Author Topic: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city  (Read 10677 times)

in2themild

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No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« on: October 17, 2013, 08:59:13 AM »
As our travels around the country continue, I find that I am frequently asked by friends, family, and strangers alike about going to various cities.  In fact, we go to pains to avoid them, for many personal but also Mustachian reasons. 

Feel free to check it out here, and bring your sense of humor:  http://in2themild.blogspot.com/2013/10/no-we-will-not-be-visiting-your-stupid.html

Currently we find ourselves in Florence, Oregon having just enjoyed the slowest few weeks of our trip as we slowly meandered between the coasts and the mountains of western Washington and Oregon.  At first we struggled to decide what to do since our plan was to visit the National Parks in the area (Olympic, Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, etc) and our government , being made up entirely of assholes, decided to shut the gates.  However, it forced us to get creative and we ended up having some of the best times of the entire trip checking out some amazing places. 

Now we find the parks open as we are on the doorstep of California - California is going to be a pain in the ass because it is big and there is so much to see!  Right now we intend to start with Redwoods NP, and eventually end up visiting friends in the Oakland area (city, grrr!) but are not sure of the route there.  Any advice?

« Last Edit: October 19, 2013, 08:07:58 PM by in2themild »

hybrid

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #1 on: October 17, 2013, 09:10:19 AM »

jpo

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #2 on: October 17, 2013, 09:44:21 AM »
...since our plan was to visit the National Parks in the area (Olympic, Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, etc) ...
Considering doing something similar in a few years, how is visiting the NP's with a dog? Heard lots of the hiking trails, etc are not canine-friendly territory.

kkbmustang

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #3 on: October 17, 2013, 09:55:04 AM »
As our travels around the country continue, I find that I am frequently asked by friends, family, and strangers alike about going to various cities.  In fact, we go to pains to avoid them, for many personal but also Mustachian reasons. 

Feel free to check it out here, and bring your sense of humor:  http://in2themild.blogspot.com/2013/10/no-we-will-not-be-visiting-your-stupid.html

Currently we find ourselves in Florence, Oregon having just enjoyed the slowest few weeks of our trip as we slowly meandered between the coasts and the mountains of western Washington and Oregon.  At first we struggled to decide what to do since our plan was to visit the National Parks in the area (Olympic, Mt. Ranier, Mt. St. Helens, etc) and our government , being made up entirely of assholes, decided to shut the gates.  However, it forced us to get creative and we ended up having some of the best times of the entire trip checking out some amazing places. 

Now we find the parks open as we are on the doorstep of California - California is going to be a pain in the ass because it is big and there is so much to see!  Right now we intend to start with Redwoods NP, and eventually end up visiting friends in the Oakland area (city, grrr!) but are not sure of the root there.  Any advice?

I have no advice, just want to say that it's a shame you thought the people in Dallas were assholes. But, I do think your road trip sounds like fun.

dragoncar

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #4 on: October 17, 2013, 11:04:40 AM »
I like visiting other cities to get a sense of the cost of living, social and economic environment, weather, etc.  everything is  fair game for "best retirement city"

Ps don't come to SF, we already have enough grumps

Insanity

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #5 on: October 17, 2013, 11:09:19 AM »
I think there are a large number of cities on the eastern side which have a historical connection worth spending at least a day (maybe two) in.  Philly, Boston, New York.  Are they more expensive?  Sure.  But for a day or two, they can be worth it.  And yes, I agree about the restaurants.

galliver

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #6 on: October 17, 2013, 11:33:00 AM »
If you're near the OR-CA border, go to Lava Beds Nat'l Monument (now that NP's are open). :)  It's a great time!

Jamesqf

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #7 on: October 17, 2013, 11:46:51 AM »
Now we find the parks open as we are on the doorstep of California - California is going to be a pain in the ass because it is big and there is so much to see!  Right now we intend to start with Redwoods NP, and eventually end up visiting friends in the Oakland area (city, grrr!) but are not sure of the root there.  Any advice?

I'd say you've got a real problem - too many choices.  Driving down the coast route is pretty, and this is the best time of year for it.  But you could also go inland, visiting Mt. Shasta, Lava Beds, Burney Falls, Lassen NP, and other smaller attractions.  Then take Calif 89 south to Tahoe (with small detour to Lakes Basin), then I80 into the Bay Area.

