SOME VERY GOOD ADVICE FOR VAGABONDS WHO WANT SIMPLE

Since we are heading into serious travel time, I thought my fellow Nomads might want some good advice on what, how and why to use only a Carry- On Bag when you travel afar. This is an excellent article on how to do that and avoid long check in lines and the worrisome trip to pick up your checked bag. If you have ever landed and your checked bag is nowhere to be found, like my bag on our trip to Greece, you know of what I speak. It was really not fun and very stressful. And it costs me about fifty dollars in cab fares to go pick up my bag at the Athens Airport. 

This traveler/writer used only a Carry-On for a trip that included nine countries. In any book, that's impressive. She tells you how to do it from buying the right luggage, what to carry and how to pack all your clothes and other important stuff the modern Vagabond must have.  My guess, it's probably much simpler for men. As usual, the females in our lives have more to deal with. But that's a long and complicated subject for another day. 

So just click below to read one well informed opinion on the simpler way to travel with only a Carry On Bag:

I TRAVELED THROUGH NINE COUNTRIES WITH JUST A CARRY-ON - AND I'M NEVER CHECKING A BAG AGAIN

Happy Trails To You and Pack Light

d.l.tafford
thenomadARCHITECT

And just a quick packing lesson from the one and only Mr. Bean. Enjoy.

A QUICK RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT TODAY - SOME ADVICE FROM A TRAVEL PRO

OK. Travel Season is heating up. So, I found this interesting article with advice from a seasoned veteran of the skies. Checking luggage, reading material, checking into your room? He covers these things and some other itemsfor Vagabonds that carry way too much stuff, etc., etc. etc.!! From Travel & Leisure Magazine in an interview with Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson some things to think about before and during your next trip around the world or down the road.

So just click on the link to get some simple, quality advice from a guy that travels over 200 days a year -

https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-tips/marriott-ceo-arne-sorenson-tips?did=357935-20190401&utm_campaign=just-in_newsletter&utm_source=travelandleisure.com&utm_medium=email&utm_content=040119&cid=357935&mid=19810731261

In the mean time -  "Don't listen to what they say. Go see." - Anonymous

And for a humorous take on International Travel, here's a clip of Jim Gaffigan doing his thing.



Happy Trails & Pack Light

d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - FOR SERIOUS VAGABONDS AND NOMADS ONLY - A LITTLE HELP GETTING ALL YOUR STUFF IN

OK - If you travel a good bit, you know and I know that you can't ever fit EVERYTHING you need in your Carry On or your Checked Bag. So today's important information is delivered to you courtesy of  Travel & Leisure Magazine entitled You've Been Rolling Your Clothes All Wrong. Here's the Correct Way to Do It.  Just click and watch the video and you will become an overnight packing expert.

It may take a little extra time to roll everything the way the T&L experts say, but, think about how cool it will be if you can get it all in and, when you get to your room, your stuff isn't wrinkled.

We are getting to Springtime, so it's time to get out the Bucket List, plan and just go. We've already planned a three day sojourn to a winery/hotel/spa only four hours  from God's Country in late March. I'll report on what appears to be an amazing winery, hotel and spa in North Georgia when we return. So, in the meantime, get packing and save yourself some time and wrinkles using the expert advice from T&L. Otherwise you may end up like this guy - Non-Vagabond Way To Pack.

Happy Trails and Remember - Travel To New Places Makes It All Better!

d.l.stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - LUCILLA SHOW ME SOME LOVE

This quick post is for people within an easy drive to the capital of God's Country - Tallahassee, Florida. I have to share this alert to cool people, foodies and people who will not settle. February 14, 2019 - Valentines Day - I took the love of my life to eat at a great little restaurant that we were impressed with  some months ago. And all I can say, beyond any shadow of any doubt - If you want a great, romantic meal then put this small boutique restaurant that serves passionately prepared food and great wine, with incredible service, on your bucket list. Even the name is cool - LUCILLA, a simple bistro with a simple concept - Serve amazing food with great service.

Just to get your mouth prepared here was our menu:

Bread - Incredible bread hot and tasty.

Calamari - Like I have never tasted with a sauce that only a well educated culinary artist could prepare.

Wedge Salad - So big my bride ordered it for her main dish. She is still talking about it. Most restaurants do not know how to make a really good wedge salad, but these guys are pros.

Fried Oysters - I am not an oyster fan, but, Susie is. Her take - Perfezionare!!! These perfect oysters were served with roasted tomatoes & a killer sauce.

Shrimp & Grits - OMG - I have had shrimp & grits from North Carolina to South Florida and they all fall short compared to the delicately fried shrimp and Low Country Grits in Lucilla's heavenly dish.

Wine - It doesn't get any better than a nice French Bordeaux. We took the small amount remaining home and finished it. If that's not to your liking, they have a nice sampling of other great wines to choose from.

