Category: Places & Travel

Speaking of National Parks

NewMexiKen reader Cat’s Mom Tanya sent along a link to a one-minute video produced by her dad, the supervisory ranger at Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC. I thought it was fun — an upbeat and different way to bring people out.

Without the hat, Smokey might look even more like Vince (Adrian Grenier) I thought.

(Extra credit trivia: Smokey Bear, a native New Mexican, has no middle name. His name is NOT Smokey THE Bear.)

Canyonlands National Park (Utah)

… was authorized on this date 43 years ago. From the National Park Service:

Canyonlands

Canyonlands National Park preserves a colorful landscape of sedimentary sandstones eroded into countless canyons, mesas and buttes by the Colorado River and its tributaries. The Colorado and Green rivers divide the park into four districts: the Island in the Sky, the Needles, the Maze and the rivers themselves. While the districts share a primitive desert atmosphere, each retains its own character and offers different opportunities for exploration and learning.

Surviving an airplane emergency

From a longer column by Salon’s Ask the pilot:

Conventional wisdom holds that airplane crashes are nonsurvivable. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard cynical fliers remark on the futility of fastening their seat belts. “After all,” the logic goes, “if there’s an accident, we’re all going to die anyway, right?”

In truth, most accidents have survivors, and relatively few are all-out catastrophes. Thus, a little pre-planning could save your life.

Part of that pre-planning is knowing exactly where the doors are — all of them, as smoke, fire or debris could render one or more exits unusable. You must also understand that should an evacuation be necessary, you will not be taking your carry-on luggage with you. Doing so could put yourself and others in considerable danger.

And this IMPORTANT point (emphasis mine):

This is the reason, by the way, for the litany of prohibitions during taxi, takeoff and landing: Tray tables need to be up, window shades open, laptops and iPods put away. It’s not about electronic interference, it’s about the need for a speedy egress and situational awareness should anything happen.

NewMexiKen is reminded of a flight a few years ago where I had the seat next to the window facing the bulkhead. A much inebriated fellow (we were two hours late leaving) boarded at the last minute and plopped himself into the middle seat. He neglected to buckle.

As we pulled away from the gate, I decided what the hell, and reminded him to buckle. He sneered and said something to the effect of why bother. I said, “Because when we’re rolling down the runway at 160 mph and the plane has an emergency stop, you’re going to keep going and hit that bulkhead at 160 mph, then bounce back and injure that nice lady next to you.”

He buckled.

Senior Citizen Community Issues Traffic Tickets

Drivers in the City of Laguna Woods, California are finding themselves hit with traffic tickets as private cops set 15 MPH speed traps within the gates of Laguna Woods Village, a four square mile retirement community that is home to 18,000 residents with an average age of 78. It is one of the largest senior homeowners associations in the country, and it is earning significant revenue from traffic tickets.

The Newspaper

Laguna Woods, eh? It used to be “Leisure World,” or as we called it when we lived nearby, “Seisure World.” The Ralph’s supermarket adjacent to Leisure World sold more liquor than any store of any kind in California.

Traffic tickets for revenue seems to be an increasing trend all over.

What a Bunch of Yahoos

ALAMOGORDO — Otero County commissioners have passed a resolution opposing the listing of White Sands National Monument as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site.

“We have sent a letter to the National Parks Service and to our congressional delegation expressing our official desires that White Sands be removed from the list of those sites being considered as World Heritage Sites,” said commission chair Doug Moore. “I think this resolution does a great job in capturing our feelings.”

UNESCO’s World Heritage Site program encourages the identification, preservation and protection of cultural and natural heritage around the world. Twenty of the 851 sites are in the United States, including Independence Hall, the Statue of Liberty and Grand Canyon, Mesa Verde, Yellowstone, Yosemite and Great Smoky Mountain national parks.

Albuquerque Tribune

It’s National Park Service, by the way, not Parks.

