Rodeo Night - Day 82

It was Thursday night, so it was Rodeo Night around the corner from the Treason's. It was their biggest rodeo of the year and was announced in the small local paper (next to the cute puppy story):

It was big; I'd say they had about a hundred spectators, and had brought in a half dozen extra bulls just for the event. Fun stuff. After the Pledge of Allegiance and an on-horse cowboy playing a tenor saxophone version of the Star Spangled Banner, the bull riding began.

After a few rides, some lasting the full 8 seconds and some just a second or two, they brought out all the kids for the boot scramble. This is where all the kids un-shod themselves, and walk around barefoot in a manure minefield. They even did a stint at Simon Says, just to get the kids to roll around in it. Oddly, the mothers on hand were encouraging their kids to do it. The winner is the kid who can run across the patties, slip on his/her boots, and run back to the starting line. Not much to it, but it was hilarious to watch. I'm training for next year's competition.

Today, Mr. T and I are gonna head for La La Land and pick up an old Chevy, as long as the car checks out and runs.

Sushi, Steve, Soul and Soaring - Days 80-81

Yesterday I had a great day; today I had a better day.

CuzPete had recommended Ten, a sushi house a few blocks from his place. With that, we headed there for dinner early last night. Early enough to get the happy hour special. Generally it was half-price for most of the stuff we ordered, including the sake. We ordered more that we could eat. And then we ate it all. It was not as good as Hoboken sushi/sashimi, and we don't even need to compare it to San Fran, but it was really good. Tuna - medium; Salmon - good; Snapper - good; Hamachi - medium. Tempura roll and appetizers - very good. It clearly satisfied my raw fish jonesing.

After dinner, we went to TreasonBiker's. TreasonBiker is TreasonPal's much, much, much older brother. But he looks and acts like us "kids". In other words, we hung out, drank beer, and told stories while watching the sun come down. One major reason the Treason's made the leap from Jersey specifically to Arizona was how much they appreciated the lifestyle, attitude, and camaraderie that she found in the Dale Lane crew. They certainly made me want to join the crew. (FYI, only TreasonBiker is a biker, the others all have their own unique extravagance.) I need to get CuzPete to walk down the street and meet these guys (actually a suped-up golf cart would be better than walking).

That was a great day. But today was better.

This morning, TreasonPal was still half asleep and sipping her over-sweetened coffee when I suggested she call in and say she was "working" from home today. Fortunately, Paul is her boss, and he was cool with it. Thanks Paul! We took full advantage of it.

After the morning swim, we headed out for lunch at Mrs. Smith's Golden Rule cafe. It was from the Road Food book, so it had to be good. But this soul food house was another of those places that have the full package of ambiance, history and fantastic food, that make it great. We both agreed that our main courses of chicken fried steak and southern fried chicken were the best parts of the meal. But the sides included the best green beans we'd ever had and a dessert-like yam that was almost too smooth and too sweet.

Through the 113 degree "dry" heat, we then headed for the primary adventure. On the southern side of the Estrella Mountains, we went to the Arizona Soaring's Sailport. On my Life To-do List, I now have a check mark next to flying in a glider.

While TreasonPal was treated to her pilots "best flight ever" by reaching 14,000 feet for his all-time high, my experienced and loquacious pilot, Bruce, took me through the aero-acrobatic basics that included the loop-de-loop, the wing-over, the clover, and the exhilarating feeling of weightlessness when we seemed to hit the pause button in mid-air and then just float downward to regain control. Exhilarating!

I was too soon on the ground with adrenaline riding high. The after-glow lasted for hours.

I retain my right to claim a fear of heights, yet my portfolio boasts bunji jumping, parachuting and now airplane gliding. I seem to enjoy my acrophobia, only by pushing it to the limits. I enjoyed it immensely today.

Thanks for playing hooky TreasonPal.

The Mexico Decision and Pete - Day 79

Besided UncleDave, I've been mostly connecting with the Halbeisen side of the family...don't worry youngaunt, I will get to the Murphy's soon enough when I drag CuzTina along for the trip to Jersey and perhaps drop in on CuzDanny. But tonight, I had dinner with CuzPete.

CuzPete, his very beautiful wife Dawn and their equally beautiful daughter Joey (I believe her real name is Johana), live in a Dale named after me, just 15 minutes from the Treasons. Tonight they invited me over for dinner.

I arrived at their stunning home, forewarned by CuzPete that the place was, "A bit of a mess, what with the baby and we're packing for an upcoming trip." I don't think he knows what a mess really looks like. Their place was as inviting as the hosts, and after a tour of the house, a great catchup with CuzPete about his business and my trip, I had a delicious, healthy home-cooked meal (for the first time in a long time) of grilled chicken over greens with lots of tasty crunchies and a Miso Ginger sauce. I think Dawn and MariaM have been getting the same info on organic and farm raised products.

