We stayed at the Sea Watch Resort in North Myrtle Beach.

The 11th floor was our home for a week. Not a bad place to call home at all. The kitchen was big, bigger than the one in my apartment. There was one master bedroom that had one king bed with an extravagant bathroom and a shower bigger than the kitchen in my apartment. The other bedroom had two twin beds, good sized closet space, and a dresser. Every room, the living and both bedrooms, each had a flat screen tv wired for cable. That’s more than I can say for my apartment. There was also a balcony that looked miles out into the heart of the Atlantic and down miles upon miles of pristine coastline lined with various resorts, hotels, and rv parks. The room even had a tropical pineapple theme that got you in the beach mood. Basically, the resort room outdid the square footage of my two story apartment. It was a nice place.

And, if water is what you’re looking for, then the multiple lazy rivers, seven or so indoor and outdoor pools, and Jacuzzis in the double digits will surely satisfy your moisture lust. Not to mention, the Atlantic itself. Private Beach even. The only bummer was that two of the hot tubs were closed. I mean, you didn’t have a problem finding one during the day, but it was a different story at night. This is when people came out with 24 packs, mixed drinks, and frozen margaritas. So ,if you do happen to see an open jacuzzi that’s open during prime time, then run and claim it because, chances are, that there is another group running for the same one. Anyway, we had are own little breakdown of all the different pool areas and what kind of action they got. It goes as such:

The south tower had two outdoor pools, one indoor pool, one indoor jacuzzi, and three outdoor jacuzzi (one of which was out of commission). Now, this might seem like prime territory, but it depends on what you are interested in. If buzzed conversation and social interaction are your thing, then the South tower may not be for you. The south is more of a chill, family zone. Then, we have the villas, which is where we were staying. At the villas, there was one pool, which I never saw a single person at. However, there was another pool and a neutral ground hot tub right smack dab in the middle of all the towers. Most of the time, this jacuzzi was open for use. It was in an awkward location, situated between many balconies from every building that put you on the foot path of guests traveling to the beach, north, or south tower. Also, this hot tub was always extremely HOT. The hottest of them all. 15 minutes and you were burning just to get out of it. However, it’s biggest downfall, the location, was also its greatest strength. A perfect vantage and stakeout point to spot people traveling in all directions, people that you may be interested in meeting. Last but not least, you have the north tower. This is where it went down. There were two outside jacuzzis, one outdoor pool, one indoor pool, and an enormous, quite lengthy indoor jacuzzi. This was the place to be social. During the day, flocks of elderly people congregated in the hot bubbling pools,scantily clad girls laid out in the hot sun, and the foot traffic to the beach was never ending. At night, the younger crowd typically overpowered the scene. Hot tubs were filled with the blurred and steamy silhouettes of slightly inebriated college students. The north tower at night was the time and place to gather with your fellow generation and run full speed through the sand into the dark ocean waves. It was the place to be, at least until 11. That is when security comes by and tells everyone to get out because the pool is closed. Still, no worries. If you are truly dedicated to the steamy goodness of the jacuzzi, security gets off at 2 and the cleaning crews come in at 4. That’s a good two hours extra.

One might wonder why the layout of the various pools, beach access paths, and jacuzzis was so important to a group of young college travelers. Well, there is one word to answer that: Canadians. We happened to be spending our spring break in Myrtle Beach during the same time of Canadian-American Days, some sort of convention or celebration. I never fully figured it out. Anywhere you went around town, license plates read Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Montreal. They came in packs to escape the frigid winter weather of the north and enjoy the sultry suns rays of South Carolina. It also happens to be that the Canadians are quite attractive. I know this is a predetermined stereotype, considering that my contact with our neighbors from the north has been limited to political parodies, South Park satire, and The Next Generation of Degrassi, but it is no better or worse than my previously held stereotypes. I’m pretty sure that Americans have always been considered an aesthetically pleasing people, but I would give Canadians the advantage over us. Most were also way more tan than me, and I’m from Texas.

Let me throw out my previously help Canadian stereotypes as influenced by television and politics. First, the lingo. “Eh”, “Soory”, and the pronunciation of the word “bar” as a mix of “Bower” and “bear”. These still remain true. Second, Canadians are too nice. Judging by how many times I heard the word “pardon” instead of “huh”, I would have to say that they are well mannered. Not too nice, but extremely friendly and polite. Third, Canadians are only reference din the butt of a joke. I can not see why this is so. Their Public polices make more sense to me than our own. They are liberal and accepting of many cultures (not that we aren’t). These are  randomly thrown together stats, but I must say that my view of Canada has changed, for the better.