Pennsylvania to Impose $25 Tax on Driving Across State

Motorists traveling across the state of Pennsylvania on Interstate 80 could pay a $25 tax by the year 2010. The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission on Friday asked the US Department of Transportation for approval to turn the free and paid-for interstate highway into a toll road for the purpose of raising money for mass transit and other public spending projects. This would be the first conversion of a free interstate into a toll road since the interstate highway system was developed fifty years ago.

TheNewspaper

What do you think of the idea of turning freeways into toll roads?

Where in the world

Once again NewMexiKen is amazed — no, dumbfounded — at the routing of some packages.

I was charged $3.99 for shipping and handling for some software I ordered on August 11th. I can see why it was so much (for a 12 ounce package). It’s had a lot of shipping and handling.

The package was received by UPS in Groveport, Ohio, a week ago tomorrow, the 14th.

UPS sent it to Austin, Texas, on the 15th.

It was received in Austin on the 16th. That’s 620 miles from here, so it had made it half way.

The next day, Friday, UPS sent it to the U.S. Postal Service in Dallas. Dallas is no closer than Austin.

Saturday, USPS sent it from Dallas to Denver. Denver is about 350 miles from Albuquerque.

I have no idea where it is today; still en route from Dallas to Denver is my most informed guess.

For $2.57 they could have mailed 12 ounces first class from Ohio to Albuquerque.

Pronouncing Los Angeles

There was once heated debate over how to pronounce “Los Angeles.” Although the name is now commonly pronounced “Loss An-je-les,” its original Spanish pronunciation is “Loce Ahng-hail-ais.” Non-Spanish speaking Angelenos seemed to prefer the harder-sounding anglicized version. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Los Angeles Times vigorously defended the Spanish pronunciation and printed directly below its editorial page masthead, “LOS ANGELES (Loce Ahng hail ais).” When the U.S. Geographic Board recognized the anglicized version in 1934, the Times was outraged, declaring that the pronunciation made the city “sound like some brand of fruit preserve.” The newspaper further suggested that Easterners plotted to deprive the West Coast of its softer-sounding Spanish names, proposing that California would next have to tolerate such place names as “Sandy Ego,” “San Joce,” and “San Jokkin.” In all fairness, however, the Times did not express the same distain for the prevalent pronunciation of San Pedro as “San Pee-dro” rather than the Spanish “San Pey-dro.”

Los Angeles Almanac

Not to mention La Jaw-la (La Jolla) and (I heard this on TV once) El-K-Jon (El Cajon). It’s La-Hoy-ya and El-Ca-hone.

Our very own Albuquerque was AlbuRquerque until the Anglos came along. But I live in Bernalillo County, still pronounced Bur-na-leo.

Tagging and the Badlands

Saturday, setting aside Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (I finished it yesterday), NewMexiKen took a day trip to El Morro and El Malpais national monuments. Click any image for larger version or scroll to the bottom of the post for a slideshow of these plus a few others.

El Morro National Monument is two hours west of Albuquerque on NM 53 (via I-40 to Grants).

A reliable waterhole hidden at the base of a massive sandstone bluff made El Morro (the bluff) a popular campsite. Ancestral Puebloans settled on the mesa top over 700 years ago. Spanish and American travelers rested, drank from the pool and carved their signatures, dates and messages for hundreds of years. Today, El Morro National Monument protects over 2,000 inscriptions and petroglyphs, as well as Ancestral Puebloan ruins. (El Morro National Monument)

At El Morro we took the entire 2 mile loop, past the pool and inscriptions, then around the end of the bluff, along the northwestern side, up the switchbacks 250 feet to the top. On the top, the trail (marked only by cairns and parallel lines carved in the rock in some places) goes up one side of the V-shaped bluff to near the point, then back the other side and eventually down via many, many steps. The views on top are gorgeous, including the look down into the lovely canyon between the two sides of the V.

