Traveling Books

Literally. I just discovered bookcrossing.com and am fascinated. The site allows for the sharing and discussion of books in an organic, wholly amusing way. Here’s the quick version: sign up for an account here (for free), then register a book and write the BookCrossing ID inside. “Release” the book (translation, leave your book on the train, a park bench, on someone else’s doorstep…), then wait. When someone finds your book, they can come back to BookCrossing and enter the ID, then hopefully, make some sort of journal entry about said book before re-releasing it.

While I’m not ordinarily one to “release” my books (call me a pack rat, overprotective “mother” or whatever else you will—if I like a book, I want it to stay with me), I’m into this idea. I love the idea of setting something free into the universe for someone else to find, and the idea of them being able to track it. Who knows? Perhaps your book could make it around the world. Stranger things have happened…

Rushmore Addendum (and more on girlfriends)

I realize now that I was mistaken about the name of said creepy Texas town. After writing the post, I quickly dashed off an email to Kristi and Christine, noting that the town of Leprechaun became even more creepy when it failed to exist. Both remembered said town and the fear and speed with which we passed through it. But Kristi made a good point: the town was not named Leprechaun at all. Here I will quote Kristi, because she captures the sentiment well:

I saw the blog post of the road trip! And it got me thinking more about that lovely stop in Texas we made and realized that it was actually Shamrock, TX that we went to (hwy 40 goes right through it). Aside from the creepiness factor, I remember joking that leprechauns were going to jump out of hiding places and kill us (probably where you got the idea that the town was Leprechaun, TX). I also remember a lot of neon signs and a lack of people. There was some food court area or county fair area and nobody was there – it was empty – like a ghost town. So instead of eating dinner there, we drove to the next town.

To further underline the “FREAKIN CREEPY” aspect of the town, she included a link to this image:

www.pbase.com

My point here is twofold:

1. Shamrock, TX remains just as creepy a prospect as Leprechaun, TX would be if it did in fact exist, even though its Economic Development site makes it seem rather quaint( but does the happy waitress on the front page look as though she’s missing an arm??)
2. Shamrock, TX is a “Legend of America,” which is a nice way of saying that even if it doesn’t have leprechauns waiting to prey on young college girls, it certainly has its share of ghostly lore. (Why, now, do I somehow find this aspect fascinating?)
3. Most importantly, Shamrock, TX, and my “mis-memory” of it, sparked a whole new round of reminiscing about said trip, with this response from Christine: What a good trip that was, can you believe how young we were?? We couldn’t even drink. And why didn’t we bring any alcohol around with us to drink at night? What did we do for entertainment?…

Her list goes on, as could mine, but I’ll save more stories from the road for another day. Nearly 10 years later (gasp!) they still haven’t gotten old, and they are a sign of the strength of gal pal bonds and the thrill of travel that solidifies them. Perhaps that Shamrock was a little lucky after all…

Oh Schmap!

I recently discovered that two photos I posted on Flickr were selected to represent Woodlawn Cemetery and the New York Botanic Garden on Schmap, this new, nifty interactive map guide. This was exciting because: a) someone likes my pictures! and b) I discovered Schmap, this cool new digital travel guide, where users can publish schmaps (with photos, reviews and trip itineraries)  and access maps and guides from anywhere. Yet another reason I need to invest in a smarter phone than the jenky one I currently have.

Fun Rushmore Facts, Road Trip Nostalgia and Girlfriend Trips

Yesterday I received an email titled “Rushmore facts for my fellow visitors” from my friend Kristi. She sent it to me and to Christine, the third part of our road-trip-trio that spent a month one college summer crossing the country in my silver Saturn, the original Squirrel (named, incidentally, on that trip, by Kristi). The email contained a link to an SF Gate article, Mining Mt. Rushmore for trivia, which gave some fun facts about the notable but bizarre South Dakota landmark.

The article itself was fun, but what was more fun was the memory of seeing the mountain in person. Though Rushmore itself pales in comparison to the idea most Americans hold of it (it’s far smaller than one expects), there is something thrilling about the idea of actually having been there. It is, after all, in South Dakota—which means that, while iconic America, it’s not nearly as widely seen as, say, Lincoln Memorial or the Statue of Liberty. It seems as though Rushmore is one of those landmarks only visited when one lives close by or, like us, is simply passing through.

Which makes the fact that we’ve seen it even more exciting. One fact in the article was particularly gratifying: “The sculptor…Borglum…had devoted years to a Confederate commemorative carving at Stone Mountain.” Okay, so the fact that said mountain was financed in part by the Ku Klux Klan is somewhat upsetting, but the fact that we saw both huge carvings, Rushmore in South Dakota and Stone Mountain in Georgia—more than 1,000 miles away—in the same trip is pretty gratifying.

The most gratifying of all, however, were the memories that this very short article brought rushing back:  the shoddy campgrounds, the long detours, the rush through strange dark places like Leprechaun, TX (which, it should be noted, does not show up in Google searches, but I am certain we drove through it) and the whole state of Arkansas… And all the laughs and ridiculousness that stemmed from it. These days I don’t get to see those ladies as often as I’d like, and I remember that trip far less than I should, but no matter how far apart we live, or how many girlfriend trips I do, I’ll always cherish Road Trip 2000 as my first foray into girlfriend travel, and extensive travel in general.

It was that trip that instilled in me a love of travel, and showed me what it might mean to (literally) hit the road with your buddies. Not only is it a growing experience in general, but it changes the nature of friendship. We’d known each other some three years by then, but the things we learned and the conversations we had during those long hours in the Squirrel could not have been had anywhere else. And to this day I can’t imagine sharing that experience (or that tiny car) with anyone else either.

