Deuces

Back in Texas...

2008-06-03T01:55:00.002-05:00

For a minute anyways. I realize I've become a terrible blogger, but I promise updates are coming.

I came into town for the weekend because my stepsister Allison was getting married and Brooke and Freeland were moving to PA today.

I'll probably be around here for a few days and then head back to Colorado.

Amy had a dream last week that I showed up in town unannounced, and I couldn't tell her at the time but she busted me the day before I left! Crazy.

I also signed a lease in Colorado. I'm staying in Denver for the summer. When I get back there, I'll post some pictures of the place and Gracie's newest friends.

Updated Chisum Trail

2008-05-18T00:03:00.004-05:00

Here's where I be. As you can tell, there hasn't been much movement. More to come on that. I've stayed in a lot more places than are marked, but I got lazy again.

The little comforts in life

2008-05-15T13:11:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in the previous post, I had a rough beginning of the week. HipHopapotomus came through for me, but another thing I figured out was to try to get back to some of the things that felt like home. Here are a few of the things that helped.

I've been eating at Chili's since it was the coolest place to eat in high school.
Their chips and queso can cheer anybody up

I'll affectionately refer to this as CRACK. Once you have some, you're hooked. And it had been a while

If they would let me rent a back room at Best Buy, I'd do it.

Best Buy also allowed me to play this for the first time. Is it weird to play video games at Best Buy for an hour?

It's been a while....

2008-05-15T12:50:00.007-05:00

Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long. I got to Steamboat Springs last week, and have spent the remainder of the week lurking all over Colorado. I've been to Steamboat, Beaver Creek, Avon, Frisco, Breckenridge, Boulder and now I'm in lovely Denver.

8 inches of snow overnight last week, fun stuff

Gracie playing in/eating the snow

After hanging out in the mountains for a while, I headed into the Denver metro. First place I had to go, Boulder. One of my favorite places to hang out. Along the way, I ran into Big Horn. As Goulet would say, "Nature! That's why I come up here."

Here's video. All of a sudden, one of them was picking on the other. It was pretty cool to see from 30 feet away.

Here are some pictures from Boulder.

Boulder from up above

Gracie still enjoying eating snow

Also, I wanted to say thanks to Hip-Hop (most of you know her as my sister, Brooke) for helping me out when I was at a breaking point the other day. Most of this trip has been really easy and a ton of fun, but the other day was a really tough one for me and she came through in a big way. Thanks Hip Hop.

Updated Chisum Trail

2008-05-08T01:37:00.003-05:00

I've made my way back into Colorado. This doesn't really surprise me. I may be here for a while.

Happy Monday Morning

2008-05-05T00:12:00.008-05:00

I'm willing to bet most of you reading this are just getting to work. Way to be productive guys. Anyhow, today is Cinco De Mayo and this is important for two reasons. One, I've been saving up to celebrate. Two, it has now been a month since I've worked. That should help you settle into Monday a little better.

Let me catch you up on the last few days. I stayed in Portland on Thursday. I spent most of the day driving around the city getting lost. I went the wrong way on a one-way street and really annoyed a local. Good stuff. When I woke up on Friday, I took Schuchard's and Lyndi's advice and went to visit the Columbia River Gorge. The river serves as the border between Oregon and Washington.

Gracie and I are becoming quite the hikers. Although, on this particular day I sprained my ankle on one of the trails. Reversing half a mile on a bum ankle is not fun. After spending the day being moody, I ended up in Seattle. True to its reputation, it was a rainy Friday night. Saturday I went to the fish market.

These guys jammed. Video to come

Today I woke up and visited Mount Rainier. It was another day that allowed me to see all four seasons in one day.

Look what Gracie found

There is one theme that has shown its face a few different times during my travels so far. Well, a few actually, but one I am going to tell you about right now. Some of the best things you'll see are down roads you didn't plan on taking. Here's what I found.