And the prices for this great little culinary experience are not too bad, especially when you are trying to impress the one you love or just having a special meal with family and friends

So, don't ponder - Call, make a reservation and enjoy a meal to die for at this very cool little place serving some of the best food you will ever have.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well." - Virginia Woolf

Eat Well My Fellow Vagabonds,

d.l.stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

JUST A NOTE ON THE GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE HISTORY OF HUMANKIND - GOD BLESS AMERICA!!

Not much to write on our nation's birthday, except to say - Just click on the link below to see why we live in the greatest country in the history of the world

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY 2018






And I'll leave you with a profound inspirational presentation by the great American icon of country music- Johnny Cash:

So, Enjoy this blessed day to celebrate the birth of our great nation.

d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

VAGABOND ALERT - WHY IS THE FOOD SO BAD ON AIRPLANES?

AIRLINE FOOD IS ALWAYS NOT VERY GOOD, SOMETIMES AWFUL AND SOMETIMES JUST FREAKING DISGUSTING. 

Just a quickie for ALL Vagabonds who have experienced some of the disgusting food that is put on your drop down tray. I have posted numerous times about the utter lack of edible food - cashew nuts not withstanding - served on airplanes. So here is a must read for people who wish to be informed.

WHY DOES AIRLINE FOOD SUCK? Just click the link and be informed. One piece of advice - buy some munchies before you get on the plane. That will help get you through the inedible part of the trip.

Happy Trails My Fellow Vagabonds 

D.L.Stafford

thenomadarchitect

P.S. - I just flew round trip DELTA from Tallahassee to Athens then from Lisbon to Tallahassee - the Master Chefs have NOT addressed the garbage that was served on any of our flights. Actually, I think they could make a lot of people happy if they would just give everyone a bag of Mini-Snickers when seated and forget the rest.

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - IT'S THE END OF SUMMER - I JUST HAD TO SHARE THIS !!

THE SOLAR ECLIPSE - OH MY OH MY OH MY!!!!

OK. Obviously I have taken the summer off. I have not been that busy, I have just been slackin' and enjoying my new grandson. But, with the Solar Eclipse just around the corner, a very observant  writer who lives near me in God's Country, Charlie Porretto, shared a Q & A Session concerning the 100 year event to happen on the 21st of August 2017. 

 

And, if you travel to the one of the right places along the path of the eclipse and want to spend an inordinate amount of money for a place to lay your head while preparing for the two and a half minute event - you can probably score a room for three nights in Jackson Hole for around $700 per night - you need to read this so you will be completely informed about the many different aspects and unintended consequences due to the blessed event.

 

SOLAR ECLIPSE

Charlie Porretto

 

Q. What causes a total eclipse to happen?

A. The best way to understand it is to imagine that the Earth is a cantaloupe, and the moon is a grape. The grape travels in a circular path (technically called a “trajectory”) around the cantaloupe, while at the same time the cantaloupe travels around a flaming basketball representing the sun. Once in a great while, the grape reaches a certain point (the “hypotenuse”) that causes it to cast an unusually harsh shadow (the “penumbra”) and the resulting reduction in temperature extinguishes the basketball, thus plunging the cantaloupe into total darkness.

Q. So you’re saying that during an eclipse the sun actually goes out? A. Only for a few minutes. It usually comes back. Q. What if it rains on Aug. 21?

A. The eclipse will be held the following Monday.

Q. What if the Russians hack the eclipse? A. The president has already prepared a strong retaliatory tweet containing, according to a White House source, “very few punctuation errors.” Q. How can I tell if I am in the path of the eclipse?

A. Look outside. If you see strangers parked on your lawn, you are in the path.

Q. What will I experience during the eclipse?

A. It will get dark.

Q. Seriously?

A. Yes.

Q. That’s IT? Where I live that happens every night.

A. Perhaps so, but in an eclipse, after it gets dark, it — prepare for some celestial excitement — gets light again!

Q. Wow.

A. Yes! Isn’t it amazing?

Q. I was being sarcastic. You’re telling me millions of people are traveling long distances and paying insane hotel rates just to see it get dark?

A. In some areas there will also be wine tastings. Get ready for the 2017 solar eclipse Get ready for the August 21, 2017 solar eclipse! Parts of the U.S. will witness a total eclipse. Find out what you'll see based on your location. NASA

Q. What safety measures should I take when viewing the eclipse?

A. Safety experts strongly recommend that you wear steel-tipped shoes, a hard hat and ear protection. Also you should remain indoors in an uncomfortable crouch until the “all clear” has sounded.

