Atlantic City

Just because I have this new found sense of my life out here doesn't mean I'm lucky. I learned that the hard way in Atlantic City today. Suffice it to say that I'll need a couple days of work to make up my losses.

Money well spent on a good time though. Lots of craps, beers, Hooters, and magic. If I were ever going to go to Atlantic City, I'm glad I went with the company I had: a juggler and a magician.

My magician roommate, Jason, got us tickets to the magic show Carnival of Wonders, staring the dynamic team of Kalin the master illusionist and Jinger his lovely assistant. Not only fantastic performers, but incredibly nice people who were more than happy to hang out with us young entertainers and share a tip or two.

A great first trip to Atlantic City, but will it be my last?

You Have Reached Your Destination

6/12/2009

Mandy has said that to me many times throughout the past two weeks. Mandy is the GPS I've been using to get around the eastern half of the United States. Well, 'Mandy' is the female voice I chose to listen to. She was American, which is sad. One can download an expansion pack for a TomTom and get a British female voice, much more alluring. But I digress.

I'm here! I have arrived in Rye, NY. I spent most of today getting to know the town. It's got a great old school main street, lots of shops, and passersby. Around the corner from the main street is one of the performers houses. Down the street from there is the train to NYC, round trip ticket for around $20. Not bad.

I already got to know the shop owner at the local wine shop, Bruno. He sold me a nice Reisling while we chatted about the city and whether or not there were any good bars in Rye. He told me of a few places nearby. I figured I'd get to know them later that night.

After visiting the library for the internet and jamming in a park for a while, I decided to make my way to Playland amusement park to see where I'd be spending my summer. There I met with the cast manager Bret and briefly met others, as they were in the middle of rehearsal. The park is like a carnival that came to town, settled in one spot, and grew from there. It's got the same rides that a traveling carnival would, but also has a big roller coaster, screw-you-over carnival games, and of coarse, entertainment. Once I have conquered all the rides, I'll let you know if it's worth coming to.

While the rest of the cast rehearsed, I went to The Pub. Literally, a pub called The Pub. I was told by Bruno that is was a chill place. It was chill. Mostly because everyone in there was over 50. No matter. I still made a friend. Vinny was chatting, rather loudly, with his friend about good music, concerts they've been to etc. I piped in and before I knew it we were exchanging bang recommendations. Right now I'm looking at a coaster which he wrote the names of three artists: Peter White, The Amazing Blondel, and Dando Shaft. He ranted and raved about these three, guaranteeing I would not be disappointed..... truth be told, I'm a little disappointed. They all sound stereotypically like music someone over 50 would be into (no offense to those reading this who are). I told him I'd have a listen and see him next Friday at The Pub.

Once the cast was done with rehearsal, I met them all one town over at Buffalo Wild Wings. This is the area where the young'ns go. Apparently, I have a lot of hockey fans in my cast because every one of them had to lock into the Stanley Cup. I have to admit, it was fun watching Pittsburgh wail on Detroit, and seeing the Yankees win over the Mets on an outfield error was also quite exciting. Over a few beers, I got to properly meet the cast. Everyone seems eager and excited for the summer ahead.

Final Stats:

Total Miles Driven: 1,921

Total Stops for Gas: 8

Total Amount Spent on Gas: $245.75

Foggy Horses

6/11/2009

I was thinking of spending another day/night in Philly, but really there wasn't much keeping me there. Plus, by this point in my journey I was ready to settle in Rye, NY, my final destination. However, after hitting the road out of Philly, I got a call from my company director informing me that the house I am to be moving into is not ready due to some renovations. So I extended my tour a bit.

As I drove up the Jersey shore I picked a point on the GPS and went to it, figuring I'd stop when I saw something interesting. That did take long. Within an hour of driving I came across Monmouth Park horse racing track. I've watched the Kentucky Derby on TV and such, but I've never been to a live horse race. Lucky me, I got there in time to see the last four races, three on the dirt and one on the turf.

It was a unique day for racing because as you can see, it was a touch foggy. For the majority of last race, the announcer just said, "and I can't see anything, last I saw 'Fast Forward' had the lead." Because of the mysty dampness, the dirt was good and thick and clung to the jockeys. It was these little nuances that entertained me the most.

