A Shoe-full of Memories: Saying Goodbye to Shellrocks from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Change of Pace = Change of Shoe
It's three weeks into the Un-Road Trip and it's time to swap my waterproof Keen Shellrocks for a lighter water shoe- the Cimarron. Watch as I bid a nostalgic farewell and look back to some of the dozens of modes of transportation that my Keens and I have been through...
Monday, May 11, 2009
Onward to Okeechobee
Yesterday I got on the train at 3PM and twenty-four hours later, (plus another forty minutes because the train got delayed), I arrived in Okeechobee, Florida. As soon as I stepped off the train I was hit by a sudden wave of heat and humidity. But I've been planning this Okeechobee leg of the trip for months, and I couldn't help but smile that I was finally there. It doesn't seem like a regular tourist destination, as everyone seemed a little surprised to see a visitor- especially since it wasn't even spotted bass season. Everyone's been very friendly though. Captain Jason Williams, who will be taking me on his airboat tomorrow, left his bike near the train station so I could ride it around town. It's not the easiest place to get around on foot as everything's pretty spread out and there aren't a lot of sidewalks, so the bike really came in handy.
This was the first night I didn't have any accommodation planned, but I knew there were a few hotels in Okeechobee so I wasn't too worried. After hearing that the Holiday Inn had pretty good WiFi I rode the bike there and after telling the clerk about the trip, they even gave me the Un-Road Trip discount. And they had free cookies too. I ventured into the heat once more to get some sunscreen before I retreated to my air conditioned room to upload some videos.
I met up with Jason a little later at Lunker's Sports Grille, the only sports bar in town. Jason was telling me about the recent drought and the low lake levels. Then the clouds started rolling in. Pretty soon it was pouring, and though Jason and the waitress predicted it would be over in a minute or two, it continued for over half an hour with some thunder and lightening too.
After the rain calmed down a bit, I rode back to the Holiday Inn. I didn't get a ton of sleep on the train last night, so I'm looking forward to full night tonight. It should be an action-packed day on Lake Okeechobee. Here's some video from one of Jason's previous trips:
Jason said we'd see a lot of different waterfowl and probably some alligators too. I'll make sure to keep my hands out of the water.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Boaz Goes to Washington
After seeing it on TV for my entire life, it's pretty wild to see the House and Senate floors in person. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I got into DC's Union Station on Wednesday afternoon a little late, but I still made my meeting with Karina from the Amtrak Media Relations Department. After riding their trains quite a bit over the past few weeks, I had a lot of questions. Like why don't they go faster? And why are trains nicer on the east coast? Any why do all the coach passengers have to share three power outlets on some trains? Karina knows close to all there is to know about Amtrak and she shed a lot of light on these issues. The tracks were built quickly and have some very sharp curves that keep speeds down in some areas. The trains on the west coast are used a lot less and have the older cars, but they're getting a facelift soon. And she had no idea about the power outlet situation. She guessed that it was a problem on the old Superliner trains from the 80s that were built before anyone carried around cell phones or laptops.
After the meeting I met up with my friend Sam Blum, who was hosting me for the night and showed me around town a bit. Although I've been to DC before, I was just here to visit people last time, so this is my first serious visit to the city.
The next day I put on my bow tie. Quick sidenote: Tucker Carlson actually taught me how to put one on when I interviewed him for my old TV show a few years back:
So I put on the bowtie and headed over to Congressman Earl Blumenauer's office. He's a fellow bowtie wearer, so I figured I'd try to fit in.
I chatted with the Congressman about biking, the Portland streetcar, and his vision of sustainable transportation. He bikes all over Washington- he's even biked to White House meetings before. A few years back he started the Congressional Bike Caucus to rally support for his favorite transport. He gave me a green bike pin and invited me to be a member of the caucus too.
I was also invited to go on a tour of the Capitol with another couple from Oregon. One of the Congressmen's interns led the tour- taking us into the huge dome and walking us through the old Senate and House chambers, and even the temporary home of the Supreme Court (from 1810 - 1860), before letting us actually watch the House in session. It was the end of the day and they were only a few members in there sorting out their schedule for next week. "How about Tuesday?" "Can we bring that up Wednesday morning?" And so on.
Then I was off to meet up with Ari Shapiro, NPR justice reporter, and long-time family friend. I've been to more Shapiro Hannukah parties than I can remember, and it was fun to see Ari again after close to ten years.
Then I headed over to the Willard Hotel, who generously invited me to stay for the night. I think there were some important dignitaries there for the night because I've never seen so many secret service agents in my life. The Willard's hosted Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and every other important person who's passed through Washington. They have a great little museum that highlights some of the cool guests and events that happened there in it's hundred-plus history.
