OBX North Carolina

Have you ever been to the Outer Banks* of North Carolina? If not, you should check them out. I've never gotten too much exposure to the treasures that the south has to offer in terms of "Hey, you should go visit [insert cool southern place name here]", but I had at least heard of the Outer Banks. That was reason enough for me to check it out*. Although I only spent a brief day and a half there (and most of that was in the saddle), I can definitely say that it was worth the visit. If you can look past the rampant tourist/consumeristic overtones (that weren't in full force yet by the time I was there, luckily), there is a ton of history and natural beauty. As for history, there are all sorts of pirate stuff (ship wrecks, museums, etc.), civil war place markers, nautical landmarks, and of course Kitty Hawk, location of the first heavier-than-air, self-propelled manned flight. The natural beauty of the area comes in the form of gorgeous beaches and dunes, back water channels, and great wet lands. There are birds galore as well, but I would only be showing my ignorance if I tried to identify them. The area protected in the National Park/Seashore/Whatever looks as if it has been that way forever, which is so interesting to see. When cars weren't flying by, I sometimes would just stop* and marvel at how calming that bit of gorgeous nature was. Yep, next time I pass this way, I will allot much more time for beach sitting, nature walking, and pizza eating*. (Oh, and for all you schralpers, there is plenty of gnar to be shralped*.)

Wednesday April 16 2008

File under: travel, USA

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FC 27 - Caption Contest

Trying to keep this Friday Comic Series going while on the road is proving to be somewhat difficult. But have no fear; I haven't given up on it yet. I have, however, figured out a way to save me time by having you do all the work. All along I've been outsourcing the drawing to talented people. Now I am outsourcing the writing. The challenge is to write the best caption/speech bubble for this comic (ably drawn by Deanna). Submit your entries in the comments (or, for all those comment-phobic people, e-mail them to me (you can use the contact page if you don't have my e-mail address)). The one that makes me laugh the hardest will pasted onto the comic* for inclusion in the eventual Comics du Wren book. Oh, and try to keep it somewhat tasteful.

Friday April 11 2008

File under: comic

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on Fri 11th Apr, 2008 10:51 am PDT Saxtor said: "...and so then I says, 'WATER you looking at?'" ************************ on Fri 11th Apr, 2008 04:26 pm PDT Go! Turtle said: Humbolt squid are rarely spotted in these northern waters. ************************ on Sun 13th Apr, 2008 03:53 am PDT dave said: hey, how 'bout lendin' me that stick so i can fix my left arm? ************************ on Sun 13th Apr, 2008 11:23 pm PDT Horge said: Hey, buddy! If you can just wait 'til lunch break to bludgeon the boss, the jury will let you off for "hunger trauma". I know from experience! ************************ on Sun 13th Apr, 2008 11:26 pm PDT Horge said: Beavis and Butthead finally enter the working world: "Hehehehe... She said you should change her toner... hehehehe... Cool." ************************ on Mon 14th Apr, 2008 02:46 pm PDT blank said: Sparkletts takes a tip on street-corner marketing from "The Wire": "Hey man you look real thirsty, I got some stuff that'll fix you up right here." ************************ on Mon 14th Apr, 2008 11:00 pm PDT dave said: c'mon man, you can do it, you've got the power of the ROD with you ************************ on Mon 14th Apr, 2008 11:33 pm PDT donniedevoir said: sooo you want to get weird? ************************ on Wed 16th Apr, 2008 02:02 pm PDT Ryan said: "I've got the water, you've got the bamboo,You've got two choices of what we can do" ************************ on Fri 18th Apr, 2008 03:26 pm PDT mandy said: i'm pretty sure you should stick to writing your own comics, your readers are crazy! ************************

