If you’re a craft beer fan, New Zealand should top your list of travel destinations. Find out why!
New Zealand
Chipping Away at Iceland Travel Plans
Planning a trip to Iceland is really hard. Only one airline flies there, which is a major bummer (7-hour flights that don’t include meals … really?). It’s hard to get around, and prices are steep despite the favorable exchange rate. But I really want to hike Landmannalauger, tour the Skaftatell glacier and check out Dimmuborgir. And I want to eat the tasty fermented shark meat known as hakarl! I have to figure out ways to mitigate these obstacles. There are new (to me) glaciers and volcanoes waiting!
But New Zealand, stop whispering “come back and finish driving the Thermal Explorer Highway and climb Mt. Ngauruhoe again and go Schweebing – you know you want to!” in my ear. You’re really not helping.
Photo Brings Back Some Great Flying Memories
Check out this photo! So you might be wondering why I’m showing you a picture of some skinny-legged kid. Well, that kid grew up to be none other than Wandering Justin! Pretty crazy, eh?
So aside from that being a much-younger me, there’s a bigger point here. Or really, several!
1. I’m having my photo taken with a pilot. This photo shows how the role of pilots has changed. Someone in 1979 snapped this photo of me, and I was clearly pleased to pose for a snap with a pilot. And he was clearly not put out by the effort. How many 5-year-old kids these days (incorrectly) view pilots as more than glorified bus drivers? I’m hoping a pilot will speak up on this point. Unfortunately for kids these days, the era of visiting the cockpit and posing outside the plane for a snapshot with the pilot is long-gone. It’s not like pilots’ skills have diminished – automation has changed things, but they still have to know how to fly and work all the flight management computers. Don’t believe me? Get yourself a copy of Laminar Research’s X-Plane simulator and just try getting the 747 to do anything. Multiply that difficulty times a thousand and you’ll get some small idea of what a pilot does.
2. We’re outdoors! I really love airports where you’re not confined to the indoors constantly. I love using the moveable staircase rather than the jetway. You get to see the outside of the plane. You feel the place [...]
Wandering Justin’s Best of 2009
So, it has been a stellar year here at WanderingJustin.com. First, it has seen the creation of this here blog, rising from the ashes of my old No Crocs Allowed blog. So before I even go any further, I want to single out three other bloggers who really made this possible with technical advice: Stacy Holmstedt, The Blog Kitten and SpotCoolStuff.com. You are all awesome, and have been instrumental in the rise of WanderingJustin.com. In Stacy’s case, I’ve learned a bunch of HTML stuff that makes me a lot more useful at my day job. How cool is that? Thanks!
It’s been an excellent travel year for yours truly: New Zealand, Lake Tahoe, Boston, Washington, DC, San Diego … you’re doing alright when the dullest place is the nation’s capitol (and let me tell you, it is). Alright, let’s get on to the inaugural WanderingJustin.com Best of 2009 – just remember, I’m saving something for a post of its own: my Most Spectacular Place of the Year award.
Best Airline: Air New Zealand. Super-friendly and punctual. Part of the reason I want to visit New Zealand again is to enjoy a long-haul flight with its friendly staff – and see how it stacks up to Qantas, which I’d consider last year’s winner.
Best Bike Gadget: The Ergon GP-1 handlebar grip. This is simply the best $30 I ever spent on my bike. See my Associated Content review of the Ergon GP-1.
Best Hike: The Tongariro Alpine Crossing. From 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., this [...]
Wandering Justin Elsewhere Online
Hey, I wound up in the New Times! They wanted to know what sort of edibles I’m slurping into my gullet. Check out Justin Schmid, What are you eating?. It features a photo of me menacing the camera with a half-eaten possum pie at the Sandfly Cafe somewhere between Franz Josef and Nelson in New Zealand.
Rene, our bus driver was thrilled as only a Naked Bus employee can be. During our break at the Sandfly Cafe, he went up to all the other passengers telling them that I was eating possum pie … he had very distinct “see, he ate it and didn’t die” tone in his voice. It was hysterical. When he was done telling everyone else, he wanted to talk to me about it.
“It’s easy to eat, i’n’t, mate?” he kept repeating.
Awesome guy. Best bus driver ever.
The post also has me extolling the virtues of Sun Up Brewing, golden beets and other cool things I like eating.
Checking out Marmot’s Mica Rain Jacket
Earlier this year, I was staying at New Zealand’s Skotel. The next day, Sarah and I would take a crack at the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, with a side trip up Mt. Ngauruhoe. Let me tell you, we were on edge with excitement. But we still had a day to kill, so we took a fairly short hike on some of the trails leading out of Whakapapa Village. The day started off quite nice. But wouldn’t you know? Weather near Tongariro National Park can be unpredictable. We got soaked, and spent way too much time with hair dryers trying to get our gear warm and dry again.
Never again, I decided. I pointed myself toward REI when we returned. They have a pretty large selection, and the staff is usually pretty helpful. But really, I’m from Arizona. My area gets about 7 inches of rain a year. I barely even knew what to ask to figure out which rain jacket I needed. I could’ve spent anywhere from $60 to $150 on a rain jacket … I always like to be armed with some information before spending funds of any sort!
I really could have used some help like the video below. This post comes to you courtesy of WebTogs, an online outdoor clothing company.
I rather like the idea of a YouTube demo like this. It’s a tidy explanation of the Marmot Mica jacket’s features. I’m slightly embarrassed to admit this, but it also explains some of the various tabs, buttons and straps that [...]
