rebuilt a few times, and had numerous additions added from other expositions and collectors. That doesn't really explain a whole lot but some things just aren't worth examining too hard.

We called to ensure it was within our price range, and at a mere $3 student/senior rate ($6 otherwise) we decided to splurge. The house is truly beautiful and looks like something out of the Last Samurai - completely open, peaceful, and well kept. It is accented by an immaculate garden and huge coy fish pond. We wandered the gardens and house, and at the suggestion of the ticket booth woman, took some time to relax on the porch and reflect upon our lives.

We were in and out in about 1-1.5 hours making it a sweet day trip. It would also make a great date spot followed by a picnic. Gentlemen...take notes. Enjoy.

Day trips are too short anyway

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 10:13:42 PDT

I awoke abruptly. It was about 7:47am and I was pulling into the Gare de Vaise train station, close to school; Close to the apartment I'd been calling home for the 4 months I'd been studying abroad so far in Lyon, France. I wiped the drool from my crumpled impromptu North Face pillow, grabbed my backpack and ran off the train. No one was in my way; I was the only one.

I sprinted the three blocks to my school. 7:56am. I stopped at the school cafe, threw down 3 euro and got a double espresso. Not the good kind, but the instant kind that comes out of a machine you never see any real coffee beans go into. It worked. The elevator was packed, I took the stairs. Three flights. 7:58am. I ran into my finance class and sat down, one of the last to arrive. 8:00am. The door shuts. Books away, calculators and pencils out. You may start your exam.

26 hours earlier I had awoken. There were 5 of us and we were doing a day trip to the beautiful town of Annecy, France. A simple 2 hour, and most importantly $12, train ride catered to this fantasy. It was sunday and we were trying to get the 6:47am train to start the day early. This certainly was a pipe dream as we missed it by about 20 minutes. 7:47am would just have to do. We got there by 10:00am and started roaming. Indeed it was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We rented a boat. We got fondu. We took lots of pictures and ate lots of pastries. We toured the local market, bought some spices and fresh fruit. We toured the historic prison for 1 euro. As the day wore on there was simply too much to take in.

Our 6pm departure train arrived a little too quickly for my now French acquired relaxation. I decided that the massive finance exam I had at 8am the next day was still plenty far removed, so I opted to stay back for the 8pm train, and last of the night back to Lyon. I hiked up the hill and strolled through the massive cathedral overlooking the town of Annecy. A place very unique, but quintessential of all that is gorgeous in the French countryside. I arrived back at the train station with plenty of time to spare, and awaited my train to come. I boarded. We left. I fell asleep and awoke around 9:45. This was ideal as I knew I only had about 15 minutes to arrive at Lyon. But I had awoken to something peculiar. It was a stop, but everyone had gotten off. The train was empty. I mused at how surprising it was no one else was returning to the second largest city in France that night. I later realized this was a logic I should never doubt again.

The train emptied and we started moving again. 3 minutes passed and an older gentleman in overalls came into the car with broom and large, deeply stained, brown work boots on. Startled to see me, he approached and rattled off some French to me. It was too fast so I responded cordially with hello. He slowed his pace and asked where exactly I was going and to see my ticket. I said Lyon, to which one might've thought was the likes of an experienced comedian. The man billowed and announced to me in perfect Fran-glish I'd taken the completely wrong train.

Allez. The train had just stopped by this point and he grunted and motioned for me to follow. We jumped from my train car and immediately began running. I realized we were now in a train yard, surrounded by bohemoth locamotives that were layed down for the night. I dodged in betwen them following the shadowy figure that I pretty much now would've trusted my life with. After a 3/4 mile sprint we jumped into the conductor's car of another train, which at most other moments would've been a cool opportunity. Now I felt like a complex melting pot of James Bond and Andy Dufresne.

This conductor was Swiss and spoke more english. Without any indication as to where I currently was, he told me there were absolutely no trains to Lyon or Paris until late the next morning. He said I could take a train now for about 2 hours, arriving at another station around midnight, at which point I could catch a 1.5 hour train back to Lyon at 6:00am. 7:30am would put me in Lyon in just enough time to get to my finance midterm. I was sold. We jumped from the conductors car and ran another .5 miles and sporatically jumped into a third train. My fearless leader explained to the new conductor my situation and they granted me a free pass. It was very nice of them.

I crashed into an empty seat. Exhausted. Shaken. The people around me had no idea of who I was, where I'd been. In fact it dawned on me I had no idea where I was, nor did anyone else in the world that I knew. It was strangely thrilling. I got up and walked to a map on the wall. There was another boy about my age looking at the map as well who noticed I was American from the Lonely Planet guide gripped close to my heart. I found out he was an amateur mountain climber and high altitude snow boarder on the way back from a trip in the alps. He lived in La Rochelle on the East Coast and offered for me to come visit once I found my way back to Lyon and took my finance exam. I said that'd be great and got his card.

We passed shanty station after shanty station and I anxiously awaited for us to pull up to the one I'd be calling home for the night. I figured this would most likely be the low point of my night, arriving in the equivalent of a bus stop meets grandpas rickety gasoline shed in the back yard. We eventually arrived at a nice station to my luck happened to be mine. I got off and entered the waiting room. I got a double espresso to ease my mind and pulled out my finance...far to jolted to sleep I decided to study. The station was fairly empty at this point and a conductor came in to ask me what train I was taking. I said the 6:00am to Lyon. He gave his regards and left. About 20 minutes later he re-entered, perplexed. He asked where exactly I was staying, to which I gave him a broad gesture of the hard plastic art-deco chairs surrounding me. He chuckled, but realizing I was serious, told me the station closed in about 7 minutes and didn't reopen until 5:45am. We looked at each other for awhile, and seeing the sense of lost in my face he offered to lock me inside the station for the night. He said that no one would be able to get in, but consequently I wouldn't be able to leave either. I had access to the vending machines, the instant coffee maker and the bathrooms. A ridiculous option in most situations, in the moment I felt as if this man deserved a Nobel prize.

