Technology and the Road

This trip is all about nature for me ... And spending time away from it all ... But technology is something I just can't get away from ... Both out of personal preference and neccessity, I have opted to use a variety of gadgets, gizmos and apps on this road trip ...

1. GPS - A good GPS system is a must in any road trip ... Unfamiliar locales are no problem to handle if you have a decent GPS with updated maps ... No need to bother yourself with maps and printouts of directions ... Plus, GPS sometimes have a good database of restaurants, parks, lodges and gas stations ...

2. Emergency car starter - It's a Duracell gadget which looks like an emergency lamp ... It has an outlet which lets you plug it into the jack and start your car if the batteries run down ... Without the need to leave the car, open the hood and mess with those wires ...

3. Electronic Tire Pressure guage - Simple device to ensure that your tires are filled at the optimum pressure at all times ... Before taking the readings, make sure that the car tires are cool and the car hasn't been running for a while ... Else it might give faulty readings, especially in hot weather ... Some people fill their tires with nitrogen, and then they do not need to bother about filling it out again and again ... I haven't tried it out, but heard that it's supposed to last for a while ...

4. Portable charger for the car - Connects to the jack and charges all your everyday appliances like cell phone, laptop, bluetooth headset, etc ... Very, very essential, since you'll not always have access to a plug point on a road trip ...

5. iPod FM Transmitter - I had downloaded loads of music on my iPod before the trip ... About 10 GB each of English and Hindi ... I got a basic FM transmittor from iTrip, and that serves the purpose really well to stream music onto my car stereo, since most of the areas I'm passing through is rural, and there is not much FM interference here ...

6. Bluetooth headset - I get bored while driving ... So on those long stretches of highway, when I have a few hours of road to cover, what I like to do is call up a list of people on my phone and chat with them for a few hours ... Having a good handsfree Bluetooth headset enables me to do that without a problem ... It's almost like having someone else in the car with you! ... Time flies ...

7. Camera - I have a lovely Olympus 8000 Tough ... The perfect vacation camera ... Waterproof, Shockproof, Freezeproof ... 12 megapixels ... Lens is not as good as Canon, but I get by with decent shots ...

8. The iPhone - Aaaah, the iPhone ... So much more than a phone ... I've had it for 2 years now, and I still get fascinated by the potential ... Here's a list of apps that are absolutely crucial to me in my road trip ...



i) Google Maps - An extra GPS ... The portability allows me to avoid maps when I'm travelling around on foot ... Street view is useful at times ...

ii) iPhone Camera - Not as good, but enough as a backup camera ...

iii) Weather App - Weather.com is better, but this is decent for a quick update ... Helps me plan for contingencies along the trip ...

iv) Flickster - When I'm in the mood for movies, it gives me a nice listing of whats released and where it's playing near me ... I'm a huge movie buff, so this app helps me stay in touch with the latest ...

v) Facebook App - Use it to update my status and check on other folks ... Good user interface for the iPhone ...

vi) IM+ Lite - The iPhone doubles up as a chatting device ... Have my gtalk and yahoo accounts configured here and log in once in a way to see who's online ...

vii) NYTimes - Excellent news source ... Helps me keep in touch with stuff happening

viii) Free Wi-Fi - Takes your location and gives you a bunch of places offering you free wi-fi near you ... Libraries, Cafes, Hotels, Parks ... Priceless app, which is what makes all these updates possible ...

ix) Urbanspoon - A very popular app ... Gives you the best places to eat, by category, proximity and price point ... Has a good set of reviews too ...

x) Cheap Gas - Gives you all the gas stations nearby, and how much they are selling gas for ... Helps save 10-15 cents on a gallon, which can make a huge difference to my budget in the long run ...


This list should help you out if you're planning a road trip yourself ... Let me know if you have any questions or other suggestions ...

Alabama

Welcome to Alabama the beautiful ... Lynard Skynard's song was playing on my CD while I was entering this state ...