So, the beach and the resort were a great place to soak up the sun, but Myrtle Beach did have some nightlife to attend to. The only place that we really checked out, and enjoyed thoroughly, was Club Kryptonite, right next to Planet Hollywood. It is this huge, freestanding dome of a building lit up with fluorescent green and a huge K on the inside of the superman symbol. Don’t judge the place by its looks. On Monday night, Flo Rida was performing there, but that made the cover $20. Instead, we went on Wednesday, College night, $10 cover. Also, it is good to know that they charge everyone here. Whether you are a minor, a guy, a girl, you will be charged from what I could tell. Still, it is totally worth it to check out. I am used to the clubs in Austin, but this was something completely different. Two floors, holds almost 4000 people, a dance floor that also dwarfed the square footage of my apartment. It seems like a club you might find in LA. The parking lot is filled with cops of all sorts, but most won’t just turn a blind eye to the guy trying to relieve himself in the hotel parking lot across the street. There are many bouncers, but don’t be intimidated. They seemed like decent guys. Anyway, check this place out if you are bored one night. This seems to be the place that everyone gathered.

Broadway at the Beach is also another popular spot at Myrtle Beach. They’ve got shopping, food, Ripley’s Aquarium, an IMAX, and plenty of bars. This place makes for a great family spot during the day, but we weren’t too interested. In fact, the evening scene there wasn’t very impressing either. We were a group of four guys who ran into many groups of four guys, that also converged into other groups of guys. It was a bro-fest.

Most of my spring break was spent staking out the hot tubs. There were countless nights that we all gathered on the balcony to congregate about the game plan and use it as a bird’s nest to scope out the intriguing foot traffic below. We got lost in exploring the hypotheticals of opening lines and possibilities of rejection and humiliation in front of an older crowd. In theory, we picked up countless girls and played it cool as cool could be. In reality, we spent a lot of time thinking. Overall though, it was a fantastic trip.

The weather was a bit off when we went, apparently cooler than it normally was.  The median ages of the town’s inhabitants and vacationers were probably three times our own, kind of what I pictured the retirement communities in Florida looking like. There also weren’t as many college students as we were expecting or hoping for. However, college students are known for their notoriously low budgets, and considering that South Carolina has the highest unemployment rate in the US, I can’t say that I’m surprised that the place wasn’t bubbling over with younger visitors.

Just a small and overall unimportant observation. The tax on food in SC is greater than in Texas. There is probably a good economic reason behind this that I do not know about.

Sorry for being gone so long.

My friends and I made the drive up to Myrtle Beach for Spring Break. I’ll start with the drive itself.

We left Houston at about 10 pm on Saturday. There was a good reason for this. You see, three of us, including myself were driving, while the fourth member of our crew took a plane. Our check in time was set for 4 pm on Sunday. So, we decided that we would drive all the way through and arrive after our fourth member had already checked in.We underestimated the misery of 22 hours in a car.

We decided that we would drive in three hour shifts. I took the second shift, which took place from 1 to 4 am through Louisiana and possibly another state. My memory is hazy. Overall, it wasn’t too horrible because I was still slightly pumped for our destination. That changed pretty quickly. My only real suggestion for driving through Louisiana in the dead of night is to watch your speed. I had a cop pace me for a few minutes. Once he figured out that I wasn’t going to bust the speed limit (Hell yeah for cruise control), he sped off. Within a minute his lights came on and he pulled over a truck. Trust me. Rural Louisiana, surrounded by black swamps and dense trees is not the place to be pulled over by the lone country sheriff. Personally, if the red and blue were for me, being that I am extremely paranoid, I would probably punch the gas and run for it, considering the backwoods reputation that come from movies like Deliverance and Stephen King’s Desperation.

Basically, we worked together like a well oiled machine. While the driver drove, the person in the passenger seat stayed awake to keep them company and the person in the backseat slept. It was the kind of plan that looked perfect on paper. Here is how it really went down, from my perspective of course:

While I drove, my passenger/counterpart/second pair of eyes, closed his eyes periodically and dreamed furiously, often jolting himself awake while yelling “Oh Shit! Oh shit!”, also managing to scare the shit out of me. Then I had my turn in the sleep seat. First off, it was uncomfortable. Secondly, and most important in my opinion, was that fact that I am a light sleeper. My ears managed to pick up bits and pieces of the driver’s weary dialog, which consisted of: “Oh shit man. I’m about to pass the fuck out. I keep swerving into the other lane and, I think I’ll just close my eyes for a few minutes.” These comforting, midmorning phrases were also bundled with the sound of him slapping his face and turning up the radio to stay awake. This was pretty much as good as it got the entire drive. I’m not saying that I was a perfect angel, because I too drifted off during my passenger seat duty.