Coos Bay

2008-05-02T01:01:00.005-05:00

A few days ago I spent some time on the Oregon coast, which was pretty sweet. I stayed in Coos Bay, which is definitely a shore town. There were tons of seafood options, but those who know me well will know that left me with few options. Luckily, most seafood places still know how to make good chicken. The morning was really rainy and visibility was nil, but about noon the sun started coming out and I got to spend some time at the beach. And by beach, I mean mostly cliffs. Check it...

That bird in the first picture and I hung out for quite a while actually. He's seen a lot of these parts and had some interesting stories. The one about Bill Walton and Jerry Garcia visiting the coast in '77 was classic. Anyhow, there's a lighthouse too. I wish I had a better camera so I could have zoomed in on that guy a little better, but we make do with what we have.

See the sea lions sunbathing? Gracie was barking back at them, it was awesome.

We ended up staying a while, and Gracie passed out. Easy to do up there.

She loves watching birds. And when they land, she loves making them fly again.

I spent the last couple of days hanging out with my new friends in Eugene. It's a pretty cool town with down to earth people, and some absolute weirdos. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Today, I took the long way getting to Portland. I was too tired to do anything today, so I'll get out and see the city tomorrow.

Chisum Trail

2008-05-01T00:33:00.003-05:00

Here's the latest map for those curious. I'm in Eugene, OR right now and plan on leaving early tomorrow. I'll end up in Portland but not the easy way.

Medford to Coos Bay

2008-04-29T01:29:00.009-05:00

I spent the night in Medford on Sunday. I was pretty cranky after having some issues with my hotel so I was really looking forward to seeing something mind blowing today. And that I did. Check out my drive up to Crater Lake

And then, I saw Crater Lake. I don't know how to describe the blue of the lake, it was powerful.

Only one area of the entire lake was open since there's still about 12ft of snow on the ground, so it was tough to spend much time there. With my day opened up, I decided to head back to the coast, only this time Oregon style. I did manage to see some cool stuff on the way, including a random falls with a mile hike to the top. Gracie made me stop there too.

With all the snow melting, there are hundreds of these waterfalls along the highways

Here are some pictures as I started getting closer to the coast. There are easily 1000 different shades of green in this state. Some of it didn't even look real to me.

That's the sun setting long before I got to Coos Bay. From what I read and hear, it's pretty amazing. I guess I'll have to find out tomorrow. Although, if it's raining like it was tonight when I got here, I don't know if I'll be able to see much.

I believe we're completely caught up now. I've got some video to update, but tonight's not the night. Check back again. Throwing the deuces

Redwood National Park

2008-04-29T00:45:00.008-05:00

On Sunday, I woke up early and went to Redwood National Park. It was another example of knowing what you're about to see, but not really knowing what it is until you're there.

The weather made it tough to enjoy the drive to Redwood

But I found a beach

This is what the sand looked like

I'm happy to say the sun came out just as I was getting into the park.

A herd of elk

Check out the sign to the right of the tree

I'm not showing off the car, just showing it in relation to the tree,
and remember it's about 10 feet behind the car

I found another beach after leaving the park, but the sun had gone back into hiding.

Surfer dudes

A tunnel, trippy

Best picture I've taken yet

Northern California

2008-04-29T00:07:00.007-05:00

When I left South Lake Tahoe on Saturday, I was a little upset because I really was having a great time there. But the scenery leaving town quickly helped me to get over my pity party.

The hills had eyes

I had to drive through Sacramento although I did my best to find a way not to. And sure enough I had to drive right by Arco Arena, where the sac. kings play. Any team that will employ Vlade Divac, Hedu Turkoglu, and Doug Christie should be have their franchise revoked as soon as Frank becomes president. But then I got to the coast. I didn't even really know I was there until I looked left and saw this

Turns out it was just Humblodt Bay, but it's still ocean water. I stayed the night in Arcata, which is a very interesting town. Very political and a hippy-fest all over.

Gracie Face

2008-04-27T00:37:00.009-05:00

aka, Slobulous. I figure about half of you only check this to see pictures of the most popular dog on the road these days. It should be no surprise to anyone that she makes friends faster than I can keep up with. I'll be saying good-bye to someone she met and she's already tugging me to the next group. Luckily, she favors girls, which works well for me.

