Family, Friends and the Holiday Season

We don’t get to see our friends and family enough. Period.

That being said, we are currently throwing around ideas for visiting family during the 2008 holiday season.

Personally I’d love to get home more often than I do and with my change in careers I think it’s something I will make a concentrated effort to do.

In the past we have traveled only for Christmas; going to Canada a few days before Santa Claus showed up, spending Christmas morning with my family and then flying down the morning or afternoon to Chicago.

With us now living in Los Angeles, and airlines gouging you to death with surcharges and bag fees things are a little more tricky. One idea being thrown around our house is to travel to Canada before Christmas, down to Chicago Christmas Day and back out to LA a few days later. The other thought it spending Thanksgiving in Chicago and Christmas in Canada.

Of course the other thing we have to take into consideration is the guy at the bottom of this post. There will be some expense in either taking him with us or putting him up somewhere.

Reasons I Like Los Angeles

The other day H and I were discussing some reader comments and I asked her if I came across too negative about Los Angeles and California. She was very polite in her answer and noted I was simply pointing out the differences between the Midwest/Chicago and living in the West/Los Angeles … but she could see how things could be taken the wrong way.

After plotting thinking for a minute I talked about how California is so different than what we are used to, not bad and not good, but just different. I also rationalized that downtown LA has a long way to go if it is to become the place everyone talks about and says it is going to be.

And then I uttered the phrase, “… but there is plenty that I like about living here …” and I realized I should probably share those thoughts.

• Weather - I have talked about the weather on a number of occasions here. I mean you have to look good and hard on the Interweb to find someone who is going to complain about it not being windy and grey; wondering where the thunderstorms are and hoping and praying it will rain. I await those things because it’s what I am used to and have become accustomed to seeing and experiencing. Of course the flip side to all of this is the bright and sunny days and nights we experience each and every day here in LA. We dread taking Carter out because it is raining or snowing (both weather experiences he loves immensley) and thus we never worry about that here - it is always sunny and warm when you head out the door for a walk. Want to head to the beach? Go for a hike walk? Head to Pasadena and do some shopping? Many things will factor into your day but most likely weather will not be one of them. Friends and family will come out here over time for a vacation or a visit and we will never have to worry about a day being spoiled because of the weather. You know when you go on vacation and hope that you don’t get any days of rain or hope it isn’t cold, because you are on vacation and want a great experience? Well that is what it’s like every day here.
• Pacific Ocean - I was going to say water but someone might think I was talking about the strong flowing Los Angeles river and therefore concede I was nuts. I love the water, always have. I don’t like to swim and I don’t like to fish really. But I love the sight of water, the smell of it and the sound. Where I grew up you could walk a half-dozen blocks and be at the harbor. Go for a drive there and most likely you have to make your way around the lake. Back in Chicago we would walk along Lake Michigan all the time. I would go out of my way to drive along Lake Shore Drive so I could see the waves crashing on the rocks in the fall. And here in Los Angeles you have the ocean. The chance to walk along the beach and see the waves crash against the shore; the ability to look out and see dolphins making their way across the horizon. I love it, and can’t wait to experience it more and more.
• So Much To Do - I know that isn’t a great sub-title but hear me out. Here in Los Angeles there is so much to see and do. You can go hiking in the hills, head out to the ocean. You can get in the car and visit San Diego in just a few hours. You could head north and visit San Francisco and Seattle. And in-between there are so many things to take in. H and I keep thinking about all the places we want to see out here and know that we have a couple years at least to take it all in.

So there are things we like about Los Angeles and California, there really is. And both H and I can’t wait to experience everything we can.

But I can’t promise I won’t have some differences or questions to point out along the way.

Day Three: We Have Questions

Good morning from beautiful Seonda, Arizona!

Our travels yesterday took us through the remainder of Texas, across New Mexico and into Arizona.

