Training in the Outback

To prepare for this trip, I thought it necessary to complete an intense training regimen. Since I'll be completing the Un-Road Trip in the spring though, it seems inconsistent to be training outside in the Pacific NW winter. So in a few days I'll be heading to Melbourne, so that I can properly prepare for the Un-Road Trip during the Australian spring/summer.

Okay- that may only be half the truth. I've also always wanted to visit Australia, and this seems like a good time to do it. I'll definitely be staying active down there. For my first week, I've signed up to survey wombat holes outside of Adelaide, and I'm also putting together some plans for working on an organic farm on Kangaroo Island. I figure I should be doing thing I can only do in Australia, and those seem to fit the bill.

And I'll still be knee-deep in planning for the Un-Road Trip. Although the blog updates may be slightly less consistent as I struggle to find WiFi in the outback, the posts will certainly be more action-packed.

California's Lookin' Blue...

And by that, I mean that it's being filled by those little blue markers in Google Maps as I keep learning about new modes of transportation in the Sunshine State.


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So far I've learned about some beautiful bike trails and tours through wine country, great kayaking locations, the world's largest tramway, and a semi-submersible vessel, (it's not quite a submarine, but it's close), in Morro Bay. And the emails are still coming in... Thanks California!

Barge and in Charge

I was having a hard time finding a river cruise to connect some Southern and Midwest cities, but the search is over thanks to RiverBarge. They operate cruises on "America's only floating hotel barge." When I think of barges, I think of an old camp song. Here's an especially melodic rendition of the "barge song," enhanced by a stirring slide show of somewhat relevant images:



But back to RiverBarge... They operate cruises year-round from New Orleans to St. Louis to Galveston, and many destinations in between. They may even put me to work on the ship in exchange for a free ride. It seems like a great way to experience some of America's waterways. I'll keep you posted as I learn more.

And I'll end with one more rendition of the "barge song."

The plot is thickening...

The more I work on the Un-Road Trip, the more I realize what an organizational challenge it will be. In the past week, I've been in touch with representatives of state tourism departments from Texas, Idaho, Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, South Dakota, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. They all have awesome ideas for the Un-Road Trip, from riding blimps in Boise to canoeing through the Everglades. So how do I keep track of everything? I wasn't sure, (and I'm still not sure is this is the best way to do it), but I started a Google Map with all the possible activities. Hopefully as time passes a route will start to appear.


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Do you have any modes of transportation I should add? Let me know...

Raftin' Down the Mississippi

I'm not sure if I'm actually going to do the tied-together log raft, but I definitely want to take advantage of one America's most famous waterways. Surprisingly, I haven't found that many passenger boats going up and down the Mississippi. The company that operates one of the most famous ships- the Mississippi Queen- is for sale and it's unclear when it will take its next cruise. There's another company, RiverBarge Excursions, that offers four to ten day trips on their "floating hotel barge." Many tour operators offer afternoon/day trips, (and there are one or two that offer an overnight trip), but it seems like we've passed the heyday of the paddle wheeler.

Of course, there's always the option of resorting to a boat that's generally not open to the public. I've started talking to some people in Kentucky who may be able to get me a ride on a barge on the Ohio River. I'm sure there are tons of ships on various industrial missions going up and down the Mississippi. Now I just have to figure out a way to reach them...

A real live hovercraft!

I'll be honest- I was never sure that hovercrafts really existed. I remember commercials for toy hovercrafts when I was a kid. I really wanted one of those. It was radio-controlled, a foot long, and it could glide over land and water. Well, this one's a little bigger:


This hovercraft can also glide over land and water, and at 60 MPH too! I imagine it's a pretty smooth ride, since you've got an 8" pillow of air underneath. It's a two-seater so you can bring a friend. Also, "land and water" really simplifies it too much. They say that the "hovercraft travels over smooth surfaces such as ice, water, sand, mud, snow, and short grass, in addition to short distances over asphalt, concrete, or dirt roads." Not too shabby. It doesn't say how long the 12 volt battery lasts though. This is another Hammacher Schlemmer item, with the similarly steep price tag of $13,999.95. And if you want the trailer to haul it around, it will cost you an additional $1,999.95.

I'm tempted to take this vehicle the whole way, (that is, if i could afford it). I haven't been able to find any hovercraft rentals or hovercraft tours in the US, but there are a number of hovercraft manufacturers so hopefully I can partner up with one of them for a ride. Anyone have any connections in the hovercraft industry?

The Velocipede!

This is another offering from Hammacher Schlemmer. This Carbon Chassis Velocipede is, according to their site, the "first human powered vehicle (HPV) to have a carbon fiber monocoque chassis." I have no clue what that means, but it sure does sounds impressive and apparently race cars are made of the same stuff. At first glance, it looks like an uncomfortable position to be sitting in for a prolonged period. I rented a recumbent bicycle at the beach once, and didn't feel right for a few days after. In full disclosure, I was also towing my nephews behind me in a cart, so that may have added to the strain. They claim that riding this qualifies as "low-impact excercise," so I'd definitely give it a shot. The shape eliminates drag, so that must help, and also:

The interior has a recumbent seat with variable longitudinal pedal geometry for a customized fit that maximizes comfort and pedal power efficiency. A Shimano derailleur and SRAM Gripshift Rocket shifter on the hand control allows smooth, shudder-free shifting.

I couldn't even try to explain that, but with the $14,000 price tag I probably won't have to...

State by state by state...

