After poring over my Edmonton guide book last night, I woke up early this morning and got directions to all the places I planned to visit. I ordered them in a way that would make the most efficient travel, then wrote down the route from one to another, in that order.
The best laid plans, yadda yadda yadda.
I made it to my first stop -- an old chapel from a very early settlement called St Albert -- without any issues. I wandered the area and took some photos, accompanied by the clear but distant sound of a hymn from the Sunday service going on inside the church. From there, I made it downtown, but only after discovering the main road was closed, weaving through arbitrary side streets in the general direction of tall buildings, then circling the city center for 30 minutes in search of parking. When I got out of the car, frustrated, I calmed myself with a coffee, then did a bit more shopping. It was about all that downtown had to offer.
Next, I headed to the Muttart Conservatory, 4 architecturally interesting greenhouses nestled in a wooded area along the river, with a backdrop of the Edmonton skyline. It sounds lovely, doesn't it? Well, I wouldn't know, because I never made it there. Apparently the conservatory is rather near to the site of the Folk Music Festival (which I also wasn't able to get to, harumph), and all streets were closed except to residents with proper documentation.
So instead of visiting the conservatory, I drove all around the vicinity, unsuccessfully trying to find the first turn in my directions to the next stop, and finally ending up back downtown, completely by accident. Since all my directions were only point to point, and I didn't have a map on me, I turned the car back in the direction of the hotel and eventually, somehow, made my way back to regroup. Luckily I passed a Harvey's on the way, so that Canada's most delicious fast food poutine could ease the sting of frustration I'd felt most of the day.
I understand that Alberta's harsh winters take an awful toll on the roads, and that there are only a few months with clement weather in which to fix them. But does that mean every road needs to be under construction at once? I haven't spent more than 2 minutes driving in any direction without running into orange signs. It's really making me annoyed with this town, which could otherwise be quite charming.
Anyway. After consulting Google's Canadian site yet again, I shoved off for the last place on my list, a small former trading post town called Fort Saskatchewan. After contending with poor directions (Google's at about 40% fail rate in Canada, bee-tee-dubs) and even more road work, I finally left Edmonton's limits and came upon an open road through beautiful country, which took me straight to my destination without any confusion at all. The Fort itself wasn't all that exciting -- even the pen of sheep looked exceptionally bored with the place -- and the wind was blowing so cold that I didn't take the time to walk around the vast historic park. I just spent a few minutes and made the drive back to the hotel.
I leave in the morning, and I'm not sure what the evening holds for me, but I'm thinking it's not much. Nothing is within walking distance, and driving is so irritating that I'm pretty much over it. This has turned out to be little more than a shopping trip for Canadian goods, and it would have been a lot cheaper and accomplished the same goal to drive up to Richmond for the day.
But I took lots of pictures, and now I can say I've driven on both Wayne Gretzky Drive and Mark Messier Trail. How many American hockey fans can say that? Huh?
At least it's something.
07 August 2011
06 August 2011
West Edmonton Mall
I booked my trip to Edmonton on a whim, figuring I'd never get up here during the ultra-frozen winter to see a hockey game, and assuming I could get tickets to this weekend's folk music festival.
But the folk fest tickets were sold out long ago, and resellers didn't really work out for me. So now, here I am in Northern Alberta, trying to figure out what to do, and there isn't much. So I went to the mall.
West Edmonton Mall was once the largest in the world, and is known for having a waterpark, a hotel, an amusement park, and a submarine adventure, all within its walls. It's no longer the world's biggest mall, but is still in the top five. I spent an hour there, walked through about half of it, perused a few stores, bought a couple things, and wasn't even remotely impressed.
It's a mall. A mall with a lot of extra crap inside, because for 9 months of the year, it's too cold to go outdoors here, but it's still just a mall. It wasn't quite the capitalist mecca I was expecting, and I don't know why it attracts 22 million people a year. Nobody even got caught under a fake boulder. Shrug.