Here's a few of here multiple positions she finds to lay in while riding in the front seat...

Her favorite spot

A variation of the first

We're working on the lady part of Lady Grace

Her tongue is rarely in her mouth

Sleeping in the back of the car with me

Every morning, I take a shower, check my email, pack everything up, read about the Mavericks, recheck that I didn't forget anything, read Hip Hop's blog, check my email again, and then finally wake Gracie up. She has taken on the philosophy of "If it's before noon, it's way too soon."

I promise she isn't always sleeping though, it's just that's when she's the cutest. Here's some action shots...

This was about 10 seconds before she left her mark on NM

I was surprised how good of a climber she is

Oh my, look! Look! Look! I found it!

Good job Slobulous

An updated Chisum Trail...

2008-04-26T02:09:00.003-05:00

Almost to San Jose Layno...you paying for that ticket to the game?

Click for larger image

The waterfall at Emerald Bay

2008-04-26T01:40:00.004-05:00

So I kind of have this fascination with the sound of water in nature. Who knew?

This first video was taken from a lookout point that Gracie and I climbed up to.

This second one is from when I hiked up close to the waterfall. Gracie couldn't make that hike, too many big rocks. But it wore me out.

South Lake Tahoe

2008-04-25T23:53:00.011-05:00

I didn't expect it to happen this quickly, but another city has entered the race for favorite place along the Chisum Trail. That's right, I'm creating my own Chisum Trail. There's that other one, but it's spelled funny and has nothing to do with this blog.

This city is pretty damn cool. I had to switch hotel rooms today so I had an entire day for Gracie and I to fill. And that we did. Check out some of these pictures.

The beach across the street from my hotel.
That sign = no fun

The last three taken on the way up to Emerald Bay

Taken at Emerald Bay

I saw that waterfall from a distance and had to get closer

And did, it was AMAZING!

I then went into town to watch the Mavs' game 3.

I was nervous because I hadn't really seen the Mavs show any heart at all in the previous 2 games. But, Dirk took care of business, and spit some serious glass at the hornets' ass. Let's see if they can do the same thing Sunday.

The original glass spitter, Elliott Richards

Las Vegas to South Lake Tahoe

2008-04-25T11:33:00.006-05:00

You should all know I've grown tired of the desert. I wasn't upset at all to leave all the sand and lack of green. If that was the case, South Lake Tahoe was not a bad place to end up.

Here are some pictures from the drive. The first set is all in Nevada, starting right outside of Las Vegas. HBK and I once played golf at Paiute Golf Club near where the first picture was taken. It's only a few minutes outside Las Vegas, and yet not may people venture off the strip.

These were all taken once I crossed into California.

This last one was taken just before I got into Tahoe. I've been here almost 24hrs now and it is unbelievable. I spent the entire day out at the lake, but now I'm off to watch the Mavs try to salvage some pride. Or maybe it's just my pride, not sure. Regardless, I will post more about Tahoe later, and I promise you don't want to miss it.

We're going to give big daddy the old rainman sweep...

2008-04-25T00:16:00.006-05:00

Not so much. I had a lot of time on the road to think about how I was going to finance my entire trip with my blackjack winnings. Stop at a bunch of casinos all along my trip making a few grand at each place. Probably be picked up on the blackjack tour and then, well, you can see how much time I had. Instead, I lost my $50 before I even got the free beer I ordered when I first sat down. Lame. But it was nice to have the dream while it lasted.

The guy that took all my money

I walked the some of the strip, but I've been to Vegas about 8 times now so it's all been seen. I stayed 2 nights so I could have a day out of the car and get laundry done, etc. The 2nd night I went downtown since I had never been in all those previous visits. What did I learn? Big mistake, pal. Good times.

Fremont St. during the day

A few of the classics

A new so far...

2008-04-23T15:17:00.002-05:00

By popular demand (well, really just Layno from Plano), here is an updated map.