If I do move to this area, both CuzPete and the Treasons agree that a good area for me might be Kierland. Thanks so much CuzPete and Dawn for a great evening!

Other than that, I ran some errands and lazed in the pool all day. It may sound like I had an easy day, but I have been working on a difficult decision: Should I drive to Puerto Vallarta Mexico, or, go on some other probably less unique adventure? I've been swayed both ways on this trip for a while. This terrible decision is about as difficult as my life gets these days. (Yes, I am very, very, very happy.)

My first errand of the day was to go to the Mexican Consulate expecting to sit down and chat with someone about the pros and cons of the drive, get some documentation worked through in preparation, and just make sure they didn't think it was a really dumb idea. I got no answers. I clearly had impression about what a Consulate would be like that was no where near reality. The place was spilling over with (of course) Mexicans. And once inside it was like the DMV from hell. The enormous lines, confusing Spanish signs, and a bit of feeling like an oddity, prompted an about face before even getting close to the front of the "Informacion" queue.

I've probably gotten more than 30 opinions about whether I should make the drive, and 75% say I shouldn't go, or "why not fly?" including Mom, Bro, 3 different Treasons, SixPack, and many more. The ones on the go team include Sis, Mr. T, CuzJen, SWZA and formidable others. ---- Being a Democrat, I have ended up siding with the masses and will not be going to Puerto Vallarta.

The risks outweigh the rewards. So far, I have hardly hit a glitch in this journey (jinx). A trip to Mexico involves so much more luck that I think I am pushing it. I could end up with the Prius stolen and my home gone, or in a Mexican jail, or crash into a Toro (bull) or something. It's a risk I certainly want to take, but I decided it is better to wait til later in the trip. After all, Kerouack didn't do it until Part 4 of "On the Road", and he got malaria.

Plus, a new opportunity came up. Mr. T just won with a bid on eBay to acquire a new old car. There's a good chance he and I will be hitting some of Old Route 66 this weekend to drive to L.A. and pick up this 1941 Chevrolet AG Master Deluxe 2 Door Coupe:

We have no idea if the car can make it; this should be fun.

Hey UncleLarry, is the Joshua Tree cabin available? Or CuzDanny, whatcha doing on Saturday?

Tonto, Bronson and the Treasons - Days 77-78

I arrived in Phoenix in time for a pizza dinner (my request) with the Treasons.

To get here, I traversed another 500+ miles. I took a ride past Shiprock, NM and connected with I40. This was supposed to be a scenic drive mimicking Old Rte. 66, but it was just like any other Interstate drive...perhaps I didn't know what to look for.

As I entered AZ, I stopped at the Visitor Welcome Center. A little display said to ask the attendant for the Audio Tour of the region. I asked. With the two free CD's they provided, I listened to quaint tails of the approaching cities and little side trips that were available. Very entertaining, and with more time, I would have extended some of the stops even more.

But I wanted to get to the Treasons, so I then angled southwest from Holbrook to Phoenix across the Tonto National Forest. All these National Forests are worth a drive through. This one started with well spaced Ponderosa Pines, with an aroma that made me understand why so many cleansers are pine scented. The pines gave way to cacti - the famous and protected Saguaro (pronounced swarro) with the tall center stalk and any multiple of arms depending on age. If you were asked to draw a cactus in a game of Pictionary, this is what you'd be drawing.

And then I was back at home with TreasonPal and Mr. T. When I arrived, I was surprised to see they had adopted a new family member, Bronson. Actually they bought him. Bronson is a 9 week old male Boxer puppy. He's just getting his big clumsy feet under himself, as he continues to be potty trained, while he also takes instruction from his older sister Scully.

Today I sweatted out the 110 degree "dry" heat, keeping an eye on Bronson and enjoying a relaxing day accumulating only 1 additional mile on the Prius odometer. I had been on the road for 10 very full days. I had spent a night with CuzBill and another with UncleDave and AuntBarb, but even those days I kept rolling on. It was the longest time on my own and on the road. (I had been on the road for 21 days to start the Road Trip, but for the first 14 I was accompanied by CuzJoe.)

Tonight, at UncleDave's direction, I found the coordinates for the passing of the International Space Station on NASA's websites. We watched it at 9:12 PM pass from the West at 10 degrees above the horizon until it was blocked from view at 16 degrees in the SouthWest. For two minutes it was like a very bright star, shooting slowly.

BTW, though I have only been on the road 78 days, and though I don't publish every day, I also started publishing before the actual trip started. This is my 100th posting! Happy anniversary to me.

Thanks for the greeting cards Kris!!! I will be handing them out to many of the people I meet on the road.

Week 11 Ends

End of Week 11. (6:30 AM, PST - 6/24/07)

Looking For The Most Cars - Day 76

The pictures are from my excellent scenic drive today. I went from Denver to Breckenridge to multiple mountain towns to Durango to the Aztec Ruins National Monument to a great steak dinner here in Farmington, NM. I skipped AuntBarb’s suggestion of Mesa Verde because it would have taken too long, but I’ll be back!