Couldn't miss the Talladega superspeedway while passing through Alabama ... Images of Will Ferrel and John C Reilly from that superb lampooning movie about NASCAR ...

First I took a tour of the speedway ... Not that crowded ... I was one of three people taking this tour ...

But the time to visit this place would be during race days, and they have two such events in the year ... At that time, hundreds of thousands of people land into this town from all over the US ... About 35,000 people camping out in RVs and tents right on the motor speedway grounds ... All the motels and hotels would be booked months and months in advance ...

Here's a shot of the speedway ... The incline is pretty steep ... More than a 45 degree angle in my estimate ...

They have a couple of fully staffed medical centers with top doctors from Alabama stationed here during the race days ... There's also a helipad which will take people to the nearest hospital in 10 mins if required ... And this center is not just for the drivers, but for any ticket holding person with an ailment ...

A photo at the victory stand ...

The lap counter ... Each car has an electronic chip embedded in it to make tracking easier ...

And then a visit to the Auto Museum right next to the speedway ...

The DeLorean ... An irish sportscar from the early 80s ... Only a 1000 of these were manufactured ... A modified version of this car was used in Back to the Future ...

The Budweiser rocket ... Doesn't fly, just zooms along the ground at record speeds ... 0-140 mph in 1 sec ... 400 mph in 3 secs ... Highest speed attained - 739 mph ...

One of the NASCAR crashes on display ...

Next I headed to my campground for the night ... Some pics of rural Alabama along the way ...

Bingo is big in Alabama ... On one particular road I saw atleast 20-30 bingo joints continuoously ... Was tempted to go in and try my hand, but I was getting late to enter the camp ...

Reached the campsite ... My first of many State Parks ... This one was called "Clear Creek Recreation Area" ... Got a campsite right next to the Lake ...

Setting up a tent ...


First we lay the Tarp down ... It's essentially a large canvas / vinyl cover which is used extensively in camping ... Back at B-school we used to refer to a different type of TARP ...

Now, here I'm placing the Tarp only so that the tent doesn't get worn out ... But the actual purpose of tarps are multifold ... Here's a good link on the usage of tarps ...

Lay the tent out flat ...

These are tough fibreglass rods to give the basic support to the tent ...

Putting the rods in place ...

Clipping on the sides of the tent to the rods ...

Put the flycover on, to keep out the rain ...

If it's windy, the next step would be to place the tent pegs firmly on the ground ... This particular tent also has two vestibule areas to keep things that you cant bring inside the tent dry from the rain ... e.g. shoes ...

The whole tent takes about 5 mins to setup and 5 mins to dismantle ... It's a two person tent, so it's quite spacious just for me ... Not a palace, but it's home for the next month ...

Camping FAQ

Before I go any further, let me create a little FAQ on camping for all of you ...

Q1. Why camp in the first place? ... Isn't staying in a motel more convenient? ... Especially in the summer?

Ans. Yes it is ... But let's do the math ... $60 minimum at a motel per night ... I'm spending atleast 40 nights on the road ... That's $2400 on lodging alone ... Add to that fuel cost (approx $1000), Cost of food ($30 per day x 40 = $1200), plus visiting attractions along the way ($20 admission fees in each location atleast x 40 locations on average = $800) ... That brings the total to $5400 ... Add some extra cash for contingency, and we're looking at $6000 for the road trip ... My budget was $4000 ... I could not compromise on fuel or attractions, so I cut it drastically on lodging and food ...

Campsites take care of that $15 on average for a stay plus $10 per day for food ... That cuts it down from $90 per day to $25 per day ... Good enough savings to justify a little lack of convenience ...


Q2. What kind of options do you have for camping?

Ans. There's basically three different kinds of camping ... Backcountry camping, RV camping and Car camping ...

RV camping - You get in an RV and head out into the wild ... an RV is a small cabin on wheels, with AC, a kitchen, showers, beds, etc ... mobile convenience wherever you go ...