I now have all day tomorrow to fill, and thought I'd spend some of it visiting one or two of the quirky nearby towns that sprung up here during the province's frontier beginnings. When I looked for some directions, though, I noticed that what the guide book calls nearby, is actually 50-100 miles away, since Canada is just so damn big. I'm all for a road trip, but my rental Chevy has such an oversized interior and undersized windows that backing or changing lanes is undertaken largely on faith. It's not my favorite way to drive.
So it's a bit of a disappointing start, and I'm at a bit of a loss for what comes next, but I'll make it work. I still get to have a weekend with all things Canadian, and that always makes me happy.
But the folk fest tickets were sold out long ago, and resellers didn't really work out for me. So now, here I am in Northern Alberta, trying to figure out what to do, and there isn't much. So I went to the mall.
West Edmonton Mall was once the largest in the world, and is known for having a waterpark, a hotel, an amusement park, and a submarine adventure, all within its walls. It's no longer the world's biggest mall, but is still in the top five. I spent an hour there, walked through about half of it, perused a few stores, bought a couple things, and wasn't even remotely impressed.
It's a mall. A mall with a lot of extra crap inside, because for 9 months of the year, it's too cold to go outdoors here, but it's still just a mall. It wasn't quite the capitalist mecca I was expecting, and I don't know why it attracts 22 million people a year. Nobody even got caught under a fake boulder. Shrug.
I now have all day tomorrow to fill, and thought I'd spend some of it visiting one or two of the quirky nearby towns that sprung up here during the province's frontier beginnings. When I looked for some directions, though, I noticed that what the guide book calls nearby, is actually 50-100 miles away, since Canada is just so damn big. I'm all for a road trip, but my rental Chevy has such an oversized interior and undersized windows that backing or changing lanes is undertaken largely on faith. It's not my favorite way to drive. So it's a bit of a disappointing start, and I'm at a bit of a loss for what comes next, but I'll make it work. I still get to have a weekend with all things Canadian, and that always makes me happy.
31 May 2011
Memphis
It's my last day in the South, and I am officially out of energy.
Today I finally got to sleep in a bit, then headed down to Graceland, which just may have the gaudiest interior design in history. The mansion uses a guided audio tour that leads you all around the grounds. I really hate audio tours, and would have preferred to just wander through on my own, but without the recordings, there's little to no information given on the place. The tour ends at the graves of Elvis and his family, in the meditation garden. Since I was surrounded by other tourists, I couldn't really stop there and sing Heartbreak Hotel, a la Spinal Tap. Oh well, probably would've sounded reggae anyway.
The overpriced mansion tour alone was only $4 less than the everything tour, so I went for it all. However, after looking at the second small museum and the airplanes, I gave up. I was vaguely interested in the car collection, but it was a block down the road, and it was too hot to make the walk, especially after 90 minutes out in it already. I opted to get back in the car and visit Beale Street.
Before I did, though, I took a trip across the bridge to West Memphis, Arkansas, to get a closer look at the state of the Mississippi River. On the way over, the bridge walls were high and I couldn't see much of anything, and it turned out West Memphis is not really a destination for anything at all. Most every building I saw was run-down and/or closed, and that was on the town's main drag. I finally just turned back toward Tennessee, and that's when I saw the water level... long before I actually reached the river. Big Muddy is currently Huge Muddy. What a mess.
Back in Memphis, I parked on the east end of the Beale Street Historic District and walked down the closed off blocks. I was rather underwhelmed. The street has some old landmarks and lots of new clubs, each one with a different live band playing so that the street was a cacophony. I went into a couple of stores and stopped in at WC Handy Park, then gave up. The car claimed 98 degrees outside, but it felt more like 1000. Maybe 1200. I made my way back to the hotel to cool off before dinner.
My original plan was to relax for a few, then go down to Earnestine and Hazel's for a burger, since they sound so good, and this will probably be my only chance. But now that I'm here, I have no desire to move, even to grab something nearby. I'm bored and don't want to sit in this room watching Three's Company all night, but I also can't muster the energy to drive anymore, and am definitely not up to walking in the heat.
