Gods Country!

Not all of my travels have been to populated places. In fact, the most remote places in the USA are what recharge my batteries. It is not about being a mountain man or getting back to nature. It is so serene, and it fills your senses.

• You can hear sounds that others miss after a couple of days to adjust from the honling horns, sirens, and road noise.
• You can smell the grass - the animals - the trees - the fresh air. These odors become even more rich as your nostrils rid themselves of the pollution stains of urban life.
• When camping, everything tastes better. Whether you are cooking over the fire or have brought your campstove the food just tastes better. Perhaps the hiking and exploring add to its intensity!

Going for a hike, taking nap by a high mountain pond, animal watching, or just sitting next to the fire, these moments are priceless.

“I would rather wake up in the middle of nowhere than in any city on earth.” - Steve McQueen

I have done my best to spend as much time as possible in far-away places. Here are a few pictures of one trip in the Idaho backcountry:

This is the southerly view from the Beartrap Lookout in the Sawtooth Range, in Idaho.

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From this location my satellite phone did not work, so I called their technical support from my cell phone. It worked, just enough for them to tell me they were having problems because of adding more satellites. The nearest town is about 60 miles beyond my car.

From the high mountains of central Idaho to streets of San Francisco and downtown Manhattan, this Ford Explorer has been everywhere! Maybe I will dig up some more pictures of the travels of this vehicle for other postings.

Have you ever wondered what a lookout really looks like? You could drive 8 hours northeast from Boise... or just take a peak. Here is the decommissioned Oreana Lookout (elevation 8,075 feet):

Hungry? Thirsty? Too bad... but if you were lost in the woods this would make a decent temporary shelter, complete with a fireplace.

Here is the view that this lookout affords:

There are risks that go with being in the backcountry. On this trip, my friend Wayne and I discovered a pack of wolves. We were able to determine this by their paw prints in the snow. A little disconcerting when you are 60 miles or over two hours drive, up a gravel road without any form of communication to the outside world. Then the late October weather turned cold and snowed on us, but of course it was absolutely beautiful as you can see:

There were other pictures from this trip that I would like to share but will save them for another posting. I hope you enjoy this little trip down memory lane. As a current resident of New Jersey, this is reassuring and helps with the homesickness that I experience.

YES there is a Kalamazoo!

It is true, don't I know!

This week marked my sixth trip to Kalamazoo since early June. Some trips are as short as one day while others were as long as six days.

Kalamazoo, or Kazoo for short, is a smaller city. Much of it it reminds me of a middle income suburban neighborhood. That is not to say that it lacks variety. As the home to Western Michigan University there is a significant student population giving the city its nightlife. Other sections of town can simply be described as "ghetto".

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Usually when staying we are fortunate to have a room in the Raddisson, a local four star hotel http://www.radisson.com/kalamazoomi .The last few trips there have been conventions and meetings held there filling up the rooms forcing my workmates and I to explore more distant areas of the city.

To get to Kazoo from Newark only requires a two hour flight. The adventure starts at noon when the limo service picks up my coworkers and I for the ride to the airport. It is not often that flights at Newark are on time so we are no longer surprised when the wait is longer than scheduled. I've been told by fellow passenger pilots that the airlines schedule an extra hour for each flight at Newark just to deal with these delays. That is fodder for a different day.

To save a little money we will frequently fly into Grand Rapids, a mere 40 minutes from Kazoo. A quick pickup of checked baggage and rental car keys and we're on our way. We arrive at the hotel around 6pm and quickly decide on a dinner location.

You can spend $5 at McDonalds or $50 at Websters. One requires a dress code, the other requires you to be dressed. Kazoo has a couple of brewpubs to choose from, as well as pubs and fine restaurants. I much prefer the less pretentious locations such as the Roadhouse, Burdicks, and Olde Peninsula. We discovered McGiddicks the other day and will return. They provide a beer list that is eight pages long and outdoor patio seating during the summer.

Next week I will travel to Knoxville for the first time on Tuesday before going back to Kalamazoo on Thursday. Now that I have committed to writing a blog on my travels, I hope you will join me since No road is long with good company!