TravelStream™ news feed for member semi-backpacker on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/semi-backpacker en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Mon, 04 May 2009 17:31:57 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/semi-backpacker/3/1241386200/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/semi-backpacker/3/1241386200/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/semi-backpacker/3/1241386200/tpod.html Mon, 04 May 2009 17:31:57 -0400 Exploring the American Southwest

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Phoenix, Arizona, United States

Camelback in May...blog entry coming soon. Just wanted to post the pictures.
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Grand Canyon, Arizona, United States

MY BROTHER LEFT THE SNOW BEHIND...OR SO HE THOUGHTI warned my brother that it had been snowing in Northern Arizona, but that piece of information did not change his mind. He wanted to see the Grand Canyon and was willing to accept a 20 degree temperature drop to get that wish. So we bundled up and completed the four-hour drive to see one of the greatest wonders in the world.This was my second visit to the Canyon and let me be the first to break the news: it hasn't aged a day since the last time I saw it four years ago! The views were breathtaking and the snow added a whimsical flair to an already magical place.
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Phoenix, Arizona, United States

BIG SISTER SHOWS OFF THE BEST OF THE SOUTHWESTMy younger brother, who I still see as a sporty twelve year old from way back when, but is actually a grown man of twenty-six these, came to visit me in the desert. His goal was to escape the cold Boston winter and spend some time with his favorite (albeit only) sister.First on the itinerary? My favorite mountains in the area: Camelback and Usery. In Camelback, he hiked all the way to the top, which neither Carolina nor I have done yet. The steep rock climbing portion did not deter him. Caro and I passed on that challenge and waited for him on a big rock as we discussed life, men and other important matters. In Usery, he made it farther than we ever have (though we've since reached the top!) Mind you, my brother has also completed the Boston Marathon, so these hikes don't pose much of a challenge for him, though he claimed to be exhausted in the end to make us feel better...:-)
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Mesa, Arizona, United States

DISCOVERING USERY MOUNTAINWe have been going to Usery Mountain every day for morning hikes. The views are not as picturesque as Camelback, but they are stunning in their own right. We have embarked on both the <i>Wind Cave trail and the <i>Passing Mountain trail. The first climbs on the face of the mountain and is more strenuous, the second circles the mountain. Both provide an excellent workout and more saguaro cactus than the eye can see...
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Phoenix, Arizona, United States

APPROACHING CAMELBACKWe have been doing some walking and light hiking in our Gilbert neighborhood, but that's child's play compared to the hikes we've been looking forward to! Camelback is about a 45-minute drive from us. Luckily, we found another mountain with great hiking trails much closer to home (but more on that to come later!)THE HIKEWe decided to climb to the top (and almost made it!) After an hour of hiking/climbing we realized our water was starting to run out. We decided to turn back, as we knew we'd have an hour of hiking left to return. The number 1 rule of hiking in the desert: if your water is half-way finished, so is your hike! No need to dehydrate out here :-)Lesson learned: carry plenty of water. At least 2 bottles (if not more) per person.The views from the "almost" top were spectacular. The city of Phoenix was in full view and the mountain itself provided beautiful rocks and formations.
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Algodones, Mexico

EIGHT MILESAfter a few hours in Yuma, we quickly learned that Mexico was a short eight miles away. As you can imagine, we added a border crossing to our itinerary faster than you can say margarita. ALGODONES, MEXICOWe drove across the border. Lunch was a savory feast of red rice, beans, and fajita steak with gooey cheese. We also obliged when it was time for some authentic tequila-laden margaritas. We took a much needed walk through all of the souvenir shops, as we noted all of the pharmacies offering cheap drugs (Viagra seemed to be a 5 dollar favorite) and doctor's offices offering cheap plastic surgery. Seemed like a bad combo to us! Our afternoon included more souvenir shopping and a tasty churro (doughy Mexican treat!) followed by the most refreshing coconut water this side of the border.
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Yuma, Arizona, United States