I got up early this morning to meet up with Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley (and Mike, his friendly press secretary), at the Takoma Metro stop. Mike and the Senator invited me to join him on his daily car-free commute. Previous to this morning, I only knew Senator Merkley from his campaign ads in which he seemed capable and hard-working, though in-person he's warm, thoughtful, and fun to spend time with. He recalled his days as an intern, working for Senator Mark Hatfield, when he used to bike to the office with his suit in a garment bag on his back. He'd like to make every car go at least forty miles on an electric battery to cut down on emissions. Most people don't even drive that much every day, so that could make a huge difference.
We got off the Metro at Union Station and started towards the Capitol. We stopped by the Senator's office so he could change into a suit before we headed into the Capitol Building. I followed him downstairs to the secret Senate Subway. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but I do have some video that I'll post soon. It almost looks like a row of open-air golf carts on a track. We took the few minute trip and soon were walking through the basement of the Capitol, which really looks like any other basement. Although as soon as you go upstairs, all the similarities end. Going on the public tour yesterday, and following the Senator Merkley through the building were totally different experiences. This time we were walking right by all the signs that said "Senators Only." Before I knew it we were walking by a half-dozen security people onto the floor of the Senate. I couldn't take any photos or video in there, but I don't think I'll ever forget this. Senator Merkley showed me his desk, and opened up the drawer where all the previous Senators who have occupied it signed their names. The first person to use Senator Merkley's current desk was someone named "Dawes" who may be this guy. Mark Hatfield, (who the Senator previously interned for was also a previous occupant). The Senator also showed off a few interesting features of the Senate Floor- the mismatching desks, the spittoons, the old ink wells, and even the Senate candy drawer (currently stocked with mints, chocolate, and mini Butterfingers).
I took the Senate Subway back to Senator Merkley's office before we said our goodbyes, and I set out once again into the muggy DC air. I was headed to Reconnecting America to meet up with Sam Zimbabwe. As their website says:
Reconnecting America is a national non-profit organization that is working to integrate transportation systems and the communities they serve, with the goal of generating lasting public and private returns, improving economic and environmental efficiency, and giving consumers more housing and mobility choices.
Sam is traveling a lot these days; talking to cities nationwide about how they can develop their own transit systems. Some cities seem to think their citizens are too car-centric, but statistic have shown that if mass transit is built, people will ride.
Then I was off to the Tidal Basin to for some paddle-boating with Rachel, Heather, and their mom, Karen.
I went to high school with Rachel and Heather, and now Rachel's writing for the Washington Post out here. The sisters took the first paddling shift, as Karen and I enjoyed the views of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument.
Then it was our turn to paddle, and we really sped along- as long as we weren't facing the wind. We were pretty tired after an hour on the water, so we sorely paddled back before walking back to The Willard Hotel together. We sat around for the lobby for awhile, watching unidentifiable foreign dignitaries and CNN's Wolf Blitzer walk by, along with a bunch of secret service agents.
And it's hard to believe I'm already leaving DC. There's so much to do here, and I've barely scraped the surface. Though I did make a quick visit to some of the Smithsonian museums. I got a chance to see their transportation exhibit entitled America on the Move. The exhibit was sponsored by General Motors, and it seemed a little car-centric. The section on streetcars was especially vague when it came to the demise of that mode of transportation. They seemed to skip the bit about the car companies buying up all the tracks and paving over them. Whoops.
I got into DC's Union Station on Wednesday afternoon a little late, but I still made my meeting with Karina from the Amtrak Media Relations Department. After riding their trains quite a bit over the past few weeks, I had a lot of questions. Like why don't they go faster? And why are trains nicer on the east coast? Any why do all the coach passengers have to share three power outlets on some trains? Karina knows close to all there is to know about Amtrak and she shed a lot of light on these issues. The tracks were built quickly and have some very sharp curves that keep speeds down in some areas. The trains on the west coast are used a lot less and have the older cars, but they're getting a facelift soon. And she had no idea about the power outlet situation. She guessed that it was a problem on the old Superliner trains from the 80s that were built before anyone carried around cell phones or laptops.
After the meeting I met up with my friend Sam Blum, who was hosting me for the night and showed me around town a bit. Although I've been to DC before, I was just here to visit people last time, so this is my first serious visit to the city.
The next day I put on my bow tie. Quick sidenote: Tucker Carlson actually taught me how to put one on when I interviewed him for my old TV show a few years back:
So I put on the bowtie and headed over to Congressman Earl Blumenauer's office. He's a fellow bowtie wearer, so I figured I'd try to fit in.