Maybe I'll caffeinate and see if that helps me perk up. I have more to do here!
 |
| Green shag carpet, floor AND ceiling |
The overpriced mansion tour alone was only $4 less than the everything tour, so I went for it all. However, after looking at the second small museum and the airplanes, I gave up. I was vaguely interested in the car collection, but it was a block down the road, and it was too hot to make the walk, especially after 90 minutes out in it already. I opted to get back in the car and visit Beale Street.
Before I did, though, I took a trip across the bridge to West Memphis, Arkansas, to get a closer look at the state of the Mississippi River. On the way over, the bridge walls were high and I couldn't see much of anything, and it turned out West Memphis is not really a destination for anything at all. Most every building I saw was run-down and/or closed, and that was on the town's main drag. I finally just turned back toward Tennessee, and that's when I saw the water level... long before I actually reached the river. Big Muddy is currently Huge Muddy. What a mess.
Back in Memphis, I parked on the east end of the Beale Street Historic District and walked down the closed off blocks. I was rather underwhelmed. The street has some old landmarks and lots of new clubs, each one with a different live band playing so that the street was a cacophony. I went into a couple of stores and stopped in at WC Handy Park, then gave up. The car claimed 98 degrees outside, but it felt more like 1000. Maybe 1200. I made my way back to the hotel to cool off before dinner.
My original plan was to relax for a few, then go down to Earnestine and Hazel's for a burger, since they sound so good, and this will probably be my only chance. But now that I'm here, I have no desire to move, even to grab something nearby. I'm bored and don't want to sit in this room watching Three's Company all night, but I also can't muster the energy to drive anymore, and am definitely not up to walking in the heat.
Maybe I'll caffeinate and see if that helps me perk up. I have more to do here!
30 May 2011
Blues Traveling
I'm back in Memphis tonight after another day on the road, about half of which was on the famous Hwy 61. If you have to ask, don't bother.
Anyway. I had around a dozen spots I wanted to visit along the Mississippi Delta, which I had carefully picked from hundreds that I could have seen. After the last couple of days' exhaustion, however, I cut it down to just a few. I planned to visit all 3 graves supposedly belonging to inventor of the Blues, Robert Johnson, but instead went only the one in Greenwood, most likely to include the man himself. While I was alone in a little graveyard amidst the cotton fields, it was clear lots of others had made the same trip. The headstone had lots of little tokens, from flowers and coins to drumsticks. I didn't leave anything behind; I just took a moment, and went on my way.
Next stop was Indianola, home of BB King -- at least for the few days a year that he's not on the road. I had planned to take a quick break there on the way to the Blues Museum in Leland, but instead stopped into the BB King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center. After perusing the exhibit, I continued on through Leland, spotted a Johnny Winter Blues Marker, but didn't see much reason to stop.
I intended to go next to Helena, Arkansas, to the home of Sonny Boy Williamson, but I was road weary, and it was still 80 miles to Memphis without the detour, so I scratched that off the itinerary and went straight through back to Tennessee.
It's funny, I have a couple of guides leading down the Blues Trail, and they occasionally offer good songs for your road trip soundtrack. I always kind of shook my head and thought, I would never listen to that; it would be kind of like wearing the T-shirt of the band you're going to see. Who wants to be that guy? But at the last minute, I grabbed a couple of those CDs anyway, and I'm glad I did. Leaving Tupelo yesterday, I really did want to listen to Elvis. And racking up the miles on country roads, passing through one small dilapidated town after another put me in the mood to listen to the Blues. Of course, hearing Sonny Boy on the record made it harder to skip Helena, but it was still the right musical accompaniment.
I'm now relaxing with a bit of dinner and deciding what to do with my last day tomorrow. There's a lot to see here in Memphis, so I know it will be a full day, whatever I do.
