After two years of crossing a lifetime's worth of bucket list trips off the list, 2012 was guaranteed to slow down a little bit from a travel perspective. The trips of 2012 were more about reconnecting with family and friends that had been more or less neglected for the previous two years. If we weren't flying to see them, they seemed to be flying to see us - not the worst problem to have.
Here are the four things I learned from my travels this year:
If you want to experience cool places in the world, meet cool people that live in cool places.
Our longest trip of the year was a ten-day jaunt to the Canadian Rockies to reconnect with our trekking friends Judith and Glenn, whom we spent more time with than any other non-expats while we were in India (in my next life I want to be a Canadian that works in the oil and gas industry, let's just say the vacation benefits are advantageous and leave it at that). Judith and Glenn live in Calgary and they escorted us immediately from the airport into the clutches of Cowboys tented bar near the Calgary Stampede. They had always described the scene like it was some sort of "Cowboy Mardi Gras." Had Lindsay not been six weeks pregnant, we may have lived more of that scene.
We spent the initial weekend with them in Calgary, attending our first rodeo (completely outfit in cowboy gear, well, except I had exchanged my boots for flip flops after some unfortunate blisters after the first night) and meeting their friends, most of whom we felt like we had known for years after countless hours of conversation on the Himalayan trekking trails from the previous two years. On other quick thing about Calgary - when most people think of Calgary, they don't think of the food, but it's kind of a hidden foodie's paradise.
After Calgary, we headed to the mountains for five nights. The vibe of the Canadian Rockies reminded me of the Colorado Rockies where I've spent a lot of time. In Alberta there's Canmore, in Colorado there's Frisco. Alberta has Banff; Colorado, Vail. Completing the SAT comparisons, Lake Louise is to Alberta as Beaver Creek is to Colorado. The area where Canada far exceeds the Colorado Rockies, in my opinion, is the scenery. I always equated "better" with "higher" in mountains. Not the case. The Canadian Rockies are extreme. More extreme than Colorado. Case closed.
The highlight of the trip, other than dinner at the Post Hotel, was a two night side trip to Shadow Lake Lodge. It's a hike-in/hike-out lodge that provides more luxury than one might expect at a place only accessible by foot. The only downside to the experience was it was the most mosquito infested place I'd ever been, but it's hard to hold that against an entire country or an unusually wet spring. Plus, that's what 98% deet is for.
Our Canadian adventure would have been but a shell if not for Judith and Glenn. Not only were we able to really experience a new part of the world, we were able to do so with people we basically met our of sheer luck in Kathmandu and have since become lifelong friends. So the lesson is thus, meet cool people that live in cool places and go and visit those places. If you can't meet those cool people, at least know people that know cool people so you can replicate their experiences (in this example, my parents and their friends are taking advantage of Judith's planning services to take much the same trip in September).
Orlando has a lot of direct flights but is a hub to nothing.
What do the numbers 15, 9, 8, 6, and 3 add up to? The easy answer is 41, which is the number of segments I flew this year. Unfortunately, when you spread those flights across United, Delta, Southwest, American, and AirTran, it adds up to a whole lot of no special status for 2013. Nearly everyone wants to come to Orlando but no airline makes it a hub. As a result, I can get most places with a direct flight, I just have to pick the airline that flies direct (unless I want to sacrifice a couple hours in transit which isn't something I feel the need to do).
For a busy airport, Orlando is surprisingly easy to navigate. However, as one might expect, there's a dearth of children in the airport at any point in time. They try to create an "expert travelers' lane" to expedite the process for those that know what they're doing; however, when I got into that line behind a double wide stroller, I knew it was time for a change. Since attaining status wasn't an option and I haven't been asked to join that TSA Pre-Check thing, the best and only option was to pony up $179 for an annual pass to Clear, which is basically a concierge that cuts you to the front of the line. The $179 may seem steep, but then you've probably never seen the lines on a weekend morning in Orlando. It also enabled Lindsay to catch a flight when she ran into unexpected traffic one afternoon, so it paid for itself that day.