Click map for larger image

Flagstaff to Las Vegas

2008-04-22T22:00:00.010-05:00

After the ridiculously cool drive through Colorado I took off for Arizona. I did drive through the Four Corners, where Utah, Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico all meet at one point. From what they tell me, the only spot in America that such place exists.

You can see how many other people thought it would be fun to come see this. The lines were horrible. You'll remember that I mentioned Gracie leaving her mark here? It was on the New Mexico side and Gracie, I agree.

The two motels between that monument and Flagstaff were both sold out, so I made it to Flagstaff for some much needed rest. This morning I woke up and went to the Grand Canyon, which blew my mind.

And her's too

After spending the morning looking a mile down at a river, I took off for Las Vegas in hopes of being there in time to watch the Mavs' game (which turned out to be a big mistake, do they really suck?). By the way, I love that NM and AZ have a 75mph speed limit. That 5mph makes me feel like I'm flying down the road. Take that Texas!

On the way, I got to see the Hoover Dam. Neat.

And that brings me to Vegas. I'm going to go walk the strip now, but I'm leaving my wallet behind. Ok, I'm taking $50. If I lose, it just means I sleep in the car for a few nights, and I've already done that more than once.

I almost forgot to tell you the best part of the drive to the Grand Canyon....

San Juan Skyway

2008-04-22T20:58:00.012-05:00

Here are some pictures from my drive through the San Juan Skyway yesterday. Easily my favorite part of the trip so far, especially since the Mavs suck as badly as they do.

Just leaving Durango

I was all, "This is going to be a great shot, Grace!"
She was all, "That's what you think."

Ouray, CO

Trees are good

I could sit listening to this river for days

I may have caught the beginning of an avalanche,
I don't know because I didn't stick around much after this picture

On my way out, and on the way to Arizona

Come drive with me

2008-04-22T00:57:00.004-05:00

The video is about 4 min long, but worth it

This is taken on Hwy 550 going into Silverton, CO. The video and videographer do the scenery no justice whatsoever. This is part of the San Juan Skyway which is a 236-mile round trip through the San Juan Mountains. And this was only my morning. Wait until I tell you about Gracie leaving her mark at the Four Corners Monument.

I'll post more about my day after I get some sleep.

So far...

2008-04-20T22:07:00.002-05:00

Click for larger view

Here's where I've been so far. I'm adding a lot of mileage tomorrow. That's a hint to check back later as well.

Durango, CO

2008-04-20T18:29:00.008-05:00

Can I please tell you that I kinda love this city. It took me about 10 minutes to figure that out. The first thing you see when you come into town northbound on 550 is a huge park on a river with the mountains as the backdrop. So Gracie and I spent a few hours there hanging out with about 75-100 other people. It's a gorgeous, 65 degree day with clear blue skies. Did I mention I love this city so far?

I also feel it necessary to tell you that the drive from Albuquerque to Durango is nothing short of spectacular. The time flew by listening to Randy's cds and enjoying the scenery. I took Hwy 25 to 550. Here are some of the shots I was able to take from the car.

Did I take a wrong turn somewhere? CUBA?

Yo, Big Chiz, come play some golf

Mavs Playoffs are here!!!!

2008-04-19T16:35:00.004-05:00

So I've holed up in a hotel tonight so that I can leave Lady Grace behind and go find the finest sports bar Albuquerque has to offer. I love this time of year when the NBA playoffs are starting. And don't even get me started on how exciting the Western Conference bracket is going to be. Cipro can take his lowly boston celtics and pretty much be assured they'll make the finals, but no Western Conference team even has a guarantee out of the first round. Ridiculous.

Here's the best Mavs/NO preview that I've seen, thanks to my main man Mike Fisher. If you like the Mavericks, you should add him to your list of daily reads.

Hopefully we'll see Dirk do his best Elliott Richards impression.

GO MAVS!!!!

Albuquerque

2008-04-18T17:26:00.005-05:00

I've made it to Albuquerque! This is good because I did think about turning around a few times yesterday, and once this morning.

