Mile-High

Listen to this while reading: Kneebody - Dr. Beauchef, Penguin Dentist

So the conductor prompted us to look out the left side of the Zephyr amtrak train we were on in order to see the exact moment when we crossed from the wide, expansive state of Utah in the lovely state of Colorado. There was no brand spanking new sign or anything, it was painted in white on the side of a hulking big rock face.  Can't beat that really.

We arrived into Denver at dinner time on a Friday night and went straight down to the 16th street mall for some sushi.  To this day, it is the best sushi I have ever had.  If anyone goes to Denver (or Omaha, they have a branch there too) hit up Blue Sushi Sake Grill.  Denver is, surprisingly, relatively expensive to stay in for a tourist.  We were staying at a Quality Inn on the outskirts of town, which was a huge difference in price than the swanky hotels in the city centre.
My number one tip for anyone going to Denver, is to hit up the Art Museum down by Civic Center Park.  It does cost to go inside (only $13 each) but there are plenty of exhibitions to look at and they have many hands on areas also.  I made many thing at the art museum, which you can see on this blog.

A fair walk from the Art Museum, through Cheesman Park, are the Botanical Gardens.  Again, they cost money to enter, but are pretty nice.  I'm not really one for scenery and whatnot, but these have different themed areas and a nice lemonade stand which I very much enjoyed.  There was also a really great cafe not far, ReCyclery.  All the furniture is made from recycled bikes and there is a repair and service shop right next door. Really good coffee too.

While I was living in San Francisco at the end of last year, the Giants baseball team won the World Series - and so when I found out they were playing the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field (Yeah, it's named after beer brewed just outside of Denver) we absolutely had to go.  The Giants lost (but they are doing that a lot at the moment), however it was still amazing to see so many people make it out to a game on a Sunday and really get into it.

Denver is known as the mile-high city, and no, not for the awesome reasons you think.  This point on the Capitol building steps marks exactly 1 mile above sea level (5,280 feet or 1,609 metres).  Denver was a fantastic place to visit, and May was a great time to go - it rained a little one day, but was nice and warm anyway. The train station is right in town, so is unbelievably convenient for backpackers as well.  There's plenty to do during the day and even more into the night in this city.

California, no doubt about it.

Listen to this while reading: Andrea Bocelli ft. Sarah Brightman - Time to say goodbye

So after 6 months in Mammoth Lakes, it was time to leave.  The snow had all but melted and I was ready to see some more of this wonderful country that is the USA.  Unfortunately for me, who hates to fly, the flights to and from Mammoth were back to the summer schedule, meaning this gem was entrusted to get me to Los Angeles safely:

Thankfully, on these Alaska flights, almost to make up for the fact that the plane looks like a toy, they serve free beer or wine.  Turned out the flight was great, and I didn't even spill a drop of my Sierra Nevada.

We arrived into LAX at about 7pm and picked up a rental car (we used Fox rent-a-car because they are so much cheaper).  The plan was to take about one week to drive up the California coast along Highway 1, and tonight's first stop was in Santa Barbara.  Obviously, we drive on the left-hand side of the road in NZ, and even though this was not the first time I had driven in the States, I was tired, traffic from LA had been crazy and so I was glad we had booked somewhere to stay that first night...and also because this is what we woke up to:

After 6 months in the mountains, I was now standing on one of the most famous and most glorious beaches in the world.  It was all I could do not to jump straight into the ocean. However, just because it looks lovely and warm, it doesn't mean it is - it was still about 60F/15C degrees water temperature. Cold.

After Santa Barbara, we drove to Cayucos and stayed there one night, then onto Monterey (Pacific Grove to be specific) and straight on up to Napa for the Bottlerock festival. There we saw Jane's Addiction, Bad Religion, Train, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Kings of Leon and the Zac Brown Band. Amazing!

We ended our drive here...best life!

Coast to Coast in the States...by train!

Listening to this while reading: Train - Drive By

So, I have travelled the West coast to the East coast of America, literally put a toe in the Pacific Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, and I traveled completely by train.

