I am in training.
No, not because of the upcoming Winter Olympics, but you’d think. Actually, one of those hot dog eating contests was on TV, and it showed the rigorous training and the special techniques perfected by those competitive types.
What can I say? I was inspired. Eat Strong!
So after viewing the 22nd dog, soaked in water and then downed, I was motivated to get off the couch and do something. I relaunched my travel blog. As for being in training … I am not in shape yet to do the entire United States, like last time. So this blog entry is a test drive, sort of like a pre-season NFL game in the first quarter when the real team is still out there.
I jest.
Actually, I just completed a nice little test of stamina – the long, winding road in a 1,240-mile circle from Fort Worth, to Amarillo, Texas and then up to the mountains of Santa Fe, New Mexico to escape the Texas heat and back.
And they said it couldn’t be done … I hopped in the Toyota Highlander and when I reached Amarillo, I didn’t stop to take even one photo at THE monument to roadtrips – The Cadillac Ranch. I sped on by, honking at the tourists lined up to deface the sculpture with aerosol paint. (I hope that starts a new tradition … honking that is … defacing the Cadillacs is well established. So, please honk when you pass the CadRanch.)
First stop, my home town, Vega, Texas. No trip to Vega would be complete without checking out a fairly new restaurant at the intersection of Old Route 66 and U.S. 385 – Boot Hill. (You may remember Rory from “The Next Celebrity Chef” or from CMT’s “Popularity Contest.” Boot Hill is her restaurant.) The name refers to a frontier-era cemetery, where legend has it, the cowboys and gunslingers were buried with their boots on. So, any Wi-Fi buried deep within this Boot Hill? I fired up the laptop there amidst the saloon motif and promptly struck out. I guess the restaurant has done much to bring fine dining to Vega, perhaps it was asking too much to expect a hotspot.
The food was excellent and I saw several old friends, but found the wireless menu lacking. Because it is Wi-Fi that I seek – TV star chef or not, Boot Hill gets 1 ping and 1 ping only.
Quickly, I hopped back on Interstate 40 headed West, dropping off the Caprock just west of Adrian on the road to New Mexico, stopping briefly in Tucumcari. No Wi-Fi located … Westward ho. Let the cacti begin.
Next stop Clines Corners, N.M., basically a commercial intersection on I-40 equipped with some strategically placed gas stations and fast food selections … which now has the dubious honor of offering some of the most over-priced gasoline I have seen. No Wi-Fi, and gas a quarter higher than anywhere else. CC gets no rating.
If you take the back road, highway 285 north from Clines Corners, N.M., to Santa Fe … well … “put the pedal to metal.” … Clear sailing, with markedly more interesting scenery than the Interstate. I arrived in Santa Fe mid-afternoon and made a beeline for the Plaza. Most notably, there were Native Americans pushing silver jewelry and crafts all over the sidewalks as they have done for decades. I set up my own wares a few feet away in the center of the plaza. There was a gazebo stage featuring local musicians, and there were outdoor electrical outlets to recharge the laptop, but alas … no Wi-Fi signal fires burning.
So, I popped inside the beautiful old La Fonda Hotel. So cool … check it out at http://www.lafondasantafe.com/
I didn’t lodge there on this trip, but I did sample the wireless. I was surfing in no time. La Fonda – rustic pueblo chic, cool, and there’s Wi-Fi. La Fonda gets 4 pings.
But no … no La Fonda for me. For whatever reason, I opted for a new Coleman tent, pitched 10 minutes from town in Hyde Memorial State Park (in the rain). No hotspot, no campfire but no regrets.
From La Fonda, I walked around and rode my bicycle looking for Wi-Fi – rain and shine. Quite honestly it seemed as if one might have an easier time channeling a crystal power source from Shirley MacClaine’s house than finding Wi-Fi … at least in the places where I looked.
But … I am in training and frankly, didn’t get out of the Plaza much. I mean it is the spiritual center. But, our old friends at JiWire list about 50 hotspots – mainly hotels, a few coffee shops, a bakery, some cafes and a violin shop. See www.jiwire.com
It was not too surprising that Santa Fe seems to have the highest per capita claim to alternative grocery stores with a Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Wild Oats all in close proximity. (I didn’t whip out the laptop there in tofu country, but I checked my iPhone and was surprised that I didn’t see a public hotspot. I think connectivity is organic, right?)
The next day, I found a neat little coffee stand in a parking lot, next to a snow cone stand. The name – very clever – Pony Esspresso. I ponied up a couple of bucks for some hot brew, but there was no e-mail delivery on this day … no Wi-Fi.
But rest assured, there is a Starbucks near the Plaza in Santa Fe, and although the signage is seemingly subdued to fit into the cool Santa Fe vibe – the locals and the tourists locate it all the same. I hung out a couple of mornings and afternoons at Bux. Of course Bux is always good for Wi-Fi and fresh brewed goodness, but this time there was a new twist. Most of you know that AT&T swooped in to claim part of the airspace at Starbucks, and for now is sharing with T-Mobile. So, each day when I signed on, the system seemed to have a little difficulty accepting that I am no longer a T-Mobile subscriber and that I hook up using AT&T. There were some issues with the security certificate as well … so it was slow getting on, but soon I was communicating with the outside world … no problem.
And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention one of the brightest, happiest, most outgoing baristas I have met in my travels. I don’t know her name, but all the locals seemed to know her and seemed to “speak” her language. This young woman is apparently hearing impaired, and I think she has a bit of an impromptu sign language … although I do not sign. So … how does one order a beverage with such a potential for miscommunication? For me … it was all about keeping it simply. I decided on a black coffee “for here” … signing my order as if I were holding the handle of my favorite coffee mug. Recognizing the international symbol for a black mug of coffee, she smiled and served it right up.
Kudos to some handy communicating at Starbucks in Santa Fe and old-reliable Wi-Fi from two sources – T-Mobile and At&T … score: 4 pings
Overall, Santa Fe is known for a great place to escape the grid, frequent a nice opera house, checkout paintings of bones dissolving in the desert, attend a thriving chamber orchestra festival … but in regards to Wi-FI … well just 3 pings for the jewel of the Land of Enchantment.
To be continued …
Know what I sayin?