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Signage

Forgive me if I have posted about this before. I remember spending a lot of time thinking about it when I was on my scooter trip. Signage can make all the difference when travelling, esp. by alternate means. Sure it is annoying when you go 20 miles off your route in a car and have to turn around. When you go 20 miles out of your way on a bike, however, it is very different. And it isn't only lost time and frustration that good signage can help alleviate. It can be a safety issue. Take today for example: it was all set to be the first big day of the bike portion of my trip. I wanted to go as far south as I could get. I left Arlington VA early and found a nice off-road bike path the 20 or so miles down to Mount Vernon*. After that, I just headed south. I eventually came across a visitor's center with a nice "Bike Virginia" map that was supposed to help keep me off the main roads and on the purty back roads. Well, the map was really unclear about how to get on this mythical bike route. And since it shared the same name as a highway, I figured I would just hope on the highway and find a sign. 25 miles (on almost shoulderless roads with traffic zipping by at 50 mph) later, I senendipitously found a sign pointing me to what a wanted. I'm hoping now that I've found it, I'll be able to stick on it. Moral of the story: good signage can make a HUGE difference. So for all you planners out there, whether it be for a bike route, a nature walk, or a tour of the bridges of Madison County, I implore you to not skimp on the signage.

Thursday April 10 2008

File under: travel

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on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 04:29 pm PDT Saxtor said: I don't know that I agree with your sentiment about signs. I typically find them to be always blocking out the scenery and breaking my mind. "Do this," "don't do that," they say. YES, I can read your bloody sign! ************************ on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 06:21 pm PDT Sean said: You don't have a satellite navigation system mounted on that sweet ride? ************************ on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 08:18 pm PDT Andrew said: Me? Well, I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask him why. He said that I looked like a fine outstanding young man. He thought that I'd do. Well I took off my hat and said IMAGINE THAT! ME! WORKING FOR YOU! ************************ on Sun 13th Apr, 2008 03:50 am PDT dave said: a redeeming quality of a certain old gentleman who drives to leavenworth/winthrop and back just for lunch is that he is responsible for the imminent bike signage from the swinomish bridge to the fidalgo bay trail terminus on march's point. ************************ on Fri 18th Apr, 2008 03:20 pm PDT mandy said: a good map can also make a HUGE difference ;p ************************

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Day 2 in the Saddle

Don't worry. i'm not going to do a day by day posting of this whole bicycle thing. i will however use this as an excuse to post a little picture of my steed. Other than that i will not write much today because the computer i am using has multiple eys that don't wor (such as that one that comes after J and the comma (so no complaints about grammar typos or spelling on this post)). But i did mae it the 40 or so miles from Annapolis to D.C. yesterday and in record time too. i even had enough time to chec out a few of the monuments before meeting up with a friend for dinner and a place to crash. (There are more photos but since the alligator eys and equal sign don't wor either i will wait to post those another time. (Those that i did get to wor was all using cut and paste character by character which is tedious (but a good challenge (ind of lie a haiu)))

Wednesday April 9 2008

File under: travel

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on Wed 09th Apr, 2008 07:44 am PDT cardboard said: man you need some drop bars and toe clips at a minimum there buddy...narrow tires would be a joy as well. ************************ on Wed 09th Apr, 2008 07:20 pm PDT dave said: nice phallus protruding from your steed. ************************ on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 10:33 am PDT Ryan said: wheelies should be a breeze on this rear loaded steed. word to bicycles. ************************ on Thu 10th Apr, 2008 10:36 am PDT Ryan said: A big storm is headed your way, get some rain gear.http://www.nws.noaa.gov/radar_tab.php ************************

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In the Saddle

One used 12-speed bike on craigslist: $65 Used bike accessories (bike rack, lock, helmet, etc.): $30 Chance for a little adventure: Priceless Day one: Baltimore to Annapolis. 20 miles (after a ride on the light rail). Almost completely on a paved bike path. So nice. But having not ridden much in the past couple months, I was really feeling it. We'll see how my legs (and ass) feel tomorrow. Perhaps buying the first bike I came across (that turned out to be too small, kind of rusty, and fully ghetto) was a bad idea. Time will tell, I guess. Tomorrow is the Annapolis to D.C. leg. Prolly about 30 miles, unless I wuss out and take the metro for part of it. But that's okay. I shouldn't overdo it too much. I've got a long way to go.

