Saturday, January 18, 2014
Tech issues
Rota, Spain
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Space A Travel preparations
Being a retired military member, I'm eligible to fly on a space available, no charge basis on military aircraft flying out of most military bases in the U.S. and Overseas. Since retirees fall low on priority list, planning and patience are key to flying space available (Space-A).
I started planning my trip a couple of months in advance by submitting my desired destinations to the air bases that I thought would have flights going to the east coast, and eventually to Europe. I used the website www.takeahop.net to submit my requests, and eventually downloaded their MilSpaceA app so that I could submit requests on the go. The earlier signup dates take priority over later signup dates, so it helped that I sent my information and destinations over a month in advance.
Flying Space A is a challenge, since a traveler's presence is required two hours before departure time and seats are not guaranteed. It helps to pack lightly, especially since there are weight restrictions on luggage and you often have a long walk from the terminal to base lodging.
I initially thought about taking a camping backpack to Europe, but decided that I'd look too much like a tourist. I opted for a mid-sized luggage case with wheels, and packed the following:
-Two extra pair of underwear and socks, not including the ones I'm wearing.
-A Northface waterproof, windproof jacket with zipout liner.
-Two pairs of Columbia hiking pants (wearing one pair) and one pair of nice jeans. I like the hiking pants because they're lightweight and dry quickly when wet.
-In addition to the Asolo hiking boots that I prefer to wear when sightseeing, I packed one pair of casual shoes and one pair of running shoes.
-One lightweight sports jacket.
-One buttondown shirt and 4 casual wear tee shirts in different colors (I prefer V-neck Calvin Kleins).
-One lightweight V-neck pullover sweater.
-Microfiber travel towel.
-One baselayer shirt and pants (I'm expecting cold weather, otherwise I wouldn't have packed these).
-One pair of pajamas (I stay in hostels most of the time, and many dorms are coed).
-One pair of shower shoes.
-One pair of running shorts and lightweight workout shirt.
-One large and one medium Eagle Creek compression bags (helps to compress all of my clothes).
-One molly bag (for store/grocery runs, misc shopping).
-One voltage converter (220v/110v) with adapters.
-A Garmin Trex 30 GPS
-Galaxy S4 with charger
-Nexus 7 tablet
-One pair Yurbuds earphones
-Several packets of Starbucks Via.
-Steripen traveler (just in case bottled water isn't available).
-Various travel-sized toiletries (toothbrush, toothpaste, two Tide laundry travel packets, floss, soap, shampoo, deodorant, Q-tips, mouthwash, several pocket sized Kleenex packets, Febreze, hand sanitizer).
-Padlock with key.
-Nikon Coolpix L620 camera.
-Messenger bag.
It seems like a lot, but I do plan on traveling for an extended period (>1 month). I placed my electronics into the messenger bag along with my travel documents (passport, Eurail pass, train timetables, etc) and a few toiletries, and the bag weighed in at seven pounds. My luggage with everything else weighed in at 39 pounds, just under the 40 lb limit for one of the flights that I took. Since box lunches are no longer available for purchase, I'll pack some jerky or protein bars into my jacket as a mini meal.
I hope that this list will help you decide to pack for your future trips.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Starting Over....
I retired last year, December 2012. I had hoped to hike the California Coastal Trail, beginning in February 2013. Unfortunately, life had some twists for me, and I was only able to hike from the Mexico border up to Camp Pendleton. For six months, I went on road trips and spent my time between San Diego and Murrieta, CA. I had a great time during those six months, especially while salsa dancing in San Antonio, Dallas, Chicago, Albuquerque, and Phoenix. But I really wanted to go on the road full time.
On a brief visit home, I found out that my previous employer needed some help, so I offered to temporarily take my old job back. After six months, my contract is up and I'm ready to go!
I'll be heading for an extended visit to Europe, taking a military Space Available hop out of a nearby military base. Since this will be an open ended visit (stay until I'm homesick/tired), I've had to do some thinking about my preparations:
Passport:
I went to the State Department's website (http://travel.state.gov/passport/renew/renew_833.html) and downloaded Form DS-82. I decided against paying an additional $60 for expedited service, since I had a full month before I planned on travelling. Although the website states that your passport would be renewed within 4-6 weeks via regular service, I received mine in 3 weeks. BTW, the Application Status link at http://travel.state.gov/passport/status/status_2567.html wasn't providing the status of my application after a week, so I called the office to see what was going on with my renewal. I was told that the link hadn't been working in awhile! BTW, I had my passport photos (2 needed) taken at FedEx Office for $16. AAA will take the same photos for $8.
International Driver's permit:
Although I probably won't need it, I decided to get an International Driver's Permit from AAA (http://www.aaa.com/vacation/idpf.html). I've rented a car in Germany before without it, but I plan on visiting quite a few countries, and may decide to rent somewhere out of the way. Just in case.
Eurail Global Flex pass
I've decided to do most of my travel via rail. Since I really have no idea about where I'll be starting my trip (it all depends on where the military flight will drop me off), I'll take trains wherever I decide to go. I decided on a Global Flex pass, since it covers 23 countries throughout Europe. I purchased a 10-day pass, good for two months. The pass came in today, along with a Eurail map and a timetable book. Between the map and timetable book, I shouldn't have any problems planning my trip when I get there.
