Archive
New feature – Where’s Joe?
Hey friends –
If you take a look at the right-hand sidebar of this website, you’ll notice a new area called “Current Location.” This map gives you up-to-date information on where I am, through the use of Google Latitude Public Badge (which tracks location on smartphones through the use of WiFi, GPS, and cell towers). So as long as my cell phone is on (usually is) and has some kind of connection, you should be able to check out where in the country I am.
When I originally set up this website, I had plans to have a “Where is Joe now?” feature, but the code of Google Latitude Public Badge doesn’t quite sync up well with this WordPress blog I use. But thanks to my programming-savvy friend Mike, he was able to work his magic and add this feature.
Unbeknownst to me, he found an image of me in some bright orange waders and a Portland Trailblazers helmet (classy look, I know), and that image has replaced the little orange pin that GoogleMaps traditionally uses. I think it was a great touch.
6/11 Update: Looks like Mike found other pics of me to use in the map, so now the site will randomly select from three different photos of me, pointing, to help show you were on the map I am located. Very cool.
Thanks again to Mike!
joe
Day 11
Location: Newport News, VA
Miles Driven: About 17
Total Miles: 2,659
Spent the majority of the day doing absolutely nothing, and it was great. Hung out at Chrissy’s eating some Lebanese food (her mom is a great cook), watching videos on YouTube, and then hanging out by the pool in her backyard. The epitome of a lazy day, and it felt great. I don’t have a great deal to share about that day, but here’s just one of the many videos we enjoyed watching online. It’s actually one of the first videos I can recall ever seeing on the Internet, and it was pretty memorable – a man makes art, and tells a story, using sand on a projector:
Pretty cool, right?
The plan for the evening was to eat with Chris and Sundae at their place, as Sundae was going to cook up a couple traditional Mexican dishes. Her food was absolutely fantastic and had just the right kick of spiciness.
Sundae's dishes: Sopa (left) and Rajas con crema y pollo (right). Very tasty.
Pineapple soda
Hung out with those guys for the next several hours just laying back. We played a little “Guitar Hero: Metallica”, and man, I am rusty. A while later I said my goodbyes to Chris and Sundae.
Ended the night meeting up with some of Chrissy’s co-resident friends at a bar back in City Center. Played a little PacMan, shot some pool, and enjoyed some conversation til the bar closed.
Went to bed not long after, as I was planning to hit the road early. Heading up to Bethesda, Maryland where I used to live, and I’m going to spend the weekend there. Mostly going to hang out with some old friends, but also am looking forward to hitting up Shenandoah National Park with some buddies, as well (it will be my first of many National Park stops along this trip). I’ll probably have a big post to capture the entire weekend, so stay tuned for something Sunday night.
Thanks again to Chrissy for hosting me those two nights. I had a great time in Newport News and am fortunate to have a good group of friends there.
And thanks to all for the kind words of support and encouragement along the way. I’m glad you are all enjoying reading this. I am really enjoying putting this all together. I’ve been told by more than one person that the joy of this trip is evident on my face – I guess it’s not easy to contain one’s enthusiam being able to see these great places and meet up with so many wonderful people. I am lucky.
joe
Day 10 – I had only read about these places
Location: Newport News, VA
Miles Driven: 323.4
Total Miles: 2,642
Left Saba’s fairly early and after a stop at a diner, I headed east towards the coast of North Carolina. It was a scenic drive along Highway 64 – lots of green, wide-open fields, and as you got closer to the coast you could feel a solid breeze. It wasn’t cold, but it was cooler than any previous portion of this trip. The plan was to go check out the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk, but first there was something right on the way that I couldn’t miss.
See, beginning several months ago, I was compiling lists of all the different places across the U.S. that I wanted to check out that were in addition to the bigger places I already had in mind (cities, national parks, etc.). And one day I saw this girl with a t-shirt that said “Roanoke” on it. Although the shirt was probably for a college in Virginia, it jogged my memory about the famous “Lost Colony” story I knew about since sixth grade social studies class with Mrs. Conard, and I added Roanoke Island, the site of the Lost Colony, to my list. If you need a refresher, here’s a quick summary from the book “Road Trip USA” by Jamie Jensen:
The legendary “Lost Colony” was first established in 1584 by Sir Walter Raleigh, but the effort was not a success, and the survivors returned to England. In 1587, a larger expedition of 110 colonists arrived, including 17 women and nine children, but because of the outbreak of war with Spain and the manifold difficulties involved in crossing the Atlantic Ocean, there was no further contact with England until 1590.
By the time the next supply ship returned, the settlers had disappeared without a trace, which prompted numerous theories about their fate.
All that was found in the search for the colonists was the word “Croatoan” carved into a post of a stockade, and the letters “CRO” carved into a tree. John White, the leader of the expedition trying to find the colonists, took this to mean the colonists left for Croatoan Island, but because of storm a search was never conducted, and eventually John White and co. returned to England.