Like when a horse decided he just wasn't going to leave the stables. The caretaker tugged and pulled, but he just planted his hooves. Every once in a while he would buck up on his rear legs and everyone around would clear the way. The race was drawing nearer. The owner and jockey were discussing scratching. Then out of nowhere the horse decided he was in the mood for racing after all. He ended up taking second.

After the races, I continued my drive north on Ocean Avenue. I pulled off to walk over the sand dunes but saw nothing but a few feet of the Atlantic Ocean and a whole lot of fog.

I continued north and reached Sandy Hook National Park. I'm sure this place is gorgeous on a bright sunny day. However, I did not have such luck. Further into the park though, things got more interesting.

In the early 1890's this National Park was (and still is) a homeland security base. Some of the old turrets and mortars are no longer in use and are open to visitors. Well, they are sort of open. The cool parts are gated off. But that did stop me. There was no one else in the park, so I figured a little gate hoping wouldn't hurt. I went where this sign said I shouldn't. Opps, but worth it.

Not Always Sunny in Philadelphia

6/10/2009

It was overcast all day. But no matter. I made it to Philly and met up with Zach, whom I met on couchsurfing.com. Now when I mentioned couchsurfing to family and friends before I left on this little excursion I got a lot of, "are you sure you wanna do that?" And I do understand people's concern.

Allow me to explain couchsurfing. Better yet, I'll let them. This is taken straight from the "What is Couchsurfing?" page on their website:

Mission:

"CouchSurfing seeks to internationally network people and places, create educational exchanges, raise collective consciousness, spread tolerance, and facilitate cultural understanding."

As a community we strive to do our individual and collective parts to make the world a better place, and we believe that the surfing of couches is a means to accomplish this goal. CouchSurfing isn't about the furniture- it's not just about finding free accommodations around the world- it's about participating in creating a better world. We strive to make a better world by opening our homes, our hearts, and our lives. We open our minds and welcome the knowledge that cultural exchange makes available. We create deep and meaningful connections that cross oceans, continents and cultures. CouchSurfing wants to change not only the way we travel, but how we relate to the world!

The safety factor is also addressed on their site. But I really wasn't too concerned on safety. Zach is just a guy, like me, like so many people. Say 10% of people in the world (and I think I'm over estimating) are out to get you: harm you, scam you, etc. That still leaves 90% that are just living life, not interested in hurting anyone. This certainly was Zach, a fellow guitar player.

He had to work most of the afternoon so I made it around Philly on my own, checking out the Historic district and walking around the Delaware riverfront as well as South Street, a popular shopping/eating/happening area. Saw Benjamin Franklin's grave, Besty Ross' house, some war memorials, and buildings that dated back to the time of the Revolutionary War.

Once Zach was done with work we walked down to south Philadelphia for some Geno's and Pat's cheesesteaks. These two epic rivals are located right across the street from one another. Since there is so much controversy over which is better I figured I'd overstuff myself and sample one of each. Geno's, with it's neon flashy exterior uses a cheese wiz, imitation cheese on their steaks. Pat's, on the other hand, uses real slices of cheese. Being the Wisconsin guy that I am, I had to choose the one with the real cheese.

Drove to Chicago, All things Go

9-31-2009

With a long night in Boytown behind us, Lee and I woke up to a leisurely morning consisting of Hulu videos and playing with Charlie the rabbit. Lee had some studying to do as his finals were coming up, so I took the Metra (yes, Metra, not metro) into the city for a little touristy Chicago fun.

I made my way up the Sears tower to the Skydeck observation level on floor 99. For a soild hour I stood up there gazing out onto the magnificent city below, thinking of the hundreds of thousands of lives that are unfolding under my feet. It’s a humbling experiences seeing a city like Chicago laid out beneath you.

My friend Meagan met me up there and we sat for another long while staring out onto the city and catching each other up on the last year of our lives.

A ear-poppingly quick ride down the elevator and Meagan and I were walking the city streets seeing what there was to see. In a short while we got thirsty and realized we were across the street from the House of Blues. Great place for a few beers. Last night I was introduced to 312 (pronounced three one two), a locally famous Chicago brew reminiscent of New Glaurus’ spotted cow. Good converstion, good beer, great atmosphere, but before long we decided to check out more of the city.

