Week #6- Some Great Album Names

The county of the U.S.A. is amazing. The fact that it spans the width of the whole continent. The fact that almost every type of place can be found here. Considering I took a plane ride from the farmlands of South Jersey from the sprawling metropolis of Philadelphia to the deserts and mountains of Phoenix. It just amazes me that I am still in the same country in such a drastic change of scenery.

This will be my second year in Phoenix. I had a lot of great journeys last year; here is a list of some of them. Hiking South Mountain, Chiricahua National Monument, Grand Canyon, Walnut Canyon, Tubac Glowing Balloon Festival, Tonto Natural Bridge, Watpaki National Monument, Casa Grande, Superstition Wilderness, Canyon Lake, Phoenix Botanical Gardens, and Sunset Crater. And those were just the trips to other places in Arizona.

This week has been weird. The adventure was truly flying from Philly to Phoenix (that kind of sounds like an album name) even though flying isn't much of a journey any more rather than a task that needs to get done. I remember when it used to be an all day event; where if you were flying somewhere it was a big deal and that was your event that day. This one was much different, so let me recount the journey after I got off the plane.

So my friend picked me up from Sky Harbor Airport which is easy to get into but impossible to find your way out of it. So after one full loop around the place we finally figured it out. We are looking a place to live so we drove all around South Phoenix which is an odd place. Every three blocks it changes scenery.

First you're driving through a nice new development, then farm land, then a sketchy neighborhood, then a nice shopping center, and then a weird empty field, then back to the nice neighborhood. Its like that all over Phoenix which confuses me but makes me believe that all the places are a mesh of everything and all types of people.

Then we stopped for lunch at some Popeyes, which is a fast food journey (another good album name) nothing special there just some fried chicken, fries, biscuit, and a drink. We kept looking, and used a lock box to let us into one which was pretty awesome. We are looking for more houses today and hopefully gonna find the one we will move into! That will be a whole separate post for next week!

Anyways after that he dropped me off at the apartment and I relaxed for a bit and then decided to go somewhere so I walked up to the South Mountain, played some pokemon on the way and then went to Tempe Town Lake. This is an awesome park which is situated in between the college city of Tempe (home of Arizona State University) and the Salt River which has been dammed off to make it like a lake setting. They have places to walk, grassy areas (rare for Arizona), a splash pad, Arts building, and boat and board rentals on the Salt River. This place is great on a normal day because you can go and skate, grab some food off of Mill Avenue and eat it at the park, and rent a paddle board and enjoy the cool water. But that day was different; I would say close to 200 people were there just walking around playing pokemon Go. It is officially a cultural and global phenomenon. I didn't think it would blow up like it did! But it is pretty phenomenal to see and to know exactly what everyone is doing.

The next day I had to work (boo) and then I came home and got packed up and went to a smaller park called Kiwanis Park in Tempe just south of Baseline Rd. Again many people playing pokemon. It was nice to walk and have a clear loop that I could walk around enjoy the grass, water, birds, and people watch. I also brought my skateboard but wasn't feeling using it.

That's pretty much the small journeys I've had so far in Phoenix and Tempe (mainly Tempe). I'm closer to Tempe even though I technically live in Phoenix. Anyways on to the next section.

FOOD!

Ry's Bagels (aka Don's Bagels)- Ry's Bagels used be named Don's and if you go to it you will still see a sign out front saying "Don's Bagels" so to me the name never truly changed. It is the best bagel place I've ever been to and it's in little ole' Glassboro, NJ. It has never disappointed me and I almost always get something different. Homemade Bagels of various flavors, homemade cream cheese of various flavors, breakfast sandwiches, sides, coffee, and lunch bagel sandwiches are just a few things on the menu. My two favorites are buffalo chicken on a cheddar bagel or pork roll egg and cheese on an everything bagel. This time I went with the pork roll egg and cheese but on a specialty bagel. Well actually it was just a plain bagel in the shape and color of a pokeball (keeping with the pokemon theme here) Delicious, unique, and perfect as usual!

Mike's Seafood- Before I left for the desert, the last thing I truly wanted was a legitimate seafood dinner and then hang out with my friends. That is exactly what I did; but it was much more exciting than I expected. Mike's is in a place in Sea Isle City, NJ called Fish Alley with all the other fish markets and restaurants. Mikes is a more casual place than the others. It's open air and right over the water on the bay. If you're on the right side you can see the fishing boats pulling in and out of the docks. I ordered the captains special. Fried scallops (my favorite), crab stuffed shrimp, fried flounder, fries, and cole slaw. It was a pretty normal night with the family with a storm brewing in the distance. That storm however was heading right in our direction. Now remember the place is open air; that is a very important part of the experience. Since when the storm finally made it to us and it started raining all the tables on the end were getting soaked and came into the middle. We had a few people join our table to escape the rain. The lightning and thunder was intense especially the one that was directly overhead so there was no delay. Anyways the storm was past within five minutes and everyone dried off their tables and returned to their meals, hopefully not waterlogged. It was an amazing experience to see everyone just accept the storm was here, move away from the edge, and when it was over just go back to their tables and continue their meals without anyone making a fuss or complaining.