OUR SECOND DRIVE THROUGH THE DESERTThe desert drive to Yuma was much more interesting than that to Vegas. The time seemed to fly and I was able to keep myself entertained with the varying desert road signs (each more interesting than the next!) The saguaro cactus and Joshua trees provided for a spectacular desert landscape.DATELAND &amp; YUMANo trip to Yuma is complete without a stop in the famous town of Dateland. Caro had heard about dateland and its fabulous shakes from a family friend. We made a stop, stretched our legs and delighted in honey-covered dates. YUM. The chocolate covered dates were also noteworthy.Our expectations of Yuma centered around the Wild, Wild West/High Noon types. We were expecting the sheriff to welcome us and the musical theme to the <i>Good, Bad, &amp; Ugly to play in the background!Instead, what we found was a vibrant community with a small town feel (as small town as any place in Arizona can really get!!) The desert dunes brought back flashbacks of my trip to the Chilean desert (refer to my Latin America blog).
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Tucson, Arizona, United States

A CLOUDY DAY IN AZArizona is known for being sunny. Phoenix registers over 300 days of sun a year. So why has it rained several days already?? Alas, I will take rain over snow any day! And it's only rained a few more times since then...Driving to Tucson in the rain was no fun. Traffic was slow, local drivers were seemingly just as stunned by the rain as we were, but fortunately it cleared up by the time we reached our southern city destination.HISTORIC TUCSON AND BEYONDThe downtown Tucson area was very colorful. We stopped for a delicious lunch at "El Charro" restaurant (Caro's Internet find!), the oldest single-family operated Mexican restaurant in the US. The food lived up to the hype. With a full belly, we decided a walk through the historic Tucson district was appropriate to aid digestion as well as take in some of the sites. The Old Town/Historic district was very pretty. Areas outside of this district were not so pretty. Caro &amp; I referred to these areas as "the Bootleg Phoenix"...maybe we've been spoiled!We ended our day trip with a beautiful sunset, speaking of which, all Arizona sunsets are breathtaking. We also took in an independent movie we'd been dying to see "Bella", which wasn't showing in Phoenix. I guess Tucson is not so bootleg after all!
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Boulder City, Nevada, United States

AN OFFER WE COULD NOT REFUSEOn our drive back to Arizona the next morning, we noticed a sign for helicopter rides. Only $29! How could we say no?? Neither Caro nor I had ever ridden on a helicopter, so it was definitely money well spent. We flew over picturesque Lake Mead in Boulder City, NV and the Hoover Dam. Our pictures barely do it justice...
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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

OUR FIRST DRIVE IN THE DESERTLess than a week into my new life in the southwest, the travel bug hit. I had been back in the US for a few weeks and was itching to start a new travel blog. Lucky for me, Carolina's 30th birthday provided a fantastic excuse to hop in the car and drive through the desert. Final destination: Las Vegas.Driving through the desert was a new experience. There seemed to be a lack of straight, flat roads, so cruise control was of little help. The scenery was beautiful, albeit dry (not a surprise given it's the DESERT!) I made sure to fill up my tank whenever we passed a gas station, given the 100-mile stretches with not a rest stop in site. The six hours from Phoenix to Vegas seemed long, but boy were we happy when we crossed the Hoover Dam and were welcomed into Nevada by the first Casino sign bling!!CELEBRATING IN STYLESince Caro hadn't started school yet and I didn't have a job (still don't!) ;-) we were fortunate to do this trip mid-week, which was a huge money saver. We stayed at the MGM Signature for less than what it would have cost us to stay at a budget motel had we gone during the weekend. Here are some highlights:-The cute lead bartender at Emeril's restaurant. We sat at the bar and he provided fun free drinks and shots once he found out we were celebrating Caro's birthday! BAM!-Walking the strip at night. It was pretty cold (though not nearly as cold as back home on the East Coast). Posing by the fake Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building never gets too old or cheesy.-Gambling small. Caro gambled a big $1.00 and I gambled a whopping $5.00. Hey, like I said, we were on a budget!-Free passes to Studio 54...what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas...
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