I figured at this point it was time to get some studying done for my finance exam in about 8 hours assuming I could get there. I bunkered down on the floor and pulled out my books and tried to relax a bit. Confirming that it doesn't matter where I'm at studying finance, I fell asleep in about 20 minutes. The lights went out on their own and I figured I'd soon be home. I drifted off only to be abruptly woken by stadium lighting that had been activated by a motion sensor when I flinched. This happened periodically throughout the night. I finally got over it and woke for the last time to a man drive by me on a floor polisher. He looked at me, curled up on the floor, and smiled. I nodded, unsure of what he was making of the situation.

At last, I boarded a train and was off. I never really thought through all of this to determine exactly where I was, where I spent this random night in a station, made friends with various characters in the french rail system. I guess the anonymity fueled the adventure a little more. I got a 98% on the finance exam. Sometimes things balance out.

Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps (from National Geographic)

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 16:22:19 PDT

Marketers call you the 'early adopters'...I've settled simply for the 'cool kids'...neither here nor there. Alas, National Geographic Adventure ran a page on the Top 20 iPhone Travel Apps in their last issue and I thought it was solid.

So as if you all aren't already doing things bigger and better than those of us condemned to the corporate world of BlueBerries...here you go. Play on players.

1. Next Flight
Got bumped? Leaving early? Next Flight tracks scheduled departures from more than 4,200 airports and 1,100 airlines. It sounds overwhelming, but you can filter by carrier. $2.99

2. UrbanSpoon
Urbanspoon is the gold standard in the U.S., London, Melbourne, and Sydney: Shake your phone, watch the dials spin like an old-school slot machine, and up comes the best guide to local restaurants yet. Free

3. HearPlanet
Like having a tour guide in your pocket, HearPlanet tells you what attractions are nearby and then plays the Wikipedia description aloud. $5.99

4. Air Sharing
Don’t waste time (and money) downloading docs abroad. Air Sharing lets you save HTML Web pages, PDFs, text files, you name it, for off-line perusal anytime, anywhere. $4.99

5. Tweetie
Finally, a practical use for Twitter. With Tweetie you can send vacation pics and witty comments from afar faster and more easily than with any other app. $2.99

6. IAmHere
Want your friends to know exactly where you are? (Scorpion Bay, Baja!) IAmHere sends an email with a link to Google Maps. In my tests it was accurate to within a hundred feet. $0.99

7. World Customs
Which way to wrap that kimono? World Customs dispenses international dos and don’ts, one for every day. (Kimono? Left over right.) $0.99

8. Wi-Fi Finder
International data rates can be crushing, so finding Wi-Fi is key, especially if you Skype. Wi-Fi Finder tracks over 200,000 hotspots in 135 countries. The only quibble: It could do better at distinguishing free from paid spots. Free

9. The Weather Channel
Weather Bug and AccuWeather come close in the race for full-featured meteorological apps, but the Weather Channel’s gets the nod for customization and the ability to check out conditions in multiple locations at a glance. Free

10. Google Earth
Although slow even on Wi-Fi, browsing satellite images of anywhere from your vacation destination to the top of the Matterhorn is still one of the best ways to get the lay of the land. Free

11. Packing
Become a packing perfectionist with this easy tool. Create lists of necessary items and check them off as you go. The packing application will make preparing for your vacation a breeze. $1.99

12. Room
If you're always forgetting your hotel room number—and modern keycards don't remind you, of course—log it in this free program. Free

13. FlightTrack Pro
Made for busy travelers like you, just forward your airline confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com and TripIt flight itineraries will appear automatically in FlightTrack Pro. $9.99

14. Lonely Planet Phrasebook
At $10, it's spendy for a one-language application, but—very cool—it speaks the translated phrase aloud. Perhaps not such a big deal in Mexico, but in tongue-twister countries, such as Morocco, it's a huge plus. $9.99

15. Skype
Break the international calling shakedown—jumping on a Wi-Fi network lets you make free (or cheap) calls. Free

16. WriteRoom
Amazingly, the iPhone comes with no way of syncing text files and its Notes app stinks. This simple word processing tool transfers text easily between desktop and handset so you can leave your laptop at home. $4.99

17. Amazon Kindle
The Kindle's nice, but why carry two devices when you can download e-books directly to your phone? Have an iPhone AND a Kindle? Once you've bought the book, you can read it wherever you want. Free

18. Cheap Gas
Pretty straightforward—shows you the least expensive petrol wherever you are. Awesomely helpful if you don’t know the area. Free

19. Babelingo
Great linguistic value—300-entry phrase book with 11 languages for just $3.99.

20. Where
Shows you what’s around you, from Starbucks to movie theaters and show times. Free

by Steve Casimiro

Great Travel Websites

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 20:31:44 PDT

Planning a trip is made world's easier (yeah, pun intentional and awful) by the plethora of websites out there, but at some point the web got a little too big and tracking down the best ones became a little more trouble than it was worth.

Here are a few of my favorites that might make it a little easier for you:

Kayak
This is, hands down, the first place I go every time I am even speculating a potential adventure. It checks a huge variety of other sites and airlines for the best deals on flights and hotels. As any diligently frugal traveler would, I of course check out other places as well, but this site usually provides if not the best deal, a good baseline for what to compare against.

Well Abroad
WellAbroad® provides comprehensive information to travelers and international citizens concerning the health, travel, and security status of various countries throughout the world. The information is regularly updated to provide the most accurate data.

Trip Advisor
Trip Advisor operates a wide variety of travel related sites and boasts huge audience numbers. Aside from offering options for flights and hotels, the basis is to provide recommendations from other frequent travelers on the best spots to hit and places to go at nearly any location in the world.