Planning an Un-Road Trip is a daunting task. It's easy to find cool modes of transportation- there are tons of them! The problem is linking them up. I know I want to ride trains, kayaks, horses, segways, bikes, hot air balloons, etc. Now I have to find a place where I can take a boat to a train station, and a train to a hot air balloon, and a balloon to a horse ranch, etc. That's where it get complicated. So I've started contacting the tourism boards in every state. They have a more intimate knowledge of how their state's laid out, and the transportation opportunities available, so hopefully they can assist with piecing together the journey...

So far, the representatives from Alabama and Minnesota have been the most helpful. Apparently, they have some covered wagons giving rides in Auburn, Alabama. I wonder if I could convince them to take me a hundred miles or so? And I wonder how horse/oxen upkeep compares to car maintenance?

Fresh trailer! Still hot!

I just finished editing a new trailer for the Un-Road Trip. This one features one of my favorite TV personalities, (who I'm proud to call an acquaintance). I watch him every morning on Today, and now he's narrating my very own trailer! Take a look:


Un-Road Trip: The Trailer (with Matt Lauer) from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.

Advice from a veteran road-tripper

This past weekend I got a chance to hear William Least Heat-Moon at Portland's Wordstock Festival. In the late 1970s he hit the road after a particularly bad day in which he got fired from his job and split from his wife. His three month road trip became the best-selling book, Blue Highways. He stayed away from major highways, sticking instead to the back roads which are usually indicated by the blue lines on the map, (hence the title).

He's also documented an Un-Road Trip of his own in River-Horse, in which he crossed the entire United States, using its waterways, in his 22-foot boat. Most recently, he's published Roads To Quoz about a road trip he took with his wife, concentrating on visiting small towns in America.

He's spent a lot of time both traveling alone and with others, and he had a few recommendations. He warned that, "the greatest danger of traveling alone is desolation." On the upside, when he's traveled alone, it's easier to find time to document everything. You may feel isolated and crazy without others, but you'll be able to write and photograph without distraction. On the flip-side, it can be tough approaching strangers when alone, because who's to say you're not crazy. If you're with someone else, you've got at least one guy to vouch for you...

I'll definitely keep all that in mind when I hit the un-road.

Monocycle!

This may be the most improbable and amazing vehicle I've ever seen:


This is another offering from Hammacher Schlemmer. It's a Motorized Monocycle! Conceived in France and manufactured in the Netherlands, this fiberglass framed vehicle seems like a cross between a bicycle and a hamster wheel. It runs on a 31 c.c. engine, can travel up to 25 mph, and can "drive" for up to 2 hours on less than a half-gallon of gas! That translates to over 100 miles per gallon, which is pretty impressive. The catalog explains that it can "negotiate any dense surface such as pavement or grass."

They also warn that it's not street legal, so I'm a little unsure where you are allowed to ride your monocycle. But assuming you were able to pay the $13,000 price tag, (and $800 for shipping), you can probably just ride it in the velodrome in your backyard.

Looking into hot air balloons...

I wanted to learn a little more about this mode of transportation, so I checked out this book from the library:


After some reading, it seems that traveling by balloon is going to be a little tricky for the Un-Road Trip. When in a hot air balloon, you're really at the mercy of the wind when it comes to the balloon's route and landing location. Although I also read about people who've taken balloons around the world, so I guess that by playing with different currents and ranges of altitudes, you can get yourself moving in a somewhat less arbitrary direction.

Also, it takes two teams to fly a hot air balloon. One of them is in the air, the other is on the ground acting as retrievers. They're driving behind the balloon in a truck, trying to be as close as possible when the balloon lands so that they can help with packing up and transportation of the balloon. This part seems a little troublesome with the Un-Road Trip. Although I wouldn't technically be riding in a truck, my presence in the balloon would require the truck. I'll have to think about that one...

The 14 MPH Cooler

It's a cooler! No- it's a kind of scooter! No- it's both! This is definitely one of my favorite vehicles that I've come upon in the past few months. Not only can this cooler hold 24 cans of your favorite beverage, it also goes 14 miles-per-hour! It's equipped with a 500-watt electric motor and can go up to 15 miles on a single charge. Doesn't this look fun?



It may not be the the speediest option, but with a few well-timed charges, (and I don't actually know how long it takes to charge), I might be able to go eighty miles in a day. The 14 MPH Cooler is yet another vehicular wonder from Hammacher Schlemmer, and it costs a mere $500, (and $30 more for the cushioned seat and backrest).

The Vehicular Wonders of Hammacher Schlemmer

Suspend your disbelief for a moment, and pretend that we all have an infinite amount of cash. Okay. Now open up your Hammacher Schlemmer catalog. These guys supply you with the things you never realized you didn't need. I first heard of Hammacher Schlemmer when I saw some of their items in the Sky Mall catalog. I think everyone's perused that catalog sometime after you finished the airline branded "magazine," and before you've succumbed to watching an edited version of Failure to Launch. My dad once even ordered something from Sky Mall- an extendable duster for high ceilings.

I'm also a satisfied Hammacher Schlemmer customer. A year ago I bought one of their lamp alarm clocks that becomes brighter and brighter as your wake-up time nears. It turned out to be pretty helpful during dark winter mornings. The clock was about fifty dollars, but their real exciting items start in the hundreds and thousands. And they've got a whole lineup of items that could be a great addition to the Un-Road Trip. Over the next few days, I'm going to introduce you to a few of my favorite vehicular items from Hammacher Schlemmer. Today's item:


The Lake & Sea Paddle Boat: I enjoy the required exercise and vigor of the paddle boat, but they look sort of dinky. Not anymore. This vehicle looks more like a speed boat with its sleek design and yellow cover, and although you may only be moving five miles-per-hour, you'll be cruising that reasonable speed in style. Of course, it'll cost you... about $3,500. If anyone wants to chip in, they can sit in the second seat.