So there are numerous theories about what happened to the colonists. Some include:
- absorption by local Natives
- colony tried to pack up and leave for England but was lost at sea
- killed by the Powhatan Confederacy (Powhatan – Pocahontas’ father)
No one is sure what happened, and excavations and research continue to this day in the effort to find more clues. Naturally, I have been fascinated with this story since I first heard it, so when I discovered Roanoke Island was right on the way to Kitty Hawk, I knew I had to stop.
On the road to Eastern North Carolina
Crossing the Virginia Dare Memorial bridge
Fun Fact: The first child born in the Americas to English parents was Virginia Dare. I had remembered this fact from history classes, and found there is a lot named after her in that region – the county, a big bridge, schools, etc. Sadly, there are no living descendants of Virginia Dare, since she was a member of the Lost Colony.
So I arrived at the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site where the Lost Colony is discussed (I think the exact whereabouts of the original colony on the island are unknown), but there was a lot of great information available there. Learned a good deal from talking to the park rangers. I asked one of the rangers, who was knowledgable about the history of the area, what he felt happened to the colonists. He believed that “whatever happened to the colonists” did not happen on Roanoke Island, as he feels they were fixin to move to another piece of land in the region when the supply ship first returned to England. Just fascinating stuff – I was taking it all in.
Went to take a walk on the nearby nature trail through the woods, and that led to a beach area with the water from Albemarle Sound crashing against the shore. I quickly learned why this area, among two others, has earned the nickname “The Graveyard of the Atlantic.” I couldn’t imagine big ships of the olden days trying to stay steady amongst these waters.
I looped back to the beginning of the nature trail and made my way back to car. The next stop planned was Kitty Hawk, which was only about 20 or so minutes away. I didn’t realize the Outer Banks vacation area was in this region, as well, so I drove through a lot of touristy attractions on the way. One particular luring attraction was a miniature golf course called “Jurassic Putt” which had some great looking dinosaurs on the course, but I decided to pass.
Made my way to the entrance gate of the Wright Brothers National Memorial, paid my $4, and found a spot near the field to park. If you can picture it, there’s a large sand dune about 90′ tall (that has since been planted with grass so it wouldn’t erode away) where a large wing-shaped monument stands. I had seen pictures of the monument on the Internet before, but I had underestimated how large it is. The monument devoted to the brothers is 60′ tall! Just standing on land with such history was a huge thrill. Almost 107 years ago, on this very spot, the Wright Brothers flew their airplane a distance of 120 feet in 12 seconds – the first powered flight…ever. Incredible.
The monument is huge even from this distance
I made my way to the top of the hill to get a better look of the monument. Here are some pictures from up close:
The incription along the base of the monument reads:
In commemoration of the conquest of air by the brothers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Conceived by genius, achieved by dauntless resolution, and inconquerable faith.
Orville Wright in front of the monument
Just a brilliant memorial.
I spent some time walking in the nearby field, where granite blocks marked the locations of the first three successful flights.
I also spent a good deal of time in the vistors center which had some very cool exhibits. Some touched on the future of aircraft, and others touched on the challenges faced by the Wright Brothers. Overall an amazing value for just a $4 entry fee.
It was time to leave and make my way north to Newport News, Virginia. I have a couple friends I’ve known for years who live in the area. One is Chrissy, another is Chris, and then Chris’ financee, Sundae, so I had plans to meet up with all of them. Arrived at Chrissy’s about three hours later, and soon headed out for dinner to meet up with Chris and Sundae.
We all met up at a Japanese Hibachi place. Chris and I made sure to wear out matching shirts. See, a few years back, Chris and I dressed up as characters from Top Gun for Halloween – I was Iceman, and he was Maverick.
Halloween in VA Beach - 2008
Naturally, we saved the shirts we had underneath and continually wear them. Soon after meeting outside the restaurant, we simply had to get a photo:
Co-pilots
Had a great meal at the hibachi restaurant, and then enjoyed hanging out in the City Center area of Newport News afterwards. I hadn’t seen Chrissy in probably several years, and hadn’t seen Chris and Sundae in about a year, so I was grateful once again to hang out with some great friends. Chris and Sundae are discussing a potential wedding next year, so I’m hopeful no matter where in Asia I’ll be, I’ll have a chance to come back and catch that, and get to wear the Top Gun tshirts once again.
We’ll all be hanging out on Wednesday night, also, which will be my last night in the area. Can’t wait.
Looking silly. Chris and me in the back, Sundae and Chrissy in the front
Now looking classy
Great times, once again.
joe
Day 9 – I only stay in brand new homes
Location: Raleigh, NC
Miles Driven: 172
Total Miles: 2,319
I had such a relaxing morning after waking up at Dennis’ place. Although he had to go to work, he gave me a set of keys and said I could be there as long as I wished. So I spent the greater half of the morning being lazy, but did take care of some paperwork and other random things I need to set up – a car appointment back home (just regular maintenance), some stuff with the 401K from work, in addition to catching up on a few emails. Also, I’ve been trying to carefully track the money I spend on this trip, so I’ve been saving receipts; however, it doesn’t do me any good if I don’t tabulate all that information, so I spent a good amount of time writing all of that into Excel and doing some quick sums. So far, so good – I’m underbudget at this point.