UncleDave asked an interesting question last night. We were talking about being on the road,

and how I have been attacking this trip, and in his Denver twang asked, "Shouldn't you be spending more time at some of these places?" There’s an easy answer to the query, but let me give the long version first.

One answer is yes, I should be spending more time at some of these places. But, that’s not all there is to it. The parameters I have set for this trip, while being extremely liberal and general, do have some specific factors that influence, along with my own personality, what I am doing.

Recently, I was flexible on my lifestyle when I stayed over at the Idaho State Walleye Championship, camping out for the first time. But for the 75 other nights of this trip, I have slept in a home or hotel. I have always woken up and taken a shower. Only when it is worth it (and in the walleye case it was) will I give up this daily pleasure. Bathing is one of the things that I don’t want to dispose of. Additionally, I plan to wake up early, be productive, be flexible, be happy, see new things, learn, dare to do things, be open to anything, and be ready to be surprised and awed. In general.

I also want to see everything. But, and I am flexible in this too, I have set in stone that there will be an end to this journey. I will stop. Right now, I know I am doing this through the end of August, and I will probably need to extend it through September…perhaps a little longer. But it will end. I will need to work again; I will need a home again; I will need to not live with my parents again. (Jobless, homeless, live with parents = George Costanza.)

Given that this will end, and end before I am anywhere near broke, I have just a few more months to do this. With most of August already mapped out, and July quickly approaching, I find that in the two and a half months that I have been doing this, I remain with too much to see and do. I know I need to raft down the Colorado, I know I need to spend time at Yosemite, Yellowstone, Bryce Canyon, Montana, Canada, Mexico. I know I have to ride in a glider plane, and I’d like to rappel something. I should see more waterfalls and wild animals. I should eat things in places I will never be able to get to again.

When it comes to staying in one place for more than a day, I generally have to weigh all the options and usually, I feel I can accomplish more by moving on to the next park, the next waterfall, the next adventure.

It’s the low hanging fruit that I am grabbing right now. I want to take in as much diversity, breadth, and adventure as I can. Quantity over quality.

Yet, I am paying close attention to what I am skipping. Every day, I end it regretting that I didn’t get a stab at, bite of, sight of or deep connection with a something that is vanishing in my rear view mirror. So I am doing the math on what I missed, and also what I need to make time for. I won’t get to them all before this Road Trip ends, but I am being shown what is possible, and I will get to the best of them while I can. The rest, I make a promise to myself to come back to.

In short, the answer to UncleDave’s question is: before I’ll commit to the big stuff, I am just looking for the most cars.

(That being said, I will be arriving at my Phoenix hub tomorrow for a short layover, and I expect to take a three day weekend with them, then take to the road for a short, or long, trip.)

Rocky Mountain National Park and Denver Murphys - Day 75

The Top 5 List of best scenic drives I've done has a new entry coming in at 4th place. The list is:

1. Grand Canyon Southern Rim - AZ
2. Monument Valley - AZ

3. Big Bend - TX

4. Rocky Mountain National Park (RMNP) - CO

5. Kentucky Blue Grass - KY

It was probably even better than the Big Bend drive, but that drive benefited from low expectations going in.

From Laramie, WY, I headed south to Estes Park, CO and the entrance to the RMNP. But before getting to Estes Park I had to squeeze through a dramatic crevice pass with mountains climbing straight up on both sides.

From Estes Park, I followed the Trail Ridge Road for 55 miles to Granby. 55 miles is usually about a 2 hour drive when the roads are scenic. It took me nearly 5 hours. I could have spent many hours more. The problem was there were far too many spectacular views, hikes and wild life to see.

The highlights included crossing the timber line, vistas with unending views, short breathless high altitude hikes, powerful bitter winds and surprise showers, and the largest wild animals I have crossed paths with yet, the Rocky Mountain elk - really massive creatures. I also took the Prius to it's highest altitude yet, crossing 12,200 feet. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

After the wonderful but exhausting expedition, I headed to Denver for a night hosted by UncleDave and AuntBarb. After catching up, we headed to the Elephant Pub for dinner and then onto the just completed "Bridges", a series of 3 different styles of suspension bridges forming a walking path linking the outskirts to center city Denver. One crosses I25, one crosses the rail yard and one crosses the Platte river.

UncleDave and Aunt Barb, thanks for the tour, thanks for dinner and thanks for the lodging. I'm sure I'll be passing through here again as it is a common gateway through the Rockies. As Uncle Dave described it, Denver was formed as a city because people who travelled thousands of miles west over difficult terrain and battling wildlife and Indians, got to the foot of the Rockies, and said "No Way". That surely makes more sense than his fact that the city was named after the singer, John.

Small Day - Day 74

Small day, small post.