We originally were going to stay in Flagstaff but the $100 fee for Carter to sleep at the hotel was enough to drive us away. So we decided to stay in Sedona, which we didn’t know was smack dab in the middle of huge mountains. It amazing here and we are glad we stayed. Our night was spent at the nicest Best Western I have ever seen. Anyhow, every time you look around there are mountains, all cut out in different formations and very unique.

So our trip through the states I mentioned above has left us with some questions.

• Who owns the wild cows that seem to be roaming in the middle of nowhere along the side of the road?
• Why are all the houses, cars and stores abandoned along Interstate 40?
• What do people do that live in the middle of nowhere like that? Do they live off the land?
• How do they get their cows and horses back from all those acres?
• Why is there always one cow by himself?
• The wild animals we saw at the side of the road that resembled deer. Were they deer or some kind of wild hybrid animal?

There were probably more questions than that but we have time to ask later.

We are extending our trip somewhat, heading to Las Vegas today. If we went straight through to Los Angeles we are looking at a 9 hour ride and we have been through a couple of long days already. So we are staying just off the strip tonight and will take our time getting there today - a little more than four hours.

See you soon!

Day Two: Ummm, Pretty Boring Honestly

Good morning from Amarillo, TX!

We are just getting ready to head out for the day after spending another night at a Residence Inn. This location was not nearly as nice as the one in Joplin, MO but it still wasn’t bad.

Carter was much better yesterday in the car. He is required to wear a seatbelt in most states and you can imagine how he likes that. The first day of our trip we had to give him some Benadryl to calm him down - and yes we checked with the vet and apparently people do it all the time. Yesterday however, medication was not needed and he was a pretty good boy throughout the day.

We learned that my dad will be coming to visit in a few weeks and we are very excited about that.

Just a short word on rest stops in Oklahoma. They aren’t really rest stops. When I think of a rest stop I picture a place where you pull off to the road, perhaps surrounded by trees. There would be a building and some picnic tables, maybe even a vending machine. Not in Oklahoma. Apparently in Oklahoma a rest stop means the following: create a small path just to the side of the highway, literally a few feet; take some garbage cans and put them on an angle, supported by wood so people can put their garbage in there from the car; take a table and put a rusted out metal ‘roof’ on it. That is an Oklahoma rest stop.

Now Texas, they know how to do it up right. We didn’t stop in one since we haven’t been in the state long but they have buildings, big buildings for their rest areas. They looked amazing and provided some great views of the surrounding areas. Perhaps today we will take one in.

There really wasn’t too much of anything to see along the route yesterday. Today we will be making our way to Flagstaff, AZ. We toyed with the idea of making our way to the Grand Canyon but it just doesn’t fit in to our schedule well. I am going to try and make a quick stop in Winslow, AZ today though. You know …. “Standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona …” from the Eagles song Take It Easy.

Thanks again for reading everyone!

Day 1: Tornado Sirens and Carter Costs a Lot

Good morning from beautiful Joplin, Missouri!

Well, day one of our trip to California is in the books. Yesterday we logged aprroximately 577 miles to begin our journey and had a pretty good day all-around.

We are staying at a nice hotel, the Residence Inn by Marriott. The only kicker is that Carter costs an extra $75 a night! He was a pretty good boy throughout the day, not fighting his new seatbelt that much so we figured he was worth it.

We got off to a slow start as some time was spent with H’s parents before they headed out for the day. We took our time packing up the car and deciding what we could in fact fit and what we couldn’t. In the end we left behind some water and lots of our towels which is probably going to be a pain once we get there but what can you do.

The trip through Illinois was rather uneventful to be honest. Interstate 55 is not going to take you through rolling hills and lush fields of trees. As a matter of fact it is flat, boring and there isn’t much going on. The GPS system paid dividends early when it took us around downtown St. Louis where there always seems to be a ton of traffic. I say always like I am a regular there but the 3-4 times I have been it was busy. Across the Mississippi and across the state of Missouri.

