Last day of '05

This post is being written from Tampa International Airport. They have free wireless internet connection, something that more airports should consider. I'm getting ready to begin a few days of travel, starting with Kristin in a familiar city, and ending on my own in a foreign country. The past week or so has been terrific....a wonderful Christmas, a warm few days in Florida with family, and getting ready for New Year's.

Thinking back over the last 365 days, I see so much has happened in my life. A year ago I was a student; today I am a professional. A year ago I had a girlfriend; today I have a fiancée. A year ago I was a midwesterner though-and-through; today my driver's license is issued by California. How far things have come in one short year...

View this article

Travel Bug

With winter vacation coming in just days, I'm reflecting on all the travel I've done recently and all I will be doing in the weeks ahead. First, I must mention my business trip to Hong Kong. We are working on a project with a physician at Hong Kong University, so I went with a colleague for a study. We left L.A. Wednesday morning and didn't arrive in HK till Thursday evening, between the 15 hours on a plane and crossing the International Date Line--my first time, by the way! But luckily we finished our work by Saturday evening so I had all day Sunday to walk around. I saw a temple, walked through all kinds of markets and busy streets, had plenty of delicious authentic Chinese food, and rode a ferry across to the mainland to peruse the Walk of Stars and shoot the skyline. In fact, the first week of the new year I'll be making a return trip to HK, but not before...

• Flying L.A. to St. Louis
• Driving with K to R-town (Christmas--I'm absolutely positively thrilled about spending the holiday with her and her family)
• Driving to Indy to catch a flight to Tampa
• My dad driving K and I from Tampa to my grandparents in Venice, Florida
• Back to Indy and then Robinson in time for New Year's Eve
• Enjoying the first day of 2006 with Kristin
• Heading back west in time for work on 1/3.

Say that in one breath....

But overall, I'm pleased the way the year is ending. I'm looking forward to the holidays and spending time with Kristin and both our families. I'm sure the wedding plans will be a big topic of discussion--more to come on that later. For now, though, I'll leave you with a hearty wish for happiness and health, whatever holidays you celebrate. Till next time!

View this article

Starting a nontraditional tradition

You may recall that last year my dad, sister, and I went backpacking in Arizona for Thanksgiving. This year, my folks came to visit me here in California, and we continued the "nontraditional tradition" of Thanksgiving in the Wild. Thursday morning Turkey Day we set out for the San Gabriel River East Fork, planning on staying out for three-days-two-nights with all our gear. While our plans changed on the fly, we had a great time. More...

Rather than the typical out-and-back trip to the Bridge to Nowhere, we thought it might be nice to take the long way around and check out Allison Mine and maybe also Stanley Miller Mine before descending to the Bridge via the Narrows on day 3. Halfway through the first day, though, we realized that the topo maps don't lie: it was pretty steep terrain for mere weekenders like us. So we pulled about-face after lunch between Bonita Peak and Heaton Saddle and were nearing the end of the descent in time for sunset. We camped along the river near the Heaton Flat Trailhead. Dinner was just-add-water Turkey Tetrazini with a can of cranberry sauce and some roasted acorns that we had found along the trail. So it was a Thanksgiving feast after all!

Next day we were sluggish to rise, but finally did manage to have breakfast and clean up, then haul most of our gear back to the car. We decided to dayhike the Bridge round-trip and call it a successful trip.

The story of the Bridge to Nowhere is rather interesting. There was a road constructed in the 1930's that followed the San Gabriel River. Several bridges spanned the river at various locations. Then in 1938 there was a flood that washed away the entire road, leaving the bridge stranded. In the mid-50's there was work to rebuild the road, but the project was abandoned (maybe prisoner labor wasn't cutting it...) So today the Bridge to Nowhere stands, with no road leading to it, nothing but the side of a mountain once you cross, and a bungee jumping company owning the piece of land around it, in the middle of the wilderness.

The hike to the Bridge was beautiful, with plenty of river crossings (up to our shins and knees at times), a few waterfalls, and a feeling of accomplishment upon reaching our destination.

P.S. Sorry for the delay, this post was sitting in my "draft" pile waiting for some photos which I just never got around to uploading! -spr 12/21/05

View this article