I drove along route 80 from Green River, WY to Sarasota, WY, and passed nothing but beautiful scenery, the Continental Divide and squashed moles. The moles (or are they prairie dogs?) stand up on the side of the road, look across to see the other side, and you never know when one of them is going to tuck down and sprint in front of you. I still have no claim to roadkill; they've been lucky.

From Sarasota, I entered the Snowy Range Road Scenic Byway to Laramie. This was a gorgeous drive with fresh scented pines, pristine lakes, rushing rivers, hikers and bikers, and snow. It's all about elevation, and I believe this was the highest altitude I have achieved thus far at 10,847 feet. At the peek, there was a great Observation Point that you can see as far as the Rockies (about as far as the eye can see across land.)

I met a couple, from CT and CA. They were moving in together, and he had flown to CT to drive her back. They had made it here in 3 days, and were way ahead of schedule, so they decided on this scenic drive. I recommended they stay off the major highways as much as possible...they were just getting it.

Resting up here in Laramie tonight. I had a fantastic dinner at the Calvaryman Steakhouse, a recommendation of the locals. After requesting a red wine anticipating a great WY rare meat, I ordered fish. After all, it was "Fresh Walleye" as the special of the day. I'll let these pictures explain how I felt about it:

BEFORE

AFTER

Big Day - Day 73

You know what a Big Day means??? Big Post.

Biggest yet in fact. Tomorrow could be a slow day, so you may want to save some for then. Let me break this down for you:

• Section 1 is the "Richest Hole in the World" Bingham Copper Mine.
• Section 2 is about my scenic drive to Bear Lake.
• Section 3 is about my boring drive through Wyoming and a stop at the Fossil Butte National Monument.
• Section 4 is about my dinner at a little family restaurant in Green River, WY.
• Section 5 is about the brief morning research I did on the Murphy genealogy at the Family Tree Center in Salt Lake

The biggest complaint that I hear from the few people who read it is that "I write too much, and after a while, they just scan the rest. So for this big post, I decided to lay it out in sections, so you can skip to the ones that interest you...You're welcome!

Section 1: The "Richest Hole in the World"

After Section 5 and the genealogy, I skedaddled south west to the Bingham Canyon Mine, dubbed the "Richest Hole in the World". It is a huge copper mine that pretty much took a mountain, lopped it off and then dug so much that it produced a reverse image as a whole in the ground. It's no grand canyon, but it is amazing in its enormity. This feeling is increased as you stroll around the visitor center and scan some of the displays.

As a pure tourist destination, there were plenty of people around to talk up and help with pictures, for which the return the favor. Mostly Ute families out for a day trip to show the kids. This is the first place I really ran into road-tripping families now that school is out, and it was good to have a new breed of trippers out there to interact with. With this limited sample, I put them above the AARP crowd, but below the bikers. Bikers have better stories to tell, and retirees just want to talk about themselves (and their aches).

Section 2: My scenic drive to Bear Lake.

After the big hole, I took a scenic drive north of Ogden, UT to Bear Lake. This was a great drive. The terrain was ever changing as it wound through Logan Trail. There were many imposing high grounds and river views. Like all great scenic drives, it also had many "Oh my!" panoramas.

A 7 mile side trek to little Tony Grove Lake was well worth it for the Lake climax, as well as the steep dangerous grades of the winding route en-route. I would have liked to have been in the passenger seat for this drive to be able to look all around at the changing scenery.

Bear Lake itself had a peaceful blue green island feel to it. Aloha.

Section 3: My boring drive through Wyoming and a stop at the Fossil Butte National Monument.

After Bear Lake, I crossed into Wyoming for the first time. The aggressive hilly structures of UT gave way to rolling lush deer migration routes. Nice, but a bit boring. I stopped at the Fossil Butte National Monument, took their little drive, but the fossil stuff, while nice, wasn't interesting to me...just information I don't have room for. I then continued through the similar rest to my arrival here at Green River. A paragraph not worth writing.

But along the way, I got to thinking about the many different landscapes I had visited in the busy last few days. Here's what I have determined about if a war broke out between Utah and either Nevada or Wyoming. From my day meeting people in Salt Lake city and the surrounding areas, I was leaning toward them being pansy's ripe for a whipping from either side. The people are so damn nice it is a bit painful, even for a born-again happy chatter like myself. The raucous, gambling Nevadans could trounce these Mormons. And the gun toting, wild west Wyomingites would blast them away in battles at high noon. But I then considered the geographic factors, and I now give the Ute's a bit of optimism in a war like this.

On the west they are defended by the Great Salt Lake. By the time the drunk Nevadans got to Salt Lake City, they would have long finished all their liquor and be sober and have no option but to turn back for more. As for the east, it is bordered by some rugged terrain with much preoccupied high ground. The Big Love crowd could simply start throwing bibles down a thousand feet and pick the Wyomingites off one by one as they entered the pass, and perhaps even convert a few with the whole polygamy thing.

Not that the Utes would ever be able to set out and sack either of the other states. So with their strong defensive position, the Utes are safe, and the three states are at a stalemate.

