Essential Travel Gear

This piece of gear is useful, nay essential, no matter what kind of traveling you do.  It is the headband lamp or head light. Once a part of the miners equipment all over the world a new improved version is now right at home in my travel gear. It's been with me camping throughout the United States and on our travels in Europe. Why do I consider a headlamp a necessity you may ask.  Because I have found them irreplaceable in our travels.

      

          Here are a few  occasions I have found a headlamp helpful. 

1. Unloading gear at a campsite at night.
2. Reading in bed in a motel that doesn't have a good reading light.
3. Finding you way to the bathroom at the end of the hall in an inexpensive hotel in Europe. 
4. Writing or doing drawings when both hands are needed in evening light.
5. Changing a tire on a car or other automotive repairs at night.
6. Cooking in the evening when camping out.
7. Anytime I need light when both hands are being used.

The kind of headlamp you buy will depend on a two factors.  How do you plan to use it and how much are you willing to pay for it. If you are going to use a headlamp the way I do, which is basically for emergencies while traveling, an expensive lamp isn't necessary. Looking at the features will help you decide. For me, I wanted something that was light weight, comfortable to wear and would illuminate an area of about twenty feet. Also, I wanted  the light created by a light emitting diode, LED, rather than a conventional bulb and use regular alkaline batteries. I found exactly what I needed for under $20.

About the features of headlamps.

• Almost all all use LEDs for light source (more dependable and less power required)
• Lumens is the measure of how much light is emitted, the higher the number the more light
• Beam Distance (m.) is the distance the beam reaches and retain usefulness
• Run Time (hours) is how long the lamp will operate on one set of batteries.

Headlamps range in price from $10 to over $500. The more expensive models are designed for more rugged outdoor activity such as mountain climbing or spelunking. There are many places to buy them.  I bought mine at Mast General Store in Greenville, SC. Most major sporting goods stores  have them as well as online retailers such as REI and Campmore.  There are some great info and videos at the REI site. Headlamps by the French company Petzl are featured on their website. With whatever kind of headlamp you purchase don't forget extra batteries. 

Kickin' Back in the Sierra Nevadas

We decided to schedule our trip to Yosemite National Park in the spring before the peak of the tourist season.  It was a good decision.  There was a considerable amount of traffic this early in the season, and there were waiting lines of vehicles to view the popular attractions such as Bridal Veil Falls. However, for those of us with a disdain for crowds, there is a location from which the most popular attractions are visible. Just before the tunnel on Highway 140 there is an overlook from which you can view Bridal Veil waterfall, El Capitan, and The Half Dome.  After a few photos here we continued on to the Wawona Hotel.

The Wawona dates from the 19th century when tourists were delivered by stagecoach. The hotel has 104 rooms and is comprised of several buildings.  Our room was in a building constructed in 1919, and it was small and furnished with period marble topped dresser and night stand.   The two story building had wide wraparound porches with dozens of Adirondack chairs, which were great for relaxing beneath the giant trees.  There was a large common room with tables and chairs and a huge stone fireplace. Since many rooms in this building do not have private baths, including ours, the common bath was well appointed. The main and initial structure for the hotel had all the appearance you would expect of an old hotel of the 19th century: wide full width porches, high ceiling lobby, and posh dining room. We enjoyed our lunch on the front porch.  The cool mountain air had the slight odor of the pines. Claudette had a panini, and I had a smoked turkey with gouda on ciabatta. The food was good and the Stellars Jays provided entertainment. 

Wawona is all about relaxing. There  is a golf course, swimming pool, and tennis court. But we found relaxation in the comfortable chairs beneath the giant trees near the fountain - a great way to pass the time. Later that evening we had dinner in the dining room. There is a quiet serenity as the sun sets in the Sierra Nevada  and long shadows become twilight. It is quiet in the candlelit dining room with only the hushed voices of the diners and the slight tinkle of silverware. The lush lawn and fountain are visible through the huge multi-paned windows as we order our dinner. The  choices are varied with entrees in the twenty-five dollar range.  We made the decision after much deliberation to choose meatloaf with mashed potatoes and broccoli.  When our food arrived we were happy we had opted for the $5.50 fee for splitting the dish.  It was a huge amount of delicious food. I chose pine nut pie for dessert, while Claudette chose her favorite, bread pudding.  It was my first experience with the fruit of the pine tree and must say it was delightful.  But he huge scoop of vanilla ice cream insured my delight.  Claudette’s bread pudding was equally good, she rated it a “10”.

