I've been meaning to write this for a while (i.e., since I got back from the trip), but I had to work and a million other excuses. In any event, the best word to describe the trip is AMAZING. The rest of this post may be long and at times tedious but I want to write about the trip so I can come back and read this some day - so if anyone is actually reading this, bear with me.
We left the morning of the 30th. Initially we were to leave at 6am, but delays, packing the car, etc. had us on the beltline heading out of town just before 7am. There was heavy fog so we could barely see. We missed an exit and ran, almost literally, into a dead end. To save us from crashing into some farm field, Hahn swerved right, onto the only road available at the time, which happened to be an exit ramp from the opposite direction. We almost got creamed, turned around, and found the proper exit. Whew.
Iowa was boring. I had never been far into it, only to Dubuque. Nothing much to say for it. The remaining states on the trip were all "firsts" for me, so it was kind of cool. We hit Missouri next for a short time then Kansas City where we crossed into Kansas of course.
Kansas City was a pretty cool town. I wasn't expecting it to have a skyline but it did. We got lunch there and bought a power adapter for the car so Hahn could plug in his computer and we could also use the adapters for charging our phones on the go. Very useful since Tanya and I were relying heavily on our smartphones' GPS to get us around.
Anyways, Kansas was kind of pretty. it was flat but the land was a little more rugged and reminded me of South Dakota in a way. It is a huge state that takes forever to drive through, though. We got near Wichita as it was getting dark. I drove from that point through Oklahoma, which we didn't see much of. The entire time through Oklahoma, we were dodging coyotes though. The little bastards kept running across the interstate.
We went through a small portion of the Texas panhandle before hitting New Mexico. I don't remember exactly when I stopped driving, around 1am or so. I can only sleep for an hour at a time in the car so the next few hours sucked. I tried really hard to sleep soundly but it didn't work. I woke up every hour for about 5 minutes then went back to sleep, for about 5 hours.
We stopped in Albuquerque in the dead of night. It was eerie but it was a pretty town. I had a friend in fifth grade from Albuequerque so it was neat to see. So many of the big towns out there are surrounded by rugged peaks. There was snow on the ground in New Mexico, and it just seemed like a very interesting and beautiful place to live.
In the morning I drove again because no one else wanted to, and I was restless. I drove through to Flagstaff and we got breakfast at a Denny's there. Little did I know, we'd see that area again.
After that we dove right through the rest of Arizona and hit California mid-afternoon. It was just so crazy how through NM, AZ and then quite a bit of Cali there was just desert, with wide open expanses brokwn by mountains, and then all of a sudden you hit civilization again; not just civilization but what is purportedly the tip-top of civilization.
We were staying at Hahn's cousins while we were in the LA vicinity. They lived in Yorba Linda, which is about an hour from Pasadena and downtown LA. We got there about 5 PST. I went running right away. My legs were going crazy after being in a car for 36 hours. I tried some traditional Korean food that they make for New Years. It was interesting and didn't taste bad at all. Also had some fish, which I never eat fish, so that's saying something as well. We got ready and went downtown, to LA, to find the Nokia/ Staples Center complex to see the UW Marching Band play.
we found somewhere to park without too much trouble. After some wandering we figured out the way to go. Everyone downtown was dressed UP. we were not, we were wearing our Badgers stuff. As we got closer to the Staples Center it was so awesome to see the mass of red everywhere. Since we were running behind, we could hear the band playing as we got closer and it was extremely tantalizing. The complex there was really crazy. They had an outdoor rink set up, and then a big open area surrounded by a bunch of fancy (?) restaurants, as well as an ESPN Live place that had three levels and a bar on each level.
Either way, we got up close to the band playing and it was really exciting. I was pumped because of my friends in the band and just how cool of a venue it was for them to be playing at. People were lining an overhanging balcony at the Staples Center (where the Lakers were playing a game that night) to watch the band play. Random Californians kept wandering by with puzzled looks as to our antics (By the Light of the Moon, etc.), which was extremely entertaining.
Jared told me that the band had been given the opportunity to play there by the Black Eyed Peas, who were originally scheduled to perform that night. Apparently the Black Eyed Peas had seen our band several times, loved them, and thought they would be awesome playing in the middle of LA on New Years Eve. It was perfect. They even paid $45,000 out of pocket for our band to play there.
