Northern AZ Road Trip: Part 2

Onward and upward...

The next stop on the trip, excluding the pseudo-detour to Sunset Crater Volcano, was Page, Arizona.

Advertised as a resort town, Page was nothing more than a glorified rest stop. Before I delve into the details of Page, though, I want to talk a little about the drive up.

For those of you who can appreciate a nice sunset and a panoramic view of the world as far as the eyes can see, I recommend a trip to the desert at some point. Between Sedona and Page, the only city you come near is Flagstaff, and only near enough to see the snowcapped mountains of its ski resorts.

But when you take Route 89 north through the vast, empty expanses of the Arizona midlands, you get breathtaking scenery. Hills rise into mountains, and mountains shed their curves to become jagged rocky crests, flatlands open into canyons. Greens and browns and reds and oranges in shades you've never seen envelope you. We managed to catch this treasure right as the sun sank beneath the mountains on the horizon. The wide open skies let you see the entire gradient of colors in every direction. Behind us, it was a shade of pink-orange that Crayola probably couldn't name. In front, there was a deep purple-grey that hovered over the Vermilion Cliffs in the distance.

Unfortunately, our cameras could not do these moments justice, so you'll just have to trust my descriptions.

To Page.



Had we seen this sign upon first entering the town, we would have thought "Nice, they outline some of the attractions for us." However, we entered during the night and did not see the sign until the following morning. Of course, after discovering what the town had to offer, we just laughed. A lot. And circled around to get a good picture. That was IT. All the town had. No downtown. No restaurants open past nine. The hotel was nice enough, though.

I bet you're wondering why we went to Page in the first place? Let me answer your question with a question. Have you ever seen anything like this?







This is Antelope Canyon. One of Arizona's famed slot canyons. The canyon is formed by a combination of flash floods and wind passing through soft sandstone. Unfortunately, I don't have the photography know-how or a good enough camera to really capture this place either. To get to the canyon, we had to hire a Navajo guide to drive us to the entrance, which you would hardly notice if you weren't looking for it. It's named a slot canyon for good reason: the entrance is a narrow slot in the side of the canyon. And the roof of the canyon is a narrow slot in the ground above us. We caught it at a slow time for tourism, but also at a bad time for overhead sun. Summer time gives you the best view, but you have to fight hundreds of people through the canyon and wait your turn for pictures, all the while hoping no one gets in your shot and ruins it.

Antelope Canyon is about five miles east of Page.

Next stop was Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam. I didn't know what either of these were, but they were both about two miles northwest of Page.





Page (and the surrounding attractions) sits right on the Arizona-Utah border. So we decided to drive a little way into Utah so we could say we were in Utah. That was about all it was good for. The nearest city was 60 miles away, and we had more on the agenda for the day. So, our 10 minute trek into the next state was enough. We pulled a U-ey and headed back south toward Marble Canyon and Lee's Ferry.

So, down we go. Next entry will chronicle our southbound venture toward the Grand Canyon. I'm going to delay the grand finale with a post about Marble Canyon and the Navajo Bridge before we wrap this thing up together.

Northern AZ Road Trip: Part 1

Without further ado...

I'm finally getting around to posting about our amazing road trip through Arizona. The idea kind of started on a whim. We decided to be spontaneous and take a vacation inside our vacation. So, with the Christmas money I got from my Grandmother, I decided to do some sightseeing...experience what Arizona actually has to offer beyond long, toilsome hours buried in law school text books.

So, Melissa and I sat down in front of Google maps and charted out our journey.



Stop 1: Sedona, Tlaquepaque
Our last trip to Sedona was great, but I was really sick so I couldn't really enjoy the whole experience. And we didn't have enough time to see some of the things we wanted to see. So, we went back. Sedona is about two and a half hours of driving through beautiful landscapes. As you leave the Phoenix area, things slowly turn to a different shade of brownish-grey, the cacti disappear, and trees appear intermittently along the highway. By the time you're getting close, you notice the red rock formations for which Sedona is famous. It's called Red Rock Country for good reason.

One small disclaimer, before I go on: There are countless sights we did not get to see that we still plan on seeing. I may mention a few in passing.