On our way out of the park we stopped by Mariposa Grove.  The parking lot as quite crowded. We walked a marked path through part of this preserved forest of giant sequoia trees.   Many of these trees are over 3,000 years old.  They are truly awesome. 

We followed the signs toward Fresno and our destination of Bakersfield.

The Haunting of Raisin' Hell

RF-8 Crusader

In the town of Atwater,CA, at the abandoned Air Force base, is a good collection of aircraft from WWII and later. At the Castle Air Museum, as you enter the twenty-two acres of display area, immediately visible are the most common planes of World War Two: the B-24, the B-25, the B-29, the B-17, and the AT-6.  These planes were produced in greater numbers than any others. But, this is not why we have come, and we begin our search for that “special” aircraft.  Along the way we see some historic airplanes such as the C-47.  There is an interesting story behind the development of this airplane, affectionately referred to as the “Gooneybird”. When Bill Boeing built an airliner for his airline, American Airlines, the owner of Trans World Airlines, Howard Hughes, asked Boeing to build some for him. Boeing refused, not wanting to supply the competition.  Douglas Aircraft designed and built the DC-3 for Hughes, and Boeing’s plane immediately became obsolete.  This plane became the workhorse as a troop transport during WWII and later in commercial aviation. 

As we wandered among the airplanes I pointed out to Claudette an RF-8 Crusader.  It was the first plane to fly into the projectiles fired from its own cannon. That’s pretty fast!  I recounted to her that late one afternoon aboard the USS Intrepid I had seen a Crusader land so hard the nose wheel was torn off.  There were no injuries, but the aircraft mechanics had a lot of work to do. 

We stopped to take a closer look at a B-47 bomber.  The B-47 was the first jet powered bomber of the U.S. Air Force. After the United States had developed the atomic bomb there needed to b a vehicle to deliver these bombs.  The B-47 was fully capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons. Actually, it was a little too good at delivering them.  In 1958 a B-47 accidentally dropped an atomic bomb on a small town near Florence, South Carolina.  It created a crater but did not detonate.  There are some good old boys who would say that the Yankees are still trying to get us, but I don’t believe it. 

B-29 "Raisin' Hell"

We finally found the plane we were looking for: the B-29 Superfortress.  But, not just any B-29.  It’s the “Raisin’ Hell”.  It didn’t do anything historic or anything.  Why, it was created from three other damaged B-29s. Why was I interested? I asked the docent,”Tell me about the ghost?”

He responded, “I can’t say anything about that.” 

“Why?” I queried.

The last thing he said was, “No  comment”, as he walked away.  

This is the story.  As the plane was being restored a passerby noticed the green and red navigation lights were operating  on the plane.  When he called the museum he was told that that was impossible...the plane had no electrical power. At another time a mechanic was working in close quarters in the cockpit of the plane and asked the man working with him to hand him  a wrench, which was placed immediately into his hand.  But, when the mechanic  looked a minute later, he saw his work mate outside the aircraft! These incidents have been investigated by paranormal organizations. 

We enjoyed looking at the fifty-four planes and the indoor museum as well. It is a great display of historical American air power. I couldn’t resist looking over my shoulder at “Raisin’ Hell” as we left.  What if?

B-36 "Peacemaker"

Jumpin' Jiminy!

When I was young I read the stories and books of Mark Twain and among these was about this jumping frog of Calaveras County.  Well, we had spent the night in the county and the Jumping Frog Festival had started on Thursday. It was Saturday morning and time to check it out. The festival is held at the fairgrounds in Angels Camp, referred to as "Angels" by the locals, in May every year. It's not just about jumping frogs but is a big celebration more like a county fair with frog jumping as the main attraction. There a displays of local arts and crafts and 4-H boys and girls with their prized pigs, cows, and sheep.  Lots of horses and rodeo type events too. With funnel cakes and carnival rides available. There were some antique engines and I had a great conversation with a guy about his 1919 Fairbanks-Morse oil burning engine.  But the stars of the show are the long legged amphibians.  The main event is on Sunday but practice is on Saturday.  The record distance jump is a little over 21 feet. The judges measure three jumps.You place you frog at the starting spot and he jumps away, or rather he should. Frogs jump when they want to.  Frog wranglers, people who jump frogs, sometimes kiss the frog, stamp their feet, clap their hands and say all sorts of things to get the frog to jump. They have a training area for young frog wranglers where a kid can use one of the company frogs to practice making them jump.  There is a huge viewing stand overlooking the stage where all this jumping is going on. Incidentally, all frogs must be local, not souped up imports allowed. Green is the dominant color around the festival.  Little did ole Mark know that his story would lead to such a spectacle.