PS: Example of great minds thinking alike, from your blog:
Quote
I will go so far as to say I do not understand what it is people do when they visit a city.  As far as I can tell, you can walk around and look at buildings and go out to eat and/or drink  That's basically it.
Couldn't have said it better myself.
« Last Edit: October 17, 2013, 11:55:31 AM by Jamesqf »

in2themild

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #8 on: October 17, 2013, 11:50:36 AM »
Remember, sense of humor people.  I'm sure not everyone in Dallas is an asshole, and some are hilarious.  I mean, Tony Romo, right??  :)

Regarding dogs in national parks: it is absolutely a problem for people that want to hike.  Almost exclusively, dogs are allowed in parks and camp sites but not allowed on trails - this was true in Badlands, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic, and as many monuments along the way.  We have gotten creative in using National Forests which typically do allow dogs; we have found that almost all parks are surrounded by some form of nationally designated forest or wilderness to allow us to get our dog some off-leash time or at least some fresh air.

The one exception to this rule is Acadia in Maine - not only are many (but not all) trails dog friendly, but they have amazing, free shuttle services that allow dogs as well.  This was amazing, you never have to drive anywhere in this park.  I highly recommend Acadia for dog owners.

Another note here is that Canada is much more dog friendly as well.  We were able to have our dog off leash in Fundy NP in New Brunswick, Cape Breton Highlands NP in Nova Scotia, and Gros Morne NP in Newfoundland.  The latter two parks are true bucket-list worthy destinations in themselves and I cannot recommend them enough.

Jamesqf

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #9 on: October 17, 2013, 12:01:49 PM »
Re hiking with dogs, I know just about everywhere on that Shasta/Tahoe route is pretty dog-friendly, the exception being Lassen NP.  And since the most interesting trails there go through some really hot geothermal areas (as in if you fall in, you're cooked), you wouldn't want to take a dog there anyway.

jpo

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #10 on: October 17, 2013, 12:19:35 PM »
Regarding dogs in national parks: it is absolutely a problem for people that want to hike.  Almost exclusively, dogs are allowed in parks and camp sites but not allowed on trails - this was true in Badlands, Tetons, Yellowstone, Glacier, Olympic, and as many monuments along the way.  We have gotten creative in using National Forests which typically do allow dogs; we have found that almost all parks are surrounded by some form of nationally designated forest or wilderness to allow us to get our dog some off-leash time or at least some fresh air.
Excellent, that is what I was planning on as well. Thanks for taking the time to respond about this!

NinetyFour

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #11 on: October 17, 2013, 12:58:49 PM »
I don't have suggestions for CA, since I have not really spent any quality time there, but I sure hope that on your way back east, you will be able to visit Canyonlands NP, then Mesa Verde NP, and then the Durango, CO area for some awesome scenery and hiking (weather permitting)!

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #12 on: October 17, 2013, 05:12:38 PM »
I'm adding that brewery in Bend to my list. Nom.

dragoncar

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #13 on: October 17, 2013, 06:23:05 PM »
I'm adding that brewery in Bend to my list. Nom.

Me too!

Good NorCal brewery tours include Sierra Nevada (do the sustainability tour in addition to the regular one) and Anchor steam.  I'm sure there are many others (pyramid has one in berkeley) but those two are a bit more interesting than the standard "and here's what hops look like!!!" (Although there's that too)

Matt K

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #14 on: October 18, 2013, 09:14:01 AM »
Well, I for one found it amusing. I found almost all of Jim's posts amusing.

With regards to dogs in Provincial Parks - this varies by province. In Ontario dogs are fairly easy to accomodate (most sites and trails accept them). In Quebec (which has some amazing landscapes), dogs aren't allowed almost everywhere - which is a real shame. Also to add to the confusion, Provincial Parks are called "Parcs Nationals", so the difference between a Federal Park and a Provincial Park can be hard for tourists to figure out while in Quebec.

As a rule dogs aren't allowed in any Canadian brewery that I've found, but don't let that stop you - every local brewery should be visited ; )

Keep up with the blog posts, plenty of us are living vicariously through you :)

arebelspy

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #15 on: October 18, 2013, 10:07:36 AM »
Hilarious post, but come by Vegas anyways.  You don't have to go in the city proper, but can check out our amazing outdoor stuff - Red Rock, Valley of Fire, Lake Mead, Mt. Charleston.  :)
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Russ

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #16 on: October 18, 2013, 10:16:58 AM »
ha, travelling with your middle finger! I like it

kendallf

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #17 on: October 18, 2013, 09:52:57 PM »
We live in Jacksonville, which has absolutely no redeeming and highly historic areas or nearby spectacular parks.