We can leave our house (twenty five minutes from the close-in parking garage at the airport) ninety minutes before departure and very safely make a flight. That's worth something as well. Clear might not be the best option for every airport and every traveler, but for our situation in Orlando, it makes complete sense.
Key West is nicer than people describe.
After flying someplace every other weekend this fall to see family and friends, we wanted to take a trip with just the two of us but decided we had spent enough time in the airport and on planes. As a result, we planned our "babymoon" in the state of Florida. Even though we knew it was a seven to eight hour drive, it was a drive I'd also wanted to complete: US-1 through the Florida Keys with Key West as the final destination. The drive was everything we expected, utterly boring until you get to the Keys and fascinating once you get there. That being said, if and when we return to Key West, we'll likely fly - it's worth the drive but worth it only once (unless you're coming from south Florida).
People had told us that Key West was a little slice of Bourbon Street, full of derelicts, drunks, and debauchery. Honestly, it was every bit of that but we stayed far enough from the craziness in the luxurious Casa Marina. The room itself underwhelmed but the outdoor area at the hotel more than made up for it. For more details, I penned a Trip Advisor review called “Not great but would go back (if that makes sense)”. It reminded me a little of some of the travel we did in India. We could dive into the craziness knowing that we always had the peace and serenity of a nice place to say. Some travelers would call us wusses or, worse yet, tourists. Many people that go to Key West want to live like Jimmy Buffett. Casa Marina is probably very much like the way Jimmy Buffett experiences Key West. Jimmy Buffett 2012 as opposed to Jimmy Buffett 1972.
The unexpected thing in Key West was that the restaurants were far better than expected. We ate at Louie's Backyard two nights (once at their upper deck with the small plate menu and once on their main lower deck) and couldn't have been happier. The night we hit Duval Street, we tried Bagatelle which had unbelievable seared ahi tuna.
We had been told Key West was a total drunkfest, which sounds delightful if that's what you want and expect. However, Key West really is what you make of it. It's one of the more remote places in the United States where it really is possible to get away.
Pigeon Forge is tackier than people describe.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn't learn this just this year. I was just reminded of it. In college my fraternity had a Smoky Mountain date party each year. On three occasions we made the trip to mountainside chalets near Pigeon Forge. If you're into bumper cars, outlets, chain restaurants, mini-golf, airbrushed t-shirts, and Dollywood, Pigeon Forge is the place for you. I hadn't been back to Pigeon Forge in over 14 years until my Dad invited me to join a portion of a planned hiking trip he had with his cousin.
The thing about Pigeon Forge is that, for its tackiness, it serves as the primary gateway for some of the grandest scenery in the United States, Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was a short trip but was able to hike three days and only use one vacation day from work. In years prior, my Dad and I have taken short father/son ski trips in the winter, and since a February due date effectively screws up an entire ski season, a hiking trip was the next best option. In three days, Dad and his cousin Jerry showed me three distinct sides of the great park. The first day was a trip up Mount LeConte. My first time up, Jerry's ninetieth. Yep, ninetieth. There's a great daily blog, High on LeConte, about the conditions on the top, where a rustic lodge sits that reminded me a little of Shadow Lake. It was an unseasonably warm day though only a few days later the sidelights of Hurricane Sandy would dump multiple feet of snow on the mountain.
The second trip was a through-hike (we left a car on one end and started from a different spot) that we started from the park headquarters and took the Cove Mountain trail up and around to Laurel Falls. It was a steady climb. People think, again because the elevation is low, that the Smoky Mountains are inferior; however, the altitude you can gain in a day in the Smokys is similar if not more than what you might find in the Rockies, the mountains are just smoother on top. The third and final day was a little bit shorter trip, only an eight-miler, to Ramsey Cascade Falls before getting cleaned up and heading back to the airport.
Thankfully, we hiked Mount LeConte on the clear day and were wise enough to stay lower as the weather got worse. Thankfully even more, I have a 70 year old father that not only can still do these types of things but invites me to do these types of things.