The Sacramento River and Then Some

We had a great day today, our first full day in California. This was to be a trip to see a few sights and catch up on visiting with a few relatives. We had stayed the night in Castro Valley and managed to get into the morning traffic inbound to San Francisco.  Driving an unfamiliar rental car doesn't make the drive from Castro Valley to Sacramento any easier, but nobody rents old Acuras or Toyotas. 

Once we reached the capital city we visited the California Automobile Museum.  They have an interesting  display of automobiles tracing it's development from Henry's first car to modern electrics. The bulk of the vehicles are on loan to the museum from private collectors.  Displays are good with some hands-on demonstrations, and some cars are without their bodies to better show the inner workings.  Mock-ups of old garages and repair shops add to the illusion. Many of the automobiles I had seen before, and I was not particularly excited to see Jerry Brown's Plymouth Satellite sedan,  but then I'm not a native Californian. The 1913 Rauch & Lang electric car was a unique design. The coupe was steered by tiller and the passengers sat in the front. Other alternative fuel cars were also shown: Nissan electric and BMW fuel cell cars.  A half dozen in total were exhibited with some technical data.  Claudette enjoyed looking at the Packard  which she remembered her family drove when her family relocated from Indiana.  It was good to see the display of racing cars which included everything from Indy cars to dirt track racers. The '32 Ford of the legendary A. J. Foyt looked as though it would have been fast, powered by flathead Ford with an Ardun conversion and fuel injection. I had a great time talking with Jim Lee, who worked there.  He was interested in my having seen Shelby's original Cobras racing back in the "60's. Claudette and I had fun at the museum and had our photos taken behind the wheel of a vintage truck.

Lunch at the 4th Street Grill was good.  I had fish tacos with a spinach salad,  and Claudette had a house salad with black bean soup. We then ventured in to Old Sacramento near the river with its renovated old buildings and plank sidewalks. There were many tourists in the many shops that cater to tourists. We didn't patronize any of these shops, but we did visit the California Military Museum.  It is a great little museum with great displays of weapons and uniforms. I was surprised to see so many large automatic weapons. We also gained free admission due to my veteran status.   If I have any criticism, it would be that some of the displays weren't very well lit. 

We had our evening meal on the Delta King on the Sacramento River. The crab cakes and burger were great. The Irish music left a bit to be desired, not quite professional. We decided the Delta King's food was very superior to the Delta Queen's. 

Back to our room and an episode of Downton Abbey. 

An Indian Prince in Japan

We walked to the train station from a friend's house on a quiet street in Zushi City, which is about two hours south of Tokyo by car. The day before, we had visited Tokyo, Japan's largest city.  Below the city streets there the subway trains are stacked five high. The Japanese are notorious for "packing" people into their trains so much that it has created a problem between the sexes. So much unauthorized groping occured that some trains are now gender specific.   One of the most interesting behaviors I observed was a Tokyo traffic jam!  Everything came to a complete standstill. Slowly, vehicles began to move like a giant knot untying itself, and  traffic was flowing again without a policeman's whistle or a horn honking! We did a little sight-seeing in the city and had lunch in a hotel which had a beautiful garden quite reminiscent of the Japanese garden at San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.  This one did have a twenty-foot high waterfall though... and a calico cat. The most memorable thing about this was seeing Suki call the huge beautiful koi in the pond.  It took me a while to catch on as she snapped her fingers a few inches above the water and uttered a few words in Japanese I did not understand.  (Actually, my Japanese vocabulary is limited to five words.) But the fish knew.  The water seemed to boil as the large colorful fish surfaced with mouths wide open.  The light bulb flashed in my head, and I knew that that was the way they were normally fed. Today we were away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo and bound for one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan, Kamukura.