Travel Zoo
This site offers a great weekly collection of some of the best travel deals out there. It's automatic, free, and continuously reminds you there are way too many cool places to see.

Lonely Planet
You probably wouldn't have found your way to my blog if you didn't already know what these guys were all about. If you haven't checked their website yet though, I recommend it - a lot of great resources.

Virtual Tourist
An online community for travelers that encourages dialogue and posting of good activities or experiences. Easy to navigate and fun to surf.

Couch Surfing
Couch Surfing...truly a cheap traveling phenom. I admit I haven't tried first hand, but I've heard some great stories and positive feedback from friends that have.

Hostel World
Again...if you don't know what this bible-like website is all about, then you need to plan your first real adventure. You'll never turn back.

Big Mountains Big Cities Road Trip Video

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 04:46:01 PDT

So after more than a year (...and it is so painful to say it) I've finally finished the video for the road trip this whole blog was created for. In short, it's a trip that was taken in 2008 with two close friends, starting in St. Louis and going West and eventually North up through Alaska. Enjoy.

Twitter - The next big travel tool?

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 19:31:27 PDT

Twitter has been blowing up internet social networking over the last year and is constantly being applied in different contexts. This is a clever article that talks about the uses of Twitter while traveling. Worth checking out:

http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/01/help-for-travelers-twitter/#more-235

STA World Traveler Internship 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 08:39:27 PDT

I just finished my submission for the 2009 STA World Traveler Internship. Check it out:

Travel Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:01:09 PDT

This is an awesome interview from Tim Ferriss' blog, the author of The Four Hour Work Week. He is interviewing Rolf Potts, an acclaimed travel writer and talking about his new book. The philosophies and viewpoints on traveling and travel writing are interesting. Click the link below:

Tim Ferriss' Four Hour Work Week blog

Road Trip Adventure: Days 21-27, Thursday, June 12th – Wednesday, June 18th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:25 PST

Locations Hit:
Manchester, Tennessee
Unplanned & Utterly random parts of Kentucky
York, Pennsylvania

The Bonnaroo music festival combines the dirtiest and grimiest atmospheres with some of the most fun and entertaining atmospheres on one gigantic private farm in the middle of nowhere, Tennessee. I will start by saying no showers were taking during this entire stretch of the trip. Yes…no showers were taken for 6 days of cooking burgers and frying curly fries. I witnessed drugs being taken I didn’t even know existed, and saw the consequences of them on some of the 80,000 people present. Likewise, some 150 bands and musical artists played some of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen, and even though we were working we got to see a lot. It was a scenario unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed, but somehow it functioned; somehow it worked, and has worked for 6 years.

Lots of funny things happened throughout the festival and lots of funny interactions with stoned hippies occurred. On the same note we got to meet a lot of great people and we had a great time. In any 8 hour period on any night we could count on seeing several of our favorite bands playing just hundreds of feet apart from each other which was pretty surreal. Here are the acts we were able to get to, in addition to the many we could just hear from our food stand:

MGMT
Vampire Weekend
The Raconteurs
M.I.A.
State Radio (backstage)
Metallica
Gogol Bordello
Cat Power
B.B. King
Ben Folds
Iron & Wine
Jack Johnson
Pearl Jam
Sigur Ros
Lupe Fiasco
Talib Kweli
Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 w/ Galactic
Ourstage.com
Deathcab for a Cutie

We spent the majority of the day after the festival ended cleaning up our 4 different stands. We enjoyed some showers and a hearty dinner and hit the road around 6:00P.M. with high hopes of pushing through back to Philly, with our beds anxiously awaiting. It was sometime around 11:30P.M. though when I started seeing signs for the Kentucky School of Music. Funny I thought to myself, knowing we weren’t supposed to be in Kentucky.

I awoke Kim, my navigator, and we quickly determined that we were indeed in Kentucky and had missed a crucial turnoff in the midst of a construction detour. As we worshipped the atlas we decided it wouldn’t take much longer to just continue north and swing east at a later time. This seemed like a great idea but as the night progressed, and our bodies, exhausted from 6 days of abuse and minimal sleep, began to catch up to us. By 5:00A.M. we unexpectedly reached West Virginia University, and knowing this was still 5 hours from our destination, cursed a lot. Except for the mostly negative realizations like this that happened throughout the trip, it was mostly a blur. We ended up crossing right through York, Pennsylvania, Dan and my hometown around 9:30A.M. and called it quits…finally.

After 27 days on the road, I’d made it home. Not exactly to the home I’d anticipated, but hell…it was a bed and good food. I had 40 day’s worth of a beard on my face and my sister literally yelped when getting on of the car to pick me up. In all, the trip had been flawless. A few minor setbacks like nearly dying in a mid-western tornado or exposing my back to a whirlwind of long term damage from sleeping in an overloaded Jetta, but overall an incredible run. From big mountains to big cities we saw more than anticipated and met a slew of different personalities and friends along the road, and that was what it was all about.

The masses awaiting the first shows to start. There were said to have been 80,000 people in attendance.

Vampire Weekend performing.

One of the four french fry and burger stands we worked in.

By the end of the entire road trip I was looking a little rough around the edges.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 20, Wednesday, June 11th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:25 PST

Locations Hit:
Atlanta, Georgia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Manchester, Tennessee

After a red eye flight from Anchorage to Philadelphia, with an early morning layover in Atlanta, we were exhausted. At our age and with a self-inflicted full schedule, however, there is little room for exhaustion. With that we jumped into our rented Chevy Impala our friend Kim was waiting for us in and headed off for Manchester, Tennessee, nearly 13 hours south. Dan and I passed out immediately, waking just in time to relieve ourselves at the Country Pride Rest Stop, which coincidentally was having its annual jamboree. This comprised of a local bluegrass band, dozens of old pick up trucks, enough Marlboro Reds to make the surgeon general cry, and lots…and I mean lots of parking lot jiggin’. This was no average square dancing I’d learned in middle school gym class. This kept us entertained for about 6 and a half minutes and we continued on.