Q. If I remain indoors, how can I view the eclipse?

A. Safety experts do not consider that to be their problem.

Q. Will the eclipse cause any unusual phenomena to occur?

A. Yes. Scientists tell us that during the eclipse UPS trucks will appear to be green, microwave ovens will actually make food colder, and any Starbucks beverage with a name ending in “ino” will spontaneously explode. Also all of the television sets on Earth, even those that are turned off, will simultaneously show the same “My Pillow” commercial. In the natural world, birds will migrate up and down instead of horizontally. Whales will suddenly question whether they really like plankton, or just eat it because it’s available. Certain breeds of dog may develop a primitive sense of sarcasm. Also herds of cattle have been known to spontaneously re-enact the rumble scene from “West Side Story.” All of these phenomena are perfectly normal and nothing to be concerned about, according to top eclipse scientists, who incidentally will be spending Aug. 21 in a mountain bunker in Peru.

Q. What about the religious groups who are claiming that this eclipse will trigger the end of the world?

A. Safety experts note that this is yet another argument for remaining indoors.

Thank you Mr. Porretto for this incisive, in depth, informative and education writing on the comings and goings of the sun, moon and earth at this special time in the New Millenium.

 

And for those of you who will travel to see the big show, enjoy yourselves and - Make sure you get the glasses before you go!!!!

 

 

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

RANDON VAGABOND ALERT - THIS IS ABSOLUTELY NUTS!!

OK - If you are a budget conscious vagabond and long to travel to faraway lands in Europe AND you want to throw in a side trip to Iceland for a few days, but you can't bring yourself to pull that trigger because the flights to Paris or Barcelona or Milan or anywhere else across the pond are just too steep, then The Nomad Architect has something you need to see. I mean this deal is shamadelicious, bona fide crazy and simply unbelievable. But I have checked it out and it is the real deal. If you are willing to be flexible, you can have a great trip with a side adventure in one of the most enchanting places in the northern hemisphere. Read on fellow vagabonds. This deal can scratch your wanderlust itch for a song.

WOW and Then Some!!!!!

 

We will start this little adventure with one simple word - WOW. That's right, WOW Airlines, based in Iceland, is the highly rated newest member of the low cost airline market and they have recently started flights from select US airports (Boston, New York, DC, etc.) to numerous European destinations (Paris, Barcelona, Amsterdam, etc.). Much like Ryan Air of the UK, they do charge for everything, but, if you're smart, you can get to Paris and back for under $450, including one carry on and one checked bag or $350 with only one carry on. And even if you have to get to one of the airports  WOW flies from, you can still do this on the cheap, compared to normal flights with  Delta or other major carriers. But the good news doesn't end there. As part of their low price offers, you can fly to Reykjavik, stay a few days and wander around the beautiful small country of Iceland (It only has 330,000 plus residents), then catch your flight to Paris or some other destination and then fly back to your US destination. It's almost like a two-fer.

The only catch with these ridiculous fares is the necessity to be smart AND flexible to get the lowest price or travel with one change of clothes in your single carry on and stay where washers and dryers are available. Don't laugh, I just read an article by a fearless traveler who spent a year traveling in Eurasia with one carry on bag. To assist my fellow vagabonds with this process and to help you get the lowest price, just follow this link - WOW Stopover In Iceland and additional details with this link - How Does the WOW Stopover Work?.

You Gotta Find A Place Right?

Just because I CARE and I want my readers to have the best of the best, at reasonable prices- here  are some links to cool places to stay in Iceland depending on your budget. And, of course, you can utilize these same sites for your stay in Europe.

I-Escape. I have personally used this great bundler for high design places many times. This link lists numerous places in Iceland that will give you a comfy place to lay your head and enjoy this small, eco-centric country from high to low price.

AIRBNB. I just stayed a week in yet another killer place from AIRBNB in Sonoma and for a lot less than I would have paid in a major hotel. They have 300 plus rentals in Iceland from very cheap to very expensive.

TABLET. Since you will save so much on your flights, you may want to check out TABLET HOTELS for a more expensive place to rest your weary bones after hiking the hinterland all day.

So there you have it. If you have those wanderlust blues and need a fix for less money, WOW has the plan for you to enjoy some serious away time on the cheap. And don't postpone too long - the deal may go away and it starts getting pretty cold in November in The Land of Fire & Ice.

Góða Ferð My Fellow Vagabonds,

D.L. Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

VAGABOND ALERT & RANT - ALL THE GOLD IN CALIFORNIA

 

IS NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF A BANK IN BEVERLY HILLS - NO SIREE, MY FELLOW VAGABONDS, IT'S IN A SAFE AT THE POST RANCH INN AT BIG SUR. 

 

I have dedicated myself, through this blog, to the almost daily task of finding hotels and other places worthy of the nomads, vagabonds and travelers that place design at the top of their list of important attributes for places they lay their heads - not the size of the communal hot tub or how good WIFI is or the free slippers (ugh!).

