Category: Travel

Travel

Upper Boone Fork

I came across some pictures from when I trout fished in North Carolina back in the late 90’s, some great memories.  I really liked fishing the Upper Boone Fork, this little gin-clear stream offered boulder hopping and wild trout under a nice canopy of trees.  I casted flies into small pools often at eye level since the elevation change was so steep.  The Upper Boone Fork drains into Price Lake just off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

There are wild trout in this little stream.  As you can see (from the fly size), the little fish smack just about anything if you don’t spook them first.  The fly is a size 18 Elk Hair Caddis.

Here is a link to the nearby parking area so you can find this nice little & challenging creek (if it’s still like this).  Enjoy!

– Dom

Jemez River Swimming

When it gets hot here in New Mexico there are a limited number of places to cool off due to the lack of water in the state.

Since I love flyfishing, I knew of a place that was a small enough river for my young boys to handle a gentle current.

We ventured up into the Santa Fe National Forest just north of Jemez Pueblo and took a dip in the Jemez River.

The La Junta day use parking area is just north of the intersection of New Mexico Highway 4 and Highway 485, about a 35 minute drive from Bernalillo, NM (don’t speed in Jemez Pueblo).

As you can see by the video my kids and niece had a blast cooling off.

My real goal is to see if my boys like the moving water in hopes they may one day take to flyfishing like their dad 😉

Oh, here are the GPS Coordinates if you like them:  35.670873, -106.743095 or  +35° 40′ 15.14″, -106° 44′ 35.14″

– Dom

This video was shot using a Flip Mino HD video camera on a tripod and rendered in 720p using Sony Movie Studio Platinum 9.0.

Dad’s Driving Tips

My dad taught me to drive, and there are several phrases he used to say while I was driving.  He said them so many times that I hear his voice often when I drive today.  I would like to share them with you:

  • For every 10 miles an hour in speed you are driving on the highway, you should be that many seconds behind the car in front of you. 10 miles per hour = 1 second.
  • Always stop so you can see the rear tires of the car in front of you.  It gives you a chance to move in the event of a stalled car and keeps you from hitting someone if rear ended.
  • A right turn is always safer than a left turn.
  • Always try and drive ahead of yourself, if you see traffic slowing down ahead, slow down too.
  • Always try and know what/who is around you, check the mirrors often, you never know when you have to swerve and it would be good to know the space beside you is not occupied.
  • 18 wheelers can’t see very well, be prepared for them to pull in front of you (cut you off) on the highway (this happened just when my dad was telling me).
  • Large vehicles & trucks are heavy, you don’t want to be in front of them if they have to slow down or stop quick.
  • Keep both hands on the wheel, it puts you in better control if a tire fails.
  • Try not to drive when you are tired, accidents happen when you are not mentally alert.  Rest if you need to.
  • They are not motorcycles, they’re called donorcycles (he meant organ donor).  In a wreck, a vehicle is physically around you to help protect you.
  • Make sure the people who ride with you wear their seat belts.

– Dom

Eagle Creek Tarmac ES 22

I’ve owned the Eagle Creek Tarmac ES 22 luggage for over a couple years now. It’s a great bag, fits well in all overhead storage on planes, and it’s light.

I wanted to make people aware of one issue I had with the bag, which I fixed. The allen screws on the handle tend to come loose with use over time. Since I did not want the handle coming off while traveling I kept screwing in the screws with whatever tool I had, a key, a stick, you get the idea.

I solved the loose screw problem at home one day by putting some Loc-tite on the screws so they don’t move. You can get Loc-tite at a local hardware store. One dab of this product on the threads does the trick, then securely tighten down the screw using a allen wrench.

Hope this is helpful to those folks who have the same bag.

– Dom

P.S. This post was created using the iPhone WordPress app while on a train to the airport, pretty slick.

*****

Update, 11/12, 2010, I have a new post on Uneven Wheel Wear on the Tarmac 22.