Our dinner stop was in and around Rolla. We ate Subway in the car and tried to convince Carter to eat but all he wanted to do was drink. We sat around and watched people run in and out of the Smokers Express - a little hut that sold cigarettes. All the locals rolled up in their junkers and literally ran into the store to get their fix.

Once back on the road H was at the wheel and I managed to fall asleep for 20 minutes or so. When I woke up the clouds were a little dark which was not a big deal since it rained almost the entire day. But H said the radio had reports of thunderstorms heading into the area so we were a little cautious. It was around this time that the NCAA tournament games were starting so I scanned the dial looking for some action. However, all we got was national weather service warnings - you know the loud annoying ‘test signal’ they have on tv and the radio that you never actually hear in an emergency? Yeah, well this was no test. The clouds got darker and lower but there were pockets of sunshine in certain directions. Then we listened a little closer to the reports. Apparently there were reports of tornados in Pulaski county. Where the hell is that? They kept announcing the counties that were effected and how to take shelter if you are in the path (all I can remember is cover your head). This went on for a solid ten miuntes or so until we passed a sign that said “Welcome to Pulaski county”. Uh oh. Then the reports said the tornados are headed straight down highway 44. I don’t have to tell you which highway we were on. Finally they announced that the area to be hardest hit was going to be between mile markers 140 and 167. This came on the radio when we passed marker 164 and the numbers were getting lower. Not knowing what to do (other than cover my head) we got off the interstate and stopped at the Road Ranger. Everyone and their uncle was getting off the road. Then the rain started. As we are being hearded into the store they announce that all the pumps are off. That can’t be a good sign right? We listened to weather reports and talked to a local couple that acted like this happened every day. They knew all about the tell-tale signs of a tornado and what to look for outside. After 40 miuntes of rain, hail and wind, reports came in that the twisters had passed just a few miles to the east of us.

Back on the road for another 3 hours and we finally arrived at the hotel. A little Ruby Tuesday before heading to bed and that was that.

Today we are taking our time since we are not going too far: Amarillo, TX.

Lessons learned on day one: Shelf clouds are a bad sign; the southern route that everyone suggested isn’t all that great; people love to smoke in Missouri.

Plotting the Route and Budget

I’ve started mapping out our route to California. The journey is just over 2,000 miles and quite frankly we are in no rush. H doesn’t like to drive at night and Carter is going to be with us so why push things. Here is a breakdown of our planned journey:

• March 27th: Chicago, IL to Omaha, NE = 470 miles = 7.5 hours
• March 28th: Omaha, NE to Denver, CO = 541 miles = 7.5 hours
• March 29th: Denver, CO to Cedar City, UT = 580 miles = 8.5 hours
• March 30th: Cedar City, UT to Los Angeles, CA = 439 miles = 6.5 hours

I know what you’re thinking when you look at that list of places. Cedar City, UT? I know. But there really isn’t that many places to stop after Denver considering the time frame we want to be on the road.

One of the reasons we are mapping out the trip in advance is because of Carter. Not all hotels allow pets so we are taking the time to research what places will allow him to stay the night. I am surprised at the number of quality hotels that allow pets. Of course there is a charge or deposit, ranging from $25-$75 per night but he is worth it.

I think the travel times leave us some wiggle-room each day. You figure a trip scheduled to take 8 hours … you stop a few times here and there for food and bathroom breaks so add on another two hours. So your day on the road becomes 10 hours. Well if you get up and out by say eight in the morning you should arrive at your destination by six or so that night. We will most likely hang out in the room because of our four-legged friend so dinner will be picked up or ordered in meaning a relaxing night.

I figure the trip will cost us around $1,000. I initially estimated 400 miles on a tank of gas (which is probably a little generous) and our car holds 16 gallons. So 2,000 miles would equal 5 tanks. Throw an extra two in there just to be safe and that makes 7. At say $3.50 a gallon (joke) that is $56 every time we fill up. That works out to roughly $400. $75 a day for food ($225) and hotels around $375. That works out to around $1,000 which will fit into the relocation package nicely.