I chatted with the Congressman about biking, the Portland streetcar, and his vision of sustainable transportation. He bikes all over Washington- he's even biked to White House meetings before. A few years back he started the Congressional Bike Caucus to rally support for his favorite transport. He gave me a green bike pin and invited me to be a member of the caucus too.
I was also invited to go on a tour of the Capitol with another couple from Oregon. One of the Congressmen's interns led the tour- taking us into the huge dome and walking us through the old Senate and House chambers, and even the temporary home of the Supreme Court (from 1810 - 1860), before letting us actually watch the House in session. It was the end of the day and they were only a few members in there sorting out their schedule for next week. "How about Tuesday?" "Can we bring that up Wednesday morning?" And so on.
Then I was off to meet up with Ari Shapiro, NPR justice reporter, and long-time family friend. I've been to more Shapiro Hannukah parties than I can remember, and it was fun to see Ari again after close to ten years.
Then I headed over to the Willard Hotel, who generously invited me to stay for the night. I think there were some important dignitaries there for the night because I've never seen so many secret service agents in my life. The Willard's hosted Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, and every other important person who's passed through Washington. They have a great little museum that highlights some of the cool guests and events that happened there in it's hundred-plus history.
I got up early this morning to meet up with Oregon's Senator Jeff Merkley (and Mike, his friendly press secretary), at the Takoma Metro stop. Mike and the Senator invited me to join him on his daily car-free commute. Previous to this morning, I only knew Senator Merkley from his campaign ads in which he seemed capable and hard-working, though in-person he's warm, thoughtful, and fun to spend time with. He recalled his days as an intern, working for Senator Mark Hatfield, when he used to bike to the office with his suit in a garment bag on his back. He'd like to make every car go at least forty miles on an electric battery to cut down on emissions. Most people don't even drive that much every day, so that could make a huge difference.
We got off the Metro at Union Station and started towards the Capitol. We stopped by the Senator's office so he could change into a suit before we headed into the Capitol Building. I followed him downstairs to the secret Senate Subway. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures, but I do have some video that I'll post soon. It almost looks like a row of open-air golf carts on a track. We took the few minute trip and soon were walking through the basement of the Capitol, which really looks like any other basement. Although as soon as you go upstairs, all the similarities end. Going on the public tour yesterday, and following the Senator Merkley through the building were totally different experiences. This time we were walking right by all the signs that said "Senators Only." Before I knew it we were walking by a half-dozen security people onto the floor of the Senate. I couldn't take any photos or video in there, but I don't think I'll ever forget this. Senator Merkley showed me his desk, and opened up the drawer where all the previous Senators who have occupied it signed their names. The first person to use Senator Merkley's current desk was someone named "Dawes" who may be this guy. Mark Hatfield, (who the Senator previously interned for was also a previous occupant). The Senator also showed off a few interesting features of the Senate Floor- the mismatching desks, the spittoons, the old ink wells, and even the Senate candy drawer (currently stocked with mints, chocolate, and mini Butterfingers).
I took the Senate Subway back to Senator Merkley's office before we said our goodbyes, and I set out once again into the muggy DC air. I was headed to Reconnecting America to meet up with Sam Zimbabwe. As their website says:
Reconnecting America is a national non-profit organization that is working to integrate transportation systems and the communities they serve, with the goal of generating lasting public and private returns, improving economic and environmental efficiency, and giving consumers more housing and mobility choices.
Sam is traveling a lot these days; talking to cities nationwide about how they can develop their own transit systems. Some cities seem to think their citizens are too car-centric, but statistic have shown that if mass transit is built, people will ride.
Then I was off to the Tidal Basin to for some paddle-boating with Rachel, Heather, and their mom, Karen.
I went to high school with Rachel and Heather, and now Rachel's writing for the Washington Post out here. The sisters took the first paddling shift, as Karen and I enjoyed the views of the Jefferson Memorial and Washington Monument.
Then it was our turn to paddle, and we really sped along- as long as we weren't facing the wind. We were pretty tired after an hour on the water, so we sorely paddled back before walking back to The Willard Hotel together. We sat around for the lobby for awhile, watching unidentifiable foreign dignitaries and CNN's Wolf Blitzer walk by, along with a bunch of secret service agents.
And it's hard to believe I'm already leaving DC. There's so much to do here, and I've barely scraped the surface. Though I did make a quick visit to some of the Smithsonian museums. I got a chance to see their transportation exhibit entitled America on the Move. The exhibit was sponsored by General Motors, and it seemed a little car-centric. The section on streetcars was especially vague when it came to the demise of that mode of transportation. They seemed to skip the bit about the car companies buying up all the tracks and paving over them. Whoops.
