Today I watched actual races. Formula 1 and Biplanes are one-design, small aircraft that reach surprising speeds. Formula 1's might be home-built, limited to 100hp, the smallest Cessna engine. Speeds reach 250mph. The views of the racing are outstanding. I plan on watching 2 or 3 classes a day, so I can see every class race. Attendance seems much lower than what organizers were expecting. Not just viewers, the planes and pilots are short, enough...
Races begin tomorrow, but the pilots were using today to qualify and to make some practice runs. The vendors were getting set up, and there are a lot of them. I went over to check out the venue this morning, and noted that the sun needs to be considered when visiting. The entire system of race courses and viewing stands are beautifully engineered for the event, one can see everything that's going on. The first plane fired up at 0600 this...
I haven't any idea what to expect here at the air races. I got myself parked and settled in, and will explore a bit tomorrow. Meanwhile, airplanes are buzzing around, and I have a little view of them from my RV. Parking here is much like the Albuquerque Balloon Festival: the cheap places are amazingly tight on the desert dirt, across a road from a manufacturing plant, and a short walk away from anything interesting. My neighbors so far seem like...
It's coincidence that I had planned on a few days in Sacramento (in the CalExpo RV Park) just as Howie and Norah were to arrive to begin a stint as hosts there. And happenstance that since we were both coming from the north headed to the same place, that I ran into them at a rest stop. Good to see them again. Sacramento is hot, around 100 degrees, but that's not unusual at all. It would be nice if the RV parking was not on asphalt, but several...
I tend to believe US 97 might be the prettiest, most dramatic, road in the US. From begin to end, it's the grand tour of the Cascades, the volcanic mountains. From the north, by the time you've seen the hundreds of cones, driven through the Newberry Caldera, and crossed a few lava flows, Shasta looks downright dangerous. It's not, chances are good you'll make it, but you'll get a funny feeling in your stomach. I'm in the Central Valley of...
I'm watching closely the development of rules and regulations for legalized cannabis products in Washington and Colorado. Washington revised it's rules today, changing the annual production limit from 120 tons to 40 tons,a rather significant change. Neither state has any good facts on it's production and consumption, which would be most helpful to design the rules. Colorado is starting with data from existing medical marijuana dispensaries,...
This has become one of my favorite places to stop when heading south. There are several comping options, all very reasonable in price, and the scenery is great. I'm in a county park next to the Deschutes River (like, yards away) for $10 dry-camping. And no one else is here. When the sun goes down, the temperatures will drop into the low forties because I'm at 4200 feet elevation. That's the warning that autumn is on it's way and I had better pay...
I always stop here for an overnight when heading south from Yakima. It's a free spot on the Columbia, just below the John Day dam. Popular with kite-boarders, there's always something to watch. Sacramento is where I'm heading where I can do a few days before heading to Reno. A bonus is that I'll meet up with Howie and Nora there. Next stop is La Pine, Oregon to try out a new place to park. I've already found three good places there, a better...
The casual tourist or passer-by will find the mint very nice around here, but living amongst it is getting to me. I wish I could turn it off. My eyes are burning and my throat is dry and scratchy. But maybe that could be from the hops, which are just as aromatic and as the harvest picks up speed the aromas increase. I've been watching the silage mounds from the hops start from bare land and grow to mountains, turning into compost. Which adds...