The Pool In the desert, water determined the route. The sandstone bluff at El Morro channeled rain and snow melt into this pool at the base. It’s about 10 feet deep (at present).
Sheep Petroglyph El Morro is most famous for the petroglyphs and inscriptions in the sandstone near the pool. Leaving our mark (“tagging”), seems to be an inherent characteristic of our species.
Inscription One of many historic inscriptions left by Spanish and then American passersby between 1605 and the 19th century (and, alas, a few more recent).
Looking Up One view of the bluff, this from the north side on the way up.
From the top This from the top of El Morro looking back at same rock shown above. That’s NM 53 down below.
Raven in flight Soaring, almost hawk-like, the ravens seemed to enjoy the view as much as we did.
Atsinna At the top of the bluff the ruins of Atsinna, home to more than 1,000 ancestral Puebloans from 1275-1350. Pictured are the remains of just a few of the 875 rooms that originally stood in the three-story structure.

Closer to Albuquerque, El Malpais National Monument is south of I-40 along NM 117 (Exit 89) and along NM 53 between Grants and El Morro.

El Malpais means the badlands but this volcanic area holds many surprises. Lava flows, cinder cones, pressure ridges and complex lava tubes dominate the landscape. A closer look reveals high desert environments where animals and plants thrive. Prehistoric ruins, ancient cairns, rock structures, and homesteads remind us of past times. (El Malpais National Monument.)

Some of the lava flows at El Malpais are just 2,000-3,000 years old, not even yesterday by geological standards. It’s a rough, dark lava-covered landscape, quite different from the surrounding area, though vegetation is making its comeback. NewMexiKen visited the entrance to Junction Cave (actually a lava tube) in the El Calderon area just off NM 53. Boots, gloves and three flashlights per person are recommended to explore the cave — so, some other time. We also took the drive to the Sandstone Bluffs Overlook off NM 117; a great look at the surrounding lava flows. Lastly we took the short walk to La Ventana Natural Arch, along NM 117, 18 miles south of I-40.

Junction Cave Entrance In shorts, without gloves or backup flashlights, Junction Cave (actually a lava tube) was inviting only for its rush of cool air. Note the cinder rocks.
Interesting Geology Some of the fascinating geology along the cliff just west of La Ventana Natural Arch.
La Ventana Arch NewMexiKen failed to get what I’d consider to be a good photo of La Ventana, New Mexico’s largest accessible natural arch. (La Ventana means the window.) The sun was too directly overhead. Alas, I guess that just means another trip.

El Cafecito in Grants is a great little place to eat — breakfast, lunch or dinner. Good New Mexican cuisine at eye-popping prices (like two beef and bean burtios, rice, beans and two sopapillas for $7.25). Caution though, El Cafecito is not open Sundays. Exit 85, on the right well past motel row but before “downtown.”

Click each photo to move to the next.

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This is pretty handy

“Simply send a text message or e-mail to info@ezflt.com with the airline code and flight number and you receive back the status of the flight. It’s a great help when you are picking someone up at the airport . . .”

. . . or when you’re going to the airport yourself. I just sent ezflt an email with AA 1197 in the subject line – nothing more – and moments later got back:

From: ATL
Sch: Jul 24 8:10am
Act: Jul 24 8:07am
Gt: T9
To: DFW
Sch: Jul 24 9:20am
Act: Jul 24 9:16am
Gt: C27/C
Bag Clm: C26

They say it works with all U.S. carriers except Jet Blue and Southwest (“coming soon”) and major overseas carriers.

Andrew Tobias

VIP

Limo

I saw this guy drive by in Washington last week (twice actually). It seemed like he might be somebody important.

Click photo for larger version.

The view from the top

NewMexiKen, Jill, and her three Sweeties ventured to the top of the Washington Monument last week. The observation area (inside) is 500 feet above the National Mall and offers splendid views even on a hazy summer day (through dirty windows). Click each photo for a larger version.