Here are the four things I learned from my travels this year:
If you want to experience cool places in the world, meet cool people that live in cool places.
Our longest trip of the year was a ten-day jaunt to the Canadian Rockies to reconnect with our trekking friends Judith and Glenn, whom we spent more time with than any other non-expats while we were in India (in my next life I want to be a Canadian that works in the oil and gas industry, let's just say the vacation benefits are advantageous and leave it at that). Judith and Glenn live in Calgary and they escorted us immediately from the airport into the clutches of Cowboys tented bar near the Calgary Stampede. They had always described the scene like it was some sort of "Cowboy Mardi Gras." Had Lindsay not been six weeks pregnant, we may have lived more of that scene.
 |
| Calgary Stampede, 2012 |
We spent the initial weekend with them in Calgary, attending our first rodeo (completely outfit in cowboy gear, well, except I had exchanged my boots for flip flops after some unfortunate blisters after the first night) and meeting their friends, most of whom we felt like we had known for years after countless hours of conversation on the Himalayan trekking trails from the previous two years. On other quick thing about Calgary - when most people think of Calgary, they don't think of the food, but it's kind of a hidden foodie's paradise.
After Calgary, we headed to the mountains for five nights. The vibe of the Canadian Rockies reminded me of the Colorado Rockies where I've spent a lot of time. In Alberta there's Canmore, in Colorado there's Frisco. Alberta has Banff; Colorado, Vail. Completing the SAT comparisons, Lake Louise is to Alberta as Beaver Creek is to Colorado. The area where Canada far exceeds the Colorado Rockies, in my opinion, is the scenery. I always equated "better" with "higher" in mountains. Not the case. The Canadian Rockies are extreme. More extreme than Colorado. Case closed.
The highlight of the trip, other than dinner at the Post Hotel, was a two night side trip to Shadow Lake Lodge. It's a hike-in/hike-out lodge that provides more luxury than one might expect at a place only accessible by foot. The only downside to the experience was it was the most mosquito infested place I'd ever been, but it's hard to hold that against an entire country or an unusually wet spring. Plus, that's what 98% deet is for.
 |
| Lindsay and Judith reunite at Shadow Lake Lodge |
Our Canadian adventure would have been but a shell if not for Judith and Glenn. Not only were we able to really experience a new part of the world, we were able to do so with people we basically met our of sheer luck in Kathmandu and have since become lifelong friends. So the lesson is thus, meet cool people that live in cool places and go and visit those places. If you can't meet those cool people, at least know people that know cool people so you can replicate their experiences (in this example, my parents and their friends are taking advantage of Judith's planning services to take much the same trip in September).
Orlando has a lot of direct flights but is a hub to nothing.
What do the numbers 15, 9, 8, 6, and 3 add up to? The easy answer is 41, which is the number of segments I flew this year. Unfortunately, when you spread those flights across United, Delta, Southwest, American, and AirTran, it adds up to a whole lot of no special status for 2013. Nearly everyone wants to come to Orlando but no airline makes it a hub. As a result, I can get most places with a direct flight, I just have to pick the airline that flies direct (unless I want to sacrifice a couple hours in transit which isn't something I feel the need to do).
For a busy airport, Orlando is surprisingly easy to navigate. However, as one might expect, there's a dearth of children in the airport at any point in time. They try to create an "expert travelers' lane" to expedite the process for those that know what they're doing; however, when I got into that line behind a double wide stroller, I knew it was time for a change. Since attaining status wasn't an option and I haven't been asked to join that TSA Pre-Check thing, the best and only option was to pony up $179 for an annual pass to Clear, which is basically a concierge that cuts you to the front of the line. The $179 may seem steep, but then you've probably never seen the lines on a weekend morning in Orlando. It also enabled Lindsay to catch a flight when she ran into unexpected traffic one afternoon, so it paid for itself that day.
We can leave our house (twenty five minutes from the close-in parking garage at the airport) ninety minutes before departure and very safely make a flight. That's worth something as well. Clear might not be the best option for every airport and every traveler, but for our situation in Orlando, it makes complete sense.