We entered the railway station and bought tickets from the vending machines.  It seems almost anything is available from vending machines in Japan.  Always a good idea to use the bathroom before beginning any trip.  The toilets are some western and some Japanese.  Japanese toilets are an oblong hole in the floor that you stand or squat over, not unlike those in rural France. Maybe I'm a bit jaded, but I prefer to sit down while I tend to business.  The train was a quiet electric model, not a bullet model, since those are used only for long distance travel. After we're seated and the train begins moving Suki asks if we would like to move into the first class section. She pays the conductor a few extra yen, and we move into the larger more comfortable seats.  I comment to Claudette about the reserved seating for pregnant women, the handicapped and elderly.  Just as we had seen yesterday, people are standing and those seats are empty.

Claudette  got off the train first, and we began our walk toward the shrine. The streets are narrow and lined with small shops and businesses. There is a myriad of utility wires overhead like a giant spider web.We stop and get some snacks from a street vendor. He's frying what appears to be gyoza wrappers in hot sesame oil.  They are delicious!  In a small restaurant we opt for counter seats rather than "family style" seating, which is on the floor. The space behind the lunch counter is so small that the cooks have to turn sideways to squeeze by each other while they work. The cooks are using giant chopsticks to stir and prepare the food.  I have a bowl of ramen noodles, and they are fantastic. It is not considered rude to slurp your food in Japan, and noodles are made for slurping.  The raw fish and octopus require a little getting used to.

After lunch we continue toward the temple and shrine. This shrine was built in 1063 A.D. and is dedicated to the patron god of the samurai.  The temple of red and gold sits atop a hill with hundreds of steps leading up to it.  There are shops from which you can buy offerings to lay in front of the shrine. We don't buy any, but we do wash out our mouths at the covered trough of flowing water.   A communal long handled copper dipper is used.  Tradition dictated that you should wash out your mouth as to speak no evil while in this place. My Mom always told me she would wash out my mouth with soap and water if I said a bad word, but I was a little boy then. There were monks about in brilliant orange robes.  After the shrine we moved on to the the giant Buddha. The buddha  is from 1252 A.D. and has been replaced several times.  Initially it was of wood, but the current one is of bronze.  It once stood in a temple, but in 1498 A.D. the replacement temple was destroyed.  It is a truly remarkable structure.  An Indian prince is depicted sitting in the lotus position with his hands folded in prayer. It was quite interesting in  the interior of the sculpture; it was fun to climb around inside the 44 foot tall  93 ton behemoth.  However, I must hasten to note that I observe a more revered state in religious  places of the non-Christian, and I expect the same of them.  At the entrance we find these words:

Stranger, whosoever thou art and whatsoever be thy creed, when thou enterest this sanctuary remember thou treadest upon ground hallowed by the worship of ages. This is the Temple of Bhudda  and the gate of the eternal, and should therefore be entered with reverence.

Later in our visit, Suki's father would introduce us to the traditional tea ceremony.  The tea was awful and I almost gagged on the pickled cherry blossom.  However, it was a beautiful ceremony, and it was quite interesting to learn the etiquette of this ancient tradition.

We enjoyed our visit to Japan very much and would like to return again and visit some of the rural areas.

My Japanese vocabulary:

• Konnichiwa...Hello
• Sayounara...Good-bye
• Arigatau...Thank-you
• Hai...Yes
• Mushi-mushi...(I don't know what it means, but it's how you answer the telephone.)

It's what the Doc said...

I went to the gym today.  I go every day except Saturdays and Sundays and some Wednesdays.  Some Wednesdays are "Fritter Wednesdays".  Some friends come over for apple fritters, and we gather around the kitchen table, eat fritters, drink coffee, and offer alternative solutions to the world's problems. They are Dunkin Donuts fritters which aren't  as good as the ones from the coffee house in Oakland, but much closer.  On other days I'm at the gym.  The doc says,"Get exercise!" But the gym I go to isn't like Rocky Balboa's or like the one that girl on TV frequents.  Nope, it doesn't have those finely toned bodies and those guys with rippling muscles and  six packs    I haven't seen those yet. Although visions of finely toned female forms could, or rather would, appeal to my more primitive interests. But, alas, they are not there.  The people I see at the gym are older.  Some of them use walkers and pull little carts with oxygen bottles.

