New Places to Call Home.

"You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will always be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place."

-Miriam Adeney

This quote has become more and more a part of my life.  As I have moved, traveled, and lived in other places, I have met so many people and shared so many stories.  These stories helped shape the way I viewed the world.  What I love about traveling, even if its a few hours drive away, the culture of a place can be completely different.  I think of the immense differences between Sioux Falls and Rapid City.  One is a relatively flat small city surrounded by farm land.  The other is the gateway to the Black Hills.  Just about 2 hours west of Sioux Falls, the state seems to change from an agricultural center to some sort of land out of the old west.

As a person, these differences fascinate me and intrigue me.  I remember when my wife and I moved to Wichita and were suddenly in a southern cow town with BBQ places scattered throughout. My heart grew fond of every place I lived, and the friends I made there.  So, my heart has become scattered throughout the world to all the places I've been. 

Now, whenever I travel, I seem to be inundated with memories of all my past travels. It is nice to think of all the experiences I have had the blessing to have. It is nice to think of all the people I have met in my life and all the great times I had with them. I wanted to reflect on this quote because of where I live now.  I'm 1000's of mile away from most of my friends and family.  While I have the tools to keep in touch with them, sometimes I fail to use them as much as I should. I will try to do better to keep in touch.  I guess what I'm trying to say, is if you're looking for a fun place to travel and create new memories, come out to Florence and say hi, its a great place with amazing scenery. I can point you in the right direction. If you're lucky, hopefully your heart will find another to place to call home. I hope to see you soon.

Nothing Better than 4th of July in a Small Town

The 4th of July is one of my favorite holidays every year.  I always fondly remember all the trips to Inwood, Iowa to see the parade and the firework shows with my family.  As I grew older, the demolition derby in Inwood was one of my favorite things to do for the holiday.  Numerous firework shows and parades have made me very fond of this holiday and its not just because of the events, but because of what they represent.  I think small town celebrations are the best to partake in.  More people tend to make big city events crowded and hard to get around, so going to these can mean lots of waiting and dealing with crowds.

The 4th of July always made me reflect on my country, where it has been and where it is going.  I remember the small town parade enjoyed by hundreds of people from all walks of life. These people would stand for hours in the sun with their families waiting for candy and watching the floats go by.  Later on, everyone would go down to the park and stand in line to get derby tickets, and stand in line for food.  It was always awesome because everyone was there celebrating and having fun.  It always amazed me how all these different people could go here and enjoy each other, and the day.  Everyone came from a different walk of life, and here they were enjoying this.

I remember thinking about this as I prepared to have my first 4th of July celebration across the country here in Oregon. I needed to see if I could find that same feeling so far from home.  My family went to the boardwalk in Florence and ventured out into a new 4th of July celebration.  Here I was, walking along the Siuslaw River far from home, and the same feeling was there.  There were people from all walks of life enjoying the food and craft stalls.  Here you could buy fresh produce and seafood, just not as much burgers or pork as I'd find in Iowa.

It was an amazing feeling to be this far from home and yet seeing people celebrating the country that they live in.  Kids were eating popcorn, and playing with balloons.  The boardwalk had an educational flag display with state flags and old U.S. flags.  Boats were out on the river.  It made me reach the conclusion that our country is special.  It is incredible how people 1000's of miles away from each other, in towns everywhere, are out celebrating the same thing. People might not have anything in common except for living here, but they can all agree on how amazing this place is.  It was on this 4th of July, far from home, that I remembered just how special our country is and how important it is for all of us to get out there and experience every part of it we can.

10 Best Budget Friendly Things to do in Sydney, Australia

1.  Stay in a Hostel
If you're flying from the United States, a round trip ticket is going to set you back quite a bit.  One way to offset the cost is to stay in a hostel.  Hostels aren't for everybody obviously, but they are a great option for traveling on a budget.  Hostels can be found for less than 40$ a night, making a week long stay more than feasible.

2. Bondi Beach Coastal Walk
Bondi Beach is one of the most famous beaches in the world and for good reason.  Take this walk up many steps and cliffs for some great views, and enjoy the beautiful beach while you're here.

3. Check out Beautiful Sydney Harbour
This picturesque setting is home to the Sydney Opera House and views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.  If you like architecture the bridge and the Opera House should keep you interested.  Enjoy watching the many boats and ferries moving around the harbour.  There might not be a better place in the world to enjoy a quick bite to eat.