Car camping - You put all your stuff in a car, head to a tent site and pitch up a tent ... The fees charged by the park varies from $10 to $30, depending on the site ... They have a spot for parking the car, and some restrooms with showers in the area (some have laundries too) ... There is also a spot for a fireplace and a BBQ grill ... Since you're bringing all the stuff in a car, you don't have to bother much about how much you're bringing to camp ...

Backcountry camping - This is authentic rugged camping out ... You basically carry all your stuff in a backpack - Tent, tarp, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, utensils, stove, clothes, water, food ... So weight is an issue ... Carry only the lightest stuff and only the necessary items ... Some people take just one case of water and fill up along the way through streams ... They use iodine tablets and portable water purifiers to clean the water up ... At the end of your trek, you put up your tent wherever you feel comfortable and sleep for the night ... No charge, more privacy, but could get a little risky if you pitch up a tent in the wrong spot ...

I don't have an RV, so I'm trying out car camping for the time being ... maybe later I might try out backcountry camping ... once I develop some comfort with the whole thing ...

Q3. Is car camping safe?

Ans. I'm avoiding private parks and sleeping only in State Parks ... These have excellent facilities, are relatively cheap and have good security ... There is usually a padlocked gate and they don't allow people to come in without a security code ... This code is given to you when you register with them for camping ... Plus these parks are located in beautiful areas ... next to lakes or rivers or in the middle of a mountain ...


Q4. What do you do after you pitch up a tent?

Ans. Again, there are two kinds of car camping ... One is called Primitive camping, and the other is with Utilities ... Primitive means they give you a place to pitch your tent and park your car ... They may have BBQ or a stone fireplace ... But that's about it ... Cost $8 to $10 ...

If you camp with utilities, you get a water pipe, and electric outlet, a dump site and in some cases wifi too ... It's a more luxurious form of camping, and ideally RVs prefer to take these kind of sites ... Cost for tent camping with utilities is an average of $15 ... I prefer to take these sites since I can plug my laptop in and watch a few movies at night ... Or plug the lantern in and read a book ... And plug the fan in as an AC substitute ... Finish off the blog if there is wifi ... Else surf the net on my iphone ...


Q5. What do you eat?

Ans. I usually cook Tandoori Prawns as a starter on the grill, and then put some Chicken Biryani on dum ... I then use the stove to make some Kadhai Paneer or Bhhindi Fry ... And then some raita to go with the Biryani ... To drink I usually take fresh coconut water from the big bunch of coconuts I carry at the back of my car ... And then I finally end it with Shaahi Tukda and Gulab Jamun for dessert ...


Q6. OK, what do you really eat?

Ans. I have cereal bars for breakfast, plenty of fresh fruits from the local supermarkets and almonds. For lunch and dinner, I take out a pack of ready to eat stuff and boil it in water for 5 mins ... Simple stuff, good enough to eat, and no cleaning required afterwards since I use disposable paper cups and plates ... I also have a large hoard of Maggie that I got at the Indian Store in Atlanta ...


Q7. What do you do with insects, reptiles and other creatures of the wilderness?

Ans. I try not to disturb them, and they return the favor. Zipping up the tent all the way is extremely crucial. I have a decent one that tends to keep everything out, so I havent faced any issues yet. As for larger stuff, as long as you don't leave foodstuff outside and dispose of the waste properly, bears, raccoons, etc shouldn't be a problem.

Q8. What else do I carry with me?

Ans. Always carry duct tape with you ... It's a campers best friend ... you never know when or where it will come in handy ... Plus a decent little swiss army knife to get odd jobs done ... A first aid kit is a must, and if you're headed into the desert region, an anti-snake bite kit is also necessary ... Emergency light ... That's all I can think of now.


Let me know if you have any other questions, and I'll append this blog entry.