We didn’t get into Manchester until around 12:30am, where we were instructed by our boss to meet up at Wal-Mart. I forgot to mention what exactly we were doing at this acclaimed hippie music festival – selling burgers and curly fries to make some extra cash that would cover the costs of our prior three-week adventure. I anticipate doing a full entry on how I fund my various trips, but this will surely be example one. We pulled into the parking lot to find thousands of eager Bonnaroo attendees awaiting the festivals opening doors the next morning. I found out that apparently Wal-Mart always allows anyone to camp in their parking lots. Allegedly it is the firm’s way of “giving back” to the community, and it was being fully exploited. As vendors however, we were able to get into the farm where the festival is held that night and actually camp out. This began the next portion of our road trip adventure at the Bonnaroo music festival.

The Country Pride gas station and their annual jamboree. Hee-Haw

The main stage before all the action started.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 19, Tuesday, June 10th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:26 PST

Locations Hit:
Anchorage, Alaska
Atlanta, Georgia

On the final day of our near three-week adventure we awoke with one thing on our minds: the gaudiest, most hideous Alaskan souvenirs imaginable. Were talking bright purple shirts with the face of a wolf emblazoned across the front. Were talking the large mesh trucker hats with patriotic eagles on the front that every grandpa that’s ever visited the state still wears proudly years later.

Lisl took us right into center city Anchorage to Grizzlies, a legendarily tacky souvenir shop catering to all of our desires. After a quick stop at the ATM, however, we were quickly reminded just how poor we’d made ourselves in the past few weeks and settled on just on t-shirt. Dawning the words “Alaska Grown” Lisl reminded us we were the most authentic representatives of the garb, but they couldn’t be passed up. We then finished packing up our bags and got a huge pizza at a local joint called the Moose’s Tooth. Half was loaded with every vegetable and cheese one could fathom; the other half was loaded with multiple types of sausages and meats. What a terrible decision before a 12 hour plane ride. Undoubtedly worth it though.

On the way to the airport, convinced the trip was finally coming to an end, I received a phone call that our flights had been delayed at multiple different levels and there was no way we could get to Philadelphia at the scheduled time. When flying these days, such problems simply need to be anticipated. After a long discussion with Charlotte, our flight representative, we rearranged our itinerary to fly through Atlanta and get into Philadelphia 2 hours later. Dan and I had plans from there to meet another friend and hit the road once more down to Bonnaroo music festival in Manchester, Tennessee. This delay meant we would not be able to stop in at my apartment briefly to shower and change bags. Nope, it was straight from the airport into our next 13-hour drive. With that we grabbed a few beers to help process the new schedule and jumped on our plane. The road trip just got extended another 6 or so days.

These things were everywhere in Alaska. Naturally we got pictures in every single one.

Oh yeah...this is exactly what we were looking for.

This trip in the bottom right of the display has our total miles, taken right when Lisl dropped us off at the airport in Anchorage - 6,150.2 miles.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 18, Monday, June 9th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:27 PST

Locations Hit:
Homer, Alaska
Gittoffmy Island, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

Waking up to a clear view across the Alaskan coast to monstrous mountain peaks and a warm sun is comparable to nothing. I got up a little early and went for a hike around the island to reflect on the trip and get a little alone time to take in the views. Although the island isn’t quite large enough to sustain much wildlife I again saw several sea otters eating off the shoreline and dozens of bald eagles, which were all over the island. Something many Alaskans take for granted but still make my jaw drop. Seeing bald eagles in the wild is a pretty magnificent experience.

I returned to the cabin and the breakfast making process went into full swing once again. This morning is was 12 eggs and 12 pancakes between the three of us. I’m not sure what it is but for some reason eating breakfast while camping is like eating the last meal of your life. You just can’t stop. Absolute joyful gluttony. After that we did a full cleaning of the house and restocked the woodstove supply, got some pictures, and caught our water taxi back to Homer. We stopped at the Salty Dawg Saloon, the local dive bar and an Alaskan staple. One Alaskan Amber Ale later and a short walk around the Homer spit it was a gorgeous 4-hour drive through the mountains back to Anchorage.

We walked through Lisl’s front door. Our mouths dropped. In a moment of primeval barbarianism drool came out.

There on the kitchen table Lisl’s mom had on ice 4 of the largest Alaskan King Crab legs I had ever seen. I capitalize these to stress their sheer superiority over…well everything. Along with grilled corn on the cob and a Gorgonzola and fruit salad, we dined on pieces of crabmeat comparable in size to small fish. I’m not sure if this is really a regular meal in Alaska or not just because the crabs come from Alaska, but for whatever reason it felt right. And it felt good. We will be forever in debt to Lisl’s mom and the pleasure she brought us. As if this wasn’t enough she emerged from the freezer a dessert called Baked Alaskan, which is essentially a dome of various ice creams on top of a bed of brownies and baked in meringue.

One couldn’t tell we’d just spent the past 3 days binge eating at the cabin as we collapsed on the couch a hot mess from the quantity of food we’d just consumed. We then took on the task of giving Hotel Jetta a final unload and cleaning. Too exhausted and full to do anything else we enjoyed a movie and exchanged the over 3,000 pictures we’d taken collectively. As hard as it is to believe the trip had just about come to an end.

A view from the beach of the island.

A bald eagle, it's a little hard to see but they were everywhere.

Me, Lisl, and Dan right before leaving the island.

In Homer at a lookout over the mountains and bay where the island is.