After the band finished, sometime after 9, we went to ESPN Live, ran into some friends, ordered drinks, finished drinks, wandered downtown LA more, found an awesome Irish pub, drinks, left to find food, ended up at ESPN Live again. Most places that allowed casual patrons that night were FULL of red. It was really awesome to see. the second floor Lounge of ESPN Live was similarly full of Wisco fans. We got shots and just before midnight everyone up there started singing Wisconsin songs, ending with Varsity. Shortly after that we got a table right in front of the big screens downstairs where they were replaying NY Times Square's countdown from three hours prior.
I was not fully cognizant at this point and didn't much care. We ordered a huge dinner platter that was $45.. ridiculous. Beers by the way were in the range of $7-9 and shots were about $8 apiece. Whew. Cash money.
After we ate we found our car, somehow, I don't know how. No one else knew the way back to Yorba Linda so I was the one doing directions. Great idea, since I was the most gone. Anyways, we got back and had to get up in 2 hours to make it to the parade in time for decent spots.
Either way we slept way longer than we intended, didn't get near the parade route til nearly 7 and I was freaking out because I wanted to see the parade more than anything besides maybe the game I guess. I seriously have wanted to see the Rose Parade since I was little watching it on tv at home, seeing our band march in it and all of the crazy floats.
I plotted out where we'd try to stand, somewhere in the middle of the route since the end and the beginning would be busiest. This worked perfect. we found parking two blocks from the route, walked down and people were still camped out from the nigh before. That was not just an expression; people had brought all manner of LIVING material, sleeping bags, air mattresses, portable fire pits, a whole slew of food which they proceeded to cook once they woke up, everything. We got in behind some folks who had spread out a huge air mattress. They packed it up opening up space for us to stand right behind their chairs - essentially a front row seat. I felt so lucky.
It really lived up to expectations, and it was really great. I have never seen a parade like that, so many huge, huge floats, groomed horses, unusual costumes, and of course the band. Me, I am not ashamed to admit that I of all people had tears in my eyes when our band finally came in sight. It was about 40 minutes or more into the parade and I could not believe I was witnessing it at all. I was so proud of my friends in the band, and just how good they all looked. It's not even a matter of, oh the other bands in the parade are high school bands for the most part. I honestly have been raised with the notion that our band is the best. And while I know now they can be the craziest people on earth, when they're out there playing, they really are the best.
After our band passed, with a "When you've said Wisconsin, you've said it all!" most of my friends lost interest. I was still mesmerized (perhaps too much) by the fantastic floats and all of the gorgeous horses. I was especially pleased by the Clydesdales which accompanied Anheuser-Busch's parade entry. Fantastic. You don't see stuff like this every day, especially not in parades in Madison. That's for sure.
I knew I would make it through the day on adrenaline and two hours of sleep because I am that type of person. My carmates weren't having it though and some of them went back to the car to sleep a bit.
After the parade we headed to the stadium. I don't know why, but it is embedded in a golf course which is then similarly nestled in some picturesque mountains. Today the golf course was not such, it was instead a sea of red. No joke. Tailgating for a mile long, at least, almost all Badger fans. It was like the ultimate gameday experience here, amped up ten degrees. That may be a bit of an awesome overstatement, but I need some grandiose way of portraying the sight of thousands and thousands of Badger fans, and especially, many many friends, spread out and enjoying a mild Cali day before the game.
It was fantastic. By pure chance I ran into a big group of my track club friends and tailgated with them for a while before heading to the stadium. I was not too impressed overall. Gate A, of course, with the classic sign, was a must-see but then I had to head back to Gate C, my entrance, which was a fantastic mess of humans packed close, many Wisco fans still clutching their "road beers" to down before getting in. Seating was confusing, apparently the numbers went on either side of aisles for the same section so I had no clue if I was in the right spot especially because I could not find Brittany for THE longest time.
Anyway the game was standard. We all know what happened. It was sad. The surrounding circumstances and the light buzz from the day made it ok. The band playing Fifth Quarter, however, made it even better. I didn't expect that they would, given that we had lost. I assumed the only did if we won (as had been the case last year in Orlando, we won and we got Fifth Quarter). The stands were still moderately full of Badgers fans who were not quite sure if the band was going to play, but were still very hopeful that they would play at least one song. I was one of them. The took the field and it was so fantastic. Fuck TCU. They have nothing like this. Some of them stayed to watch because they couldn't fathom what was happening.
Awesome experience. We got out of there and headed for the car. I don't know how I found our car, seriously. I had not eaten since that morning, had not gotten more than 7 hours of sleep in over 50 hours.. and oh boy was I done then. We stopped at a nice steak house in Brea; good food, good beer. Got back to Yorba Linda and I slept for seriously 12 hours straight if not more.