Georgia

Didn't plan on spending much time in Georgia ... Had a few friends in Atlanta, but couldn't catch up with them since I came on a Monday ... Moreover, since I was deliberately avoiding big cities, I decided to just pass by Atlanta and spend some time in rural Georgia ...

However, I did make one stop ... Cherians, which is an Indian supermarket store ... The largest I have seen in the US ... Great variety and choice ... Picked up lots of supplies to last me a month (mostly ready to eat stuff which is campfire friendly) ... Then went to Kroger and topped off the list with some other general supplies ... All set for camping now!

Checked into a place called Sweetwater Park Camp ... Nicce secluded place ... Lots of security ... Privately owned by an old, friendly couple ...

Here's a shot of the ten ... This was my first night of camping out alone ...

I was the only one camping out in a tent here ... There were mostly RVs around ...

Next day morning I packed up and left ... All set for Alabama now ...

My schedule

OK ... Here's a quick post about my travel plans over the next few weeks ...

NC
SC
Georgia
Alabama
Tennessee
Mississippi
Lousiana
Texas
New Mexico
Arizona
Utah
Wyoming
South Dakota
North Dakota
Montana
Idaho
Washington
Alaska

Parts of the trip I'm most looking forward to ...

The Lousiana Bayou and New Orleans ...
- Grand Canyon and Utah, where I'll be joined by a BITSian friend, AB, for a week ... July 4th weekend, and it'll be as hot as hell in the canyon ...
- Yellowstone and Mt Rushmore, joined by a former colleague, friend and travel partner, MS ... Have already taken 3 trips in the US with him - California, Florida and DC ...
- Alaska ... Another 10 day trip with MS in Aug ... We're renting an RV and heading out into the Alaskan wilderness ...

The rest of the trip I'll be alone, roughing it out in the wild ... Did I mention that I'll be avoiding hotels and motels throughout the trip? ... Planning on staying only in camping sites at National and State Parks ... Of course, that's what I've resolved right now ... But 120 degrees of heat in the desert, along with insects and snakes can get very persuasive ... As Jimmy Buffet says, "We'll burn that bridge when we get to it" ... Or as Bunty and Babli say, "Chaand ka tika matthhe lagake, raat-din taaron mein jeena bhi na easy nahin" ...

Hum chalein abhi ... More later ...

Smoky Mountains

First place I headed after leaving C'ville was Charlotte ... After reaching there, the first thing I did was head over to my ex-Boss's place in the suburbs ... I was meeting her after almost 3 years ... She's a German-American married to a Pakistani, and has two very sweet daughters ... After a dinner at her place, I headed over to my BITSian friend, VNR's place, where SR and GS were staying ... The next day four of us made plans to visit the Smoky mountains ... At the very last moment we decided to make it a camping trip, since it was a good 4 hour drive away ...


Here's an SR snap taken from his Rebel ... After a point, all these national parks start looking the same (at least to me!) ... But till now I had only visited parks in the East Coast ... Let's see how things change later on ...

There's the camping team ... SR, GS and VNR ... All BITSians ... Munching on apples ... One peice of advice I got from the girls on apples ...

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away ... unless the doctor is cute ... then keep the apple away" ...

Pitching up the tent after getting our campsite in the north end, Tennessee side of the Smokies ... A secluded park called Cosby ...

Brand new tent being inaugrated here ...

Getting the stove up and cooking Fried Maggie, a staple BITSian dinner ...

Here's another shot of the tent ...

Playing cards ... They taught me a new game called Ass ... I think they left out explaining some of the subtelities to me, since I ended up being the Ass 90% of the time ...

We also managed to get a campfire going and I taught everyone how to make S'mores, a very healthy campfire snack :) ... Be sure to look it up ...

Once the fire died down, we shifted inside the tent and continued our game of Ass, despite all my protests ...