The rain and cold and camping killed my spirits yesterday. Here is some snow if you don't believe how cold it was.

But I made it through the night and woke up to a beautiful, but still cold, morning. It was awesome waking up out in nature and seeing the sunrise. I have decided that no matter where I live, the backyard must have a view that includes either the sunrise or sunset.

These good feelings lasted through the packing of the tent...

And then it came time to leave....or not. The Expedition did not make it through the night. The battery was completely dead. Mark this as lesson number three, don't charge your laptop in the car. Now, the inverter that I bought says it is specifically made for laptops to be charged in the car, but I suppose my Mac is special.

Who would have known my brand spanking new AAA membership would come in handy so quickly. They were able to jump me and test the battery to make sure all was good, and I was off.

Lady Grace is doing great. She is terrific in the car and has adapted to being on the move a lot. Pictures of her are coming as soon as the uploader cooperates.

Well here we go

2008-04-17T20:15:00.003-05:00

All my stuff in the back of the car

As I type this, I am sitting in Tucumcari, NM. I just arrived in New Mexico today. I stopped in Amarillo, TX last night since it was starting to get dark. I only had a 2-hour drive today to get here.

A West Texas dirt twister

I figured it would be a good idea to not spend most of today driving and instead spend most of today getting accustomed to the camping equipment. You see, I haven't actually camped since the Top Pop last took me in the early 90's. Freeland hooked me up nicely and I have the finest equipment one could hope to get for free. A great REI tent with all the cooking equipment I could possibly need. Even a sleeping bag and air mattress to help me through the night.

Ok, so all this brought about lesson one on the trip: don't camp when it's raining and freezing outside. I really wish I had picked another day to learn how to use the camping stuff. I did successfully get the tent set up, although it is wet inside. I'm sitting in my truck right now hoping the tent will dry out. Otherwise, I'm sleeping in the truck and will have put the tent up for nothing.

I also learned another lesson today. Don't buy too much at the grocery store. I swear I could live the next month off everything I bought today. Good idea? No, because I don't really have anywhere to put it.

I'm glad to be learning some of these lessons early in the trip. Hopefully it will only help the rest of the way. So I'm cold, freezing actually, and wet and bored and hungry. Life is good out on the road.

It's my first time, please be gentle...

2008-03-05T23:59:00.001-06:00

Ok, so I decided to give this a go. I read blogs every day, but never considered having my own. I love that we have the ability to each have our own little space to put our thoughts, share our dreams, our good times and bad, give people a glimpse into our souls and pretend that other people actually care.

I decided to start this blog today because it's turned out to be somewhat of a big day for me. I have asked to take some time off from work, and my boss sent out the announcement today. While that may not be a big deal, the more I think about it the more I realize that starting today, this is real. I've been thinking about taking some time off work for a while now, talked to family and friends about it a lot, even made plans for what I'm going to do with my time off. But as soon as I saw that email come out, it just started to feel a little more real. Now it's done.

So I'll be using this here space to tell my legion of fans what's going on with me, where I am along the journey, and to post all the stupid things I think about. I think we'll all find out that I should start seeing a therapist, and that I probably should have done that quite some time ago. Stop agreeing with me...

Oh man, starting this first post was so easy. Now I'm trying to figure out how to finish it and I have no idea how to do it, so bye?

About Me

2008-03-05T01:40:00.000-06:00

Hello. My name is Nyles Standish, aka The Chiz.

In April 2008, I put the J.O.B. on hold and decided to get in my car and drive.

I had to bring my girlfriend with me.

I am using this blog to let you, my fan base, know my whereabouts.

I won't post much about my day to day stuff, but mostly pictures of the cool things I've seen.

The rest shall be saved for me, and possibly shared in a future best-seller.

I consider this to be my blank canvas.

It will soon have what has come to be known as the Chisum Trail.

This here space is called Deuces, as in chuckin' the...

As in peace, keep it real, I'm out, picture me rollin'