Key West is nicer than people describe.
After flying someplace every other weekend this fall to see family and friends, we wanted to take a trip with just the two of us but decided we had spent enough time in the airport and on planes. As a result, we planned our "babymoon" in the state of Florida. Even though we knew it was a seven to eight hour drive, it was a drive I'd also wanted to complete: US-1 through the Florida Keys with Key West as the final destination. The drive was everything we expected, utterly boring until you get to the Keys and fascinating once you get there. That being said, if and when we return to Key West, we'll likely fly - it's worth the drive but worth it only once (unless you're coming from south Florida).
People had told us that Key West was a little slice of Bourbon Street, full of derelicts, drunks, and debauchery. Honestly, it was every bit of that but we stayed far enough from the craziness in the luxurious Casa Marina. The room itself underwhelmed but the outdoor area at the hotel more than made up for it. For more details, I penned a Trip Advisor review called “Not great but would go back (if that makes sense)”. It reminded me a little of some of the travel we did in India. We could dive into the craziness knowing that we always had the peace and serenity of a nice place to say. Some travelers would call us wusses or, worse yet, tourists. Many people that go to Key West want to live like Jimmy Buffett. Casa Marina is probably very much like the way Jimmy Buffett experiences Key West. Jimmy Buffett 2012 as opposed to Jimmy Buffett 1972.
 |
| Hammocks are awesome |
The unexpected thing in Key West was that the restaurants were far better than expected. We ate at Louie's Backyard two nights (once at their upper deck with the small plate menu and once on their main lower deck) and couldn't have been happier. The night we hit Duval Street, we tried Bagatelle which had unbelievable seared ahi tuna.
We had been told Key West was a total drunkfest, which sounds delightful if that's what you want and expect. However, Key West really is what you make of it. It's one of the more remote places in the United States where it really is possible to get away.
Pigeon Forge is tackier than people describe.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I didn't learn this just this year. I was just reminded of it. In college my fraternity had a Smoky Mountain date party each year. On three occasions we made the trip to mountainside chalets near Pigeon Forge. If you're into bumper cars, outlets, chain restaurants, mini-golf, airbrushed t-shirts, and Dollywood, Pigeon Forge is the place for you. I hadn't been back to Pigeon Forge in over 14 years until my Dad invited me to join a portion of a planned hiking trip he had with his cousin.
The thing about Pigeon Forge is that, for its tackiness, it serves as the primary gateway for some of the grandest scenery in the United States, Great Smoky Mountain National Park. It was a short trip but was able to hike three days and only use one vacation day from work. In years prior, my Dad and I have taken short father/son ski trips in the winter, and since a February due date effectively screws up an entire ski season, a hiking trip was the next best option. In three days, Dad and his cousin Jerry showed me three distinct sides of the great park. The first day was a trip up Mount LeConte. My first time up, Jerry's ninetieth. Yep, ninetieth. There's a great daily blog, High on LeConte, about the conditions on the top, where a rustic lodge sits that reminded me a little of Shadow Lake. It was an unseasonably warm day though only a few days later the sidelights of Hurricane Sandy would dump multiple feet of snow on the mountain.
 |
| High on LeConte with Dad (left) and Jerry |
The second trip was a through-hike (we left a car on one end and started from a different spot) that we started from the park headquarters and took the Cove Mountain trail up and around to Laurel Falls. It was a steady climb. People think, again because the elevation is low, that the Smoky Mountains are inferior; however, the altitude you can gain in a day in the Smokys is similar if not more than what you might find in the Rockies, the mountains are just smoother on top. The third and final day was a little bit shorter trip, only an eight-miler, to Ramsey Cascade Falls before getting cleaned up and heading back to the airport.
Thankfully, we hiked Mount LeConte on the clear day and were wise enough to stay lower as the weather got worse. Thankfully even more, I have a 70 year old father that not only can still do these types of things but invites me to do these types of things.
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