I usually start my routine  on a recumbent fixed bicycle.  It's kind of relaxing and is right in front of one of the many televisions.  All the televisions have subtitles  and no volume, that way the television sound doesn't interfere with 105 the Weasel coming form the overhead speakers. The televisions are nice, but I don't see well enough to read the subtitles, so I read a book instead. The book I'm currently reading is Lewis Grizzard's "Kathy Sue Loudermilk, I Love You or A Good Beer Joint is Hard To Find and Other Facts of Life." I have my own mp3 player. My tastes run from rock to opera. I can usually kick up a notch when listening to Freddie Mercury singing "We Are The Champions".

Sometimes you see some rather amusing things at the gym.  I don't know why the people insist on pushing on the I-beams that hold up the roof.  Don't they know they can't move them.  People have pushed on the iron railings so much that there are now "Keep Off the Railings" signs.  Most people are rather quiet while exercising.  They either listen to their music or engage in quiet conversation with a friend.  Some sing along with their iPods or repeat phrases of a foreign language. But then there are the grunters. They are usually participating in heavy exercise like lifting weights.  They're not soft grunts like those of a constipated  baby, but loud rumbling grunts that vibrate the walls. Does a grunt help move the weight?  I don't know.

I have a simple exercise routine.  After twenty minutes on the exercise bike, I walk two miles. (At one time I walked three miles, but that got in the way of watching reruns of Perry Mason.) Some people walk carrying dumbbells. I don't.  If the good Lord had meant for me to carry dumbbells he would have attached them to my arms.  I just carry my two hundred plus, plus, pounds.  I once did crunches but I gave up the exercise crunches. Captain Crunch is more my style.

Wow, tomorrow's Saturday and I don't have to go to the gym!

Rollin' on the River...but No Tina!

We crossed the 14th street bridge, and I said to Claudette, "There she is" referring to the steamboat, Delta Queen, moored below in the Tennessee River.  "Angie will tell us how to get there," she said. "Angie" is the name I bestowed on the distinctly midwestern voice of the Acura navigation system." Turn left on   Manufacturers Boulevard," said Angie.  A few more turns and we were there, looking at a true paddle wheeler on the river and our lodging for the nest two days.

Since my boyhood days of reading Twain's Tom Sawyer I've had a fascination for riverboats, so when the opportunity came to spend the night on one, how could I say no? And here it was.

The Delta Queen is a steam powered paddlewheel riverboat of 285 feet in length and 58 feet in width, and it weighs over sixteen tons. I was surprised that it was built in 1929 in Scotland and shipped in sections to the U.S. It was assembled in California and plied the Sacramento River delta.  In fact, her sister ship, the Delta King, is moored in Sacramento, California. Somehow that twentieth century history kind of takes away some of the romance of riverboats of film and television.  Those were the days of Yancy Derringer and the Maverick brothers, fancy ladies and fast talking gamblers. 

While in the lounge I heard the sound of ice cubes in glasses and pure Kentucky bourbon being poured. I was looking over the screen of my laptop, which could have been a poker hand, and I thought I heard someone say," Cards, Mister?" The lounge, dining room and lobby rekindle this romantic era with lush period furnishings, crystal chandeliers and lots of polished brass. Did I see Jodie Foster in period dress?

We did not have a thrilling dining experience, the food was good, but not great.  However, the buffet breakfast was a redeeming feature.  I'm a grits 'n' gravy kind of guy and the piles of sausages, bacon, eggs and biscuits we the right thing for me. I think Claudette even found some potatoes on the buffet.  Our cabin had a queen size bed, which eliminated space for a chair.  The dresser was an antique from the Federal period.  One caveat: headroom is at a premium in the shower. 

I enjoyed wandering around the boat, noting the giant 30 ton wood and iron paddlewheel and the calliope. Cabin number 340 had a brass plaque stating that President Jimmy Carter had stayed there. As I wandered about, the sound of Tina Turner singing "Rollin' on the River" echoed through my mind.

For a good video tour of the Delta Queen
Maverick trailer


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On another note: Does anyone have a good name, female, of course, for the voice on my smartphone's navigation ap?