The corner of Haight and Ashbury. Behind me is the GAP. I didn’t go there.
Amoeba Records: this picture is a third of the store. Huge selection of new and used CDs, audio cassettes, and vinyl.
A mannequin orgy at the Kenneth Cole store.
Travel
Ah, San Francisco. This is my fourth visit here, and first time not staying with my grandparents (they live in nearby Berkeley). So this will be the first time I actually get to see the night life here. The ethnographer in me loves to study the gay night life in each city I go in so that I might better appreciate our own gay night life in Little Rock. Ha.
Heres a few pictures I took from Coit Tower:
Alcataz: notice how close it is to the mainland (above and below). Scary.
Looking west from Coit Tower. From here you can see Golden Gate Bridge (center right) and the famous City Lights bookstore (bottom left). Notice how the clouds have as much prominence as the earth in this picturean indication of what makes San Francisco great: the weather.
Looking south from Coit Tower. In the foreground you can see that people have managed to not only slip coins through the class but have them land on the ledge. On top of the pennies there is a Philippines dollar coin. In the background is downtown San Francisco.
Traveling is fun. You have to anticipate your needs for the next week-and-a-half or so, consolidate your belongings to a few bags, and be prepared to be alone and independent. In my last few travels I’ve noticed specific things to make the journey easier.
The number one would have to be my ipod. I thank Jenna everyday for inspiring me to get an ipodmy live is forever changed from it. I’m on my third one these days. Y’all remember the tragic death of DJ Shaft and the Millennium Disco; his successor, Helveticaman, didn’t last very long. His screen got crushed during a quasi-wild new year’s party (not covered by Apple Care). Now I have an ipod videoBarbaric Yawlperand it’s been so far so good. I am a bit put-out because my headphones are buzzing and I didn’t bring a spare. Grrrr.
The second most important travel resource would be something to read or look at. I like to bring several things for this category. Usually, I have plenty of school reading to catch-up on. This trip I must complete my Rhetorical Theory reading response journal, so I brought those two textbooks: Classical Rhetoric for the Modern Student, and Professing the New Rhetorics. I also brought a few interior decorating magazines as a guilty pleasure.
Number three goes to the hotel or wherever you are staying. After a few bargain experiences, I have since decided to make it a point to stay at a conference hotel whenever possible. The Hyatt Regency was at par. I had a decent view from my 17th floor room and the service was good.
Surprisingly, the company you keep comes in fourth for me. I guess if I were to reevaluate this list, it could be higher. I have been really lucky during this trip in finding people I like and appreciate. They in turn have been really great to include me in the family of information architects (with only a minimal amount of hazing). I made fast friends this entire trip, and even met some of my idols in the field. Good people.
Finally, and I’ve mentioned this before, you must be comfortable with yourself and being by yourself. Travel can be an amazing time to sort-out that which your normal life and environment won’t necessarily let you work out. It has been a great five days for me to get it all worked out, only to be presented with new challenges, problems, and questions.
Here is a small example of what I mean:
Friday
Current mood: reflective
So I’ve been absorbing a lot here in Vancouver, Canada. Yesterday, after sitting in a conference room all day, I escaped to English Bay. My jeans absorbed a bit of the ocean (like a wick, really), and my shoes took on some sand.
My mind is blurred from such concepts as Ambient Findability and Information Architecture. Peter Morville did really well, though, and the conference has been excellent thus far. I even saw him running along the beach where I stopped to find my soul. I wanted to stop him and say “found you!” but didn’t.
It was good to see my friend the Pacific again. We shook hands and I teared a bithe didn’t mind the extra drop of salt water, though. There is something about seeing the ocean and knowing that you’re at the edge of something. It’s both comforting and challenging. So I sat a bit and watched the sun set and water recede.
So far I’ve met fabulous people and have taken. Here are just a few of those pix:
Vancouver as seen from North Vancouver.
Lion’s Gate Bridge as seen from the “Seabus.”
The “Seabus.”
The “Seabus.”
So this is a pre-travel blog. That’s right, in a little over two weeks I’ll be on my way to oh! Canada and I can hardly wait. I took a peek at the city’s tourism website today (notice the gay and lesbian travelers link), and I will just say that Little Rock will be lucky if I return.
I’m going for the 7th Information Architecture Summit for web nerds. Not only is this a tremendous professional development opportunity, but also some much needed vacation time. After the conference, I’m flying to San Francisco to visit friends and family for almost a week.
And since I’m never one to disappoint my readers, there will be many a blog about my adventures, so stay tuned.
This is a gay bar in Austin that I can’t wait to see; with a name like “Oilcan Harry’s,” it’s gotta be good. I think I’ll start out with dinner around Congress St., or somewhere in either the Warehouse or Sixth Street Districts. And then hit a few bars on the way.
I might not have any pictures to share for this one, but if I do, I’ll post them later.
Here goes nothing!
The Stars and Stripes are Big and Bright!…
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP…deep in the heart of Texas!
Austin is fun. The Hilton here is amazing. I’m on the 21st floor and I have an amazing view of the city. The hotel is only two years old, and it is staffed with a small army. I ran into one guy I went to high school with; that was cool.
Texas is so strange; here in Austin it couldn’t be more true. First off, Texas has taken its graphical identity, the lone star, to a whole new level. This thing is everywhere, more so than Wal-Mart’s damn smiley face. Texas remindes me a bit of the logo/branding scene in Spaceballs the Movie; they put the star on streets, sidewalks, floors, walls, buildings, artwork, bulletpoints, receipts, toilet paper–you name it.
For your pleasure, I have a small photo essay of the Texas lonestar obsession:
Ok. So this place is really nice. Badass, even. The picture of my room doesn’t even do it justice; the views from my 21st story window speak for themselves.
Wish you all were here.
Most of you know, my cocktail of choice is a rum a coke with lime–a cuba libré. Well, at the pish-posh bars we have in little rock, I have to order a “rum and coke, please.” And I’m usually fine with that. Sometimes they put lime in it, sometimes not. Bartenders who are especially daft will stick a nasty cherry in there.
Well, here in Austin, I would ask for a “rum and coke” and they would make just that. When I then asked for a sliver of lime, they (different bartenders on different occasions) would say “oh, then you want a cuba libré!”
My first night out here in Austin, I found a restaurant named “Cuba Libré” and decided to dine there. First off, the place was beautiful (which I have come to expect from all hip Austin restaurants). Second, the menu had an entire page devoted to kinds of rum to make your cuba libré with. Mmmmm.
Here are some pictures of the bar, menu, and how they serve their cuba librés (an empty glass with ice and lime, a shot of the desired rum, and an old-school glass 8 oz. bottle of coke):