Green Mix- I drove past this place every year last year knowing it was there and never stopping. Now I regret doing that. This place is great! Salads, Rice Bowls, Soups, and Sandwiches. It's healthy, delicious, and not expensive as I thought it would be. I was extremely surprised with it and will diffidently be going back again. I had a brown rice bowl with broccoli, red peppers, onions, chicken, a fried egg, and some sweet thai sauce. It was delicious and just enough to fill me up but not make me feel full. I will diffidently be going back for more in the near future!


Well that's the journey this week! I hope you all enjoyed. Next week might not be as adventurous but I will have some stories to tell I'm sure. Anyways follow us on twitter, facebook, and Instagram for more awesome info and pictures throughout the week.

I'm gonna try a new thing this week. Comment on this post, tweet at us, or post on our facebook page a topic and I will write a haiku about it! Please keep it PG but it can be anything within that rating! Hoping to get some good stuff from you guys! Don't disappoint me!

All the Best, Ross

Week 5: Another Philly Trip?!

So again with Philadelphia. It was a day off from work and a few of us wanted go off site, see some cool stuff, get some good food, and of course play some Pokémon Go. Even though the trip was essentially based on where we could go to catch Pokémon, the game took us to pretty amazing places. Every pokestop is of some significance or a historical site and gives you some information about the site. So as you're walking around the city and stopping at places for items, you are getting more information about the places around you. It is a really interesting part of the game that I was not expecting. Here are some of the places we were drawn to in Philadelphia...

Washington Square: A small park just off of Independence Mall is an amazing quiet place away from the main touristy area. It is where the tomb of the unknown soldier from the American Revolution and is dedicated to George Washington. This place had so much to offer and was so peaceful and serene due to the solemnness of the tomb.

Independence Mall: If you want my thoughts on this place please look back on previous weeks!

Old City: An interesting place in Philly. It combines the history of Philadelphia with the modern look of the new apartments and shops. A very interesting place with lots of cool restaurants and shops. One of those shops being....

Rocket Fizz: An awesome shops located in between the Betsy Ross House and Ben Franklin's gravesite; this amazing little shop has so much to offer. Candy, collectables, and of course lots of soda. Four coolers filled with countless types of soda with all sorts of insane flavors. Flavors tried were Red Velvet Cake, Rice candy, Martian Poop, and my personal favorite Grass flavored. It was an interesting stop to our next destination...

Reading Terminal Market: Is the perfect place to eat if you have no idea what kind of food you want. The options are endless. Eat in indian food, soul food, cheesesteaks, Chinese, or crêpes. Take on the go some ice cream, soft pretzels, or candy. Get your meat or fish for dinner that night. Since we were eating in; I had to go with a Dinic's roast pork with provolone and broccoli rabe. A Philly favorite!

Rittenhouse Square: Another great spot in Philly was my final destination before I had part ways from the group. Rittenhouse is sort of like Washington Square but more artsy and less solemn. There was more going on there but it was also later in the day. There were people everywhere (90% playing Pokémon Go as we were) but everyone was conversing, chatting, walking, moving, and being more human I've seen humans be human in years. It was a refreshing change of pace from the city in a little park with statues and fountains scattered throughout.

And that is where I ended my trip. I walked back to the 8th and Market station and headed on home back to the dirty Jersey. The blog is not done however, I still have one more adventure for you!


Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway was one of the first pieces of literature I read on my own when I was younger. I was at the beach, it was a short book so I decided to read it. I read it when I was little and enjoyed it. The simple prose, the information about the sea, and the character of the old man himself was intriguing to me. When I read it again this year it was all of that and so much more. It was cryptic and symbolic without forcing you to realize it. The references to Christ are subtle but there and it doesn't feel like he's forcing it, it just happens naturally. Even though the prose was simple, it never felt watered down or dumb. It just felt natural within the context of the story and character and conflict between man and the sea. Old Man and the Sea gets 6 out 7 stars.


And that's Week 7! Good stuff? Maybe! I don't know you but I know I had a lot of fun reading and exploring. If you have any questions, comments, or rude remarks please feel free to comment! Or you can contact us on our Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter pages! I would like to hear feedback of any sorts!

                             All the Best, Ross

Week 2

Most people beleive that you need to go out of the United States to go see something historical or beautiful but that is most certainly not the case. This past week I had many adventures to countless historical places and things you would never see anywhere else. This last week we went to the independent Philadelphia, the sunny Sea Isle City, the Victorian Cape May, and the exhilarating Wildwood. No reading, shows, or gaming but I will give a small update! So without further adieu, lets get to week 2!

Trips:
           Philadelphia- Our journey started at the Philadelphia International Airport. Picked up one passenger and a pup. We decided to go into the city that day. Drove by the stadiums and into downtown through Chinatown. We finally got to park across the street from Macy's (formerly and forever known as Wannamakers) and got started on our journey. We walked into my favorite building in the city, City Hall. The architecture on that building blows my mind everytime I see it. So intricate and unique!

