Contact Festival

Ian and I left from Seattle around 3pm on Friday. We estimated that the 220 mile drive to Salem, Oregon would take about 4 hours. Arriving around 7pm would give us lots of daylight to set up our campsite. We didn't expect the insane traffic that we encountered though. We drove 50 miles in the first 2 hours. Ian was the optimistic one. He kept trying to convince me "it will clear up after Tacoma... it will clear up after Olympia..."

Even with the delays, we made it to our final destination around 8pm and found an ideal location to pitch the tent. Our spot wasn't too close to the roar of the uptempo stage, but not too far to walk. My favorite part about this particular site was the beautiful giant tree. It kept our tent in the shade all day long!


The site was amazing, the land was beautiful, and the layout worked very well for this kind of event. The flyer mentioned the area having "several swimming ponds - bring your baithing suit!" This was a bit of an exaggeration. There were a few trickling creeks and a small stagnant pond. I didn't see anyone take a dip. However, the streams did make the a nice contribution to the scenery.


There were lots of these little wooden bridges.

I discovered what nettles are while playing a game of frisbee with our neighbors. The plastic disk landed in the middle of thick vegetation on the bank of a steam. I didn't hesitate to reach in and grab it, but moments later I noticed a raised, itchy patch on my arm. Ian explained to me what had happened. I guess they don't have nettles in the northeast?

The actual party was great fun. Our friend, Brian (DJ Amanita) was one of the first to spin on Friday night.

The music at the mainstage was all dark psy trance. It became pretty intense.

The music became too much for Ian and myself around 3am. We ventured back to the tent and were pleased with the melodic beats coming from the midtempo stage. There was much more variety, everything from drum and bass to breakbeats to funky 70s pop. It was good times.

The morning came too soon. We spent most of the day sitting around the campsite like vegetables; occasionally snacking and visiting with friends.

We decided to drive back to Seattle Saturday night instead of staying through Sunday because Ian and I were both in really bad shape.

Here is a view of Salem that we captured on the way out. It was far more impressive in real life.

Utah

I woke up at 4am on Sunday morning in order to get to the airport for my 6am flight. I guess that serves me right for having my dad buy the tickets, but since he paid for them I cannot complain too much. He met me in Las Vegas, and we began our trip to southern Utah. We stopped in St. George to meet my sister, her fiance, and my niece and nephew for lunch. After eating, we were back on the road. Early afternoon, we arrived at my grandparent's house in Loa, Utah.


The rest of the evening was pretty laid back. We had dinner and visited before heading to bed early. Between my early wake-up call and gaining an hour, I was exceptionally tired.

My dad and I didn't have much planned for Monday either. We took a drive up the mountains to see some of the beautiful scenery southern Utah has to offer. We drove by Fish Lake and through Sheep Valley as my Dad fondly described his childhood memories of these places.


I collected some interesting rocks in Sheep Valley; some quartz, sand stone, and lava rock. Later that night when I was back at my grandparents house, I was playing around with some balanced structures.


On Tuesday, my dad and I drove up to Bountiful, which is in Northern Utah near Salt Lake City. My cousin, Clint, was getting married, and we drove up to see the reception and visit with the family that I rarely see. We also met up with Christopher and his girlfriend, Minsun. Here is a photo of my dad, Minsun and me at the reception.


On Wednesday, Christopher and Minsun drove down to Loa. They had taken a long route, through St. George, and they had picked up my niece, Ashlea on the way. In the afternoon, I borrowed one of my aunt's ATVs and took Ashlea for a ride. I even let her drive for a while. This might have been foolish judgment, and it resulted in my left foot getting bruised and swollen. Later that night, Shauna and Donavyn arrived.

On Thursday, we got up early to drive to Lake Powell. There was some problem with the adapter that connected the power cable for the camping trailer's breaks and lights to the truck. We took it to the local mechanic and he instantly fixed our troubles by selling us a new one. After being delayed almost an hour, we headed up to my uncle Dan's place, who was bringing along his boat. Once we were on the road, it took us about two and a half hours to reach the lake.

The area was filled with these small lizards that the kids (and occasionally myself) loved to chase around.