If you are driving by and want to do laundry though, you'd be welcome.  I'll probably let my kids pet your dog.

Norrie

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #18 on: October 19, 2013, 08:57:27 AM »
Ha! I really enjoyed this post, and the entire blog. I want to read through the whole thing, but am scared that it will make me say, "fuck this, let's go!", and I'm not exactly in that position right now.

You guys are great writers, and if you ever find yourselves in Oklahoma (which I wouldn't recommend, but just in case), you're welcome to showers, laundry, and a warm meal.

in2themild

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #19 on: October 19, 2013, 07:59:57 PM »
Thanks for the advice, offers, and encouragement!  Currently writing this from beautiful (?) Crescent City, CA - it took me 30 years but I finally made it to California.  Redwoods are unbelievable - so glad to get a chance to wander around these woods, absolutely nothing like it back east.  Overall, Oregon truly blew us away with its' diverse beauty; we had the hardest time deciding how much time to spend on the coast versus the mountains, finally spent a few great lazy days working down the coast from Newport (much better than Rhode Island's snobby version) hiking and taking in the coastal views.  Good stuff.

Right now our plan is to meander down to the Bay area - my snarky city comments aside, we have people to see there and it is one of the few places that does in fact actually interest me personally.  Afterwards we plan to cut over to Yosemite - yes, we are missing out on places like Lassen and Lake Tahoe, unfortunately weather has become a factor.  We have found that 20 degree nights is about as low as we want to go, and while we are willing to suffer temporarily for a bucket list place like Yosemite, we are going to try to bias southward for a while.  After Yosemite we are thinking Kings Canyon and Sequoia - after that is a hard decision on whether to cut south for balmy weather, friends in the LA and SD areas, and Joshua Tree or cut east to Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, etc. 

There is just too much to see out here - we are trying to keep our perspective and be glad for what we can see, but it is still going to hurt to leave so many places unseen.  Absolutely going to step up the brew tours on colder days as we go forward!


galliver

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #20 on: October 20, 2013, 04:02:08 PM »
Personal experience: don't think of Utah (Zion, Bryce, etc) as being too warm. Nights get down pretty low. Joshua is doable even in December; but it does also get cold. I suspect Death Valley is the same, being an inland desert area and all.

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #21 on: October 20, 2013, 04:13:20 PM »
If you do end up coming through the Durango area (after Canyonlands and Mesa Verde), pm me and I will do whatever I can to make your stay here more comfortable and warm.  BTW, we have several breweries in town, and some great restaurants.

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #22 on: October 22, 2013, 05:39:52 PM »
Ha! Loved it and did not even mind the NYC jabs :). Deschutes Brewery is the best. Went to the one in Portland and had a blast. Good luck on the travels!


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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #23 on: October 22, 2013, 10:18:56 PM »
Love this!  We've visited a few cities on our travels (we've been on the road since April 1), but we generally can't wait to get out once we've arrived.  Part of it is that unless you spend your time just walking around (which I admit, can be fun in some cities), everything costs money (except in DC!).  And often a lot of it!  We're in California right now and we're finding it to be the most expensive place we've visited thus far - even when we're not in a city.  Plus we just have way more fun checking out small towns and national/state parks and the like.  That being said, we are gearing up for a visit to LA in a few days...

Have fun in California and stay warm!

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #24 on: October 22, 2013, 10:21:28 PM »
Pretty much the same way I feel about small towns. I love to get outdoors and I love walking around a city filled with people, but anything between those 2 extremes is out of the question for me.

in2themild

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #25 on: October 24, 2013, 10:32:06 AM »
Love this!  We've visited a few cities on our travels (we've been on the road since April 1), but we generally can't wait to get out once we've arrived.  Part of it is that unless you spend your time just walking around (which I admit, can be fun in some cities), everything costs money (except in DC!).  And often a lot of it!  We're in California right now and we're finding it to be the most expensive place we've visited thus far - even when we're not in a city.  Plus we just have way more fun checking out small towns and national/state parks and the like.  That being said, we are gearing up for a visit to LA in a few days...