So we passed Camp Verde and Montezuma's Village (one of those sights for another time) and entered Sedona, which is perpetually under construction. We stopped at an information center before we entered the town and had a nice chat with one of the attendants there. He turned out to be from Aberdeen...small world. He recommended a few sites along the way which I will mention as they come.

We hit Bell Rock...


We went back to the Chapel of the Holy Cross...


Then we headed up to Tlaquepaque, "the art and soul of Sedona"...





Tlaquepaque is kind of a shopping plaza, but more. It's hard to explain its allure, but it exists, I promise. It's full of arts and crafts and paintings and photography exhibits from local artists (not necessarily from Sedona, but regionally local). I almost spent hundreds of dollars, but fortunately Melissa was the voice of reason this time. I did buy two inexpensive prints from a set, depicting a sunset over a desert landscape with cacti. They are set in hand-cut mats. We had extra frames for them.

After a few hours, we decided to get on our way to Page, AZ.

We looked for Sunset Crater Volcano along the way (recommendation of the Aberdeen man), but were relatively unsuccessful in finding it. We found the sign for it, but we didn't feel like delving too deep into a detour when we were antsy to get on the road. Page was another four hours north of Sedona.


The journey to Page will be another entry. Stay tuned...

Back from Vacation

So much has been going on since we last spoke.

I've been home. My sister got married. Christmas happened. New Year's, too, back in Tempe. Virginia Tech finally won the Orange Bowl. I finally made it to Sedona and beyond.

Melissa and I decided last week to take a quasi-spontaneous road trip through northern Arizona. We packed up and left on Monday with a hotel room for Monday night in Page, AZ. The rest of the trip was going by the seat of our pants.

I'll chronicle this trip in a three entry series with pictures.

In the meantime, a few quips about everything else that's happening.

I passed all my classes. It wasn't pretty, but I'm officially a 1.5L (my own term...I don't know if that's the accepted legal terminology). I dropped over $700 on text books for the spring.

Liz is married. The wedding was a blast. She had it at St. John's College in Annapolis. The reception was beautiful. Beautiful bride. I'm glad to have Zach in the family.


My two weeks at home were way too busy. I tried to squeeze everyone in at least once. I know I missed some people. But I did my best. It was great seeing the people I did see.

We (me, Melissa, her aunt and grandfather, and my mom) took a trip into DC to do a little museum-ing. It was a very nice last day in Maryland. Melissa's parents took us to a Maryland basketball game (a win over American). I got all sorts of fun things for Christmas. No complaints at all.

Back in Tempe for New Years, we went to the Insight Bowl (Kansas over Minnesota), then to Tempe Town Lake for a block party and rang in the New Year's with Styx. I met Elvis.


A McDaniel/Haik family trip to Sedona after that was a blast, too, except that I was really sick. Came down with a vicious cold/fever combo that knocked me out for a few days. I'm still recovering.

Moving on to post-road trip things...I have little to say. The rest I'll cover in my Great American Northern Arizona Road Trip 2009 series.

Dreading classes starting again on Tuesday. I was just getting used to all this free time.

Food Democracy Now

Stolen from my brother's blog, which found it on BoingBoing:

If the quoted text (below) sounds like something you might agree with, we recommend going to http://www.fooddemocracynow.org/ and signing the petition. There are some significant figures whose names appear on it already. Join the movement.

Dear President-Elect Obama,

We congratulate you on your historic victory and welcome the change that your election promises to usher in for our nation. As leaders in the sustainable agriculture and rural advocacy community we supported you in record numbers during the caucus, primary and general election because of the family farm-friendly policies that you advocated during your campaign.

As our nation’s future president, we hope that you will take our concerns under advisement when nominating our next Secretary of Agriculture because of the crucial role this Secretary will play in revitalizing our rural economies, protecting our nation’s food supply and our environment, improving human health and well-being, rescuing the independent family farmer, and creating a sustainable renewable energy future.

We believe that our nation is at a critical juncture in regard to agriculture and its impact on the environment and that our next Secretary of Agriculture must have a broad vision for our collective future that is greater than what past appointments have called for.