4. Royal Botanic Gardens
This free garden is within walking distance to the Opera House.  The flowers here are breathtaking in the right season, and you can get some amazing views and pictures of the Opera House and bridge from here.

5. Manly Ferry
The Ferry to Manly is one of the best deals going in the harbour.  The 12$ round trip ticket gets you great views of the harbour and the ocean and takes you out the the beautiful northern beach area of Sydney.
6. Darling Harbour
This harbour contains many tourist attractions and shopping spots.  While shopping could set you back, this harbour is a people watching paradise.
7.  Grab a Bite From Playfair Cafe
This nice sandwich shop in The Rocks is a cheap place to get great food. Its also located in one of the bnest Sydney neighborhoods, The Rocks.
8. Have a Drink in The Rocks 
One of the best neighborhoods in Sydney, The Rocks is an amazing place to eat, drink, be merry, and make tons of new friends.  If you like having a night on the town, there is no better place then The Rocks.
9. Find a Group and Try the Mission Room Escape
This is a much higher priced activity then most of my recommendations, but 9 people can get in at a little over 30$ each.  This great activity has you solving a mystery and riddles to escape the room in a set amount of time. There might not be a more exciting thing to do in Sydney.
10. Visit St. Mary's Cathedral
This beautiful cathedral is a great example of gothic architecture, and has some beautiful stained glass windows that will wow any visitor.

Sydney is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and any traveler will be amazed by all its beauty.  Don't be scared of the flight price, because there are many cheap places to stay, cheap food to eat, and cheap sights to see.  Any trip to Sydney will be a memorable one.

How Airports and Airlines Take Your Spending Money and How to Stop It.

So, Airport travel sucks.  You have to stand in line and check in.  You have to stand in line to go through security.  You have to stand in line to get on the plane.  You even have to stand in line to get off the plane.  Then, if you checked luggage, you get to stand around and wait for your bags to come out.  If you rented a car, and it's busy, guess what, now you're standing in line at rental car company.  Talk about frustrating.

That's not fun stuff, and it is no surprise that people hate flying.  If you're on a travel budget, airports and airlines can make it hard to budget correctly.  Even if you do budget for all the extra airport costs, that money could have been better spent actually enjoying your vacation.  Here are some tips to help you avoid spending extra money at the airport that you should be spending on your vacation.

Avoid Checked Bag Fees if you Can:

There are very few airlines that don't charge for checking luggage.  Allegiant even charges for a carry on bag.  Southwest Airlines and Virgin America don't charge for your first check bagged, and Southwest actually doesn't charge for the first two. If flying with checked baggage, use these airlines to avoid those fees.  If you're on an airline that does charge for a checked bag, try to avoid it.  A carry on bag plus a personal item carry a lot of stuff.  One can easily get 7 days worth of outifts into a carry on and one drawstring bag.  It is much cheaper to do some laundry at a destination, then paying for a bag.  Not spending 50$ on checked bags means you could eat at a pretty nice restaurant.  There are tons of things you can do for 50$.  So save that money next time and don't check a bag!

Airport Food is Expensive:

Flying is stressful, takes a long time, and one is going to be pretty hungry after hours of flying.  Airport businesses know this, and if you have a long layover, its nearly impossible not to eat.  Not to mention if you're thirsty and need some water, which can set you back three plus dollars a bottle.  There are ways to avoid this.  I recomend food that will fill you up.  My two favorite things to take with are beef jerkey and nuts.  Both are high in protein and will keep you fuller longer.  They also aren't as bad for you as most food you'd decide to get at the airport.  Water is trickier because you can't take liquids through security over three ounces.  However, it is possibe to take an empty nalgene bottle with you.  Once you're through security,  you can fill it up.  Lots of airports are even installing water bottle filling stations. Now you didn't spend  twenty dollars for your airline meal, and you saved another five dollars on drinks.  That adds up to anther fifty dollars to add to your vacation budget. All you did was bring some food with you and an empty water bottle.

Find a Ride:
One of the worst feelings I get when leaving the airport after getting back is paying for parking.  A week long vacation leads to at least a fifty dollar parking bill when I get back.  So, take the bus, find a friend, or even take a cab, they're all cheaper options then paying for parking.  Wow, another fifty dollars added to the vacation budget.  If you can manage to fly and listen to these tips, you could get at least one hundred dollars more to add to your vaction.  That's a good amount of money that is better spent enjoying your vacation.  Don't waste it at the airport.