Monday April 7 2008

File under: travel, USA

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on Mon 07th Apr, 2008 06:55 pm PDT Saxtor said: Any pictures of your steed? ************************ on Mon 07th Apr, 2008 07:08 pm PDT Nesbitt said: glad to hear you made it. ************************ on Tue 08th Apr, 2008 05:20 am PDT per said: uhm . . can't help but notice you're going south into a country that hates bicycles. flip that mighty steed around and pedal into a horizon filled with bike lanes and summer festivals . . . eh? ************************ on Tue 08th Apr, 2008 09:27 am PDT Katherine said: You are on the East Coast now- what fun-I was in DC last weekend- when do you make it up to NYC??!?! ************************ on Wed 09th Apr, 2008 05:01 pm PDT Sean said: The Per has a point. The city that brought you Just for Laughs, Cirque du Soleil, and the coolest Jazz Festival in the world is also very bicycle friendly.I'm the only one in North Carolina without a big truck. ************************

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Straight Forward Philly Post

At the risk of receiving more flak for making somewhat sterile posts not filled with reflection and insight, I'm going to tell you about my all too brief time in Philadelphia. (You are, of course, welcome to not read and skip ahead to all the pretty pictures.) I really really enjoyed my time in Philly. I'm not a city person, but I can appreciate a good city when I see one. The first thing that I noticed was how incredibly walker friendly it is. There are lots of people who live downtown, so the city doesn't shut down on the evenings and weekends like many other cities you see. Plus, there are produce markets, grocery stores, and other functional stores* interspersed. As a corollary to the walking, I noticed a big presence of car sharing. I'm sure this walkability had a huge influence on my impression of the city. Another great thing the city has going for it is history out the wazoo: Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell*, lots of churches, and brick everywhere. I tried to take this picture to show the great balance of modern and historic, but the settings on my camera were all wonky so it didn't turn out great*. I could have easily passed the whole day wandering around the historic district and looking at all the firsts: the first bank, the first free library, the first place that Benjamin Franklin took a poo, etc. Unfortunately, I had a strict schedule to keep. Other activities (which I will mostly gloss over because this is getting wordy) were a visit to Love Park*, a tour of the U.S. Mint*, and the discovery of some very interesting crosswalk art*. Yeah, 24 hours isn't really enough to do this wonderful city justice, esp. if you are recovering from an all night drive on a tire you expect to blow out at any time with a complete (although, it turns out, very nice and generous) stranger*. City of brotherly love, I'll be back.

Saturday April 5 2008

File under: travel, USA

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on Sun 06th Apr, 2008 11:23 pm PDT Horge said: If I ever make it to Philly, the definite top of my list is to visit the basketball court where the Fresh Prince got spun around by that bully and then sent off to Bel Air, where he changed his name to Will Smith and became a movie star... ************************ on Mon 07th Apr, 2008 01:12 pm PDT soreyes said: Toynbee tiles...about 250 messages of mysterious origin found embedded in asphalt in several major cities in the United States and three South American capitals. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toynbee_tilesthere was a Geocache, but its archived for being virtual or whatever. ************************ on Fri 18th Apr, 2008 03:16 pm PDT mandy said: Philly is my absolute favorite city ever, I'm glad you got to see some of it ************************

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FC 26 - Do It Yourself...To The Extreme

Friday comic time! I've had to deviate from my original plan re: Friday comics because of insufficient computing time due to traveling and whatnot. Hopefully, I will be able to pick up with my original plan next week. In the meantime, I invite you to enjoy this little ditty courtesy of Gabriella. (As an interesting side note, the art for this comic was originally submitted as an alternate scene for FC 23 - Sideways but I was struck with inspiration and turned it into this doozy. Before that, though, here is how it turned out.)

Friday April 4 2008

File under: comic

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Good Friends

Traveling solo can get lonely. Even if I am* keeping busy with viewing cathedrals, finding geocaches, eating the local cuisine, etc., there are hours of downtime to pass. When waiting for the bus, winding down time in the hotel/hostel*, or even strolling through some historic something or another, I have only my own thoughts. On the one hand, this can be a good thing: I am in charge of my own schedule, I don't have to take the minor criticisms that even the best friends can offer, and I have time to work out thoughts, unhampered by interruptions. On the other, it can get lonely. With no one to distract me from my own thoughts, I can sometimes get overly drawn in. Plus, who is going to offer those little criticisms that are good, like that I've got lettuce in my teeth. All this is to say that traveling solo can get old. Enter friends. Sometimes I meet folk along my travels that allow a respite from the solo traveling thing. Maybe it is just someone to sit next to on the train or maybe I will pass many days together. Other times, I have friends along the way where part of the goal of the trip is to visit them. I've been lucky in having both. Passing time here at the Richards' household has been great. They've taken me into their home, fed me, and entertained me*. I couldn't be more thankful to have had this time to catch up with old friends and be openly welcomed into their life. Good friends are good things. Anyway, keep your eye towards IHJ for pictures of the time*. (I often neglected to bring a camera or slacked on taking shots, but luckily Jenn had my back.) The pictures (and maybe even video) of the slide are not to be missed.