Baked Alaska.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 17, Sunday, June 8th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:28 PST

Locations Hit:
Homer, Alaska
Gittoffmy Island, Alaska

Breakfast is a sacred event when camping. A properly prepared skillet breakfast is a right of passage; an epiphany of the mind, body, soul and pallet. We awoke around 9:30A.M. and got to work immediately. 12 eggs, 2 pounds of instant hash browns, 3 croissants, 2 pots of coffee and enough calories to get us through the next 3 months later we finished around 12:30P.M.

We finished just in time to catch low tide and hike around the bluffs and beaches surrounding the island. This is known as tide pooling, which leaves hundreds of small lagoons the size of baby pools around the shore until the tide comes back in. Almost all of these small pools are filled with all sorts of cool ocean creatures to check out. We spent about 2 hours doing this and saw all sorts of sea snails, mussels, small fish, starfish, sea anemones of various shapes and colors, hermit crabs and all sorts of other species we couldn’t identify.

After a laborious morning of eating and playing with snails we went to various spots across the island to take some heavy afternoon naps. Now I know it may sound like we were living the easy life on this island…and that’d be a pretty accurate evaluation to be completely honest. After our naps it was time for a late afternoon lunch of what else? Beans & weenies. I promise this is the last time we dined on such luxury.

After lunch we pumped up an inflatable boat that looked like it might be able to fit one and half adults comfortably and headed out to sea for some halibut fishing. After what seemed to be a day of eating and napping it was time to do some work and catch dinner. About 40 yards offshore we dropped our lines, which took quite some time to hit bottom. Around this time Lisl realized she’d forgotten to plug the air nozzle on the bottom of the boat and we’d been taking on water thus far. Luckily the problem was easily rectifiable and I’m still here to write this entry and therefore alive. During the trip we were in the close company of about a dozen curious sea otters and a dozen more seals checking us out. As awesome as that was we had no luck with the halibut. Fortunately enough we hadn’t had much faith in ourselves to begin with and packed salmon and fettuccini in the reserve coolers. Again we enjoyed a great meal together while watching one of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen.

Dan working the skillet in his skippies for our breakfast feasting.

Tidepooling around the island during low tide.

A starfish I found while tidepooling.

A sea anemone that we found hundreds of in the various pools.

Halibut fishing in a raft around the island.

Dan and I admiring the sunset. This was probably taken around 11:00P.M.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 16, Saturday, June 7th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:30 PST

Locations Hit:
Anchorage, Alaska
Talkeetna, Alaska
Homer, Alaska
Gittoffmy Island, Alaska

Lisl’s Mom: “Make sure you guys have your sneakers, appropriate jackets, gloves, and a hat in case of a crash.”
Me: “Okay. Sounds good.”
Lisl’s Mom: “No. If we crash that doesn’t sound good at all.”

It was 6:00A.M. and hard to draw the line between sleep haze and anxiousness. The weather was clear and Lisl’s mom had promised us the unimaginable experience for a trio of poor recent college graduates and road trippers. She had her pilot’s license and a beautiful Cessna 4-seater plane and had offered to fly us around Alaska for the morning.

We got to the airplane hangers by 7:15A.M. and met up again with Lisl’s cousin, Lucas, who also had also recently gotten his pilot’s license. The destination was a diner/restaurant near the base of Mt. McKinley, where we’d been a few days earlier. Talkeetna, a town boasting less than 1,000 residents, is the standard starting point for most all mountaineering teams attempting summit of McKinley and the culture and atmosphere reflected these accomplishments.

The flight and experience of the small Cessna plane, of which I’d never flown in, was breathtaking. We got to see the untamed wilderness and bush areas of Alaska from the sky and see Mt. McKinley from a view most see only in postcards. We took dozens of pictures in the short 35-minute flight each way but they only taint the true beauty we saw. We were fortunate to have been granted this opportunity and it instilled a deep desire to learn to fly in Dan and I both. Oh yeah…we’re ready to start training to climb McKinley too…so many goals created in just a morning.

We were back in Anchorage before noon and packed quickly to head to Lisl’s family’s cabin in southern Alaska, just a 30-minute boat ride from Homer. We had planned it out so we’d be able to stay until Monday afternoon. Lisl had told us this was her favorite place in the world so it was crucial it was worked in. Upon arrival around 5:30P.M. we understood why. A beautiful wooden house situated by itself on a decently sized island became our home for the next two and a half days. That night we prepared our traditional and high-maintenance cuisine of beans & weenies while watching the sunset over the ocean.

In traveling one notices how lucky you feel when in a situation of pure natural beauty. It feels like something that you may not deserve or should have had to pay a lot of money for. The joy and satisfaction achieved from these sights, experiences and interactions is unrivaled in anything materialistic. No matter one’s beliefs on religion, science, or whatever it cannot be argued how overwhelming these feelings can be. These moments are the exact ones that create that burn to continue traveling, exploring, and meeting people. I haven’t discovered anything else that opens my mind as much and I’m not sure I ever will.

Lisl's Mom's 4-seater Cessna plane that we flew around in.

Dan working his charm on some of the locals in Talkeetna after breakfast.

Mt. McKinley (on the right) from the air...we were so lucky. No one gets this view.
The cabin.

We went old school when it came to cooking. Beans on the left. Bread in the middle. Weenies on the right.

Munchin'.

The view from the cabin windows and front deck. This is what we fell asleep to every night. As you can imagine it never got old.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 15, Friday, June 6th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:30 PST

Locations Hit:
Anchorage, Alaska

Word had spread quickly that Lisl was back in town so Dan and I woke to numerous family and friends visiting. Anchorage wakes up early. We enjoyed a nice home cooked breakfast of eggs and reindeer sausage while meeting, talking, and catching up with everyone. Stories and pictures from the various adventures were flowing.