Friday, May 8, 2009
Video from Chicago (with awesome one-of-a-kind vehicles)
Brace yourselves for some of the most unique vehicles in America. I never knew these existed a few weeks ago, and now I've ridden them. I won't even try to describe what you're about to see, just watch this video of my time in Chicago:
Day 16 & 17 from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Video from Albuquerque
Last week I took Albuquerque, New Mexico by storm- and also by bike and camel. But you don't have to take my word for it- watch this video:
Special thanks to Paul Gude for composing the camel song and to Oregon Scientific for use of their ATC3K.
Day 11 & 12 from Boaz Frankel on Vimeo.
Special thanks to Paul Gude for composing the camel song and to Oregon Scientific for use of their ATC3K.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
One-of-a-kind Contraptions in Chicago
I think I may have already ridden the most unique vehicles of the trip thanks to Christopher Furman, Bill Tellman, and the folks at Redmoon Theater.
On Tuesday morning, I met up with Frank Maugeri at Redmoon. He's been with the organization for thirteen years, originally as a guest artist, now as artistic director. Although they call themselves a "theater," they do a lot more than perform on a stage. They build amazing contraptions and vehicles and bring them out into the public. Their workshop was filled with all sort of awesome devices- from a sailboat/bathtub to a mechanical toy theater to a giant hamster wheel that they shoot fireworks off of. But I was there to ride their wine bike, (which happened to be built by Christopher Furman, who I met two days before).
They rent this one out (along with a performer) for parties and special events. The performer rides around, steering with a little lever, as dozens of wineglasses spin overhead on the umbrella.
The wine bottle fits in a grip and pours at the turn of a crank.
I took it for a spin in the parking lot, and it certainly put me in a festive mood.
Next I met up with William Tellman, who's been commissioned by Redmoon quite a bit over the last few years. He owns a metal shop that makes all sorts of things- from stair rails to furniture to museum exhibits. He readily admitted that the vehicles he builds for Redmoon are the most fun to work on. First we checked out two of the pedal-powered vehicles he's built. The first is a pedal-powered drum cart. It's got mini stages equipped with various drums to hold three percussionists, while it's operated by two pedalers underneath.
Bill explained that it drives like a tank, (though I'm not that familiar with tank operation), which means that by pedaling at different speeds or in different directions from each other, the pedalers can steer the tank and/or make it turn in tight circles.
He also built a similarly powered gramophone cart that has a giant metal gramophone bell on top that plays music, words, or sounds.
Bill's favorite vehicle is the ladder machine.
It looks like a cross between a cherry picker and the top of a fireman's truck, though he built it entirely from scratch and it's all electric. You sit in a chair set behind half a dozen different levers and switches. Each lever operates a different aspect of the ladder- height, angle, length- and once you pull that lever it all moves pretty quickly and very impressively.
The ladder can extend about thirty feet, and when they bring it out there's usually an acrobat doing flips and various feats at the end of it. Operating it was already a thrill- I can't imagine what it would be like with a live person balancing at the other end.
I walked back to downtown, stopped by Hotel Felix for a little more WiFi, and finally made my way to the train station via a water taxi.
Breanna from Hammacher Schlemmer, (who provided me with the 14MPH Cooler), met up with me for the short ride. The boat took about ten minutes, and it seems like a lot of commuters actually use them.
The train left Chicago on time, but something must have happened during the night because when I woke up we were about an hour behind. It's a good thing we weren't any more behind or I would have missed my meeting with Amtrak. That probably would have been an awkward call to make.
On Tuesday morning, I met up with Frank Maugeri at Redmoon. He's been with the organization for thirteen years, originally as a guest artist, now as artistic director. Although they call themselves a "theater," they do a lot more than perform on a stage. They build amazing contraptions and vehicles and bring them out into the public. Their workshop was filled with all sort of awesome devices- from a sailboat/bathtub to a mechanical toy theater to a giant hamster wheel that they shoot fireworks off of. But I was there to ride their wine bike, (which happened to be built by Christopher Furman, who I met two days before).
They rent this one out (along with a performer) for parties and special events. The performer rides around, steering with a little lever, as dozens of wineglasses spin overhead on the umbrella.
The wine bottle fits in a grip and pours at the turn of a crank.
I took it for a spin in the parking lot, and it certainly put me in a festive mood.