Wednesday April 2 2008

File under: travel, USA

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on Wed 02nd Apr, 2008 04:15 pm PDT dave said: loneliness is for the weak. ************************ on Thu 03rd Apr, 2008 10:49 am PDT mandy said: yes, you think more than the average bear, yogi, i can't imagine the hijinx your head must play without distraction... ************************ on Thu 03rd Apr, 2008 11:46 am PDT Jenn said: Aw, shucks Wren, we like you too. ************************ on Sat 05th Apr, 2008 01:24 pm PDT Amiel Martin said: sounds like you almost miss riding in Islando's bus with 12 hippies, awww me too ************************

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De Plane Boss. De Plane.

I'm here in Dayton, Ohio visiting the IHJ crew (getting in some much enjoyable baby time). But outside of just chilling around the house (I'm sure you would be ever so interested in hearing about Mario Kart battles and board games), I wanted to get the full Dayton experience. People here love their* aviation roots. They promote it everwhere. To put their money where their mouth is, so to speak, they've got the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum. I thought I might swing by to see what it was all about*. Planes, planes, and more planes – three hangers worth. It was all very interesting, esp. the historical stuff about Orville Redenbacher* (I could have done without the exultation of the war stuff). Being able to be so close to so many full sized planes gave good perspective on this thing that we are all so familiar with, but in a distant sort of way. Anyway, I could visit all sorts of other aviation related tourist stops here in Dayton, but I think I might just hunker down for a good old game of Guitar Hero.

Tuesday April 1 2008

File under: travel, pics

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on Tue 01st Apr, 2008 05:27 pm PDT whuppinstick said: that first 'planes' picture looks like okinawa, minus the floor, the ceiling, and wren. ************************ on Wed 02nd Apr, 2008 03:03 pm PDT Saxtor said: "Adults" is right....I think I see an "adulthood stinks" tshirt behind Calvin... ************************

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Indianapolis Layover

Due to unforeseen complications from traffic, weather, and time zones, I found myself with the need to pass a night and then some in Indianapolis*. Although the complications made for a change in schedule, it wasn't unpleasant; adventurous, even. Plus it gave me time to get to know some lovely people with whom I got a ride from Chicago. And now I can say I've "done" Indianapolis. It also made me realize that I have a very formulaic way of approaching a new city. I seek out the same things. Kind of interesting to note. I hope that doesn't make me a boring traveler. Anyway, in Indianapolis*, after passing the night at the Indy Hostel (hostels vs. hotels and how much awesomer hostels, including the Indy Hostel, are is a topic for another post) I had until 2:00pm to see what I could see. In that time, I found 2 geocahes (so I can now add Indiana to states successfully cached in), found a great walking path (with some more of that random, inspirational art that I love so much), checked out the hip neighborhood of Broad Ripple (I'm sorry I wasn't around to check it out some Saturday evening, as I'm sure it is even more hip then), and rode the public transportation. Gorsh, geocaches and alternative transportation...those aren't topics done to death on BdW. Anyway, when I travel, it is sometimes nice to stay in a place long enough to really get a feel for it and other times, it is nice to just get a sneak peek. I can now say that I've peakied Indianapolis. Next time I pass through, I'll surely peek it again.

Saturday March 29 2008

File under: travel, USA

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on Mon 31st Mar, 2008 09:53 am PDT Saxtor said: Mind sharing your new-place routine? I suspect it involves ice cream... And I'm with you, hostels are great. They generally draw a certain crowd, which tends to be the kind of peeps I'd prefer to interact with. And often you end up with travel partners to share the local adventures with. ************************

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