 

I have known about the Post Ranch Inn for a number of years. It is regularly voted the No. 1 hotel in America by writers, travel bloggers and various other travel media bloviators. Of course, most of these "experts" have, more than likely, never stayed there. I mean, even Conde Naste doesn't budget for the insane prices of this "Sanctuary for The Soul"- their tagline not mine. The prices for this place several hundred feet above the Pacific start at $1,225 for a non ocean view "tree house" to an utterly usurious $2,000 for the cu de "room with a view", depending on the season. My fellow vagabonds, do the math. At those prices and an 80% occupancy rate that works out to an Average Annual Take of $17,081,600 ($1,500 Average per Night x 39 Rooms X 365 days x .8 = $17,081,600). To quote John McEnroe - YOU CANNOT BE SERIOUS!!!!

 

And everybody doesn't get a warm and fuzzy after plunking down enough dough for two round trip tickets to anywhere in Europe you might want to venture for one night of heaven on the Pacific. If you don't believe me, check out the review by a less than impressed former guest.

 

“The worlds most expensive Camp Site! ”

Reviewed April 11, 2015

Put Lipstick on a pig and it's still a pig!!!!!

The great bit is the location and the views. That's where it finished for me, all down hill from there.

We had booked 2 nights in an ocean view room, we were told we had to move which was not a problem. However on check in we were told the room we had booked for the second night wasn't available and they had upgraded us to a tree house, which was actually cheaper. After a short protest they found an ocean view room, and agreed to maintain the rate. When we booked I mentioned my daughter may be with us, however on check in I was told there was a $200 per evening surcharge to cover laundry and the breakfast that was included.

Ok so to the room, basically the rooms need to be completely gutted and refitted. Back in the 70's they would probably just about be acceptable. There were so many things falling to pieces, doors didn't fit, the room was so dark and cold you couldn't really stay in there and relax. An old fashioned aircon unit hung on the wall that was supposed to heat and cool, basically useless and noisy.

The beds, bedding, towels were all so worn out. The slippers there for you to use has been worn by a previous guest, disgusting.

Basically everything inside the door was old and needed to be thrown away that included all the furniture and fittings.

Dinner was an experience as well, we first had a table just inside the door where they were preparing table setting next to us, I asked to me moved. The food was average, not bad but definitely not worth $120 each without drink. There were clear favorite guests there who got all the attention.

Cold night in the room !!!!!! Heating couldn't be left on it was so noisy.

Forgot to mention there are no TVs in the rooms at all and the wifi is painfully slow.

Breakfast was a fiasco, even though I had paid $200 for my daughter to have this great breakfast. No cereal, yogurt, pastries, limited fruit and only orange juice. We walked past the kitchen to notice a chef digging his hand into a bowl of pineapple just about to be out in the fridge, again disgusting.

The next evening in the new room which was even darker and more rundown we couldn't get the heat to work at all. In the morning we woke to discover flying bugs all over my daughters bed and our luggage. Apparently this is normal according to the hotel.

Didn't bother to wait to try breakfast again just wanted to get out ASAP.

So for $2000 per night does that sound value. The hotel is always booked but I bet most don't return for second visit.

 

Now, in the interest of fair and balanced, there are numerous extremely positive reviews. Apparently by people who are in denial. I guess when you spend that much on a hotel, you will not, you cannot admit you blew it. We will be heading out to Big Sur soon, and we stumbled on a very cool AIRBNB for 1/10th the price with massive views of the Pacific overlooking Los Lobos Point just five minutes from Carmel, its restaurants, its galleries and all the other stuff that vagabonds dig. So there! I will tell you all about it when we get back.

 

So, my fellow Nomads, if you want to spend your hard earned travel dollars on a place that takes snob appeal to a whole new level (Their decent wine starts at $125 a bottle), head on out to the Post Ranch Inn. But, if you want to stay in a cool place and have enough money for more than Chitos and a Coke, stay tuned to The Nomad Architect - 'cause we're lookin' out for you.

 

California Dreamin'  Indeed

 

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VAGABOND ALERT - DATELINE APRIL 2 MMXV

HOLD ON, THEY'RE COMIN'-HOW TO HAVE MORE MONEY IN YOUR POCKET WHEN YOU GET ON THAT ROCKET!

That's right fellow vagabonds, travelers, wanderers, searchers, seekers, fly boys & fly girls and nomads who need a break - the good old USA is soon to have somebody to compete with the greedy, money grubbing "we charge for everything" airlines like Delta, United, KLM, Air France, British Airways ad nauseam. The latest news about low fare airlines is going to be a boon for penny pinching Nomads who want to cross the pond or just catch a quick flight to Cleveland without 3 - 2 hour layovers.

