When travels for work take me through the Big Apple, as they often seem to do these days, I can't help but desire to catch a quick piece of it. As a vacation destination, NYC is hard to beat, few other cities can throw down such an array of sights, sounds, smells and tastes to keep even the most continuosly-attention-obsessive, fast-paced people stimulated. So, when a long layover appeared on my itinerary again I knew I couldn't waste a New York second in seizing it!
My only wish was that I could have spent more time at the Museum of Modern Art, it was a trip marked by brevity. Even so, that didn't hamper my enthusiasm to practice turbo walking on the sidewalks with other New Yorkers, eat some tasty Indian street food after wetting my mind in fine art and taking it all in in true NYC style.
Unfortunately my photos from inside the galleries did not come out very well, crowds and interior lighting variety did not help either. Anyway, art is meant to be enjoyed and interpreted first hand, not through the lens of an amateur photographer. Tim Burton had an awesome exhibit complete with a life-size Edward Scissorhands and all kinds of cool movie props, but wow he is very weird. I spent the most time in the impressionist galleries, it felt like no matter how deep I looked into a piece there was always something new to observe or was previously obscured. Needless to say, time flies at the MoMA, keeping in pace with the rest of NYC.
Sometimes, a pilot will land a plane and then take off again immediately. This is called a "touch and go" and usually occurs when the pilot aborts the landing and decides instead to just lift off. That is a bit how I felt the other day when I had a long layover in San Francisco, because I touched down, ate a meal with friends and then took off again!
We could not have planned it better, my friend Chef Dan swooped in his coup and scooped me up at the airport and then we headed straight for the Castro district to a place called "Starbelly." Now let me tell you Chef Dan is a foodie, he cooks and is the executive chef at the Concordia Argonaut club in the city. Few people I know can match his enthusiasm for life, he is just so darn happy to be on this planet and the good vibes radiate onto all those around him. We sat down and right away he is making small talk to the wait staff and getting everybody stoked about life, what a guy!
While we waited for Leslie to arrive, Dan ordered the chicken liver pate at the recommendation of our server and I was most pleasantly surprised! It was rich in flavor and texture was so smooth in my mouth, this was my first pate and the bar has been set high! Leslie cruised in with a few climbing mags for me, a real nice gesture and I was darn happy to see her. Despite some setbacks lately for her, she remains strong and keeps a high quality of life seemingly with ease.
The main counter at Starbelly was the wood from an old, refinished bowling alley lane, polished like the real thing too! We all ordered different dishes to try items on the menu (first time to Starbelly for everybody). We split a pork belly sandwich, a burger with fresh bleu cheese and a specialty pizza. There was more than enough food to go around and everything was so rich in flavor. The Chef (of Starbelly) walked by our table and Chef Dan made a point to tell him how good the food was he prepared! I could not agree with him more, fabulous ingredient combinations. We all had a bit of catching up to do it, so the conversation was well lit too. We chatted about climbing a lot, some misc. gossip and family.
It was super nice to catch up with some good friends who have had such a positive impact on my life. I thoroughly enjoy spending time with folks that have a great outlook on life. I love it when a plan comes together, sad that I had to leave, but exciting to look forward to going back to the city of open-mindedness.
The titans of the tree world reside in Northern California. Coastal redwoods, or Sequoia sempervirens as they are known scientifically, scrape the sky like the tall buildings of Manhattan. The most magnificent redwoods grow more than 300 feet tall, few other plants on the planet can defy such a feat.
Unfortunately, my trip was not about redwoods, but was a "Data Management Summit" that just happened to be where the worlds tallest trees congregate. Arcata is home to Humboldt State University, part of the CA state university system and sits in an area of quite unique natural beauty. Our work was conducted in the Redwood Sciences Research Laboratory, a pretty neat place which sits on a hill overlooking the Humboldt campus and Arcata.
Getting to Arcata took 3 legs and a long day, but it was well worth the trip. It was tough sitting in the conference room with one entire wall a view into the Arcata Community Forest. So at lunch we all went for walks in the forest behind the lab. In my experience taking photos in the redwood forest is notoriously difficult, the lighting is terrible for point-and-shoot cameras like mine.
In a few areas of the forest, there was only second growth, which means the original forest was cut once for timber and then allowed to grow. In these parts, redwood trees have astonishing growth rates.
Above is my colleague August enjoying our short, lunch jaunt into the redwood wonderland, or as he would say "E-wok forest" of Star Wars. My last night in Arcata, August was even nice enough to take me to the rugged beach so I could touch the Pacific before I went home. The sand was black and very fine and the water was freezing! No surprise there.
Its been pretty cold lately here in Northern Virginia, almost too cold to jog. I feel like running in the winter months takes a certain kind of person, perhaps not as extreme as those who can jump through a hole cut in an iced over lake like they do in Russia, but it does take a certain amount of gumption. To me though, the crisp air and quiet solitude more than make up for the extra hassles that are involved. Careful layering, gloves and courage are all that is needed. Those who take up New Years resolutions to start running again for personal reasons probably think its crazy to run outside when warm gyms are available!
I have a number of nice circuits in the large park behind my house. Some take me to the creek where there is a nice waterfall, others follow the cross country horse-back riding trails, but all offer a nice variety of terrain. I like to think of the park as my little retreat from the hustle and paved-over metropolis that is Northern Virginia. Even better though, is getting back home after a cold run. A nice, wholesome home-cooked meal with a delicious beverage and then relaxing is about the best thing that a man can ask for!
Snows in the forecast tonight, perhaps there'll be might be enough for a ski tour tomorrow!
Somewhere on Ave of the America (6th ave)