Looking south. That’s the Jefferson Memorial and the Tidal Basin. Across the Potomac the flat area is National Airport. On the left are the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and the Holocaust Museum. South
Looking west. The Lincoln Memorial in the distance (Virginia beyond). That’s the World War II Memorial in the foreground. On the right are the Federal Reserve, the Department of State and the Kennedy Center. West
Looking north. That’s the White House and the Ellipse. The Eisenhower Building (formerly the Executive Office Building) in left of the White House, the Treasury Department right of it (one of the oldest public buildings). The Commerce Department is in the right foreground (along 15th Street). North
Looking east. The National Mall with the Capitol. On the left the American History and Natural History musuems and National Gallery. On the right, working back, the National Museum of the American Indian, the Air and Space Museum, the Smithsonian Castle. The round building is the Hirshorn Museum. The tents are left from the folklife festival. East

Home again, home again, jiggity jig

White House

NewMexiKen is actually safely home in Albuquerque but I thought you might like to see a photo of my daughters’ place in Virginia. At least I think that’s what this is. (Click photo for larger version.)

I was going to post this photo earlier in the week (it was taken Tuesday morning) and say, “Having a wonderful time, wish you were here. — Well, not you Ephraim.”

That and This

“Despite what we read in the popular press, the only known symptom of ’empty nest syndrome’ is increased smiling.”

Daniel Gilbert in Stumbling on Happiness, a fascinating and entertaining book NewMexiKen will write more about later.

Trivia time: What’s the longest un-dammed river in the lower 48 states?

The New West Network tells how that river kept its course. (Thanks to Coyote Gulch for the pointer.)

It’s the Yellowstone.

At Freakonomics Blog Steven D. Levitt suggests you might want to invite your enemies over if you live in Missouri, where a new law says that “people are not required to retreat from an intruder and can use deadly force once the person illegally enters their home, vehicle or other dwelling, including a tent.” Who’s to say whether you invited them in or they entered illegally?

Do you know the Stroop Effect?

The Stroop Effect is one of the most-studied phenomena in psychology. The test is easy to administer, and works in a variety of contexts. The simplest way to see how it works is just to look the following two lists. Don’t read them, instead say the color each word is displayed in, as quickly as you can:

Stroop

Source: Cognitive Daily, which has more.

Zebra Horse

Did you say the colors or read the words?

Did you know that zebras and horses could be bred?

Source: The Underwire, which has details.

And, this from Cheers and Jeers:

Percent of single American men and women who religious conservatives say should remain celibate until marriage: 100%

Percent of single American men and women who actually remain celibate until marriage (or so they say): 11%

June 30th is a day

… we honor two venerable American institutions.

On this date in 1864 Abraham Lincoln signed the land grant preserving Yosemite Valley.

And Lena Horne is 90 today.

Even in her eighties, the legendary Lena Horne has a quality of timelessness about her. Elegant and wise, she personifies both the glamour of Hollywood and the reality of a lifetime spent battling racial and social injustice. Pushed by an ambitious mother into the chorus line of the Cotton Club when she was sixteen, and maneuvered into a film career by the N.A.A.C.P., she was the first African American signed to a long-term studio contract. In her rise beyond Hollywood’s racial stereotypes of maids, butlers, and African natives, she achieved true stardom on the silver screen, and became a catalyst for change even beyond the glittery fringes of studio life.

American Masters

Stormy Weather

Elsewhere —

Vincent D’Onofrio is 48.

Mike Tyson is 41.

36 years ago today the 26th amendment was ratified by Ohio, the required 38th state. The amendment lowered the voting age to 18.

Ten years ago today Hong Kong reverted to China after 156 years as a British colony.

This and that

  1. What’s It Cost to Kill a Bear?
  2. An environmental crackdown in San Francisco:

    SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Thirsty San Francisco city workers will no longer have bottled water to drink under an order by Mayor Gavin Newsom, who says it costs too much, worsens pollution and is no better than tap water.

    Newsom’s executive order bars city departments, agencies and contractors from using city funds to serve water in plastic bottles and in larger dispensers when tap water is available.

    “In San Francisco, for the price of one 1 gallon (3.8 liters) of bottled water, local residents can purchase 1,000 gallons of tap water,” according to the mayor’s order.