 

RYAN AIR - CHEAPOS LOVE THEM - UPPITIES HATE THEM

 

RYAN AIR is coming to America. Ridiculous fares can already be had in the UK and the rest of Europe from/to selected cites. How does a round trip TIX for a paltry $65 from London to Barcelona grab ya? I thought so. Now, you have to read their rule book about luggage, carry-ons, on line purchases, etc., and they charge for every extra. But, if you are a savvy vagabond, and what reader of this blog isn't, you can plan and pack accordingly. A specific date is not set yet, and the first flights will probably only be from Boston and New York. They tend to fly to second tier airports. But who cares? You can save enough money to sleep in a five star instead of on your long lost cousin's couch. If Ryan Air makes a go of it on the Transatlantic routes, it will be a matter of time before you can catch that flight from Nashville to Cleveland for ten bucks. Click here to read a take on this from the SKIFT travel blog. I mean, other than Southwest, the best and cheapest airline in America, when is the last time you flew an American based airline, landed and walked away with  a good feeling about them or yourself? Hopefully, Ryan Air will make the big boys change their ways.

 

WOWAIR - REYKJAVIC'S ANSWER TO LOW COST QUALITY AIR TRAVEL

 

WOWAIR'S tag line is "Iceland's Most Punctual Airline". Stop laughing! They are serious. I have never been to Iceland, but, based on the quality and prices of their hip hotels, it is not a place that takes traveling well lightly. They are throwing their hat into the ring of the cacophonous US to Europe Airline Market. Click here for a Washington Post article outlining the plan. Depending on when and where you go, you can catch a one way from Boston to Paris for $99. Now that's just insane. Like any low cost air travel provider, you have your lovers and haters. The fact is - you can NEVER, EVER do worse than the bigs. So, I say wowee - zowee to WOWAIR.

 

So, fellow vacationistas, these two little tidbits are worth checking out and tracking to see what they do next. And of course, I will keep you posted when events develop or news is released.

 

HAPPY TRAILS!

 

D.L.STAFFORD

thenomadARCHITECT

VAGABOND ALERT - IT WAS AN ATHLETIC CONTEST FOR THE AGES & I WAS THERE

 

If You Will Allow Me A Little Latitude

This alert is not about travel unless you count the ten minute drive from our place to the local football stadium. It is about college football, America's greatest sport, at its best. Baseball may be America's pastime, but, college football brings out the passion of red blooded Americans like no other sporting endeavor. Hyperbole not withstanding, the athletic contest this weekend past, between two titans of the college football world, was truly epic. And I was there. 

 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL GROUND ZERO - Bobby Bowden Field at Doak Campbell Stadium, Tallahassee, Florida. During the day, it was discussed ad nauseum. ESPN's College Game Day was on the campus of Florida State University, my alma mater, to cover yet another Game of The Century in my home town. Herbstreit, Fowler, Howard and Corso, along with numerous other experts and talking heads, opined on every facet of what would, indeed, become an epic sporting event.  As the sun began to set, ushering in a classic  fall night in God's Country, eighty thousand plus football fans, who will return to normal lives come Monday, went utterly insane for four hours watching two powers of the gridiron play what will surely go down as a football game that will be discussed in epic terms for years.
 

 

The University of Notre Dame, with its tedious fan base, its arrogant you know what coach and its Machiavellian myth machine was in town to play the reigning National Champions, the Florida State Seminoles, who have become the latest success story that sports media and many football fans love to hate. This is a result of sports fan's penchant for wishing the worst on the best and the off field antics of its Heisman winning, gregarious, twenty year old football savant quarterback, Jameis Winston. All of that is for another blog in another place, but, I had to mention it for context.

 

The famed ESPN analyst, Beano Cook, once said that football is a religion in the South. He explained the passion of southern football thusly - "In the north, they hang losing coaches in effigy, but, in the south, they actually hang the coach". Now I have never witnessed an actual coach lynching, but, you get the point. So, even if you are not a football fan, you can surely understand the passionate desire of most of the eighty thousand football fanatics to return the pious Golden Domers of Notre Dame back to South Bend with a loss.
 

 

This One Was Not For Wimps

The game was one of those rare events that you need a strong heart to survive. As I joked to our crew, this game had it all - pathos, comedy, frustration, ineptness, brilliance and, above all, great football. With great play from both teams, this epic gridiron battle of two national powers came down to two plays, one penalty and thirteen seconds. With the score FSU-31 & ND-27, Notre Dame was on the three yard line, after driving the length of the field in about five minutes. Fourth down and goal. Things were not looking good for the 'Noles after a brilliant second half by Winston et al to take the lead. Upon completing a walk in pass for an apparent touchdown, Coach Brian Kelly and his  Fighting Irish began to celebrate.