--
Eventually we awoke to a rainy, rainy day in SoCal. I did a hill workout quick while others still slept (I am, by the way, extremely surprised I was able to force myself to run so much during this trip, considering how much time was spent in the car, etc.). After we woke up our tour guide, Dan, i.e. Hahn's cousin, drove us to a local diner, Tom's Place or something, in Anaheim. Good food.
We then headed to Newport Beach. We found Balboa Island, which is crazy. That whole area, actually, was just nuts. Huge boats docked in people's backyards. That would be a dream. and since the climate is so accommodating, they could go sailing year-round. How wild would that be? We drove around some more and found an actual beach we could walk around on. It was very pretty even on a gloomy day such as it was.
Fantastic huge homes lined this beach, too,- or, I ought to say, overlooked the beach as they were perched precariously on some rugged cliffs. In the distance there was a sailboat. It was very windy so it was only sailing by the jib, although it did appear like a spinnaker for some time. It really made me want to go sailing. Even in the rain, and the chilly air, I didn't really care. It was open water and sailboats.
After the beach we headed down to Hollywood Blvd. That was an interesting experience in "ritz," I suppose. Didn't see anyone famous, but we saw the Chinese Theatre, Kodak Theater, and some of the stars along the walk of fame.
We then went to a Korean barbecue. I have never been in a situation before in which I was a minority but that was the case in this restaurant. the only white people there were myself, Patrick, and Ian. It was definitely an experience. Especially eating barbecued beef tongue!
We slept in again then packed up the car and headed to the desert again. I didn't know WHAT to expect in Vegas but wow, was it the most unbelievable experience.
Hahn has two brothers living in Vegas who hooked us up with accommodations and were also going to take us clubbing. That had seemed pretty standard at the outset, when it was being discussed. The reality was completely different. We were told to meet at The M, a hotel/casino on the outskirts of the city, and to meet Hahn's brother in the VIP Lounge. We did. We also met who I believe is the owner of the establishment. We talked with him about Wisconsin; apparently this guy goes to LaCrosse annually for something or another and he likes Madison.
Anyways then they start asking us what sort of liquor we want brought up to our rooms.. whatttt?? haha, discussion of beer ensued and vodka. Either way. Got keys, headed up to the room. Insane. It was one of the best rooms they have, a suite with two floors. TVs that pop out of the floor. crocodile skin (or faux) backed chairs. the most luxurious bed EVER. a gigantic bathroom with a standing tub as well as a walk-in, gigantic shower. Fancy bathroom. a tv embedded IN the bathroom mirror. It was unreal. The place was worth a lot, clearly. and then we had a table full of beer in ice, and a big bottle of Grey Goose. I had never lived in such an extravagant manner in my life. It was CRAZY.
We were taken to the outlet mall on the east side of town soon after we got settled in our room. Bought lots of things I didn't need to buy, then we went back, got ready, had some Goose and headed to an extravagant dinner. Meal was very good but expensive. By the time we finished it was a bit late, and cold, to walk the strip (or so it was decided), so we drove up and down the strip instead, taking pictures out the windows. I was a little disappointed we didn't have time to walk around and explore things, but I wasn't tooooo disappointed as I was wearing a flimsy skirt and it was quite chilly that night.
Anyway, saw some fantastic things, and eventually the Other Jade (the gf of one of Hahn's brothers) wanted to take us to Bellagio. We went there and explored the interior, of course grandiose; very beautiful if not over the top. We went to see the water show outside. It was really gorgeous at night with the city lit up, especially since "Paris" was across the street with the Eiffel Tower all lit up reflecting in the water. It was really neat. We went back inside and checked out their chocolate shop, and other shops, which were closing.
At this point I found out some friends I know through Beau were in Vegas and they were looking for something to do. I told them they ought to meet up with my friends and me, since we were about to head to the Hilton which was apparently near where they were staying. We got to the Hilton and Other Jade told us a bit about how this was always a hot spot for celebs, even Elvis, and Sinatra, and others. Because of the history they tried to keep the place as close to how it looked in the 50s or so. It did look antiquated but in a classy manner. The chandeliers lining most alley/walkways were over the top but it was Vegas, afterall.
We played blackjack. I hadn't known how to play at least competitively, much less the nuances which appear to exist. I learned some but didn't do too hot and didn't feel obliged to press my luck. My friends arrived soon after, anyway and they were all about the slots. and finding food. Haha. I hung out with Adam while the others went to look for food.
Eventually they all decided they'd lost enough money for the night and we went to an authentic Mexican restaurant which is apparently popular with the locals. It was decently good food.