Just some thoughts that help me pass the miles.

I also thought about the subtitle for this photo. If you have any better suggestions than what I put in the web album, please let me know.



Section 4: My dinner at a little family restaurant in Green River, WY.

I went to a little local place here in Green River, WY that I found on the web as the most recommended dining in the city. Of the 3 listed, this one got 3 stars. The other had only one. The reviewer comment said "most food in the area sucks, and at least this place wasn't bad and the really big chicken fried steak was pretty good." I may not have had many chicken fried steaks, but this one was great, if not the best. Half of the white country sauce on top got slurped up on the fantastic beer battered onion rings, and the other was sopped up with the steak itself. I'd guess 1000 calories in the sauce alone. I skipped the greens after one taste as they were boiled to death. A great meal for $10 plus a 30% tip...hey, I'm a big tipper.


Section 5: Research I did on the Murphy genealogy at the Family Tree Center in Salt Lake.

I left this section for last because I figured it would be the most skipped. It has no pictures and is really, really long. - For those Murphy's who might care about this stuff, I submit the following interesting, unsubstantiated tale and factoidcs about our heritage.

Since there had already been some research done on my mother I decided to see if I could get anything worth writing in this blog. I preordained that I would spend just 2 hours seeking information. If I got nothing by then, I would quit. I did quit after two hours. Yet, I did get some interesting stuff in that short span.

I went in the doors with exactly the following information:

• Grandfather: James Daniel Murphy (JDM), b. 5/27/1904, Highpoint, IL. Father - Robert Bibb Murphy; Mother - Willie? Clodfelter. Married Margot Clark Gentry 8/16/1935. d. 3/24/1985.
  
• Grandmother: Margot Clark Gentry (MCG), b. 10/17/1911, Logan, WV. Father - John Kenna Gentry; Mother - Agnes Steele. Married James Daniel Murphy 8/16/1935. d. 1/15/1992.

I watched the short video about how to do it, and was then ushered to a computer terminal on the first floor for beginners. I never left the terminal. After futzing around from site to site for the first hour or so, I finally went to a web page (http://ancestry.com/) that I could have gotten to from home. You too could do this from home, but here it was free. I think it would be worth it if someone paid to get all the inside info this site has to provide. If this topic is anyone's thing, perhaps start here, and in an hour you can possibly derive all the information that I did.

And I got some good info. Here's some info about the Murphy's. Of my four great-grandparents on my father's side, little information could be obtained about 3 of them. Only JDM's father, Robert Bibb Murphy, had easily accessible ancestry. Perhaps someone had already been linked to him and had submitted it, because when I added him, links popped up all over that added the first 5 generations of his ancestry automatically.

After linking him and his 5 generations of details through to me, I had the most basic of information (name, b., d., and perhaps a city), with about 14 (of 16) of JDM's great great great (GG3) grandparents.

The Murphy name dates back to my GG5, Daniel Murphy, b. 1770, NC, d. 1813, NC. The name passed down from there to: Joseph R. 1794-1862, NC; Robert 1821-1910; Joseph Melvin 1848-1908; Robert Bibb 1873 - ?, JDM, Buz then Bro and Me. As of now, this chain of the Murphy name is at an end. I still got a shot, but I think Bro is done. [For buz only: do the math between the age of the namesake at the time of passing the Surname down.]

The Murphy myth that the name was originally spelled different (Murfee?) goes on; as far back as 5 generations, Murphy was the name. Further investigation past 5 generations is needed for proof of the myth.

After all that information was sucked in, I was able to scan some hand written documents scanned into the database such as military records and censuses. Real easy to do as part of the website and could provide further information as to how to expand the tree.

One other neat trick the site could do was find famous people related to us. I am related to the following people () - in the following way:

• William Wordsworth (poet) - 6th cousin, 7 times removed
• Helen Keller (deaf, dumb and blind kid) - 9th cousin, 1 times removed
• J. P. Morgan (where's my inheritance!)- 7th cousin, 5 times removed
• Geoffry Chaucer distant (20) Great Grandfather - I assume that means we are all descendants of Chaucer?? - GG20 in my terminology
• Mark Twain (if only I had his wit!) - 5th cousin, 5 times removed
• James Garfield (bad dead president) - 5th cousin, 5 times removed
• William Brewster (Mayflower Passenger) - 1st cousin, 13 times removed (I guess this was close to one vein of the Murphy sperm's voyage to America)
• Orville Wright (a better way to travel than the Mayflower, though not as adventurous) - 7th cousin, 3 times removed
• Lucille Ball (our humor) - 9th cousin, 1 times removed
• Desi Arnaz (??? huh?) - 10th cousin, 1 times removed
• Ronald Reagan (not as bad a Garfield) - 9th cousin, 3 times removed
• Linus Pauling (the vitamin c that buz came from) - 6th cousin, 3 times removed
• Katherine Hepburn (reminds me of Grandma Murphy) - 9th cousin, 1 times removed

I plucked the ones I liked from a much bigger list. Not a bad list, though I am sure everyone has a similar type of 6 degrees of separation.

