John & Anne Wiley

2009/10/24

Mad About NYC

Filed under: Aviation,Big Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People,Random — John @ 03:17
Something we enjoy about flying the way in which we do it, is change. There’s the change it makes to the psyche, somehow altering time and space as we know it. The change in our perspective on this incredible planet of course. Also though, there’s change of plans. It turned out that the airspace was locked up for flyers of our sort (poor), so rather than Linden our best option was Westchester. We connected with an exceptional couple near there who offered two of their places for us to stay, and their many kindnesses enhanced our brief NYC experience exponentially.
Our first night was in midtown in a loft of their business. Dropping our stuff (including the bike which I’d lugged on the subway and partially assembled outside Grand Central to the considerable enjoyment and/or annoyance of thousands), we set off to explore. This scene anticipates our adventures that Herman Hesse might say are best enjoyed by “Madmen Only.”
Dinner at Mario’s got us off to a great start, then we walked. A lot. Mostly up Broadway. Times Square is perhaps the most descriptive in this size of photo, but if time ever catches up again (maybe in a few days?) I’ll post some larger pix on the Photo link.
Meanwhile, there’s one detail from the Square that conveys what substance helped us stay so awake at 1am with little sleep and many travails.
Next day with the bike fully assembled we rode from 36th up to the park. Don’t do this if you are a fearful person, because the bike lanes are considered hunting preserves. We survived, and actually enjoyed it. These two outcomes might have been partly due to what we were riding: my custom bicycle for two, consisting of two seats and double-wide pedals on a cheap old standard mountain bike. People laughed, did double-takes, stared, took pictures, and perhaps decided to spare us as unique specimens of bike riders. It was also delightful to be riding rather than walking or sitting in a bus or subway, and being able to actually converse about what we saw. The park of course, totally blew us away. There’s simply no way to describe how amazing our time was there, as we rode around and through it all the way up to the Reservoir. Lots of pix of course, but here’s one I especially like for the size of pix on this blog (remember this from any movies?):

The day continued getting more magnificent as evening approached and our friends joined us for a truly breathtaking flight. With the Hudson now open to us, we four flew down and back. From all the pix, here’s one I like in this size:
Here’s another, of the Lady who symbolizes so much.
Wish I had time to write and to process/share more pix, but instead I’m going to sleep for the first time in three days (not counting truncated dreamtimes). Tonight we’re in Wilmington (change brought us here rather than the several other options we’d planned). Tomorrow we’re on Amtrak into DC for at least one night. At least that’s the plan tonite…

2009/10/21

Vineyard, Nantucket, Cape and Long Isl.

Filed under: Aviation,Big Adventure,Flying,Happiness,Has Photos,Inner World,People — John @ 01:34
Our ride back to Providence airport offered the opposite of last night’s driver. Joe has led a long and fascinating life. “I like the seasons,” he offered. He loves living and working in Providence, and going dancing with his girlfriend. He also seemed to enjoy flirting with the desk gals at the hotel, so there’s life in Providence after all.
After much discussion we decided to fly out and have lunch at Martha’s Vineyard. Along the way, RI offered some intricate interactions of wind, sand, sea and hardy plants. We wondered what would cause the shapes in the lagoon.

It turned out the airport is a long ride (when you can get one) from the tourist areas, so we grabbed a sandwich to go at the airport restaurant and then became captivated with the WWII memorabilia and stories from the days when this was a stalwart guardian of the north Atlantic and a training base for pilots. Now it seems to have become an outpost of the FedEx flocks from Providence, and a stop for tasteful tourists.

Then after more discussion we decided to go out and have a quick look at Nantucket. “It’s probably just like the Vineyard.” On the other hand, “It’s so close and something we’ve heard of since childhood.” Turns out it was completely different, and the rewards for our excursion were many. The lighthouse seems the epitome of courageous guardian, standing on a spit clearly overwhelmed by storm seas flashing its warning to seafarers.
Cruising back over the Vineyard, their light seems tame and protected until you contemplate the ferocious storms.
We crossed over to Woods Hole, and went up Cape Cod to Hyannis before turning into the wind for our dash to Islip before dark. None of our photos over Long Island came out due to smog and sunset, but the images sit sweetly in our memories. We were surprised at how few houses there are in the East Hamptons, until we realized they’re all cut directly into little squares of the forest.
Tomorrow we plan to skirt any TFRs and all the myriad airliner playgrounds, and slip into Linden, NJ for the Staten Island Ferry into Gotham.

2009/10/15

Home In The East

Filed under: Aviation,Big Adventure,Flying,Has Photos — John @ 03:45
Today’s flight from Bar Harbor, ME to Waterbury, CT proved yet again how close things are on the east coast when you’re in a small plane. We took our time, added stops in the states we crossed (chalk up MA) and landed in CT after a couple hours’ leisurely flying total. Can you tell I love flying in small planes? 🙂
We cruised down the coast past Portland and then on an impulse Anne wanted to see the Kennedy’s compound in Kennebunkport. Since we’d done no research (do they even have something there now?), I relied on the tiny permanent restricted area over the mouth of the river (see the Photo page for a closer view). Another clue was the congregation of big black SUVs parked there, and what looked like Coast Guard speedboats zooming around offshore. We’d cleared it all with ATC, but the next controller we spoke to warned us to avoid it (luckily that was after we’d already flown over). Looks like a lovely little town.