Next I met up with William Tellman, who's been commissioned by Redmoon quite a bit over the last few years. He owns a metal shop that makes all sorts of things- from stair rails to furniture to museum exhibits. He readily admitted that the vehicles he builds for Redmoon are the most fun to work on. First we checked out two of the pedal-powered vehicles he's built. The first is a pedal-powered drum cart. It's got mini stages equipped with various drums to hold three percussionists, while it's operated by two pedalers underneath.
Bill explained that it drives like a tank, (though I'm not that familiar with tank operation), which means that by pedaling at different speeds or in different directions from each other, the pedalers can steer the tank and/or make it turn in tight circles.
He also built a similarly powered gramophone cart that has a giant metal gramophone bell on top that plays music, words, or sounds.
Bill's favorite vehicle is the ladder machine.
It looks like a cross between a cherry picker and the top of a fireman's truck, though he built it entirely from scratch and it's all electric. You sit in a chair set behind half a dozen different levers and switches. Each lever operates a different aspect of the ladder- height, angle, length- and once you pull that lever it all moves pretty quickly and very impressively.
The ladder can extend about thirty feet, and when they bring it out there's usually an acrobat doing flips and various feats at the end of it. Operating it was already a thrill- I can't imagine what it would be like with a live person balancing at the other end.
I walked back to downtown, stopped by Hotel Felix for a little more WiFi, and finally made my way to the train station via a water taxi.
Breanna from Hammacher Schlemmer, (who provided me with the 14MPH Cooler), met up with me for the short ride. The boat took about ten minutes, and it seems like a lot of commuters actually use them.
The train left Chicago on time, but something must have happened during the night because when I woke up we were about an hour behind. It's a good thing we weren't any more behind or I would have missed my meeting with Amtrak. That probably would have been an awkward call to make.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Sniffy in Chicago
I have my second cold of the trip, but luckily it came on a day when I don't have too much scheduled. So I'm laying low, writing emails, and hopefully I'll get to some editing too.
I spent the weekend with the Cohens, long-time family friends in Skokie, who welcomed me with this awesome sign!
Sunday morning I borrowed their scooter and kicked my way to the nearby Metra station where I took train into Chicago, (and coincidentally ran into Emily, an old high school friend). I checked into Hotel Felix, Chicago's only LEED silver-certified hotel, who invited me to stay for two days.
Then I was off, walking about four miles to meet up with Christopher Furman, a Chicago artist, inventor, and special effects expert. He's got an awesome studio filled with tons of half-completed sculptures and various mechanical odds and ends. One of his latest creations is a "walking rickshaw," (or at least that's the working title). It's pretty hard to describe. It almost looks like a backwards tricycle, with a seat placed on top of two big bike wheels. Instead of a third wheel in the back though, there's a set of mechanical legs, powered by a go-kart motor, that walk to propel the whole device forward.
Christopher's still tinkering with it, though it seems pretty road-ready to me. I was the third person to ride it, after Christopher and his wife. You can't help but smile when you're on this thing. There's a foot pedal to engage the motor, and it moves surprisingly quickly. He hopes to have it ready to ride in a 4th of July parade this year, though he not-so-secretly dreams of taking it down a highway one day.
I'll probably see a few more of Christopher's creations on Tuesday when I meet up with Redmoon Theater, who he's built a few contraptions for. Now I'm off to blow my nose some more and find some tea.
I spent the weekend with the Cohens, long-time family friends in Skokie, who welcomed me with this awesome sign!
Sunday morning I borrowed their scooter and kicked my way to the nearby Metra station where I took train into Chicago, (and coincidentally ran into Emily, an old high school friend). I checked into Hotel Felix, Chicago's only LEED silver-certified hotel, who invited me to stay for two days.
Then I was off, walking about four miles to meet up with Christopher Furman, a Chicago artist, inventor, and special effects expert. He's got an awesome studio filled with tons of half-completed sculptures and various mechanical odds and ends. One of his latest creations is a "walking rickshaw," (or at least that's the working title). It's pretty hard to describe. It almost looks like a backwards tricycle, with a seat placed on top of two big bike wheels. Instead of a third wheel in the back though, there's a set of mechanical legs, powered by a go-kart motor, that walk to propel the whole device forward.
Christopher's still tinkering with it, though it seems pretty road-ready to me. I was the third person to ride it, after Christopher and his wife. You can't help but smile when you're on this thing. There's a foot pedal to engage the motor, and it moves surprisingly quickly. He hopes to have it ready to ride in a 4th of July parade this year, though he not-so-secretly dreams of taking it down a highway one day.
I'll probably see a few more of Christopher's creations on Tuesday when I meet up with Redmoon Theater, who he's built a few contraptions for. Now I'm off to blow my nose some more and find some tea.
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