The Myth & The Majesty

So ... I've been thinking a lot about space lately. It started (realistically) in January when I visited the Kennedy Space Center. What that mostly managed to do was reawaken a quiet fascination I'd had as a kid. Nothing earth-shattering [... there may be a terrible stealth pun there] but a reminder that yes, space is intriguing and the people that have gone are some of the most interesting that have existed. Then one of my very favorite bloggers was approached by Elon Musk and his new adventure became my new obsession. And it's been ... well. For those who aren't familiar (or who ignore my usual re-post posts), Elon Musk is the man that will get us to Mars. Er, Elon Musk is the man who has created an electric car that I would willingly buy. Er ... Elon Musk is most likely insane. And a genius. And possibly very, very hard to like. But fascinating. Okay, fine. Elon Musk is the man behind Tesla Motors and SpaceX. Not the only man, mind you, but he's c...

I believe I've mentioned before that I have a mild addiction to audiobooks. They're fantastic for long drives (like having someone in the car with you telling stories) and here and there I stumble across something that I can't stop listening to ... and therefore have to find excuses to go for a drive. If you're into random history like me, I highly recommend Dead Wake by Erik Larson (author of Devil in the White City, which I also recommend). The book walks through the sinking of the RMS Lusitania from various points of view -- passengers, then-President Wilson, even the commander of the German U-boat that sank it. The story is told with both the opening of World War I and the sinking of the Titanic three years earlier in mind. All in all, it's absolutely fascinating, and as I enjoy audio versions of nonfiction, I almost have to recommend it in that particular way. And, because there really is an xkcd for everything, I was reminded of this as well... ...

Summer is wrapping up around here, meaning that we're headed into our "downtime."   *Snort.*   Okay, okay, okay. Yes. It will be less chaotic. A look at the calendar doesn't have me convinced of that just yet (September is insane) but not so deep down, I know things are settling just a bit.   Which means that my internal compass has clicked over to start seriously considering where I want to go next.   Of course, that list is longer than can actually be attempted in one winter. However, if I break it down just right I might be able to manage a few things.   This, of course, got me thinking about how I define my trips. Which... got complicated quickly. * Mini-trip: It takes less than three hours to get there and I might just go because I can. Also known as "Tuesday."  Fabulous tour. Day trip: I can make it there and back in one day and spend at least as much time at the destination as it took to get there. (I did...

Living a tourist destination has certain perks -- there are industries that have no business in non-tourist-y areas that we also get to see and use. Living in the Hills has certain other perks in the form of trails and trees. One definite perk is a result of both of those things.  Seriously, why is this the only picture I took that day?! Rushmore Tramway Adventures (originally the Rushmore Aerial Tramway) has been a staple in Keystone for fifty years, starting as a lift to a mountaintop park with a fantastic view of town and the surroundings. As long as I've known of them, they've also had the alpine slide (an excellently fun way to get back down from said park), and in recent years they've added a zipline, freefall, and the adventure park. The adventure park is several high ropes courses among the trees made up of high wires, bridges, walkways, ladders, ziplines and platforms. A ticket gets you an hour and a half of self-guided fun with eight different courses...

Today at lunch, one of the summer staffers informed me that I needed to get married and have a kid before next summer so that she could have a baby to play with next year. No pressure. This is something of a running theme with the summer staff; last year, I was threatened with "The Bachelorette: Storm Mountain." Thankfully, that never came to pass in any form. (Because holy cow. No.) Most people who know me could be getting a pretty big laugh out of that, so I'm not going to explain ... again ... why all of that is absolutely mind-boggling to me. Instead, I'm going to once again send you to a Wait But Why post that words it all very well. And in a much longer form than I would here. When in doubt, rely on someone else's genius.