Go Philanthropic: Travel With a Purpose

I love it when travel isn’t just about ticking a list of sights off one’s list. Even better when it leaves a place a little better than one found it. GoPhilanthropic is a tour company that combines travel philanthropy, sustainable travel and luxury vacations, allowing those who want to travel the luxu ry route to feel good about their choices. It’s a way of leaving a footprint without leaving a carbon one. Travelers stay in luxury eco-conscious resorts and hotels and participate in meaningful exchanges with local communities. All itineraries are customized for individual interests and GoPhilanthropic provides carbon offsets for all trips. Now that’s a good trip.

South Pass: One More Reason to Love Argentina

South America has a great system of buses that traverse the entire continent. And yet for travelers the system is still a bit complicated. There is a moment of panic when you arrive at the us station, laden with baggage, and then have to figure out which bus companies run to your desired destination and which offer the best times for the most value.

Enter South Pass. Think of South Pass as the Eurail pass of Latin America: a flexible bus pass allowing unlimited travel through seven different countries, with regular departures from 260 cities. The buses are the same comfortable buses, complete with reclining “bed” seats to make the journey easier, and there is no worry that you’re overspending on multiple bus trips.

With passes for anywhere from 10 days up to 25 and buses that run between Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguy, Uruguay, Bolivia and Peru, South Pass makes getting around easy, so you can focus on other, more important things. Like enjoying yourself.

Sweden in New York

We’ve already established that the Swedes are great at their design. They also, incidentally, know how to throw a great party. Friday, June 19, was my birthday. It was also the day of the Swedish Consulate’s annual Swedish Midsummer Festival, when New York’s Swedish community convenes on Battery Park to eat herring and decorate the May Pole. Despite the storms that have stolen our New York summer, Friday we had a lovely reprieve, rendering the evening, with its huge ivy-covered cross, floral crowns and the setting sun glinting off the lady in the harbor, rather magical. I’m not Swedish, nor have I been, but yet again, I’m a fan.

Thought-provoking Video

I recently came upon an article in the Times about a new school controversy. It seems people are actually finding it problematic that a video, The Story of Stuff, is being shown in schools and causing children to think about consumption. This controversy is not surprising to me, but it is shocking. I checked out the video myself, and yes, it is political. But it’s also upbeat and solution forward, and it’s a serious of lovable cartoon characters.

Most of all, though, it’s realistic. It’s the very dose of reality that most people in our society need. When I think of all the stuff I have/need/want, it’s one thing, but when I watch this video and really, truly think about what goes into making that stuff, it changes the whole need/want aspects. I’ll admit I’m not suddenly the anti-consumer (I still love my shoes), but I’m certainly more thoughtful about what I consume. And every little bit helps.

So truly I don’t really see where this could have a negative impact on anyone, especially children, to whom much of comsumer culture is based (gadgets, individually wrapped food and the list goes on…). Anyhow, it’s worth taking the 20 minutes to watch the video. And it’s also worth taking a few additional minutes to check out the website. There is much to be done and it’s one small, but important step.

Hola Mate

One of my favorite things about Argentina was the mate ritual. In South America, yerba mate has been known as the “drink of the gods” for centuries. The bitter tea takes a little getting used to, but it is packed with vitamins and insanely healthy. It is also a tradition in itself.

Mate is the national drink of Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Southern Brazil. And drinking mate is not just healthy, it’s ritual. Mate gourds, usually metal or wood or a combination, are gorgeous, artful creations.  The gourd is shared between a group, filled with hot water each time and passed from person to person, each of whom drinks the entire gourdful of tea through the bombilla (straw filter) before pouring more water and passing the gourd. It’s a sharing of friendship and an honor to share another’s mate.

All this is a long way of explaining that mate is yet another thing I wish I could have brought back from Argentina in unlimited supply. But now I’ve discovered the next bet thing: Guayakí is a company that not only sells gourds and mate but that does so with a larger purpose in mind. The company partners with small farmers and indigenous communities, aiding in conservation and community development in the sub-tropic cultures of South America. Named for the Aché Guayakí people native to the mate forest, the company practices a business model called Market Driven Restoration, allowing consumer purchases of yerba mate in North America to support indigenous communities and sustainable agriculture and reforestation projects in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

Namely, not only can I feel good about enjoying my mate again, I feel good about helping save the South American landscape I’ve come to love so much.

Oh the Places You’ll Go

I realize I’ve yet to write about my mother’s recent visit to New York. I love having visitors because it means not only that I get to play tour guide, but that I get to see the city in a new light. And often I get to see new things altogether. This time around it was ladies only, my mother and her best friend, Aunty Bee, who was introduced to my mother through Gaga, much like my mother found me a good New York friend.

This trip we covered much ground, and found entertainment in some unexpected places Our travels started out at the tip top of the island, with  visit to The Cloisters. We didn’t do the museum itself, but wandered its gorgeous grounds and the lush woods that is Fort Tryon Park, so quiet and serene it feels worlds away from the city in which it resides. We made our way back on the M4 bus, which is a fabulous (and economical) way to see the city. We rode it down to Columbia, where we hopped off for a stint, only to jump back on to ride down Fifth Avenue past the parks and museums.

Other highlights included the stunning views of the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, a few hours at the Chelsea Market and a couple more (no joke) ogling the dish heaven that is Fishs Eddy (this is what I mean about unexpected entertainment) and sundry incredible street entertainers. For more of the fun (and lost of street entertainer video), see here.