But wait - You could hear the whispers of those fateful words from the football gods and FSU alum Lee Corso- "Not so fast my friend". Indeed, the small yellow piece of laundry lay in the end zone for all to see. As a weary, emotionally spent crowd of insane football fans waited for what seemed like an eternity, the referee announced an offensive pass interference penalty, known in football vernacular as a pick, against the usual beneficiaries of football karma. the Domers of South Bend.  But on this good night, the unconquered Seminoles would not go quietly.

No touchdown - Replay the down - said the man in the striped uniform.

With a scant thirteen seconds remaining, and the ball now on the eighteen yard line, Notre Dame quarterback and future Heisman candidate, Everett Golson, whose arm was hit by defensive back Jalen Ramsey as he released the ball, threw a wounded duck interception into the hands of streaking Seminole linebacker Jacob Pugh  in the back of the end zone. Then, the deafening sound of eighty thousand screaming  normally normal spectators permeated the crisp fall air, erupting into a cacophonous insanity that non sports fans would call utterly stupid, mindless celebratory behavior unbecoming to right thinking, otherwise intelligent people. Am I embarrassed? I am not. Without the emotional release of college football, I shudder to think what the maladjusted, nomad or couch potato,  might do during the course of their, otherwise, normal lives.

 

So there you have it. Not all great trips require long distance travel. Sometimes, the best of the best is right around the corner. I remember when I saw the Statue of David for the first time, thinking - 1)Leonardo was indeed brilliant and 2) Man that thing is big. This Saturday night past shows that brilliance comes to Nomads in different ways. Both art and spectacle do, indeed, make life better.

 

GO NOLES!!!!

 

D.L. Stafford
thenomadARCHI

TECT
And for those of you that can't get enough, this pregame video of the crowd at Doak Campbell Stadium shows what The Nomad Architect is talking about.

 

  

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - GLAMPING FOR THE "I HAVE TO HAVE MY OWN BATHROOM" SET

These Places Were Never In The Boy Scout Manual

 

Because I am constantly on the prowl for cool spaces in unforgettable places, I subscribe to way too many travel web sites and blogs. However, unlike such purveyors of mediocrity and really small fine print, Groupon and Living Social, and bundle sites such as Kayak and Priceline.com, who never, and I mean never, save you money, sometimes I get noticed with some pretty good deals on some pretty good places. And, of course, since this humble correspondent's only goal is to make you, the wandering vagabond that you have become, a happy camper, I am pleased to bring you some breaking news on actual camping.

 

Yes, that's right - camping. Now, let's be honest. Camping is not everyone's cup of tea. For me personally, I was a Boy Scout for life. Sleeping in a tent and living in the woods was the highlight of my existence until I discovered girls. And I still have fond memories of the Smokies with mom, dad, and brother camping next to a roaring stream and eating food prepared in large skillets and other non-electrical outdoor appliances. It was 1950's high tech at its best. It is amazing how food that you would never eat at home actually taste good after a couple of days in the woods. As another aside, my brother was not, is not and will never be enamored with camping. He says since we learned to walk upright, we should no longer sleep on the ground.  And the activity of modern day camping with all of the current high tech gizmos, solar powered flat screens and infrared grills is well beyond the scope of this blog.

 

As entrepreneurial endeavors go, the guy or gal that thought people would pay big money to sleep in the lap of luxury in tents is apparently on to something. The growth of high and low end camping for nomads is proving that we urbanites long for at least some  assimilation with the great outdoors. However, Baby Boomers grew up with air conditioning, television and automatic dishwashers. And with the proliferation of suburbia, we have distanced ourselves from the real outdoors. Well, glamping, or camping for people like my brother, proves you can have your cake and eat it too. No sir, this is no driving stakes, sleeping in a bag or eating freeze dried whatever. This "style" of camping would have made even Teddy Roosevelt envious.

 

And Now For The Good Part

 

As I said earlier, I receive all manner of offers, deals and "packages" extolling the virtues of tripping with yet another "adventure" travel site for amounts worthy of a medium size line of credit. However, if you want to take the plunge into the great outdoors and don't want to break the bank, then you should check out the latest offer from the Vacationist travel site. If you are not a member, just join online for free.

 

GLACIER UNDER CANVAS has just about everything a yuppified camper - and I mean that in a good way- needs. King size beds and all the comforts of home in a nice walled canvas tent. And you get to wake up to the beauty of one of America's most grand National Parks. In addition to the sleeping tent, you have your choice of  a Safari Tent with a shared bath, A Deluxe tent with a private bath in an adjacent teepee or a Suite with an en suite bath. Prices start at $139 and top out at $276. This is important if not having your own bathroom is a deal breaker, since a majority of glamping places provide shared bathing facilities. And what urban camper, including yours truly,  doesn't need his or her very own loo while communing with the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air? I'm sorry, that's where I draw the line. I lived in a dorm my first year in college and that's the last time I ever shared bathroom facilities. It wasn't pretty. The deal ends March 31, so get busy before the prices go up.