That afternoon Dan, Lisl, myself, and Lisl’s cousin Lucas went out for a hike up Flattop Mountain in Anchorage, which overlooks the city and surroundings. In the midst of what was apparently still a pretty cold spring we found ourselves hiking through quite a bit of snow. The weather so far had been between about 45-55 degrees during the day and colder at night despite the sun still being out. Once we got to the top of the mountain a storm front began blowing in at the top of the mountain so we decided we needed to descent a little faster than normal. Naturally, with no proper rain or snow gear…or any really gear at all for that matter we determined our best option was sliding on our butts. Snow covered the upper third of the mountain, ensuring us a nice ride.

That night we hung out with Lisl’s mom and I had bison burgers for the first time. The meat looks and tastes nearly identical to hamburger but is leaner and has a great flavor. We ended up crashing early as the prior two weeks began to catch up to us. We also knew we had an early morning experience awaiting that we’d been looking forward to since day 1. Stay tuned.

Hiking up Flat Top Mountain.

A view of Anchorage from on top of Flat Top Mountain.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 14, Thursday, June 5th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:32 PST

Locations Hit:
Fairbanks, Alaska
Denali National Park, Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

When we woke up Chris was already in the midst of preparing a breakfast of eggs, Dall sheep sausage, and toast with homemade blueberry jam. He had excitedly offered to take us on a boat ride so we loaded up the boat and headed out. We dropped the boat into the Chena River and road for about 45 minutes, stopped on a gravel bar and hiked around for a while before riding back. We saw a bunch of beaver swimming around and some traditional replica riverboats. When we got back from the boat ride Chris whipped us up some homemade beef stew and halibut cheeks, a super tender piece of the halibut that resembles lobster in both taste and texture. All in all I got to taste three new types of meets while staying with Chris and all were superb. As always we were on a time schedule though and had to move on to our next destination.

Denali National Park has always been somewhat of a dream for me to visit. All in all, the park is larger than the state of Massachusetts and home to Mt. McKinley, the highest summit in North America, making it one of the world’s seven summits. For those readers that have read or seen Into the Wild, this is also the park where Chris McCandles spent the final months of his life in the abandoned school bus. We had wanted to spend more time camping but were short on time and had to settle for a day of hiking. We climbed Mt. Healy which is about a 3,500 feet in elevation and offered a gorgeous view of the park and Alaskan mountains. After returning fromd the hike we pushed forward for our last 4 hours of the scheduled road trip to Anchorage. We arrived around 1:30A.M.

Chris, Dan, and Lisl on the gravel bar during the boat ride in Fairbanks.

Me and Dan while climbing Mt. Healy in Denali National Park.. This picture was taken around 9:30P.M.

Me, Lisl, and Dan on top of Mt. Healy in Denali National Park. This picture was taken around 10:30P.M.

Hotel Jetta in all her glory. She has a lot of character after all that.

We arrived with a warm chalk welcoming in Lisl's driveway from her mom.

A ragged looking crew, but we made it.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 13, Wednesday, June 4th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:34 PST

Locations Hit:
British Columbia, Canada
North Pole, Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska

We ended up finding an incredible campsite in Pike Lake in British Columbia last night. Even though we drove until around 11:30P.M. it was still broad daylight when we pulled into camp. During the summer months in British Columbia and Alaska daylight typically lasts about 22 hours a day, and even the darkest hours are still fairly visible. We woke up and headed down the final stretch of about 6 hours into Alaska.

About 2 hours in and just before heading into the “no-mans-land” section of the drive, in which civilization is few and far between, things took a turn for the worst. We rolled down the window to snap a photo of a passing coyote and noticed the most horrid screeching noise coming from our rear right wheel. We turned around and headed back to the last small town we’d passed. Mind you this consisted of no more than 7 businesses, including the gas station we stopped at.

Now if you have been following the blog thus far, you’ve heard just how packed our car is. Unfortunately our best alternative was the full size spare tire buried underneath the trunk…the filled to the brim trunk. We unloaded the majority of our inventory in the gas station parking lot under the close supervision of Peter, the gas station attendant who was simply enthralled with the action that we’d brought to him on this particular day. Even though the spare tire eliminated the sound, which we suspect was a rock stuck in the brakes, Peter was insistent we take the Jetta on down to his friend Charlie the mechanic for a look. We couldn’t turn down an opportunity to meet someone else from this wonderful town so we went. Charlie was a character in him-self and didn’t particularly tell us anything of use so 15 minutes later we were off again.

Just before hitting our destination of Fairbanks we made an obligatory stop in North Pole, Alaska. Yes folks, North Pole, Alaska. The light poles look like gigantic candy canes and the main attraction is the Santa Clause House, which features 4 distraught real-life reindeer. Our experience in the North Pole took about 17 minutes. We got into Fairbanks around 9:00P.M. to the house of a close friend of Lisl’s family’s, Chris. He had been born in Michigan but moved to Alaska a long time ago and knew a lot about the state and its wildlife. Chris was once asked what his ideal age was and he said 12. Naturally it was like adding a fourth to the road trip trio.

As soon as we arrived Chris served us a phenomenal meal of moose ribs he’d been slow roasting in the crock-pot all day. It was extremely tender and has a flavor unlike any other meat but was delicious, especially after so much driving. After dinner we sat around and Lisl and Chris caught up and we all exchanged crazy stories of our travels and aspirations of further adventures. We discussed what our plans were going to be moving forward with our week in Alaska, but exhausted ended up passing out relatively early. We finally made it into the final state of our trip and had big plans for the days to come.

Camping at Pike Lake in British Columbia. Notice how light outside it was - it was 12:30A.M.

Driving in British Columbia.

A huge Santa Clause welcoming us into North Pole, Alaska. We are in his sleigh at the bottom if you look closely.

Unpacking the Hotel Jetta at Peter's gas station in the middle of no-where British Columbia.