Cultural Centers of Cities

As a budget traveller, one of my main goals is to experience the true essence of a city without spending a lot of time and money trying to find it.  Some U.S. cities have places that draw tourists and residents alike, and when picking a place to visit, these are the cities I most like to go.

 Cities like LA, Chicago, and New York have numerous bouroughs and neighborhoods that should be explored to get the true feeling of a city.  It would be really hard to expereince the culture and wonder that each of these cities brings on a budget.  You need to travel to different sections of the city, and it can end up costing a lot to expereince all of these things.

I'm going to give you a group of cities that I think have an epicenter of culture and action that make them easy for a budget traveler to manage.  These are the types of cities that I try to visit and expereince the most.  I feel that I get the most out of visiting these types of cities and get the most out of my money when visiting them.

Las Vegas is a city that caters to the tourist, it also has two main places to visit: The Strip and Fremont Street.  If you visit both of these places, you can get everything and anything you want out of the city.  You also don't need to travel much to get around them.  The strip is full of mega casinos and glam, while Fremont Street feels like old Vegas.  Going to both will give you a great view of what Las Vegas is.

Seattle is home to Pike Place Market.  I would describe it as bascially a permanent Farmer's Market.  The numerous stores and shops are full of a variety of products and surprises.  The Market is also close to the waterfront, where many restaurants and other shops also reside.  It is easy to stay nearby and be filled with days of things to do.

San Diego is one the most beautfiul U.S. cities. Its coastline and beaches are gorgeous and go on for miles.  San Diego can best be experienced in Balboa Park and La Jolla.  Balboa park is home to museums, botanical gardens, and the famous San Diego Zoo.  A tourist could easily spend two days exploring this park and everything it has to offer.  La Jolla is where the beaches are the most scenic in the city.  Surronded by cliffs and caves, the beach here is amazing.  The surronding area is full of great restaurants and food.

San Antonio's heart is the Missions including the Alamo and the Riverwalk.  The Alamo being right next to the Riverwalk really allows one to use this as base of operations easily.  A boat tour of the Riverwalk is a great way to visit the heart of town, and the Missions are a sight to see on their own.  The city has a lot of history and its very easy to experience it.

Sydney, Australia is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  It is also very easy to experince this beauty at Sydney Harbour.  There the beautiful Opera House lies.  There is great views of the Sydney Harbour bridge, and the Royal Botanical Gardens are also found here.  Take a boat tour, see the Opera House, and for the most daring, walk on top of the bridge.  The Sydney Harbour gives a person a great view into the city of Sydney and one could spend days there.

Cities with cultural centers make it easy for the budget traveller to stay and plan.  They give you a place to plan your travels around, and make your travels more fulfilling.

Olallie Mountain Trail

It has been a long time between blog posts and I'm sorry. We moved to Florence, Oregon, and I've also been adjusting to my new life as a full time dad. My laptop has also seen better days, the keyboard is done, so I'm writing this from a tablet.  I was back home in Iowa for the past week, and once I got back to Oregon, I knew I had to take a hike. I felt guilty about not keeping up with my hikes, and decided to try a longer and harder one then the ones I have done.

I chose the Olallie Mountain trail because it was close to Eugene. It is a moderate to difficult trail in the Three Sisters Wilderness.  This was actually the first hike I've done that required a wilderness permit.  Its a little form you fill out showing your plans and intentions for the hike. It gives the Forest Service an idea of how many people are out there and if people haven't returned.  Yep, it was a serious hike this time. The Olallie Trail crosses numerous streams that I had to walk across and at times the path is barely visible because portions of it go through thick bear grass.
   
This leads me to explain my emotions of this hike and what it was like.  The hike itself for me was full of fear and self doubt.  I am scared of heights, walking a narrow path on the edge of a mountain is terrifying for me.  The path was also surrounded by flowers which meant lots of bees. Bees also scare me.  I might have been a bit out of shape too. My pack was weighing me down, hurting my back, and my legs were burning.  There were numerous times during the hike when I could have given up. I didn't like the bees flying around me, I didn't like thinking that slipping could lead to a huge fall. I also didn't know if my legs and body could take me the whole way.  This self doubt is something that I experience all the time in my regular life. I'm sure everyone here has experienced self doubt.  This hike was a great way for me to face this self doubt.  I kept telling myself to go on and not quit. I didn't like the bees and I didn't like the edges.  My muscles were screaming for me to stop. I didn't give up, and the views I got were worth it.