Big math: I noted earlier that this was all based on JDM's father Robert Bibb's lineage, and only 5 generations back. What RBM had were 16 GG2's. And like RBM, I had 3 other GG2's my self. Each of them would have 16 GG2's themselves. In other words, just on my father's father's father's side, I have a compete bracket with the same shape as the NCAA 64 team draft pool. And I was able to fill out the NorthEast bracket of that pool. There are 3 more brackets to fill out, just to cover my father's father's father. Not to mention my father's father's mother or father's, mother's father with a simialr set of brackets each. etc., etc.,. It gets real big, real fast.

More Info: Of the 14 (of 16) names of GG5's that I had uncovered, the following were their SurNames: Murphy, Woodward, Green, Hunt, Stone, Leonard, Long, Hege, Grimes, Frank, Sink, Sprecker, Motsinger and Winkler. All listed were born between 1752 and 1770 and lived somewhere in the US, though 3 of them it did specify as North Carolina residents. NC is a theme throughout all of RBM's lineage...fortunately, I don't have to say I am originally from WV.

Unfortunately, to determine the exact details of all of the lineage from foreign lands a great deal more research would be needed. But just from this weensy sampling, I feel it would be hard, difficult, time consuming, and if none of these, impossible to be able to get to an exact chemical breakdown of my genetics.

Previously, I had said that I was mostly German, a good bit Austrian, and the rest mutt. But now I think the best answer is just to say I am a mutt. I am the melted pot. American, Americana. And nothing else.

Speeding to Salt Lake - Day 72

Not much went on today, so this will be a shorter post. I simply drove from Jackpot, NV to Salt Lake City, UT. The ride consisted of two long legs, one through the dessert and one across the Great Salt Lake.


Each of the two landscapes started out being interesting, but by the end, constant repetition of identical scenery began to drag. I suppose the Salt Lake was better for it's uniqueness. Also, because you can see so immensely far because of the flatness, it is easy to see shimmering mirages of water that slowly turn into just more salt flats.


Shortly into the straight shot across the lake is the Bonneville Salt Flats where the world land speed record is set. At a rest area I took the picture of the Flats' welcome sign, the history and description is worth a read if you expand the picture. Also at this rest area, I followed the lead of some of the other motorists and wandered out onto the salt flats. They were a somewhat mushy consistency in spots, otherwise they were fine crystals. I scratched them with my finger nails, and tasted it...guess what, its Salt! No wonder salt is so cheap and plentiful, you can just go out there with a shovel...not much to the farming. At the end of the flats were a few salt processing plants with 5 story high piles of processed salt.


I guess the only other interesting thing that happened was at a Burger King (only my second pure fast food meal of the trip.) I ran into a bunch of young hippies sporting a New Jersey license plate. They were driving from near Princeton to San Francisco, the fast route, with little in the way of side trips. They weren't really chatters, so I didn't get any more details, but I would guess they were heading to the Haight-Asbury district.


Gotta cut out now. I have to do a little prep work before heading to the Family History Center tomorrow, just a few block from where I am staying. Since there is already some pretty reasonable information on the web related to Mom's side of the family, I will see if I can get any info on the Murphy side. Thanks youngaunt for sending me the starting blocks.

Week 10 Ends

End of Week 10. (10AM, PST - 6/18/07 - Its a day late because I forgot about it til this morning.)

Walleye - Days 70 - 71

First I need to dispense of some of the stuff I did these past two days, then I will get to the Walleye stuff.

I headed out on Saturday morning and took a beautiful drive from Elko up through some stunning twists and curves of the Humboldt National Forrest, on to Idaho, and down through Twin Falls and along Scenic Trout 30, to arrive at the Salmon Creek Dam Reservoir. Today I headed from the Dam, straight up Scenic Rte 93 all the way to the beautiful small towns of Sun Valley, ID. It was an out-and-back, and on the way back I stop at the Shoshone Ice Caves. Miraculously, in the middle of the dessert is a trench of caves that naturally produce ice. Tour was well worth the $7. I arrived back at Salmon Creek Reservoir Dam around 3PM.

I would normally have written two whole blog posts about these trips, going on-and-on about the great stuff I saw, and the many people I met and chatted with. Both of these travels were unique and amazing. But they pale in comparison to the following fish story:

The odds were slim going in. CaptCuzBill said, “If there was a betting line on this, we wouldn’t even be 500-1 to win it.” The night before the start of the Idaho Walleye State Championship, Both Char and Jer, fellow Idahoans from Melba broke bread and cracked beers with CaptCuzBill and 1stMateAndy. Char and Jerry recounted that the team of Lavin/King were really down about their prospects.