Presently, farmers face serious challenges in terms of the high costs of energy, inputs and land, as well as continually having to fight an economic system and legislative policies that undermine their ability to compete in the open market. The current system unnaturally favors economies of scale, consolidation and market concentration and the allocation of massive subsidies for commodities, all of which benefit the interests of corporate agribusiness over the livelihoods of farm families.

In addition, America must come to understand the environmental and human health implications of industrialized agriculture. From rising childhood and adult obesity to issues of food safety, global warming and air and water pollution, we believe our next Secretary of Agriculture must have a vision that calls for: recreating regional food systems, supporting the growth of humane, natural and organic farms, and protecting the environment, biodiversity and the health of our children while implementing policies that place conservation, soil health, animal welfare and worker’s rights as well as sustainable renewable energy near the top of their agenda.

Today we have a nutritional and environmental deficit that is as real and as great as that of our national debt and must be addressed with forward thinking and bold, decisive action. To deal with this crisis, our next Secretary of Agriculture must work to advance a new era of sustainability in agriculture, humane husbandry, food and renewable energy production that revitalizes our nation’s soil, air and water while stimulating opportunities for new farmers to return to the land.

We believe that a new administration should address our nation’s growing health problems by promoting a children’s school lunch program that incorporates more healthy food choices, including the creation of opportunities for schools to purchase food from local sources that place a high emphasis on nutrition and sustainable farming practices. We recognize that our children’s health is our nation’s future and that currently schools are unable to meet these needs because they do not have the financial resources to invest in better food choices. We believe this reflects and is in line with your emphasis on childhood education as a child’s health and nutrition are fundamental to their academic success.

We understand that this is a tall order, but one that is consistent with the values and policies that you advocated for in your bid for the White House. We realize that more conventional candidates are likely under consideration; however, we feel strongly that the next head of the USDA should have a significant grassroots background in promoting sustainable agriculture to create a prosperous future for rural America and a healthy future for all of America’s citizens.

With this in mind, we are offering a list of leaders who have demonstrated a commitment to the goals that you articulated during your campaign and we encourage you to consider them for the role of Secretary of Agriculture.
The Sustainable Choice for the Next U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

1. Gus Schumacher, Former Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Former Massachusetts Commissioner of Agriculture.
2. Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director, Center for Rural Affairs, Lyons, NE.
3. Sarah Vogel, former two-term Commissioner of Agriculture for the State of North Dakota, attorney, Bismarck, ND.
4. Fred Kirschenmann, organic farmer, Distinguished Fellow, Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Ames, IA and President, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY.
5. Mark Ritchie, current Minnesota Secretary of State, former policy analyst in Minnesota’s Department of Agriculture under Governor Rudy Perpich, co-founder of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy.
6. Neil Hamilton, attorney, Dwight D. Opperman Chair of Law and Professor of Law and Director, Agricultural Law Center, Drake University, Des Moines, IA.

Grizzly Adams...?

...did have a beard.

I decided almost two weeks ago to grow a finals beard. I've never had a beard before. And at the ripe old age of 25, I still can't grow a full beard (the force is strong, but it's a little sparse and patchy in random spots). But it's...growing on me. Get it?

It goes through phases. The first couple days were fine. That slightly overgrown stubble works for most people. But the severely awkward in between stages that come after stubble, but before it's clear that you are trying to grow a beard...that's when it's embarrassing to leave the house.

I made sure my intentions were clear to everyone that saw me. Before they could think to themselves, "Yikes, he should shave until he can actually grow a full man's beard," I pointed out my superstitious ploy not to shave until after finals. Now that it's become a part of me, I'm wondering if I'm going to be okay with shaving it on Tuesday. It was a rough week of itchy awkwardness that I don't expect to want to repeat.

Then again, my sister is getting married in less than a week, and she would probably appreciate me looking a little cleaner since I'm standing up in the wedding. And no one in my family likes facial hair (my paternal grandmother particularly hated it). My brother has experimented with it, but is, as far as I know, clean-shaven these days.

Melissa was against it at first, but has begun to come around.

I even recruited the other two guys I've been studying with to grow beards with me. Fun times. I may even post a picture Tuesday before shaving it off so that everyone can see what I look like with the best beard I have to offer. Who knows, if I do well on my finals, I may make this a semesterly tradition.

