(This post may be of interest only to musicians, especially those that roam)
A few years ago, if a guy wanted to travel the world with a guitar he had few options: Carry around a ton of gear, or get a dedicated miniature travel guitar. Now there is another choice
While consumer items don’t bring long term happiness, I am excited about my new Apogee JAM. It is going to revolutionize my guitar playing. The 15W practice amp I picked up last month for $92 is now up for sale, replaced with this wonderful electronic gizmo. At $84*, it is superior to the practice amp in every way
For 4 weeks in March-April 2013, we enjoyed the waves and surf in Puerto Escondido, Mexico. As usual, we had a room in a hotel for a few days while we explored the area, and when we knew we wanted to stay longer we found a monthly rental. Due to the popularity of posts about our longer term rentals, here is a brief tour of our Puerto Escondido home
We found a place that looked great in the online photos. A few emails, 2 phone calls, a meeting, a tour, and a fierce negotiation later, we were the proud residents of a casita near Playa Manzanillo. The asking price was $350 a week, and the property manager would not budge. But after a short conversation about how we liked “the other place more”, she emailed the owners and they had agreed to accept our offer of $1000 for the month.
For the next 3 months, we are resting our heads in lovely San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Just a few minutes flat walk away from the Jardin, the town square, we’ve found a wonderful home that we are renting for $1000 a month. What do you get for $33 a day?
3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 12 foot ceilings, 2 private terraces, 2 fireplaces, maid service twice a week, a gardener visit once a week, a washer and dryer for laundry, and is fully furnished with all utilities included… a lot more than we need. The location is fantastic, and we are once again living in the lap of luxury.
We’ve rented such a large space partly to make it easy for friends to visit, since we are just 4 hours away from LA or SF or Houston.
On our previous visit we fell in love with Mexico, the natural beauty, the friendly people, the cultural charm… Mexico is incredible.
Over 141 days we explored far and wide, staying a few days in some places and up to 2 months in others, and yet experienced only a fraction of what is possible. Half the size of the Continental US, it is impossible to see it all, although we did our best. From the capital city to the deserts of the central highlands, from one food center of Mexico to the other, from the Pacific Coast to the eastern jungle, we explored a diverse and exciting sample
There are few places in the world more beautiful than the Seattle area during the months of July and August. The outdoor opportunities in and around Seattle are just incredible. Snug between two mountain ranges, the Cascades and the Olympics, there is no shortage of opportunities for great hiking. Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and Puget Sound provide no end of boating opportunities, including access to the Pacific Ocean and beyond. The relatively small geographic area means that within an hour by car you can be in the middle of nowhere. The numerous nearby farms, orchards, ranches, lakes, and streams provide incredible access to fresh and delicious ingredients, making it a food lover’s dream.
So when the forecast in the Yucatan, Cuba, and various other regions of Central America called for more heat, more humidity, and more rain, we decided to return to the Seattle area for a visit. We were fortunate to spend the summer in the region amongst friends, hiking, camping, boating, and eating (of course.)
Taking full advantage of the summer, we also ventured further out, making trips to the Oregon Coast and the Olympic Peninsula.
We rolled into Forks, WA on the Olympic Peninsula, the skies darkening and closing in as we approached. Rain couldn’t be far off. A giant banner stretched atop the road proclaimed it to be Stephanie Meyer Day. The sidewalks were packed. Several young men looked to be in serious need of sunshine, their pasty white skin looking a bit unhealthy. And why are they wearing capes? A few other guys were walking about shirtless, showing off their well defined physique and 6-pack abs, with a flock of teenage girls in tow. It was a bit cold. Perhaps the pasty guys were recovering from a bug they caught while going about shirtless
A little further down the road a sign offered Twilight Firewood for sale. Well, yeah, twilight seems to be a good time to get a good campfire going. And what’s this?! Twilight Cheeseburgers? And Twilight Cupcakes? How about a Twilight Tour? What exactly is in a Twilight Cupcake, anyway?
A bit away from the hustle and bustle in downtown, we stopped to get a quick bite to eat at a forgettable hole in the wall. The wait staff argued in the back room over whether they could vacuum while customers were eating. The girl that thought it was a violation of the state’s health code won out, but not without resulting to colorful language.
“What are you hunting for, elk or bear?”, one waitress asked a hairy gentleman at a nearby table. He was covered from head to tow in camouflage and dirt. “Well…”, he said slowly, “I’m pretending I’m hunting for elk, but mostly I’m just camping and drinking.” The waitress giggled and gazed demurely at the hunter, touching his elbow as she laughed. I too have always thought that guns and alcohol were sexy together.
A short while later, we were on our way out of town, feeling content that we got everything we could out of a town that celebrates their mention in a book for teenage girls
. It is going to revolutionize my guitar playing. The 15W practice amp I picked up last month for $92 is now up for sale, replaced with this wonderful electronic gizmo. At $84*, it is superior to the practice amp in every way
