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This is simply a mishmash of topics that I didn’t want to highlight on the main navigation bar, but still wanted accessible in some fashion. Many of these posts date from the early days of my blog, so be warned.

A successful birthday for Agua Fria National Monument

I’ve previously mentioned last week’s 10-year anniversary celebration of Agua Fria National Monument (and the National Landscape Conservation System), so I thought I should post an update on how it went. I spoke with the BLM yesterday and the event wildly surpassed our estimates. We had projected about 500 attendees, but were surprised when more … Read more

Just breathe….

It’s not quite what I expected, but I’ve enjoyed the new Pearl Jam album Backspacer. In particular, I’ve found myself gravitating to the song Just Breathe. Without Vedder’s distinctive voice, you probably wouldn’t guess it was a Pearl Jam song – even if it does have an Into the Wild feel to it. It’s just … Read more

This just in: John Madden has terrible taste

We’ve stopped in Van Horn, Texas on a few occasions before. Each time, we managed to hear or read about the local Chuy’s restaurant, which is rather infamous. Apparently, the restaurant attracted the attention of John Madden years ago, who has said it’s his favorite place to eat. And Chuy’s has naturally exploited the hell … Read more

Thoughts on New Years Eve in the French Quarter of NOLA

I was fortunate to have an opportunity to bring in the new year from New Orleans. To qualify the following random thoughts, I’m not a partier, not much of a dancer, not a drinker, and I was here with my wife as part of a much-larger national park roadtrip. As a nondrinker, many of the … Read more

End of an era: why “The Simpsons” no longer matters

Salon recently published an interview with author John Ortved about The Simpsons entitled “Why ‘The Simpsons’ no longer matters.” It’s a short but good interview and worth the quick read. Like many people my age, I grew up on The Simpsons. I remember watching it while it was still an odd series of shorts on … Read more

People in Yosemite: A TimeLapse Study

Below is a fabulous timelapse video of Yosemite National Park, with a special focus on people. I’m a sucker for timelapse videos, but this one is beautifully shot and intriguing. As you know, I’m a big fan of the National Park System and wholeheartedly agree that it’s in serious contention as America’s Best Idea. And … Read more

Hitting the hockey rink

I’m not a big hockey fan, but I do enjoy watching the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. I discovered the sport while living in Detroit during second and third grades, which meant that I was destined to be a Red Wings fan. It’s a fast-paced sport that’s one of the best to … Read more

Free admission days at metro Phoenix museums

If you haven’t already checked out a Culture Pass, you need to. They’re available for “check-out” from your local Phoenix-area library and will admit four adults for free to one of several museums: Arizona Historical Society Arizona Museum of Natural History Arizona Museum for Youth Arizona Science Center The Bead Museum which is now closed … Read more

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