 

And the choices for glamping don't end there. There are numerous luxury camping "tent hotels", yurts, and other alternative outdoor sleeping places to suit every pocketbook while getting you back to the land.  Many are located in some very exotic locales as well. For more information on glamping, check out Glamping.com. It gives some basics on the old/new way to sleep in the great outdoors and contains many links to other glamping sites. And if you want to see someone else's opinion on the best glamping places, then 10 of the Best Glamping Destinations for Travel Snobs would be a good place to start.

 

 

Head 'Em Up Move 'Em Out

 

d.l.Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - PAIN BEGATS FUNNY IN THE MOST UNLIKELY PLACES

Writing, Grooming, Surfing and joie de vivre on AMAZON

 

Newsflash! Today's post is not about travel per se, unless you consider the reality that we still have to groom ourselves while traveling.  Unless you are Anthony Bourdain, who looks like he sleeps in a ditch most of the time, you need to get rid of that unibrow on occasion, not to mention those seemingly endless patches of hair growing in places you never would have expected when you were much younger. For men, in particular, nose and ear hair, disgusting though it may be, has to be dealt with, lest people talk about you in hushed tones. Some Europeans may find the presence of voluminous body hair to be stylish, even sexy, but we Americans have developed the No No Hair business model when it comes to unwanted growth in all the wrong places.

 

Women have been obsessed with good grooming since the ancient Greeks moisturized their skin with honey. But, let's be honest, all men are metrasexuals on some level. We shave, trim and pull out unwanted hair just like the girls. I don't think waxing is an accepted practice yet, but the search for grooming "tools of the trade" is never ending, which brings me to the central point of today's Alert.

 

Relevant Information Found While Surfing

 

As a writer, I am constantly reading other writers. That's one of the many rules laid down by "serious" writers. However, since I am addicted to trolling the internet, primarily to find the next best place to sleep, I have developed a chronic case of ADD. I have the attention span of an eight year old. The internet did it. But that's a discussion beyond the scope of this blog and gets analysis ad nauseum from TV shrinks and pundits 24-7. Because my attention span, or lack therof, is quickly approaching infinity, I take great delight when I read anything clever or interesting in something under the Twitter character max. BTW - It's very rare to read anything interesting on Twitter.  Imagine my delight when I stumbled upon a piece of brilliant comedic writing on, of all places, AMAZON.com. Like a Dave Barry protégé, the reviewer captures the pain and glory of an ill fated "manual" hair remover. It's as if Dennis Miller were writing copy for an early SNL Weekend Update. After reading this little piece of serious humor, I felt the need to share it with my fellow vagabonds. If you are feeling low, this should brighten your day.

 

An actual product and its review direct from AMAZON.com.

 

Groom Mate Platinum XL Nose & Hair Trimmer

by Groom Mate

 

List Price: $29.87

Price:        $18.88

You Save: $10.99 (37%)

• Groom Mate branded nose & ear hair trimmers are considered to be the finest battery-free nose hair trimmers available today. PHR Systems, Ltd. has been manufacturing these fine trimmers here in the USA since 1991.
• The Platinum XL nose & ear hair trimmer is made from 100% stainless steel and includes an unconditional lifetime warranty with a money-back guarantee if not satisfied.
• The Platinum XL trimmer has a patented rotary blade system that is guaranteed to never dull and to never pull or yank out nostril hairs.
• The Platinum XL trimmer will never cut or nick the sensitive lining of your nostril and nose hairs are gently and painlessly trimmed.
• A simple, safe and very effective nose and ear hair trimmer. Give yourself the gift of good grooming today!

 

 

 Ready to get out the credit card - right! Read on

 

One Star  OOOOOWWWWW!!!

Review by Schuylercat on Jun 3, 2010    

 

This little bloodthirsty monster works absolutely fantastic 99% of the time - spin and trim, gets the stragglers that electric back-and-forth models miss, easy and fast.

Then there's that 1%. It transforms, magically, into an instrument of evil Torquemada would have included in his torture kit. It becomes a little set of pliers, rather than a clipper.

Every so often it grabs a hair. It doesn't gently fondle the hair, and it doesn't caress the hair, and it doesn't bloody brush it: it grips it with the strength of ten frickin' Grinches, plus two, and...

It.

Will.

Not.

Let.

Go.

I swear I can hear it giggling over the sound of my screaming.

Torquemada Indeed!

 

So the next time you're standing in front of the mirror, getting ready for a night on the town in Paris, Valencia or some other exotic locale, staring at your state of the art hair remover with the dead battery, you can chuckle at the trailblazer that gave you the unvarnished truth about the one with no power.