On the other side we attempted to go to Love Park but it was no more. My mother delightfully told me the next day "Oh yea, they did take that down didn't day?" So we settled for Dilworth Circle instead. It was very urban and not much of a park but would be great for events! So adventure took us the other way down market street, past many historical buildings made into various commercial restaurants and businesses. It blows my mind that an amazing old building is being used as a Subway... when Philadelphia has some of the best hoagies in the world! We finally got to our destination the "Independence Beer Garden" which I will go into more depth in the food section.

Independence Hall is an awesome place. In the middle of this sprawling Metropolis is the birthplace of this country. The building in which the Declaration of Independence was written is still there and is crowded almost every day of the week. An amazing square surrounds it filled with history. Around it is of course Independence Hall, cobblestone streets, the Liberty Bell, Portrait Gallery, Constitution Center, President's house, and the 2nd Bank of the United States. Now throughout all of this there are cars going by and modern buildings surrounding it but it's a little slice of history in a modern city.

So we ventured on to Benjamin Franklin's gravesite. On a small side street there is a wall surrounding Christ Church Burial Ground built in 1710. There before us lay one of the most important men to Philadelphia and our country. Never a president, but always pushing this country forward through science, business, international relations, and spreading news throughout the 13 colonies. A few more blocks down from the burial ground is the Betsy Ross house. The creator of modern American flag lived in one of my favorite cities! All of this in one of the biggest cities in the United States, one of the oldest cities in the United States, and one of the best cities in the United States.

          Sea Isle City: That night we made it to Sea Isle City, New Jersey. We decided to take a walk down to the beach with the pup. As soon as we got to the end of the road I saw something standing on the top of the dune. It looked like a house cat but was too big. Then I remembered there was a fox who lived in the dunes so I thought it was him. We pushed forward up the path and the pup was not liking it. We saw it move and the tail was not a fox tail and if we walked toward the fox it would have ran away. So we picked up the pup and tried to lure it into the light but with no success. After telling the family about our sighting and some extensive smartphone research we decided that it was a bobcat. The next day we walked down to the beach and saw the usual suspects at the beach, seagulls, dolphins, a turtle, and a horseshoe crab. But nothing was as exciting as a bobcat at the jersey shore. If you see her! Her name is Bobbi the Bobcat.

        Cape May: Cape May is a beautiful town. It's an old town; and it's an interesting town. I feel like there is plenty of things to do in that town but not much to do at all. The beach is amazing but if you go to the beach at any other shore town then you've seen it. The real highlight of Cape May are the buildings. So many colorful Victorian homes and hotels. Are main destination was the Congress Hall Hotel. So much history and stories in that place that it would take years to tell them all.

We took a carriage tour to hear more about the town and history of the town. Started as a whaling town, and it used to be North Cape May (South Cape May is completely underwater now) so some of the houses have been relocated into the historic district. Our favorite house was the house Ulysses S. Grant used as a summer home where an underground tunnel connected it to another hotel. This was used as an underground railroad as well. After a long day of shopping and sightseeing we decided to be a little more adventurous for our next destination.

              Wildwood: The Wildwood boardwalk is one of the most colorful places I've ever been, and I'm not talking about the buildings. The people there are great but sometimes insane. We decided to do some rides after walking past countless tram-cars. First up was the Ferris wheels, one of the biggest in New Jersey and one of my favorite roller coasters "The Great White".

The great white has so many memories attached to it and it did not disappoint. It is a classic track under the boardwalk, over the beach and close to the ocean. Quick and smooth the Great White is a jersey shore classic! Finally done for the day we headed back so Sea Isle for a meal at Carmen's.

Food:

          Independence Beer Garden has an amazing location wrapped around the bottom of some buildings. Right across from Independence Hall, there are chairs, bars, stools, benches, and every manner of seats and games. We found a nice shady spot and ordered. We decided on herb popcorn and picked chips. The herb popcorn was interesting to say the least. The oil on it had a unique flavor but made the popcorn soggy. I would order it again but share it with a bunch of people. Fried pickles are fried pickles, not much to say there. The highlight of the meal was my Shiner Prickly Pear beer. The more I drank the more I enjoyed it! It was a very mild flavor that complemented the beer flavor. Delicious and super refreshing.

               Ugly Mug: In the middle of the shopping center in Cape May is a little bar and grille called the Ugly Mug. Inside there are mugs on the wall commemorating the Cape May fisherman's club and the best beer foam blowers. If the mug was facing inland, the sailor was alive; if it was facing the ocean the sailor was deceased. In this great atmosphere; I ordered a fried oyster sandwich. Fried Oyster, lettuce, tomato, and onion on a Kaiser roll with a side of pickles and cole slaw. A great meal for mid day at the jersey shore. Simple and delicious.

As of now I am reading "The Brothers Karamazov" by Fyodor Dostoevsky. I am on my way to the 8th gym in Pokémon Heart Gold. and I am halfway through season 1 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Reviews of them will be up as I finish.

Well that's the extent of the week! Hope you enjoyed hearing about various places and things I've went and saw this week. Please follow us on twitter and Instagram and like our Facebook page. There will be more pictures and information up on these pages during the week and in between posts. Please contact us or ask any questions or suggestions for future trips! Thanks again for the support and reading every week!

                                               All the best, Ross