Somehow I got the job of watching over the stuff at Peter's gas station in the middle of no-where British Columbia while Lisl and Dan test drove to see if the noise was gone. I know they were thinking about leaving me there for a laugh.

Road Trip Adventure: Days 11-12, Monday, June 2nd – Tuesday, June 3rd 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:36 PST

Locations Hit:
Seattle, Washington
British Columbia, Canada

Leaving Seattle around noon Monday we knew we had a long haul ahead of us. Essentially what we needed to do at this point was drive the whole way through Canada and up and around into Alaska. Undoubtedly this was the longest stretch of driving in our trip and we wanted to do it as quickly as possible to maximize our time in Alaska.

I’m writing this entry around 10:00P.M. Tuesday night, some 36 hours after our departure from Seattle, and we have yet to stop for anything besides gas, coffee, a meal, a tourist stop, and a few photo ops. None of the stops was longer than an hour. Between the three of us rotating driving and sleeping we have driven about 2,000 miles in this period.

It has been a beautiful drive through British Columbia so far, however, and it makes it much easier to do one’s shift behind the wheel. Never before have I had to be so alert while driving though, as you never know what to expect in terms of wildlife wandering onto the road in front of you at little notice. So far we have seen countless dear, caribou, elk, black bear, brown bear, coyotes, mountain goats, moose, reindeer, bald eagles, wild horses, fox, and bison to keep things interesting. Below are some pictures.

We’ve stopped at three notable stops. One is called Watson’s Lake and for whatever reason it is home to the license plate forest. Here, there are just thousands and thousands of license plates and signs people have hung on trees and posts in one area. It is neat to see the variety of places people have come from. I knew we’d be passing through and happened to have an old tag laying around so we all signed and added a Pennsylvania plate to the collection.

The second stop was at the beginning of the Alaskan Highway, which commences in Dawson’s Creek (yes there is an actual place in the middle of Canada with this familiar title). In accordance with the rest of our trip we stopped for a picture. Unfortunately for me it was at 3:30A.M. and in the middle of my sleeping shift so I was less than thrilled to be taking pictures in the cold. This disgust can be noted in my pleasant face.

The third stop was tonight for dinner; we stopped in White Horse at a place we’d heard about in multiple travel guides and books – Klondike’s Ribs & Salmon. Once again my passion for food was shining through. After 34 hours on the road we had been looking forward to a good meal and I can officially say 2 hours later and still stuffed we had it. I recommend it to anyone passing through. Were all exhausted and are searching for a campsite for the night before finishing our journey out tomorrow morning. We should be in Fairbanks, Alaska by early afternoon. Until then…cheers.

Black Bears

Brown Bears

Porcupine

Mountain Goats

Moose

Owls

American Bison

The signpost forest at Watson's Lake.

The beginning of the Alaskan Highway.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 10, Sunday, June 1st, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:37 PST

Locations Hit:
Seattle, Washington

Nearing the top of my list of things I love to delve into while traveling is food. Anyone that has ever traveled with me can attest. Dan and Lisl especially, as it is the primary topic of most of my conversations and thought processes on this very road trip.

In France and even in Philadelphia and home in York, Pennsylvania I gained a deep love of markets. I don’t think there are many more places you can see so much of a culture in such a small place. Here you can observe people in their raw forms and see what types of culinary specialties drive their differentiation.

We started the day at the Pike’s Place Market, a world-renowned daily market in downtown Seattle. Known for housing the very first Starbucks, its charismatic fish tossing seafood stands, and various coffee shops, the market was a highly enjoyable experience. From there Sara and Frank took the three of us to the Seattle public library, and architectural masterpiece that Lisl and Dan had both studied. Designed by Rem Koolhaas, the library opened 4 years ago and boasted some of the most efficient library systems and environmentally friendly designs around. We joined an impromptu tour that was highly enjoyable, even for a design illiterate former-business student like myself.

We then went down to Seattle’s Chinatown and ate one of Sara and Frank’s favorite Pho restaurants, Pho Bak (yes…it is supposed to be funny). Pho is a Vietnamese meat and noodle dish in a steaming hot broth. It was the first time us three had ever tried it but it was delicious and I’d recommend it, especially for someone sick as it really opens your head.

Exhausted from the long day we headed back to the house. We tried to do a little more touring that night but called it quits early to lounge in our robes and absorb the beauty of the house we could call home for yet another night.

Part of the outside of Pikes Place Market

Frank, Sara, Lisl, Me, & Dan on the lookout of the Seattle skyline. Apparently, if Frasier had really had a real apartment, this was the view from the window.

The famous Space Needle.

Pho from Pho Bak.

Road Trip Adventure: Day 9, Saturday, May 31st, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:38 PST

Locations Hit:
Portland, Oregon
Seattle, Washington

We stayed in Portland the night because we’d heard there was a big open-air market every Saturday morning and it just so happen to coordinate with when we were there. We got all packed up and headed to the riverfront to find hundreds of vendors with varieties of foods, art, and other things of various arrays. We were glad we stayed as it was a good blend of locals and tourists and gave us a great feel for what the city stands for. We got to talk with a lot of local artists and merchants and find out their perspective on what makes the city so functional.

Around noon we packed up and said our goodbyes to Portland. Only a 2-3 hour drive down the road was Seattle, our next destination, where one of Lisl’s cousins had a beautiful house in the Queen Anne district. We arrived in the early afternoon to find Sara, Lisl’s cousin, and her boyfriend Frank preparing halibut tacos and grilled corn on the cob for us for dinner. Once again, we had somehow fallen into a few days of being utterly spoiled. After much needed showers we found out we each had a great couch or bed to sleep on and bathrobes on top - a hilarious yet nice treat that the Hotel Jetta had never accommodated us with.