We finally stopped Ass after a while and started chatting ... Or as we say in BITSian lingo - putting laccha ... mostly BITSian gossip ... GS, VNR and me were from the same batch, so we were the most active in the discussions ... SR was one batch senior to us, so he relaxed in the background and chipped in with some creative comments (or moderate, as he liked to call it) ... i was actually quite surprised how much these girls remembered about BITS ... After more than 5 years! ...

We slept only at 4 am ... and that too after a neighbouring camper asked us to shut the hell up since it was 5 hours after quite hours in the camp ... So that's how I came to know that there is a thing such as "quite hours" in these campsites ...

Next day ... No trip to the Smokies is complete without a visit by a bear ... We ran into this little creature early in the morning the next day ... Lucky thing the mom or dad wasn't around ...

After vacating the campsite, we took a drive through the park for some more photogenic shots ...

The Appalachian trail ... It's supposed to be the longest forest walking trail in the world, stretching well over 2000 miles ... We covered exactly 5 meters in an attempt to pose for this snap ...

A view of the dyinig forest ... Some European virus was responsible for this happening ... This was taken on the border of Tennessee and North Carolina ... Supposed to be the highest point on the smokies ...

Some random solo shot along a creek ... I'm glad the photo was taken before I fell in, wet my clothes and SR's precious camera cover that I was carrying ... I'm glad he didn't notice ... he'll find out when he reads this blog, but by then I'll be 1000 miles away ...

That was Smokies, the most visited National Park in the US ... NC is now checked ... Let's move on to the next state ...

West Virginia

Having lived in Virginia for 2 years, a trip to West Virginia was always on the cards ... started off my road trip with a quick day trip to the state ... The song "Country Roads" kept playing at the back of my mind throughout the journey ...

Weather was kind enough ... Spots of rain, but it stayed clear while we were ouotdoors ...
One of the main attractions at the park we visited ... Sandstone Falls ...

The Grand View ... A horseshoe-like bend on the Shenendoah river that looks simply beautiful from this elevation and angle ...

By "we" above, I meant me, SR and his wife GS ... SR was my batchmate at Darden, and both SR and GS are BITSians ... The snap below was taken at the largest single span bridge ever built ... Had a lot of history associated with it, but I forget most of it at the time of writing this blog entry ...

SR with his brand new $900 Canon Rebel ... He's quite serious about photography, with landscapes and sceneries taking top priority over people, who more often than not are simply in the way! ... But you have to give it to him - the outcomes are quite outstanding ...

At the sandstone falls ... Weather was pretty warm and the water looked quite inviting ...

Updates

By the way ... I might not be that frequent with my updates, given my limited access to the net ... Probably once or twice a week I might get to some public library or Panera Bread (free wifi) and upload the snaps / blog entries that I have maintained ... But make sure you follow the blog, coz there's lots of interesting stuff coming up! ...


Next entry in a couple of days ...

And we start off on our road trip!

I left my parents in JFK on the 31st of May ... I am scheduled to join MSFT only on the 31st of Aug ... 3 months ...

So ... Came back to C'ville almost immediately and finished tying up some loose ends ... Met some people, got some DMV, Bank and Post office work done ... Sold whatever I could sell ...

And ... Finished packing all my stuff up for the upcoming road trip ...

After three days in C'ville, with just an hour before I had to leave, this was the situation ...

Now these are all of my worldly belongings ... Can all this fit into a single car? ... Will I be able to complete the packing / stuffing within an hour's time? ... How much would I need to leave behind? ...

Well, this was the situation in an hour ...

Impressive! ... Even if I do say so myself! ...

Some pics of my mobile home ...

Just the front seats are free .. Enough for me and one additional passenger ... The trunk contains all the bags and suitcases I will not be needing on my trip ... The rest is crammed into the back seat ... I will write another detailed post about my mobile home, and how the different "rooms' are organized ... That will have to wait for later ...

Anyways ... This signals the point when the road trip officially starts ...

More to follow ...