    Reuters

  3. Animated Mark Fiore editorial cartoon.
  4. Top 5 most dangerous roads of the world, with lots and lots of pictures.
  5. 15 Reasons Mister Rogers Was the Best Neighbor Ever, for example, number 8:

    Once while rushing to a New York meeting, there were no cabs available, so Rogers and one of his colleagues hopped on the subway. Esquire reported that the car was filled with people, and they assumed they wouldn’t be noticed. But when the crowd spotted Rogers, they all simultaneously burst into song, chanting “It’s a wonderful day in the neighborhood.” The result made Rogers smile wide.

    [Actually the lyric is, “It’s a beautiful day in the the neighborhood.”]

  6. You know you’re living in 2007 when…. Several indicators, including:

    3. You have a list of 15 phone numbers to reach your family of 3.

    8. Leaving the house without your cell phone, which you didn’t have the first 20 or 30 (or 60) years of your life, is now a cause for panic and you turn around to go and get it.

  7. Can the level of math education sink any lower?
  8. Asking Miriam for advice may surprise you.

Way off the Road

Some pretty good stuff from the “first chapter” of Way Off the Road: Discovering the Peculiar Charms of Small Town America by Bill Geist.

A sample:

Hal is the oldest licensed pilot in the nation. He joined the UFOs (United Flying Octogenarians)-although technically he’s too old. Has he considered starting a club for nonagenarian pilots? “No,” he answers, “I don’t want to be the president, secretary, treasurer, and the board of directors.”

In addition to his other duties at the Sierra Booster, Hal is also in charge of circulation and is its only paperboy. In this sparsely populated area, with subscribers scattered over six hundred square miles, he decided to deliver papers to the ranches in his airplane. Hal invites me along on his paper route. Driving out to the airstrip, he tells of his three (or is it five?) heart operations, at which point our cameraman, Gilbert, says that, although he’d love to come along, he’ll be mounting a camera inside the cockpit and staying on the ground. It’s a sunny day. I mention to Hal that his windshield wipers are on.

Read more from the book.

Friday

NewMexiKen returned to Albuquerque Friday. Instead of taking the quickest route, I-25, I took the shortest, pretty much U.S. 285 from Denver to Santa Fe, then I-25 on into the Duke City. It’s a beautiful almost exhilarating tour across South Park, past the Collegiate Range, and down the San Luis Valley.

I kept to the speed limits, which at various times thanks to the wisdom of Colorado and New Mexico were 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70 and 75. It took just a little bit more than an hour longer than the interstate (it’s 30 miles shorter).

But I got 25½ miles to the gallon, about 20% better than the trip up at freeway speeds. Not bad for a SUV, eh?

Last evening it was Jake Shimabukuro and The Greencards at the Rio Grande Zoo, part of the summer Zoo Music series. (Saw the baby giraffes, which were just as cute as you might imagine. The youngest one is just a few weeks old.)

We’d seen Jake in Honolulu. He is fun and can play any kind of music on a ukulele — Led Zeppelin’s “Gone to California,” Franz Shubert’s “Ave Maria,” George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” I even have an autographed CD of his. Terrific to see him again.

Except, that while Jake was playing, the folks near us discussed the South Beach diet, whom one of them might room with next, their day at work, bears attacking kids — well you get the idea. It is an outdoor concert, and one expects a certain amount of commotion, BUT IT IS A CONCERT. When the music picks up that is not a cue to talk even louder!

The Greencards, a bluegrass quartet, two of whom are from Australia and one from England — green cards, get it? — were quite good. Blue Grass is almost always infectious (though not to the yakkers around us). The group seemed genuinely fascinated with the venue (the zoo, the ancient cottonwoods I suppose) and put on a good show, with a rousing encore (“Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover” bluegrass style). See them if you get the chance.

Most people in the general audience are such simpletons that if I managed a relatively unknown band I would encourage them to open with covers of songs everybody knows. Get the audience engaged up front, clapping, singing, whatever, then do your thing. Good as they were, The Greencards opened with a lot of their own music, excellent but not familiar. And, when the band said that they were pleased that people were dancing, it seemed strange to me that they then played three consecutive slower songs that no one danced to. But what do I know?