 

Remember Fellow Nomads - Grass Doesn't Grow On Busy Streets

d.l.stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

 

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - AMAZING IN MOSCOW

Amazing Grace In The Most Unexpected Of Places

I have never been to Moscow and, quite frankly, it's pretty far down on my bucket list. However, my old college roomie sent me this "amazing" rendition of one of the greatest gospel hymns  ever written. The Russian singer delivers this song with soul from somewhere deep inside and the others singing with him help capture one of the most powerful and touching versions you will ever hear. The short Wikipedia introduction about Amazing Grace says:

"Amazing Grace" is one of the most recognizable Christian hymns in the English-speaking world. The text by English poet and Anglican clergyman John Newton (1725–1807) was first published in 1779. The words describe in first person the move of a "wretch" from a "lost" to a "found" state by a merciful act of God.

Over 6,000 recordings of this ancient song have been made. From Ray Charles to Johnny Cash to Il Divvo to Arlo Guthrie at Woodstock, no less, this hymn of power and belief has become an anthem to lost souls and believers of every persuasion. This version captures the essence of the great lyrical beauty and the soulful quality embodied in this timeless gospel classic. In a word - it's amazing!

 

I'd like to teach the world to sing, indeed - Enjoy!

d.l.Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

RANDON VAGABOND ALERT - IF YOU ARE A SERIOUS AESTHETIC VAGABOND, BUY THIS BOOK

How Do They Do It?

Who knows and who cares? The point is - you can get one of the greatest collections of design oriented travel books for pennies on the dollar. The Hip Hotel Series by Herbert Ypma should be in every Nomad's travel library, architect or not. I have many volumes in this series and have stayed in several of the exquisite places reviewed and noted many others on my Nomad Places to Sleep Before I Die List. My copy of Hip Hotels Atlas which retailed for $50 US, cost a whopping 97 cents plus $3.99 postage. With this beautifully photographed collection of  über cool hotels in your library, you will have a gorgeous coffee table book that will make you feel good and make you look good to your friends when you show them the next cool place on your itinerary.

You get a beautiful and informative book about some of the most unusually designed hotels, B & B's, former estates, converted stone ruins and other off the beaten path places of interest to anyone who loathes big and grandiloquent. Even an ice hotel, complete with snow mobile, gloves, hat, sauna and breakfast, made the cut. For serious world travelers who refuse to settle, this beautifully photographed compilation takes you to Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America and South America. So don't delay - Go straight to Amazon.com and get your copy of  HIP HOTELS ATLAS today. They still have copies at unheard of prices.

Remember - It's Hip To Be Square

D.L. Stafford
thenomadARCHITECT

RANDOM VAGABOND ALERT - A MAN & HIS WOMAN GOING WEST

We're Going Where There Aint' No Heat

 

That's right, while friends and family endure the insufferable heat in God's Country, we are headed to the beautiful COOL state of Oregon. Temps will be in the high 60's. Perfect for over heated Floridians like my bride (Susie) and me. And what better reason or place to celebrate forty years of the good, the better & the best - Lance & Lauren, two  Nomads who also happen to be utterly gorgeous, brilliant and witty kids. As for me, I've been good and bad - mostly bad. She, on the other hand, is the embodiment of perfection on every count. She totally gets me, everybody - and I do mean everybody - that knows her loves her, she is still hot and I still get nervous when she comes into the room! 

So we are headed to a place that bills itself as one of the most romantic enclaves in the Great Northwest. In addition, it sounds utterly zen like in every aspect of its architecture and location amongst a stand of 100 foot trees and numerous outdoor sculptures. It's also eco-friendly to the max. They claim they only had to remove two trees when building the five Craftsman cabins for Wild Springs Guest Habitat in this little patch of Oregon Woods on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. A brief description from their web site:

On five acres of old Native American grounds, WildSpring offers a naturally beautiful, parklike environment where nature is encouraged to express itself with little artifice. On a bluff overlooking the ocean, we're located among a secluded second-growth forest of 100-ft trees in a quiet residential area in the south end of Port Orford.

 

Can you dig it? Of course every new place is an adventure and we won't know if it lives up to its billing and the rave reviews until we get there. If I have done my job, my high expectations will be met and then some. I found this promising Nomad Architect Place To Sleep on one of the best web sites for high design and unique places for Aesthetic Vagabonds - Boutique Homes.

 

Since I am forbidden to carry a laptop when we travel (outstanding rule by the way), I will be tweeting random thoughts about our trip and this unique part of America. If you want to follow my urbane, witty comments, just click on the Twitter link at the top of the right column. Here is a nice video tune by   My Morning Jacket  that captures the essence, at least in my mind, of this little place in the woods we will be for a few very cool  days.
 

See You Soon

D.L. Stafford

thenomadARCHITECT