Web Statistics Think! It's Not Illegal...Yet!: Tool and Wedding Stuff

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Tool and Wedding Stuff

Ok, first things first: I'm fairly faded (cookies and beer)!

Next: I forgot to post a little while back that Tool has "officially" been in the studio for the last little bit. (Not just sending work back and forth between the band and Maynard as they have been over the past year or more.) HOORAY! I hate to think how much is riding on reliable old Tool putting out a new album that's up to my expectations! I have Adam's blog site and I was gonna put a link to it but just check my Tool link in the latest news there. It's mostly pictures and a bunch of peoples short comments. I'm listening to Lateralus as I blog. ; )

Next: Jory, you better not have anything wrong with you or I'll hunt you down like a rabid dog! ; ) Let us know about that doctor issue. He'll tell you to take some anti-biotics and make an appointment to see him again after the wedding, I bet! And now you know, don't ask for any pain medication or you'll get "the worst treatment this side of Mexico." LoL (NOT REALLY!)

Next: Damn, I forgot to tell Rod and Steve about the blog! Tom, you tell them for me, por favor (I know you didn't go to a Spanish speaking mission so it's "please" BTW! lol) And anyone else who might be interested. Doesn't Shane have a computer too? They should read our blogs and comment if they do! ; )

Next: Grabbing another "Shark" (My Great White beer). I am now on 12, which is really quite substantial for me these days. I usually top out at 6 any more, but today I checked out a new Folf course in the area so I splurged. It was a nice, 9-hole course beside a creek. Almost everyone you see folfing here either has a beer in hand or is toking...My kind of place! The course was fairly level and relatively open. If it was busy, I could see it getting chaotic as you throw back and forth across a rectangle park that's divided into two squares. Watch out for incoming discs! It was notorious, then, for long, almost straight holes. (I found out that the pin placements were at their hardest ones, though.) Most people here are respectful and understand folf common courtesy so I had no trouble playing with Mat and Athena. I heard some bad news from someone at the course, though! They say that loggers are logging (thanks, I'm sure, to what I'm now calling the "Monopoly" administration!) right out of the city redwook park that the 3rd and best of our local courses resides in. We'll be going to check that out here tomorrow! We did also play the 9-hole course in Eureka (the next town South of Arcata, about 15 miles from my house) and it's a challenging, tree-filled course. It's another fairly quick fun one. There are doubles and singles tournaments here that I think I'll start playing in when I get a chance. The singles this Saturday is going to be a $25 catered, kegged, event! Wish I had the time and money right now!

Next: Driving Summary for the major routes of travel in Cali for, I think, everyone who's coming. Check what I'm telling you on Mapquest.com for mileage and the specific details as these will be summaries and just of the top of my head and (too tired and drunk to look it up for you) they may not be exact. There are several different routes to take, but these will be the ones I have either driven or know someone who has.
Jory and Joey: From the 5, follow the options listed below.
1: Nevada
a. Everyone from UT, or WY, or anywhere that will use I-80: Take that long, fairly straight run across northern NV that is I-80 until you get to Reno.
b. After Reno comes the fun because it will only be a short jaunt from there into Cali.

2: California: In Northern California, once you've chosen a route you're usually going to be committed to it!

2.1: The Northernmost route. I've only heard about this one.
a. It's the 395 up through Susanville from Reno route. This route is the least mileage but is also the most rugged drive. You will have the lowest speed limit and the most mountain scenery. At optimal conditions (weather, traffic, and vehicle) this is the fastest/shortest route, but it's been our experience that conditions are rarely optimal.
B. This route you take the 36 and the 44 to REDDING CA.
c. From Redding you take the 299 to the 101 just north of Arcata. The 299 is 140 miles of canyon! This canyon/forest terrain is a "once you're in, you're in" type deal. So don't enter unless you don't mind turning almost constantly for 3 hours give or take! This route does offer much in the way of older growth redwoods. From the 101 you go south to Arcata.

2.2: The scenic route, minus hell canyon and our preferred route.
a. On this route you take the 20 (about 60 miles from Reno) and stay on it all the way to the 101 CA.
b. Then it's up the 101 for about 150 miles. Up the 101, you have the option of exiting/re-entering, fairly often to The Avenue of the Giants! I'd suggest taking a slight detour to run up this route which is fairly perpendicular and not too much slower to/than the 101. This is the best chance to see redwoods in the area. (Also the drive North of Arcata has redwood opportunity but isn't part of any route to us except my brother in Seattle who's flying in.) The 101 goes through Arcata and you'll want the Humboldt State University, 14th St. Exit.
c. You can also exit the 20 at the 5 to go North to Redding and take the 299 over to Arcata. (See 2.1 c.)

2.3: The freeway route (usually our 2nd choice).
Take 80 from Reno to Sacramento. You skirt around the northeast side of Sacramento, but still must face rush-hour traffic if you don't have the timing right. This route is the longest of the choices mileage-wise, but the easiest to drive. Around the north side of Sacramento you hit the 5. You take the 5 north to an exit to the 20 at a town called Williams. There you can exit and follow 2.2 a. and b. Between Williams and the 101 is the easiest way to cross from the 5 to the 101. Clear Lake is on this drive and it's a pretty sight. If you'd like you can also continue north on the 5 to then follow 2.1 c..

Those are the major options. Feel free to experiment or to ask for any other info about the journey from where you are, to us. Drive safe and enjoy it as much as possible!

Ok, that took a little longer than I expected, but I'm out of Shark and off to bed now. I'll get to my rant I mentioned in the last post here soon. Good night!

4 Comments:

At 7:17 PM, Blogger Joey C Johnson said...

Do you know anyone or heard about anyone taking the 5 to the 101 up the coast to Arcata? It's less miles but takes an hour longer.
5 - 299 is 1,056 miles 18 hrs 8 mins. 5 - 101 is 1,046 miles 18 hrs 58 mins. I assume it would be better scenery but don't know for sure.

We also have to think about the safest route with our UNregistered car, it's a long story.

 
At 7:34 PM, Blogger Joey C Johnson said...

Well mapquest says 5 - 299 way is 16 hrs 23 mins and 1,074 miles and 5 - 101 way is 16 hrs 33 mins and 1,042 miles. I have no idea how google/map can be 2 hours off, but I'm going to trust mapquest I guess, because it sounds better. =)

 
At 2:59 AM, Blogger Mr. E Mann said...

FUCK!!! I just get done with a long-ass comment and of course it doesn't post! It seems like half the time I try to use the Username and Password to tag a comment I get problems. AOL either loses the comment or just shuts down all together! I hate fucking AOL!!

Long story short: Do you mean to take the 580 (portions of this road are toll) between the 5 and the 101, then the 101 from S.F. to Arcata? I've never done that yet. We always just take the 20 to cross between the 5 and 101.

We have driven the 101 from here to S.F. once. It was before we moved out here and so I don't remember all the details of the drive. We hit some congestion and rush traffic so it took us about 6 hours or so. Oh, and we did take the Avenue of the Giants for quite a ways too.

I bet the two routes would be pretty similar. About the same time to drive, similar safety levels (for that registration problem), similar scenary, etc. So, it's a toss of the dice unless you have a preference, I guess.

 
At 5:58 PM, Blogger Mr. E Mann said...

Ok, hopefully that's the last of the spam! Thanks for the tip!

 

Post a Comment

<< Home