Good to have the morning to get caught up on things. I also proved to be somewhat useful, accepting deliveries at the door on Dennis’ behalf. Got to exercise early afternoon, had a shave after a few days of getting beardy, and eventually was loading up the car around four-ish (I told you it was a lazy day). Actually when I went upstairs to grab the last bag, Dennis was there. Not sure how I missed him in the car loading process, but glad I got to see him one last time before hitting the road.
My destination for the evening was Raleigh, which is just a short three-hour drive Northeast. In Raleigh live Saba and Aaron. Saba is the older sister of my best friend Sam, and I’ve known her practically my whole life. Despite the fact Sam and I probably terrorized her when we were kids, she’s still so very sweet and generous. Aaron is her husband, one of the nicest guys you’ll meet. A few years back I attended their wedding in this area, and it remains to this day one of the nicest events I’ve ever been a part of. I’ve been to weddings on three different continents, and it was still one of the best. My plan was to meet them around dinnertime, and they also kindly offered a place for me to crash.
On the way to Raleigh...the Carolinas are just so green
I'm not a huge Tar Heels fan...but I'll cheer for anyone playing the Dukies from Durham
Arrived at their house around 7:30PM, and what a nice house it is. Saba and Aaron just moved in over the weekend, so here I was again being one of the first sets of eyes checking out a new place…first Dennis’ condo in Charlotte, now this house in Raleigh. I guess I’ve gotten pretty lucky with the timing.
Enjoyed a great meal – pizza, garlic knots, wings, etc. while enjoying the conversation with the couple. Haven’t seen them since their wedding, so it was real good to catch up once again. Saba commented about my trip at one point, having known me my whole life, “Who would’ve thought little Joey Curtin would be doing this?” Hahah…it’s true, back in the day you probably could have pegged me for a person who never leaves their home. It’s been a big change from those days – here I am just passing through on this big road trip, and here’s Saba expecting a baby this August. I’m so happy for them, and look forward to that big day.
Great conversation, great food, great friends. Hope I can make it back down this way…between Charlotte and Raleigh, it would be hard to find a nicer area to live in.
Me, Aaron, Saba
Tomorrow will be another relatively light driving day. The plan is to make my way to historic Kitty Hawk in the AM, and from there I’ll head north to the Virginia Beach region to visit some more friends. Soon I’ll be saying adios to North Carolina. What a beautiful state.
joe
Day 8
Location: Charlotte, NC
Miles Driven: 142
Total Miles: 2,147
Took my time getting moving in the morning as I did not have a far drive to Charlotte. After about two hours of driving, I crossed the South Carolina/North Carolina border, and from there I only had about 15 minutes to get to Dennis’ house. Soon I was parking at this big complex with an inviting pool and went upstairs to meet Dennis. He showed me his new condo – a beautiful two bedroom/two bath place with a patio and nice view. Dennis only recently moved down here from Long Island and already owns some nice property. Got to meet Dennis’ girlfriend, Emma, as well – a very warm and friendly southern girl.
After a shower they took me out to check out Charlotte. I had heard good things about the city before but this was my first time here, and right away I could see what my friends had raved about in the past. Charlotte is a fairly large city but definitely does not have a big-city feel. It’s a very walkable, clean area with so many modern buildings.
Duke Energy building
We grabbed lunch at a RiRa’s (so far I’ve seen a RiRa’s in Bethesda, Atlanta, and now Charlotte – always very good), and did a little more walking around. Some of you may know the Charlotte Bobcats (NBA) have a new owner – Michael Jordan – so there is a lot of excitement in this city regarding the team’s future potential. Here’s a view of where they play, Time Warner Cable Arena:
Let's hope Jordan doesn't make draft picks for the Bobcats like he did for the Wizards...
I also learned that Charlotte is the home to the brand new NASCAR Hall of Fame and Museum which just opened in May:
Rumor has it there is a cool simulator ride inside
Just such a beautiful city:
Modern looking buildings everywhere
We all went back to the suburbs, spent some time out by Emma’s pool, and then enjoyed a great chicken cordon bleu meal she prepared. Very tasty, and one of the first home-cooked meals I’ve had since I’ve been on the road. What a cook.
Ended the night watching the movie Sherlock Holmes (not bad, but not great) and listening to the end of the Celtics/Lakers game. I’m not a real big Celtics fan, but I am happy whenever the Lakers lose.
Dennis kindly offered his place to me as long as I want it, so in the morning I’ll take my time as I need to get some work on the computer done, in addition to doing a little clean up in the car which has gotten a bit messy over the course of a week and 2,000+ miles. Next stop: Raleigh, only a few hours east of here.
Great visit. Thanks Dennis and Emma!
Emma, Me, Dennis. (Can you see any familial resemblance?)
joe
Trip route – Summer 2010
Joe's Roadtrip 
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