We slept in again, although we had intended to begin driving back mid-day. Instead, we got a slow start, and I think all of us were thinking the same thing: we did not want to leave this extraordinarily unreal place. Eventually we had to because room service was breathing down our necks. We went down to Fremont to check out the older casinos and stuff. Even in daylight it was a neat area. After that we met up with Hahn's brothers one last time for lunch in Hendersonville. My aunt lived in Hendersonville for a while so it was interesting finally seeing that area.
We finally hit the road at 3 or so (oops!! We reaaaallly didn't want to leave Vegas). We hit the Hoover Dam then drove into Arizona. Our plan was to go through the four corners area and cut across Colorado on the way home. Well, I was driving the first night shift when the car all of a sudden jolted and decelerated. I thought that was unusual, but was able to get back up to speed. The check engine light came on, however. We were just about at Flagstaff, and after that would have been embarking on roads to oblivion and a certain lack of civilization that would not bode well for a car break-down.
Well, we stopped at a gas station and couldn't see anything wrong. None of us are good with cars so it didn't really matter much if we looked at it anyways. A nice man approached to ask if we needed help with something. We told him the story and he suggested a Check Auto Parts down the road, so we got in the car and drove there ASAP.
Inside the employees were less than helpful. We told them our story and that it was essential that someone help us look at our car that night, as we had a long trip ahead of us. They told us their engine checker had been stolen two years prior, they had not replaced it, and therefore they could not help us.
Reaaaalllly?
They told us another place four miles down the road might be able to help us, but they closed at 9pm so we would have to hurry. It was 8:53pm. We rushed to the car, I went to start the car and it would no longer start. DONEEEEE.
So we called Tanya's insurance. AAA failed us but American Family sent a tow trunk. Only it would take them an hour. Meanwhile I found out that the same friends of Beau's I had run into in Vegas the night before were now in Flagstaff. I talked to Adam and he said they were actually staying at a hotel just about a block from where our car had broken down! Talk about crazy coincidences. So he checked on room availability there for us, meanwhile we sat in the car to wait for the towers to come.
Finally did, and we were out in the cold with our possessions, trudging down the road. It was cold, hovering near zero. We found the hotel, got a room, and hung out for a while before passing out.
I got up early to run. I hadn't really thought about the fact that I was in Flagstaff, AZ. I hadn't thought about the elevation of just under 7000ft. But I did on that run. It was -2 degrees legitimately, and colder with wind chill. I didn't have cold-weather running gear along on the trip since I had assumed there would be decent weather wherever we were staying. So I wore as many shirts and such as I could and did a very low mileage run. I had never been in a situation where I could feel the elevation before but I definitely did in this case. It was HARD to breathe, and beyond the usual cold-dry-air hard to breathe. Verrry interesting.
While I was doing this, mechanics were looking initially at the car, or, as much as they could without an insurance inspector. We son found out the engine was fried, apparently oil had been leaking the entire trip, or there hadn't been enough to begin with. This was all very interesting because we had made sure to get the oil changed and everything checked out before we left. The story was that the car would not be fixed for a week.
Being in Flagstaff for a week was not an option so I booked a flight out that evening. A couple of the guys decided to take the Greyhound bus, and Tanya and Hahn stayed behind with the car for the time being. While waiting to get out of town, we were all sitting around the hotel room. Nobody really wanted to go check out the town or anything, which was kind of ridiculous, since I, at least, had about 5 hours to burn.
So I went alone. Adam had told me that the downtown wasn't too far and was pretty cool, and that there was a decent BBQ place down there and a variety of things. I headed in that direction, not really looking at any maps just following the road to where it might go. I found an antique shop which made me really happy. I love antiquing. Then further down the road I found the beginnings of a bunch of touristy shops mixed with restaurants and other things.
I wandered this for a while. They had a brewery right there and the downtown WAS really neat. I found a local candle shop, also very cool, and a variety of other things before heading back towards the hotel.
I really liked Flagstaff. It seems like a very cozy place, nestled in the mountains, and there was something about it that I liked. It was very pretty, and I kind of regret not staying an extra day or so.
The flight back was relatively uneventful. I had a connector to Phoenix where I discovered one of my AT friends was on my flight. Another interesting coincidence! I got in to Milwaukee around 11:50pm on the 5th and was back at work at the Kohl Center the next day. When I finally saw things that were familiar around here at my house, I was tweaking out because I had been in such a time warp state of mind for the whole week prior. But, now I'm back. Whew.
No comments:
Post a Comment