I received a message from my Four Square app the other day, telling me that my checkin at a certain train station meant I was a level 10 Trainspotter, it said:

"From the MTA to the Tube, the Shinkansen to the Trans-Siberian, you’ve ridden them all (or will someday)! Here’s to the beauty of public transit, and to always giving up your seat for the pregnant, elderly, and backpackers who haven’t showered in a week."

Well, I have ridden all of those trains. And I am that backpacker.

I had no idea I was such a train person, however it does make sense considering I hate to fly. But when it came to traveling across America, hiring a car was an expensive option , flying meant we wouldn't see anything, and walking, well, would take too long.

We did drive up the California Coast from LA to San Francisco, taking a week to do so, enjoying the unbelievable beauty of the state, but from then on, we took the train.

36 hours from San Francisco's Emery Station to Denver, Colorado, we thought we would spring for the sleeper, and, as nice as it is to have your own space - sleeping on the train is relatively impossible.  If it's not the rocking of the train tipping you off your bunk beds, or the commotion when the train stops at each station, the constant honking of the horn drives anyone crazy.
The actual journey itself was amazing though.  Some of the most beautiful and awe inspiring scenery.  When we came across the Colorado river as we were almost leaving the state of Utah, and the hills and rock formations started appearing on the horizon, it was like something out of a film.

From Denver, we trained to Omaha, Nebraska.  Downside there was that the train didn't arrive into Omaha until 5am. In the rain. That wasn't really a problem necessarily, it was more the fact that we were picking the same train up again 2 days later, at the same time. At 5am, when everyone has spread out for their evening on the train, there were almost no seats left at all.

After waking some people up and shuffling them around, we managed to find some seats together, and arrived into Chicago, Illinois 9 hours later.

After an amazing 5 days in the Windy City, we boarded a 17 hour train to Washington D.C without bothering with the sleeper this time. We took our own bagels with us for a snack and enjoyed watching a handful of states fly by.

From D.C., we actually trained North, hitting New York City on the way up to Montreal for the Formula One Grand Prix. The states we hit up were:

California
Nevada
Utah
Colorado
Nebraska
Iowa
Illinois
Indiana
Ohio
Pennsylvania
West Virginia
Virginia
Maryland
D.C.
Delaware
New Jersey
New York

(I will actually post about what we did, etc, in all of these places separately!)

View from the top

Listen to this while reading: Cher Lloyd - With Your Love

That is San Francisco.  From the 10th floor of the Huntington Hotel.  Where I stayed for the last 3 days.  You may have noticed I've been MIA for a while now, and that's completely thanks to the Mammoth Lakes lifestyle into which I have immersed myself.  We call it the 'Mammoth Bubble' because living here is a completely different life than anywhere else I've ever lived.

I've been in Mammoth Lakes town for three and a half months now, having never left one day - not even to the neighbouring town of Bishop 38 miles away.  Therefore, when the hotel where I work had some quiet days, my delicious American boyfriend and I decided to book a trip to San Francisco.  It just so happens that it could also be described as a Valentine's Day trip, which is great because I don't get in on the gifts and other trappings of love that Valentine's Day forces people into. Anyway, I digress!  San Fran was amazing this time around.  I had a distorted view of San Fran after staying there for 6 weeks trying to find a job and a flat and living in the Tenderloin - but this time around, it was immense.

Anyone doing a season at a ski resort, I would recommend planning a trip somewhere warm for a couple of days a few months in, especially if you are from a warm and sunny place like New Zealand!

Snow Monday

Listen to this while reading: Radiohead - 15 Step

So after the latest storm passed through town, dumping 4 foot of snow, and leaving everything looking like this:...

...It gave way to the sunshine this morning and left Mammoth Mountain looking luscious, glorious and definitely rideable.  My flatmates, and a couple of people I work with were heading up, and so we were there at 8am, ready for when the chairs opened.

It was, pretty much, the greatest day ever!  I'm not very good on a snowboard, but had myself doing plenty of runs down a decent slope and even got in some pretty epic looking turns!