After all, though both experienced anglers, neither of them had ever entered a fishing tournament before. And entering the tourney, they had caught only one Walleye each. Sure, CaptCuzBill had made an unbelievable catch of an 11 pounder for his only one, but that was a fluke. Additionally, as they would find out early on the first day, they were the slowest boat in the fleet, as every other boat charged past them. Add to that, the $3,000 prize for first place brought in a quality crowd of competitors. After all, this was the state championship.

I arrived at 5PM at the end of Day One. I was an hour late having not accounted for the change in time zones. As requested, I brought along a case of cold Coors Light. CaptCuzBill and 1stMateAndy had blown through their case and 18 pack they had brought with them. Surely their original allotment would have lasted this final night had they not had such an unexpectedly good first day. They were in second place.

During the day they had caught 11 Walleye, and had met the limit of 6 fish. More than half of the boats that day had brought in 0 fish. None. Their six fish totaled 14 pounds. The leader boat was the only other boat to bring in six, and their total was 16 pounds. Third place was 9 pounds. With such a great showing, the LavinKing team was almost assured of finishing in the money and getting their $250 entry fee back. And with heavy winds in the forecast, which might make for difficult fishing if it were to stir up the bottom and make the Walleye less accessible, the chances of placing near the top were quite realistic.

CaptCuzBill was beside himself, clearly disbelieving their good fortune, and cautiously optimistic. He was in good spirits, and my new replenishment of beer helped prolong the onset of the Crown Royal backup they had stashed. But the prolongment didn’t last long. The case was done in two hours. Jer, Char, Mike and Cindy, all tournament volunteers helping out, had joined the young phenoms to rehash the exciting day.

I sat and listened to fish stories old and brand new, and it was like listening to a foreign language. I frequently needed definitions, and eventually just listened as streams of terms like plug, crawler, jig, twister, curly tails, skeg, Cabella’s, and “boat runs faster than a scalded dog” were bandied about. I certainly learned a lot in my induction into the new language of fishing.

Eventually the beer ran out and the guests headed back to their camps. The charcoal was lit and the Idaho Kobe beef steaks were fired up. Excellent stuff, get some and cook it rare, or medium rare if you must. The flames attracted another non-tournament boater who had happened upon the event to wander over to heat up some sausages. He brought more beer as an offering, limiting CaptCuzBill to just two Crown and Cokes. (He found out in the morning that it was two too much.)

The afternoon and evening were spent in the great outdoors. My first night not in a hotel or house on this trip. The sunset was pretty great, and the stars were certainly the best yet. The moon was a shallow crescent, and allowed for near total darkness. Clear enough to see other galaxies; clear enough to see shooting satellites. The three of us crowded into the camper for the short night.

I stupidly slept through the boat launching, missing some great photo ops, and went out on my fantastic day trip. I arrived back at 3PM just in time to see the Lavin/King team pulling the boat out of the water and too late for the weigh in. 1stMateAndy had seen the leader board and confided in me, “You may be looking at the next Idaho State Walleye Champions.”

He was right. They had boated another 6 fish and another 11+ pounds of fish for a winning total of 25+ pounds, one of the best totals the tournament had ever had. Truly a great showing, and the winners were glad-handed and congratulated by all. They were the stars of the place as raked in their $3,000 prize money, stood for pictures (by me) and received their plaques. It was an awesome win, perhaps on par to the Miracle on Ice, just with a smaller stage.

What does this mean for the new state champions? First off, they got to spend and entire weekend doing the thing that they love, and they got paid to do it! They also get the cash - $1,500 each. They will surely be listed and possibly talked about in the local and state papers, as well as the trade publications. As long as this tournament lasts, they will be known as the 10th anniversary champions…and maybe the 11th after next year’s defense of the title. Speaking of other tournaments, winning this gets them entered automatically in a Cabella’s tournament as well as a few others…bigger tournaments with bigger prizes. Perhaps this may even be a turning point in their lives as fishermen…who knows what this could lead to if there is any future success. And talk about bragging rights. Forever, they will be known as State Champions in a sport and culture they care deeply about.

Surely it will be a fond memory for the rest of their lives. I know it will be for me too.

Happy Father’s Day, Buz, CuzBill, and all the rest of you that qualify.

Biker Weekend - Day 69

I headed out early this morning, with not much on the agenda. And that's what happened, until I got to Elko.

The first and only stop for the day was Pyramid Lake, NV. It was less than an hour from Reno, and was from the Scenic Drive book. It was scenic. What I want to know is where are all the people. This being my first trip since school let out, I would have expected crowds of people arriving all day. But I had the lake to myself, spare a few fishermen, who I dared not approach. Beautiful lake, but no Lake Tahoe.

Nonetheless, the drive was short and sweet. The best thing they had at the lake was a wildlife preserve where they are helping secure the breeding of white pelicans. But that area was not accessible, so I just took in the views, snapped some pictures of the scenery and headed out for Elko, NV, about 250 boring miles on Route 80. There aren't many options when crossing the desert, so the main route is the only route.