Have fun in California and stay warm!

Hi Stacey - We are in complete agreement about California!  Currently writing this parked in front of a friend's house in San Francisco, the city is predictably very expensive and we are grateful to have a free place to park and do laundry and such.  The rest of this state so far has proven to be the toughest for us to be frugal.  We had our first event of getting kicked out of a Wal-Mart parking lot (because it was part of a mall, apparently) which forced us into a private camp ground that we really didn't need.  All of the park and rides we have seen are heavily marked for no overnight parking.  We stayed in a state park north of SF a couple nights ago and it was the worst value of the trip - the cost of a private camp, but without any of the amenities and right next to a busy road, plus in pretty bad disrepair.  Considering how laid back the people we have met in SF are, it is quite a contrast with how unfriendly to RV travelers the northern coastal part of the state is. 

We found that Oregon was probably the best part of the trip from a value perspective - the state takes a lot of pride in its coastal park system and the camps are all beautifully situated, well kept and very affordable.

While we are enjoying our time here, we will be very disappointed if we find that the eastern / southern parts of CA are as hard to travel in.  Yosemite bound after this weekend! 

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #26 on: October 24, 2013, 12:09:00 PM »
Considering how laid back the people we have met in SF are, it is quite a contrast with how unfriendly to RV travelers the northern coastal part of the state is.

It's a matter of the ratio of RVs (or tourists in general) to locals.  When the visitors start to crowd out the locals (as often happens along the coast), the locals tend to resent it. 

Stacey

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Re: No, we will not be visiting your stupid city
« Reply #27 on: October 25, 2013, 11:10:17 PM »
Love this!  We've visited a few cities on our travels (we've been on the road since April 1), but we generally can't wait to get out once we've arrived.  Part of it is that unless you spend your time just walking around (which I admit, can be fun in some cities), everything costs money (except in DC!).  And often a lot of it!  We're in California right now and we're finding it to be the most expensive place we've visited thus far - even when we're not in a city.  Plus we just have way more fun checking out small towns and national/state parks and the like.  That being said, we are gearing up for a visit to LA in a few days...

Have fun in California and stay warm!

Hi Stacey - We are in complete agreement about California!  Currently writing this parked in front of a friend's house in San Francisco, the city is predictably very expensive and we are grateful to have a free place to park and do laundry and such.  The rest of this state so far has proven to be the toughest for us to be frugal.  We had our first event of getting kicked out of a Wal-Mart parking lot (because it was part of a mall, apparently) which forced us into a private camp ground that we really didn't need.  All of the park and rides we have seen are heavily marked for no overnight parking.  We stayed in a state park north of SF a couple nights ago and it was the worst value of the trip - the cost of a private camp, but without any of the amenities and right next to a busy road, plus in pretty bad disrepair.  Considering how laid back the people we have met in SF are, it is quite a contrast with how unfriendly to RV travelers the northern coastal part of the state is. 

We found that Oregon was probably the best part of the trip from a value perspective - the state takes a lot of pride in its coastal park system and the camps are all beautifully situated, well kept and very affordable.

While we are enjoying our time here, we will be very disappointed if we find that the eastern / southern parts of CA are as hard to travel in.  Yosemite bound after this weekend! 

You're right about Oregon.  They have some wonderful state parks that are a very good value.  We were really impressed.  As for California, we've actually started camping in private campgrounds for the first time on this trip.  They've been less expensive as the state parks or the same price for many, many more amenities.  We also found a great site to camp right near the Golden Gate Bridge that was FREE - as long as you didn't mind foghorns all night.  It's on federal land and you need reservations (and it's only for walk-in tenters), but it was a great find.  It's in the Marin Headlands if you're ever camping with a tent in the SF area.  Unfortunately, we don't have the Wal-Mart option since we're tenting it after the breakdown of our van back in May, but until California, we've been able to find very reasonably priced tent camping options.  Oh well - there are some fantastic things to do and see in this state, so we've just been sucking it up and not dawdling.  We'll be onward to Arizona in a week where hopefully our costs will come down.

Enjoy Yosemite!  I'm jealous that you'll be able to get out there.  We'd love to go, but the timing just isn't going to work since we're camping in a tent with a toddler.  He just doesn't like those nights in the twenties.  Next time...

 

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