Retro-active happy birthday wishes to my mom, who celebrated her day on Saturday (theoretically for me, it's still Saturday since I haven't yet gone to bed, so I'm not late in publicly wishing you well).

Finals

It took me about 30 seconds to realize I was in over my head, so to speak, during my civil procedure midterm. Before you jump to conclusions, I'll explain.

I spent the week leading up to the exam learning everything I could learn about civil procedure. All the things I didn't understand or learn or apply during the semester (which, as a result of my stubbornness and the style of teaching my professor employed, was just about everything) I taught myself. Actually, the more I think about it, the more impressive it is that I even went into the test with any confidence at all. How many people could learn civil procedure in a week?

So why was the test so far outside my scope of understanding? Glad you asked. The simple answer is, we weren't tested on civil procedure. No, the 24 page outline I created as a study guide with every single piece of relevant information, the separate outline indexing each of the applicable Federal Rules of Civil Procedure, and each of the relevant statutes in Title 28 of the U.S.C., was not even the slightest bit helpful on this exam.

You would think the professor who said class attendance was voluntary (I only missed one class all semester not counting the one I missed while I was in Annapolis) would test in a way that didn't involve classroom discussion heavily. Or, maybe he would make the first three questions, comprising one hour of the two and half allotted, on legal philosophies and our views on the effects of legal decisions on their respective fields, on the confusion of statutory language, and on the idiomatic references to federal common law, requiring that our views on these topics reflect only classroom examples. That would probably do a much better job of testing us on our knowledge of civil procedure. I hope that's what he did. Oh wait, that is what he did.

Nothing kills studying confidence and momentum like walking in the door knowing you're going to do well and walking out feeling like it's time to let go of your ankles (sorry parents for the graphic reference, I can't think of a more colorful way to explain it) and in the meantime finding out within 30 seconds of receiving your first final as a law student that even your best attempts at BS-ing won't do.

The only positive is that everyone says my professor doesn't ever fail anyone on anything. And my midterm grade in there (worth 30%) is very solid, top 10 in the class.

Regardless, I have Torts tomorrow. This is the test everyone warned us would be the doozy. So, if Civ. Pro. was the easy one (it was open note, while Torts is closed note), I'm really excited to find out what a difficult exam is like. At least this test is mostly multiple choice. Even if I'm clueless, I'm statistically required to get some points.

I'm still feeling good about Contracts on Tuesday, despite not having looked at my notes once for that test since classes ended. I did extremely well on the last midterm, which is being weighted pretty significantly (63/67.5), which was actually a 14/15 on multiple choice. Makes it so I have a little more wiggle room on the final.

Back to the frigid east coast in six days.

Sports, Briefly

I know most of you hate when I blog about sports, but I have to throw a couple comments in about the things that happened this weekend.

First of all, huge amount of pride in VT for winning the ACC Championship. We're heading to the Orange Bowl for the second consecutive year (very big deal, to those of you who aren't familiar with the process). With the way this team played for most of the season, it's a miracle we made a bowl game. But we won when it counted most, which is more than you can say about every other team in the ACC. We survived one of the most bizarre conference seasons in history, but it turned out to be somewhat historic. A conference record 10 teams are going to bowl games. We have a league-best .771 win percentage over out of conference teams. The only problem with the league is that it doesn't have any stars.

As for the Redskins, I can't begin to describe my disappointment. I wish the Redskins brass would realize Jason Campbell is not the answer. He's awful. He doesn't belong in the NFL. I was against the team drafting him in the first round. I've been against him starting ever since he took over for Mark Brunell. While they're getting rid of him, they could ship Carlos Rogers off, too. The two of them were first round picks out of Auburn. Their senior year, the Tigers went undefeated in the SEC and didn't get an opportunity to play in the National Championship. I think they've had a loser's mentality ever since.

Virginia Tech basketball is showing signs of life. Sure, we trailed Navy at the half, but we scored 51 points in the second half to pull out a big W on the road. Yay, Hokies.

T-minus 2 days until Civil Procedure exam.