I arrived at Elko around 4PM. It was shortly thereafter that it dawned on me that the enormous quantity of Harley's I'd encountered during the drive was abnormal. After all, Biker's are the second most dense population of Road Trippers (the densest Road Trippers are, of course, AARP members - dense pun intended.) I drove half way through Elko, before I was forced off the road, routed on a dirt path, and herded into a stand-by location. A moment later the parade of bikers crept along the road, loud as hell, flags waving, honking it up, and clearly pleasing us unsuspecting travellers.

Bikers are the nicest group of people you'd ever want to meet. If I were stranded on the road, I don't think I'd trust anybody as much as bikers. They're real people. CuzJoe, sell all those cars, and sign up for a Harley Davidson.

Four blocks were quardened off for the street fair. I've been to a kajillion street fairs, half of them in Hobken, but also many others. They're all the same with standard artists, similar vendors, and smoking food stations. I now know they're not all the same. A biker street fair is so much better. The people-watching alone is fantastic. And every booth was a booth I never saw in Hoboken. Leather, belt buckles, helmets, boots, tattoo artists, decal specialists, bike polishing experts, and the Copenhagen Snuff Corner. Just a riot end-to-end.

The food vendors were so bizarre and tempting that it almost made me feel bad that I went to the Road Food recommendation and had an awesome dinner. Basque food seems to be big in Nevada. The book had led me to a Basque restaurant, not knowing what to expect. From what I can tell, the Basque cuisine is like the German, specifically Herling, cuisine, only it tastes better.

Just before I got a menu, a tureen of soup larger than Pho in SF was placed in front of me. I had read about this, so I dug in. It is a Basque soup which reminded me of what I think a lentil soup would taste like if I ever tasted one. I ordered some wine and perused the menu. Every single dinner comes with: the aforementioned Basque soup, a LOAF of bread, iceberg lettuce salad, about a pound of spaghetti in red sauce, fingerling potatoes, vegetable of the day, and of course what you order. I ordered the pork chops with applesauce. The vegetable was steamed green beans and were bland. I engulfed most of the rest. I gained 10 pounds and it was worth it.

I ended the night with a little blackjack and lost a hundred. But I played the night away with a variety of bikers from all over, and a few members of the military who are have been in Iraq and are clearly insane. Good random meets.

On the way out I decided to play $20 in the slots. 20 minutes later, I was cashing in the voucher for $400. So up $300, not bad. And I no longer am concerned about being in a casino with my gambling addiction. The addiction has been diagnosed as an online issue only...I can easily walk away from a real casino.

Fun night, and heading off to bed now. Got some walleye fish stories to contend with tomorrow.

On the Road To Reno - Day 68

I just returned from the El Doroado casino here in Reno, NV. Having arrived late and hungry, I decided to take on the buffet for $12. I ate 47 different things, and surprisingly about 40 of

them were quite good. The worst was the stuff from the meat carving table, and the best came from the Mongolian BBQ chef, who took the bowl of fresh items I selected, added some decent beef and a spicy sauce and sauteed them expertly. That alone was worth the price of admission. The soft serve ice cream was inedible, but the Mandarin cheese cake was quite edible. I gambled for an hour and made 2 bucks.

Wow, it really feels great to be back on the road, seeing new things, enthused, adventurous, and productive. And I had all of them on the trip today.

I was roused at 6AM by my 2 year old niece calling out just for attention. By 6:30 I was in the Prius headed for Lake Tahoe. California traffic is as bad as Jersey, and I seemed to hit 4 different rush hours before passing Sacramento. But at least everybody takes it in stride; there's no honking, no aggressive lane switching, no driving down the shoulder, no flipping of the finger, no mob hits.

(BTW, did everybody see the ending of the Sopranos? (spoiler ahead...) I only saw the last 10 minutes, and I thought it was masterful. Do you think the guy in the Members Only jacket killed Tony? Was anyone besides Buz angry at the last 5 seconds of dead air? I predict, we get one more spell of them in the future, maybe not another season, but something creative like a pre-quel, or an HBO movie.)

Anyway, after Sacremento, I drove up for the next 50 miles or so, crossing 7000 ft in elevation. One rest area had a good quarter mile hike with info on how glaciers formed the whole area. Pretty good.

I then spent the next 4 hours skirting the rim of Lake Tahoe and taking in the views. And there are lots of views. But many of them are State Parks, and I didn't want to pay as I am waiting to take advantage of my National Parks annual pass. But I found that the free views are pretty comprehensive.

I was disappointed to find out the Heavenly Gondola was out of service for the day, in preparation for the big Summer opening weekend. But because it was closed it prompted me to drive up a route called "Grade". It went to an ending spot of the gondola ride. So so. But it also led me to a Vista hiking trail where I was able to take an uphill trek to a few spots with great wide views of the lake. Breathtaking: both the views and the high altitude hike.

From there, I took the short road to Reno.