Never doubt yourself and never give up, you will be very happy when you finally reach your destination.
     

Back to the Madness!!

Sorry about the huuuuuge delay between posts.  It has been a busy couple weeks.  The wife got a new job and we're moving to a new house, and we have an awesome toddler running around the house, so the blog got sidetracked.  However, I will not let my March Madness bracket die.  Today we're going through four matchups to see the first four teams into my sweet 16.  Remember, the fate of who goes on is entirely subjective, and who moves on is ultimately going to be based on my travel preferences. Let's get back to it!

Kentucky Vs. Cincinnati 

The irony in this matchup is they are about 60 miles apart from each other.  So one could stay in either place and easily check both places out.  Kentucky may be a basketball powerhouse this year, but I honestly didn't think much of them in this bracket.  Cincinnati had a ridiculously easy round 1 game. Neither place is a top vacation destination in the U.S.  Lexington is in the heart of Kentucky Bluegrass country, and is known as the Horse Capital of the World.  Cincinnati is known for its own style of chili.  Lexington hosts the Breeders' Cup annually, while Cincinnati has their pro sports. They are home to both the Cincinnati Bengals and Reds.  The Reds play in a nice stadium that any baseball fan would enjoy visiting.  In Lexington one can ride the Lexington Dinner Train throughout horse country.  Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a fun place to grab a bite to eat. Cincinnati is home to BB Riverboats which tour the Ohio River.  The heart of town is Fountain Square. Cincinnati is also home to some great museums including the Underground Railroad Freedom Center. So Cincinnati gets by this one in a close one.

Buffalo Vs. Maryland

Another great round two matchup.  Buffalo is the gateway to Niagara Falls, a huge tourist destination. While College Park resides in the Washington D.C metro area.  Buffalo is a much more interesting city than most give it credit for.  Most people just think of cold and snow here, but it is actually quite an interesting place.  Buffalo bars lay claim to inventing the famous Buffalo wing, so if you want the original, there isn't a better place to be.  Its city hall is also a famous example of Art Deco Architecture. Check out Anchor Bar  for a good place to eat. College Park is in the DC metro area.  So that means The White House, The Washington Monument, The Capitol Building, and numerous memorials are all within the city.  College Park also has some fun places to eat like The Jerk Pit and College Park Diner.  This one is actually a tough choice.  DC obviously has a ton of things to see and do, but Buffalo doesn't exactly lack for things to do.  I do not think it would be a very fun vacation staying in College Park and trying to see all the attractions in DC.  So, Buffalo gets by in overtime.

Butler Vs. Northeastern

Another interesting matchup in this second round.  We have a now revitalized city in Indianapolis against historic Boston.  Indy is home to the Indy 500, this year's Final Four, and GenCon.  It has the world famous St. Elmo Steakhouse that is a must stop if you are in Indy.  The city loves tourists and will make sure you enjoy your stay.  However it doesn't stack up to the power of history in Boston. The Freedom Trail is a must see for anyone visiting Boston, you can also visit cool neighborhoods like Acorn Street and check out the Back Bay Mansions.  Don't forget Fenway Park, one of the most famous baseball stadiums which is home to the Boston Red Sox.  Northeastern gets by easily.

Wichita State Vs. New Mexico State

The last matchup of the night is a fun one.  Wichita is the cultural capital of Kansas and has many museums to explore.  The Old Cowtown Museum is its most famous.  It is also home to Botanica, an awesome Botanical Garden in the heart of the city.  It is also home to some good BBQ.  Two Brother's BBQ is a must stop for anyone driving through.  The Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper is something that everyone should see once.  Las Cruces is located in south central New Mexico on the edge of the Organ Mountains.   The mountains offer lots of recreational activities for the outdoor enthusiast. It's also home to fun events like the Whole Enchilada Fiesta and Old Mesilla festivals. You can also visit nearby White Sands National Monument.  Wichita State keeps it close for a bit, but New Mexico State pulls away in the second half.

More of round two tomorrow! Thanks for reading.