We found a good camping spot, set things up, and then had lunch. After eating, everyone changed into their bathing suits, and we headed for the lake.


We brought chairs along so that some of us could hang out on a sandy section of the opposite shore while others were enjoying a boat ride. My uncle had quite a variety of toys that one could ride while being pulled behind the boat; 2 wake boards, water skis, a freeboard, and a tube. I became most fond of the freeboard because it was fun, easy, and it didn't hurt my foot. You could ride it on your stomach, on your knees, or standing up.



Christopher took several turns on the wake board. He was the best out of everyone (except for our uncle Dan). His snowboarding and althletic background really showed through.


Minsun tried wake boarding, freeboarding, and waterskiing all for the first time. She was quick to pick up all three; obvious natural talent.

Both of the kids really enjoyed the freeboard.


The air temperature was really hot by my standards. I felt woozy and sluggish. Swimming in the cool lake was a very pleasant relief!


When we decided to pack it in, we headed back to the campsite to change and get cleaned up. My dad took us all out to dinner at a restaurant that overlooked the lake. The view was magnificent! The sunset that night was also very beautiful.


Once it got dark, I started to play with my poi. This turned out to be a big hit with the kids. Ashlea and Donavyn took turns trying to create their own patters. They were fascinated.

The heat made it difficult to sleep. This only added more time to my growing bank of sleep deprivation, which had been accumulating ever since the beginning of the trip.

Friday morning we set out on the boat again for one last spin. We didn't bring any chairs this time, and instead decided to pack everyone onto the boat all at once. Instead of sticking to the wide section of the lake we had spent Thursday on, we took off for the narrow canyons to the south and explored the lake a bit more.


I made the mistake of jumping into the water with my sunglasses on. I was unable to retrieve them before they sank... sad moment

The area of Lake Powell we were at was named Bull Frog because of this mountain. Can you see the frog?


On the drive back to Loa, we stopped at this charming little souvenir shop/gas station. Since I no longer had sunglasses, I bought a hat to hide my face from the intense sun.

After saying goodbye to my grandparents in Loa, Christoper, Minsun and I headed for Las Vegas. As we drove through St. George, Christopher called his mother, Cynthia, and she desided to come along too. The four of us had a good time walking around the city. The sheer gaudiness of Vegas floors me everytime.

On Saturday morning I headed back to Seattle. Overall, it was a great trip!

Whidbey Island

The first scenic destination we arrived at was Deception Pass; the crossing to Whidbey Island. There are several trails that begin at the bridge and lead down to the water.

This weekend was the first with guaranteed hot and sunny weather. The optimistic prediction enticed many more people to plan outdoor activities. The campground we had intended to stay at was completely full except for 2 sites. Both of the sites were designed for RVs and they had water and electricity plug-ins. Because of these "amenities," the sites were far more expensive than the regular tent area. Ian and I drove through the campground, disappointed with the enormous crowds of people. As we drove through lots of camping units with fancy appliances and unnecessary geegaws, I found myself increasingly irritated with the entire concept of "RV camping." In my opinion, the objective of camping is to enjoy nature with only basic necessities; no electricity, no tap water, no fancy stoves or televisions. Campers belong in trailer parks.

Ian was equally frustrated with the situation we found ourselves in. We decided to leave the campground and plan on going backpacking next time to ensure privacy and a real nature experience. Before we drove home, we headed over to Ebey's Landing; another park on Whidbey Island. The Landing was once a military base, and there is still some evidence of the battle stations that existed there. The pictures below are of one such structure.

Ian's favorite spot is the top corner of the park. It is always vacant because it is slightly more difficult to get to, but the walk is worth it because of the amazing view.

We watched as 3 cruise ships and one barge drove through the channel. It is hard to tell from this picture, but they were almost equal distances from one another. Ian and I pondered about what the passengers were doing, how much they had spent, and how many gallons of diesel fuel were being burned.

It worked out for the best that no one else came with us, because the camping trip became a mere day trip. It is also fortunate that Whidbey Island is only an hour and a half away from Seattle. On the way back home, we decided to take the ferry instead of driving over the bridge. It cut down on the travel time, and it was a nice end to our short adventure.