When we landed at KOXC in Waterbury, another rainbow greeted us. This time it was a vertical band of colors on the sun. Also greeting us were Dad and uncle Ted, who took us to a fabulous family meal at his youngest son’s place. Such a great way to begin our days based in CT!

Tomorrow we might move the plane to a different airport (KMMK) on the other side of Waterbury, because the parking here is apparently $25 – 3x the highest price we’ve paid anywhere in our travels across the U.S. The next highest was Chicago Executive where Flash rubbed wingtips with gazillion dollar jets, and they waived the fee when we bought a few gallons of fuel. Since winter weather is forecast for a few days, it would cost us a lot to leave it at OXC and MMK is free – plus there’s a flying club where Flash could commiserate on being tied down or whatever club planes talk about when the pilots are away having fun without them.
Anyway, we’re here safe and happy having flown many miles and still only covered perhaps a third of our Big Adventure. We’re excited to see what’s next.

2009/10/13

NE to ME

Filed under: Aviation,Big Adventure,Flying,Has Photos,Nature — John @ 03:25
Taking off from Bennington, VT we passed over the famous spire. Those tiny dots near the yellow trees are people walking. This thing is tall!

After making the short hop to Keene, NH we stopped to touch another state, to top off our fuel for the flight to Maine, and to have a great lunch at a place near the bottom of this photo.

I liked how the timeless glacier-carved stone contrasted with the fleeting fall colors as we detoured near Mt. Washington before heading due east to Bar Harbor for the night.

Maine has a zillion lakes, and about halfway along our leg east I spotted an airport with a road that connects to this seaplane landing. Those are floats lined up at the top and down the right side. My current theory is that planes land on the lake and moor at this hangar, the floats are removed for winter storage, the planes taxi or are towed to the airport, and they fly home after a summer of lake hopping. Spring would then see a reverse of this migration.

Like all the photos in this blog post, these are pretty lame compared with what we experienced. This one of Bar Harbor, ME tops that list. You’ll find different, larger and better pix by clicking the Photos link at the top-right of our main blog page. Meanwhile, our hotel tonight is just beyond the ferry terminal at the top. There are some stunning mansions along the shore, Acadia National Park with hilltop lakes, and more attractions here than I have time to write or you to read.


Weather is predicted to be marginal for flying tomorrow and better Wednesday, so our location tomorrow is uncertain. It is clear though, that we are at or very near the furthest northeast point of our journey. This leg rightly began in San Diego very near the southwestern most point in the contiguous United States, so until we fly from Blaine to the tip of FL this may be our longest transcontinental flight. Soon we start hopping down the east coast, lingering and zigging around new england until we head for FL. Seems all too soon that we’ll cross the south and our Big Adventure will end back in Santa Barbara!

Meanwhile, good night from ME to you.

2009/10/12

Back In Time

Filed under: Aviation,Big Adventure,Flying,Has Photos,Nature,People,Relationships — John @ 02:58

Today we flew back in time. Taking off from the old airport with history back to the early years of flight we detoured back over Akron, which we’re told has been taken over by the university. Despite our best efforts to get the short distance into town last night, everyone kept nudging us into the burbs by the new airport. Just as well, because it was easily the best hotel we’ve had yet and a great deal (the same price as the motel we’re shivering in tonight but we won’t talk about that). Even if it’s all about students, we still enjoyed it from the air.


As we turned back east toward Clarion, PA I could feel a gentle shift in time begin. I found out three years ago that my paternal ancestors were in that area back into the 1700s. It wasn’t just that this area had the most colorful foliage we’ve seen yet. There was something about flying over ground my fathers had hiked, farmed and hunted when no human had ever seen the long view we enjoyed today. We decided not to land and rent a car for the short drive up 66 to Crown where my grandfather was born. Instead we circled and took a couple of dozen photos to study in detail. I hope to be the first from our line of the family to return and stand at the pond in this century.

We went northeast a ways past Bradford, then turned east at Hamilton to pass Albany. I think NY is the first state we’ve flown over without landing. It was 25F outside the plane today at 5,500′ so we were glad to have a good heater! Since we’re headed for Maine while weather is “warm” tomorrow, we decided to save NY for several of our stops later. Instead we landed at sunset in Bennington, VT. We’ll probably make a Keen stop to touch NH before heading northeast past the White Mountains to the area around Flagstaff Lk, ME. That’s where Anne’s research tonight indicates the best foliage colors. Then we turn SE to Bah Hahbah (Bar Harbor in Maineian) for a stop recommended by our dear Maryellen where she has roots. Maybe we’ll stay there, or somewhere around Portland. Tuesday night we hope to reach our first fixed destination of Waterbury, CT to meet Dad. Hope we get to sleep earlier tonight, so we can get back in time.
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