We enjoyed the phenomenal meal and relaxed and chatted with Sara and Frank. They are the type of people that exude a hospitable and warming atmosphere immediately. The type of people that the period of reading one another upon first meeting never truly exists because you feel comfortable so quickly. Once again we were given the opportunity to stay with great people in a great place. That night we saw a huge troll statue that is built under an interstate bridge which was a cool sight. Then we headed down to the infamous space needle, which looks huge all over the city but was surprisingly not too large when standing right next to it. Still fun to see as it is the landmark so to say of Seattle. Right next to it is the EMP (Experience Music Project), which is in a very abstract building designed by Frank Gehry. Tired from a few non-stop days we headed back to the house and just relaxed and planned out the next few days.

Time was running short and it was apparent we needed to cut a few things out. We decided to spend the entire next day in Seattle as Sara and Frank graciously offered to tour us around. In turn we would bypass Vancouver. It is a shame as I’ve heard it is simply amazing, but just not enough time in the day – there never is.

Saturday morning market in Portland, Oregon.

Saturday morning market in Portland.

The troll statue under a bridge in Seattle.

Road Trip Adventure: DAY 8, Friday, May 30th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:38 PST

Locations Hit:
Eugene, Oregon
Portland, Oregon

So maybe the 80’s dance party and late night drive through until 4:00A.M. wasn’t the best decision when trying to adhere to a strict driving schedule, but sometimes these things are just essential.

So we departed Eugene, Oregon a little later that morning than anticipated and headed off to Portland, only about 2 hours north. We were all pretty anxious to see the city as we’d heard a lot about it. We lucked out with a beautifully sunny day and with little direction headed to the nearest coffee shop to balance our less than adequate amount of sleep from the night earlier. We quickly found out we’d arrived in the midst of the rose festival and were in store for a huge firework show that night. Once again our luck had reigned.

Portland was the type of city that in almost a Truman Story like fashion was surreal. Never have I been in a place, and perhaps it is because I currently reside in the city of brotherly tough love (Philadelphia), where everyone is so happy. Walking down the street everyone will say hello to you. Crossing the street cars will slam on their brakes to let you pass in front of them as if they’re honored by the opportunity. We stopped someone on the street to ask directions to a well-known brewpub and before we knew it had 5 people practically walking us to our destination.

These are only some of the subtle things that make it stand out though. The city has free wifi connection everywhere, which is paid for by local advertising. The public transportation is all free in the center city district as well which made it incredibly easy to get around. The city boasts a welcoming aura that makes you want to move in as soon as possible. Dan, Lisl, and I talked a lot about what makes a city develop like that in terms of attitude and sustainability as opposed to some of the others we’d seen, but I won’t bore you with such dictations. Oh yeah…they also had stellar beer, as Oregon is known for.

With few places to camp in the city center we’d planned on checking into Hotel Jetta once again after the fireworks and then one of Lisl’s friends called and said we could crash at his place for the night. A gift of god.

The only thing greater than knowing we had a floor to sleep on was the donuts we had at VooDoo donuts, an institution of Portland. This is a cult-followed, late-night donut shop that boasts such delicacies as donuts covered in icing and fruit loops, or a maple glazed donut with 2 strips of bacon on top. This only further clarified that Portland was one of the cooler cities I’ve seen so far in the U.S.

The infamous Made In Oregon sign. So touristy.

Dan eating his VooDoo donut. If you can't see, it is a glazed donut with vanilla frosting and fruitloops all over it.

This pretty much sums up the VooDoo donuts experience.

Road Trip Adventure: DAY 7, Thursday, May 29th, 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Andy Hagerman) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 06:42:40 PST

Locations Hit:
Redwood Forest, California
Eugene, Oregon

We awoke to an overcast morning on a beautiful beach on the coast of the Redwood forest in northern California. It turns out we’d been lucky in our blind choosing of a campground late the night before. After getting a fire and some breakfast going to packed up camp and strolled the beach for a while, taking in the early morning peacefulness of the pacific. On the way out of the park we were lucky enough to drive past a huge herd of elk grazing in a field. We’ve been getting lucky like this a lot so far on the trip.

We stopped by the visitors center and found a few hikes to hit to see some of the old growth redwood trees and sequoias throughout the park. The overcast of the morning gave it an almost surreal, mystic vibe but it was still a phenomenal sight. We then got on the road for Eugene, Oregon. En route we were sure to stop off for such attractions as the Trees of Mystery, Confusion Hill, and numerous wood-carvings of Sasquatch.

Eugene, Oregon took me by surprise. It is a somewhat small, or rather walkable, college town. It had a great personality and laid back vibe, defined by it’s cleanliness and friendliness. A few weeks before the trip I found out my cousin, Gabe, whom I hadn’t seen in probably 10 years, was living in Eugene and we were going to be able to meet up. It was pretty exciting in the sense that we’re now at the age where we can do “adult things” and although that isn’t the primary reason, we really got to bond in a more personal way. I got to meet some of his friends and introduce him to my fellow car mates as we exchanged stories about traveling and jobs.

It was great getting to catch up with long lost family and recognize how important it is to keep those relationships and communications alive. Gabe showed us around the town and got us drinks for next to nothing at what seemed to be every bar Eugene had to offer. He has only been there for a short time but seems to know everyone and there was no better way we could have seen the city than with a local who is also friend and family. We tasted some of the finest microbrews Oregon is known for and again shared a great night with some great people. I’m still convinced good people will make light of most any situation or adventure and truly define the memories to come of them
.

The beautiful campsite we awoke to in the National Redwood Forest.

The herd of elk.

In front of some of the old growth redwood trees.

To demonstrate the sheer size of these trees.

We were kind of in a rush, but we saw this snail crossing the trail and literally stared at it for 30 minutes.

Gabe, Dan, and I celebrating in the name of good friends and family.