29 May 2011
Jackson, Mississippi
I'm such a nerd for places I've never been before. I got way more excited than I should have from driving over the Tallahatchie River, and I'm fascinated by the red dirt here. Even the roads are red!
It's good that I'm enjoying the roads, since I spent almost my entire day alone with them. There were long stretches where I didn't see another car, forget about houses, restaurants, or gas stations. Just when I was beginning to worry that I would have an empty tank before I saw a filling station, I came upon a Walmart surrounded by a few gasoline and fast food chains, collectively known as Louisville, Mississippi.
Most of the day was spent in BFE, though. Literally. I drove through a town called Egypt somewhere in East Mississippi. Although, to be fair, town may be too strong a word. There were no structures nearby to signify a city of any sort, just a faded sign at the side of the road, surrounded by trees.
My day was dominated by driving, but in addition to Main Street, Louisville, I did make a few planned stops. I started out heading to Tupelo, for Elvis' birthplace. I arrived around 12:30 and they didn't open until 1, so I wasn't able to go inside the tiny house or shop the gift store. I did wander around and take a few snapshots, but there wasn't enough to keep me there until business hours.
I also stopped at Veteran's Memorial Park in Tupelo, and then it took me 3 hours to reach Jackson, where I popped in briefly for a Whataburger and got back on the road. My next destination was New Port M.B. Church in Ebenezer, a small red brick building hidden far back on a rough country road, which has the grave of Elmore James in its cemetery. It sounds a bit odd to go 50 miles (each direction) out of your way to take a picture of a headstone, but much of my weekend will be just that. Unfortunately, most of the blues legends have passed, so the Delta Blues Trail includes many a side trip to their final resting places.
I'm now back in Jackson for the night, at the most depressing Hilton I've ever stayed in. I'm not sure how many miles I racked up today, but it's definitely in the hundreds. I'm wiped out, but still enjoying the best mood I've been in since... well, since my last trip out of town.
Tomorrow's trip will involve about equal miles and many more stops, so I have a pile of directions to look up before I can hit the road. It will be another exhausting day, and I really can't wait.
It's good that I'm enjoying the roads, since I spent almost my entire day alone with them. There were long stretches where I didn't see another car, forget about houses, restaurants, or gas stations. Just when I was beginning to worry that I would have an empty tank before I saw a filling station, I came upon a Walmart surrounded by a few gasoline and fast food chains, collectively known as Louisville, Mississippi.Most of the day was spent in BFE, though. Literally. I drove through a town called Egypt somewhere in East Mississippi. Although, to be fair, town may be too strong a word. There were no structures nearby to signify a city of any sort, just a faded sign at the side of the road, surrounded by trees.
My day was dominated by driving, but in addition to Main Street, Louisville, I did make a few planned stops. I started out heading to Tupelo, for Elvis' birthplace. I arrived around 12:30 and they didn't open until 1, so I wasn't able to go inside the tiny house or shop the gift store. I did wander around and take a few snapshots, but there wasn't enough to keep me there until business hours.I also stopped at Veteran's Memorial Park in Tupelo, and then it took me 3 hours to reach Jackson, where I popped in briefly for a Whataburger and got back on the road. My next destination was New Port M.B. Church in Ebenezer, a small red brick building hidden far back on a rough country road, which has the grave of Elmore James in its cemetery. It sounds a bit odd to go 50 miles (each direction) out of your way to take a picture of a headstone, but much of my weekend will be just that. Unfortunately, most of the blues legends have passed, so the Delta Blues Trail includes many a side trip to their final resting places.
I'm now back in Jackson for the night, at the most depressing Hilton I've ever stayed in. I'm not sure how many miles I racked up today, but it's definitely in the hundreds. I'm wiped out, but still enjoying the best mood I've been in since... well, since my last trip out of town.
Tomorrow's trip will involve about equal miles and many more stops, so I have a pile of directions to look up before I can hit the road. It will be another exhausting day, and I really can't wait.
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