Route 66 Travel Guide

I think anyone would agree that spending a couple of weeks on the Mother Road hardly makes one an expert. It is also true, however, that even a short trip can grant experiences that some—especially those who have never visited Route 66 before—might find helpful. Therefore, in this article I would like to offer a few tips and tricks that I learned while on the road. My guide is by no means a complete one—it might not even be that good—but I hope it will provide a good starting point for at least some of you wanting to explore America’s Highway.

The Grand Canyon Movie

Below is a short film I made about my visit to the Grand Canyon. Although it is not readily apparent, the movie is part of my Route 66 series (it covers parts of day Six and Seven). For maximum enjoyment, use the HD option and watch it in full 1080p!

The Ninth Planet..., or not

My concept of Tyche

(Space.com) Since the 2006 reclassification of Pluto by the International Astronomical Union, our solar system has to make do with “only” eight planets. This situation, however, may soon change.

For over a decade, astrophysicists John Matese and Daniel Whitmire from the University of Louisiana have suggested the possibility of another planet. The two hypothesized that the odd orbital paths of some comets could be explained by the gravitational field of a ninth planet—approximately four times the size of Jupiter—in the so called Oort Cloud, which marks the boundary of our solar system about one light year from the sun. The two scientists call this, so far fictional, planet Tyche, named after the Greek god of luck.

Very exciting right? Well, not everyone thinks so…

Route 66 Reflections and Statistics

With my journey on the Mother Road reaching its inevitable end, I would like to provide a few statistics and reflections about the trip. I believe it is a good and interesting way to end the story. But before I get to that, I would like to thank that nearly 3000 people who had visited my blog in the past few months. Your unceasing interest is what made me keep working on my journal. I sincerely hope that most of you found my work entertaining, as well as informative, and that a lot of you will be coming back in the future. Thanks!

Route 66 Journal - The Last Day

6:52 a.m.

Deer at Buckeye Flat Campground

Upon emerging from my tent, I was welcomed by a buck wandering around the campground and grazing on the shrubs as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The animal seemed almost domesticated, which of course made some sense considering the park enjoyed heavy traffic year around. Nevertheless, this did not make the sight of the unusual visitor any less exciting. Since I had never seen a wild deer from so close before, I felt it was a good sign to start the day with. I just hoped my good fortune would last for the rest of the day—perhaps even allowing me to see bears.

Route 66 Journal - Day 8

9:13 a.m.

My goal for the day was to reach the Sequoia National Park in California, a drive likely to take up my entire day. Despite the urgent need to hit the road, however, I had a hard time saying goodbye to the relative comfort of my hotel room. My travel funds were speedily depleting, and I knew I was probably looking at the last real bed and hot shower until I returned home. I tried to enjoy them while I still could.

Space Hulk: Death Angel Review

Today, I would like to venture a little away from my usual topics and take a short journey to the realm of board games. If you like fantasy, science fiction, and/or games in general, this might just be your kind of thing. If you do not, well…, you might still want to give it a try and see if you like it.

For those of you familiar with board or role-playing games I probably do not have to tell what Warhammer 40,000 is. But, for the sake of others not falling under this category, let me briefly introduce it. In short, Warhammer 40k is among the darkest and most unique sci-fi (although technically the definition would be ‘gothic science-fantasy’) universes ever created. If you like something different from mainstream science fiction, I would highly recommend looking up Warhammer 40k and possibly even purchasing a few novels.

Funny Newspaper Clippings

Over the past few months, I accumulated quite a few funny newspaper clippings, which I though I would share here. They are by no means new, but hopefully you have not seen all of them. Enjoy! ;)

Route 66 Journal - Day 7

7:11 a.m.

I woke up rested and feeling energetic, apparently getting the hang of sleeping outdoors. Although, my restful sleep may have been the result of my closeness to one of the world’s greatest natural wonders, lying only a few hundred yards from my tent. Without a doubt, the Grand Canyon emitted a certain sense of peacefulness that affected everyone around it.

8:28 a.m.

Grand Canyon in the morning

After breaking camp, I went back to the Desert View lookout and watched the rim in the glow of the morning sun. Even though it was my second time looking at the canyon, I felt the same awe and inspiration I experienced when I first laid eyes upon it. I doubt I would ever become bored of the spectacular sight of the Grand Canyon. It is a truly spiritual place.

Total Lunar Eclipse Captured

This is a video of the Total Lunar Eclipse captured with Slooh's Chile telescope on December 21, 2010 from 0:28 a.m. CST to 4:01 a.m. CST. The clip is actually a series of 158 photographs aligned perfectly and then blended together to form a continuous sequence. Prepping the pictures and then making the video took me about 15 hours (it was a lot of work). Hope you all enjoy!