Millennium park was our next stop. What an incredible public space. We just so happen to get there as a local youth choir was finishing up a concert in the park. The stage, architecture, and sound of this performance space is masterfully done. I could see myself as a Chicago citizen and utilizing this space on a daily basis.

The incredible Mellennium park outdoor art has made a landmark in-print on this Chicago area.

One can get some rather impressive pictures using this metallic dome-blob to help.

From there, we did a bit more walking as the sun began to set on this marvelous setting.

Dillo Day, Off to a Good Start

9-30-2009

At the end of every school year the students at Northwestern University in Evanston Chicago unfurl themselves from their armadillo armored balls and let loose. Hence the endearing term Dillo Day, 24 hours of drunken debauchery topped off by a free concert.

For the day, I was a Northwestern student. Got into Chicago around 5pm and wasted no time. After a few rounds of beirut, my friend Lee, his roommate, and I made our way to the lakeshore for the concert featuring Estelle. Brilliant show. She is a beautiful, sincere performer, constantly breaking the fourth wall to really get the audience into it. She even paused the show for a ridiculously wasted chick in the crowd who needed some medical attention. But besides that, great show.

From Estelle we headed to Lee's fraternity house on campus. Basically, it's a 20-some room dorm-like mansion, in which every room has it's own mini-bar. The drinking continued there.

Then came in the most interesting part of the night, Boystown, Chicago's flamboyantly gay district. From Hydrate to Cocktail and finally passing out at Mini-bar, the night got only more ridiculous, and much more gay.

A Few Stipulations

Before I head out, there are a few things I need to specify. Maybe not so much for you the reader, but for me. I have a few stipulations, a few rules, some goals in mind for this road trip and this summer:

1. I will not eat at a fast food restaurant. This one has a stipulation of it's own. I will eat at a fast food joint if (a) I've never been to that particular kind before (i.e. Sonic) and (b) there is no grocery store within reasonable driving distance. Only if those two parameters are met will I dive arteries first into fries and grease.
2. I will blog everyday. Much like when I was on my continental tour of Europe, I will write everyday, but will post whenever I have internet capabilities.
3. I will video blog at least once a week. Let's face it, if you check into this blog regularly, you want to see my smiling face.
4. I will stop when something looks worth stopping for. Too many times have I drove past a state park sign or a scenic overlook. This time around I will stop, even if only to snap a quick picture.
5. I will write one letter a week. I like the physical communication of letter writing. Shoot your address my way and you may be the lucky recipient of one such letter.
6. I will continue to run, but concentrate more on my marathon withered upper body. I truly came to enjoy training for that marathon. No matter how little I got done in a day, as long as I got that run in, I felt like I accomplished something. Once I settle in Rye, I will get into a routine that will give me that accomplished feeling once again.

So there you have it, my summer goals. Please, hold me to them.

East Bound and Down

Weddings are a good time. Hard to argue against that. Two loving people become one, family and friends reunite to celebrate like they never left each other, dancing like idiots without a care, and most often, free alcohol flows through everyone's veins (which aids in the dancing). It's a new beginning.

Tomorrow morning I will have a new beginning, a fresh start. I've spent the past few months here in Green Bay enjoying the time I've had here. But a lot of that time was also spent confused and frustrated with where I was in life. For some reason, at 23 I just expected more.

Tomorrow I will have more. For two weeks I'm going to take advantage of what this country has to offer. While I have a vague idea of where I'm going and what I'm doing over these next 14 days, I'll be playing a lot by ear. That smidgen of uncertainty gives me an edge of excitement. For example, this upcoming Wednesday. I have a six hour spelunking tour of Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. Will I get in those 9 inch crevasses and have a claustrophobic panic attack? Who knows! But certain things are planned out and good to go.

Tomorrow I will be starting this summer off right. My first stop is Chicago. I'll be catching up with a good friend and seeing The Decemberist, N.E.R.D., and Estelle LIVE. I'm hoping Sunday will include the Shed aquarium or perhaps the art museum. We'll see how hungover I am. But either way, I am pleased with my first stop.

I was pleased tonight as well, seeing my long time friend Brandon join forever with his soul mate Joy. I've been to a few weddings in my day and never have a seen a couple enjoy life together more than these two.

Tomorrow I will begin enjoying life like I never have before, just me and the road. I'm east bound and down, loading up, and truck'n.