This picture below was taken just before I dropped my glove from the chair lift - rookie mistake! - but our lovely instructor, Jessica, went out of her way to retrieve it for me.  The greatest perk of working for the Mountain, amongst the many, is the fact that you can tack onto any group lesson that is going, and not pay a cent.  I spent 4 hours learning in a group of 5, and am yet to spend a single dollar today!

Would prefer the mountain to be this quiet for the whole season, but I am not that naive!  Roll on Christmas and New Year where these same slopes will be packed full of Southern Californians, showing off their incredible talents - which, hopefully, by the time they arrive, I'll be even better myself!

White Christmas

Listen to this while reading:  Frank Sinatra - I'll be home for Christmas (My favourite Christmas song!)

Finally, after a week on stunningly nice weather here, it snowed today.  I was wandering around town yesterday in a t-shirt, and today it looks like this:

I was well prepared before I left the house this morning, and put on my snow jacket (which finally, after 2 and a half weeks has arrived from New Zealand!), and my snow boots.  Therefore, I was more than happy to stand amongst the falling snow waiting for the bus to arrive!

I even decided to walk to the library after my trip to the post office...

Also, at work, they have put up all of the Christmas decorations.  Pretty much as soon as Thanksgiving was over, down came the autumn leaves and corn decorations, and they have been replaced by living garland and twinkly deer which stand in every available garden.  The 20 foot Christmas tree in the Village though is my favourite...

A hard fought battle

Listen to this while reading: Azealia Banks - 212 (Mainly because this song amps me up, and gets me in the mood for some car racing!)

Yesterday morning, I woke up at 6:30am and braved the cold weather in order to find somewhere to watch the final race of the 2012 Formula 1 season.  I have been a Red Bull racing fan for years, and wanted to see my favourite driver Sebastian Vettel win the season in this race. 

As Sunday seems to be football day here, I had had a difficult time finding a sports bar or restaurant televising the Formula One racing, and had spent last Sunday wandering through different establishments asking if someone would spare one TV to put the race on.  Hell, I’d have watched that thing on the street if someone was showing it.

Thankfully, this all changed when I approached Roberto’s Mexican Bar and Restaurant located on Old Mammoth Road.  The man behind the bar was so helpful and said he would be willing to dedicate a television to the race, and even open up three hours early (8am on a Sunday!) purely to accommodate me!

As extreme luck would have it, my driver, the best driver, ended up winning the season with a solid recovery from last to sixth place in the race.  Third consecutive world champion Sebastian Vettel once again inspires me to do anything possible to reach where I want to be.  If you're not where you want to be, ask yourself, why not?  Back in March I wrote a post after attending the Australian Grand Prix and that everyone can be extraordinary in their own right.  His win renews my faith in myself that indeed I can too.

Now only 108 days until the 2013 F1 season starts.  Not that I'm counting or anything...

The Chutes baby!

Listen to this while reading: Astrud Gilberto - The Gentle Rain (RJD2 remix)

A couple of days ago, I moved apartments here in Mammoth.  I had been in a 6 person, 3-bedroom apartment on Lupin Street, which is affectionately known as ”the ghetto of Mammoth”.  I was sharing my room with a girl I had met on the plane from LA, Lexie, and we were getting along swimmingly - so this was not a problem.  However, there were a couple of issues with other people in the apartment not respecting quiet hours (which, just so you know and can see where I'm coming from, are from 10pm until 8am).  These are pretty reasonable if you ask me, especially considering most Mountain employees work irregular shifts.

At present, I’m working the 3pm until 11pm shift at The Village Lodge, which means I won’t be going to sleep until around 1am, and would really appreciate being able to sleep at least until 8am.  Both Lexie and I decided to talk to Mammoth Mountain Employee Housing and see what our options were.  Thankfully, the amazing Laura at Housing said there was a lovely 6 bedroom place in a different apartment block called The Chutes.  For an extra nominal amount per night, we could move into this apartment and have our own individual bedrooms.  Obviously, we jumped at the chance.

So here’s a quick glimpse of my room at The Chutes:

(You will note in this picture my BRAND NEW snowboard has arrived by the fantastic people at FedEx!! Ohh, it's it pretty!?!?!)