Car storage
I already have my personal belongings in storage, and decided to store my car in the same location. Once I move the car into storage, I'll file a Planned Non-Operate (PNO) certificate with the DMV. I'll provide a copy to my car insurance; they'll remove the liability insurance from my insurance bill until I take my car out of storage again.
On my next post, I'll cover what I'll be taking along with me.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Catching up
I last left off on my visit to the East coast. Since then, I've continued my hike up the California coast, but it's been slow going. I spent several days hiking from Downtown San Diego to Camp Pendleton, covering around 50 miles. It was a pretty easy hike, usually along residential streets. The view of the homes while walking through the neighborhoods in La Jolla and Del Mar was amazing! I'm pretty sure that if I won the lottery, I'd find a home in one of those neighborhoods. My next leg of my trip will be a 20 mile hike across Camp Pendleton. Hoping to start that leg soon.
I've made a weeklong trip up to the San Francisco area since then, visiting some family members. I'm almost out of the limbo that was keeping me close to the San Diego area, and am looking at recommencing my travels. I was starting to get discouraged about having to couch-surf for the past several months, and started looking at purchasing a condo in the San Diego area. Not having a permanent place to call your own can be unsettling. My parents have been so kind in letting me stay with them while I'm in the Temecula area, and my daughter's friends let me stay at their home when I'm in San Diego. But I'm not one to hang around the house during the day, so I'm usually wandering around town with my belongings in the back seat of my truck. My days have been filled with workouts, Starbucks visits in downtown San Diego, and salsa dancing at night. Still loving the retired life!
Currently, I'm in Texas. My cousin Joe passed away unexpectedly last Monday, and I was honored to be able to carry him to his resting place. We were the same age, only 2 weeks apart. We grew up together, and he and I would hangout whenever I would visit Beeville, Tx. I can remember the many times during our childhood, teenage years, and adulthood that we spent together. Playing hide & seek as kids, shooting pool with my brothers and cousins as young teenagers during the summer, talking about girls, cars, and our futures as older teenagers. He was like my own brother, and I'll miss him.
Joe Carrizales was a well respected police officer in Beeville, Texas. He worked as a process server, and was well known in town. High school football is big in Texas, and Joe and his brother both played all four years. It seemed as though everyone in town knew Joe; everytime we'd go somewhere, he'd introduce me to another one of his friends and acquaintances.
His reputation was solid. Always seen with a smile, everyone knew him as a nice guy who was ready to help. His memorial and funeral services were standing room only. I don't think that I'd ever seen such a large gathering of police, sheriffs, active duty and retired military personnel in one place. Most of the officers and deputies were in uniform, and there were even several Texas Rangers in attendance. The procession to the cemetery was a mile long, with firetrucks, police and sheriffs vehicles, and the Patriot Honor Guard as part of the escort.
I stayed for a couple of days after Joe's funeral and spent it with his family. I pray for their peace during their healing process.
I'm back on the road now and spending a couple of days in Corpus Christi, enjoying the weather here and looking for some good BBQ. I'm planning on trekking through Texas for a little while; I've heard things about the Austin music and food scene, and I need to find a salsa dance club in San Antonio before I go through salsa withdrawals.
Will keep in touch.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
East coast adventure
Liberty House |
Capital Building |
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Cheesesteak adventure
So I've got about a month before I have to be at my next commitment. I figured that I could get some hiking in, maybe finish covering San Diego county.
But at the same time, I've also been thinking about taking advantage of my military Space-A benefit of free air travel from any military air base. Space-A is a great way to get around if you've got plenty of time and are very flexible.
I went to March Air Force Base yesterday, knowing ahead of time that they had a couple of flights scheduled. One to Fort Worth, another to Dover, Delaware. Either choice would have been good since there were plenty of seats, but since I've never been to Dover I figured that I'd give it a shot.
Since there were two flights to Europe out of Dover on Saturday, I was going to shoot for one of them. One flight to Rota, Spain and another to Ramstein, Germany. Although I really wasn't prepared for an extended stay in Europe, I was planning to wing it.
The flight from March to Dover was easy; 4-1/2 hours in a C-130, enough to take a long nap. We landed at 10:00 p.m., and found that there were no seats available to Europe. I was lucky enough to find a place to stay for the night, so I shared a cab ride with a couple of fellow Space-A travelers to a local Best Western.
The next afternoon (I slept in), I hiked a couple of miles and picked up a rental car. I asked some of the locals about sightseeing, but they didn't have any good suggestions other than visiting the local casino. With Philadelphia a 90 minute drive away, I decided to have an authentic Philly cheesesteak. I told my bro Bobby about my plans, and he suggested Tony Luke's.
I arrived an hour later, and found that I wasn't the only one that wanted a good cheesesteak. There was a 15 min line of locals, including a group that seemed to be on some kind of foodie tour. After another 15 min wait for my food, I was able to see what Tony Luke's was about. The sandwich was good and cheesy, and the steak was tender. The bread didn't seem fresh, since it was somewhat chewy. Although it wasn't disappointing, I'm pretty sure that I've had better elsewhere. Gaglione Bros. in San Diego, specifically.
New York is 90 miles away. I'm thinking "thin slice pizza" for lunch tomorrow.