The favorite and most looked forward to parts of the drive consisted of the times when we could step out of the car and replenish our bodies and minds with some good old fashioned, hearty, country Cracker Barrel. Let me say this. As some of you might know, I drove out to the west coast this past summer. Not a single Cracker Barrel after you go west of San Antonio. This time around, you could spot one every five miles. Southerners love their Cracker Barrel, along with old people too. I’ll have more to say about the elderly later. For now though, you must know that it is of great importance to eat at a Cracker Barrel at least once in your life. They embody the stereotype of southern states and manage to provide a pretty damn good meal.

I can skip the drive through Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. They all looked disgustingly similar at night, not that I’m saying that they don’t have their high points in the light of day being seen through a pair of eyes that aren’t wired to a brain hopped up on 5 Hour Energy shots and deadly amounts of caffeine. I’m sure they are lovely destinations. Plus, I think I have a subconscious desire to forget everything about that drive, the increasingly rank and alive body odors, the drool covered community pillow, lack of leg room, and disappointment with XM’s song variety. Did I mention that it rained from Houston all the way to South Carolina, every second?

The real trip started when we actually arrived.

San Francisco is an interesting place. This past summer was my first time visiting, but I have been to New York many times. In my opinion, San Francisco is like the New York City of the west coast, except more hilly. It is a big place, so that is why I have some tips for people who are traveling there. As I said, I have only been there once, but I learned a few things.

We were lucky enough to meet a local San Franciscan in the laundromat. She was quite a character. Also, while on the topic of laundromats; don’t just choose any laundromat on a whim. Shop around a little. See if they have wi-fi. Some have little coffee shops and bakeries inside. Some charge you just for being in there. Some have working machines. Some don’t. Although, I guess it’s a trial and error type thing. For us it was.

Anyway, this lady gave us a lot of advice once she heard that we weren’t from there. In fact, we told her we were from Texas and her response went something like this: “Texass! Boyy! Why you so pale?” I had just spent my whole summer swimming. I’m talking like, 4 hours a day in the Texas sun.

According to her advice, first and foremost, avoid the guys in Golden Gate Park. Sh said that there would be guys who whispered to you from the bushes and the tunnels. She wasn’t kidding. We traveled all day to get there, the famous Haight Ashbury area, and decided to check out the park. Within five seconds of setting foot past the “Golden Gate Park” sign, we suddenly knew what she meant. The first guy was businesslike. We walked past him and he called out to us, “Trees.” Now, there are trees in the park, but he wasn’t simply stating the existence of them. “Trees, $2o a tree.” He didn’t look up while he said this, but kept his face down in an issue of a Victoria’s Secret catalog. We took this opportunity to scurry along. The next guy came on a bike, about ten seconds later. Dreads, slippers, and crossed eyes. “Yo boys. Got some leaf. Lookin’ for that leaf.” It appeared that his offer spurred the first man to get up and close the catalog. They both then walked along side us, arguing over who would get the sale, apparently with no idea that we weren’t interested. They kind of got caught up in their own debate, so we took that as another opportunity to continue on. Long story short, the dealers are like Robin Hood’s merry men, hiding in the forest. They were everywhere. We didn’t stick around in the park long, but on our way out, we did notice the two bike cops arresting two of them. Just another day I guess. So far, the laundromat lady was 1 for 1 on her advice.

Secondly, she warned to know your bus routes. Always know which bus you are taking, where you are taking it to, and if there are any transfers. Like I said, this is a big, hilly place. We tried to pay attention, but all I could really notice was the bit of chicken salad hanging from her lip. So, we decided to wing it. At first, we just kind of roamed the city to see what there was. Then, we looked up bus routes on our laptop while in the laundromat. There was no printer, so we snapped a picture of the screen with our digital. That proved to be a mistake at the end of the day. We did end up getting to Fisherman’s Wharf, which was awesome. It was very relaxing with plenty of good places to eat and tons of little shops. The only problem came in getting back. We looked at the various bus stations, but the routes didn’t seem to add up. So, we walked around looking for the right bus stop, and before we knew it, we were in the residential area. Just hill after hill, street after street of apartments. So, we figured that if we were going to walk, then we may as well find some neat little bistro. Mistake number 2. Basically, we walked about 10 blocks uphill, 10 block down and ended up at a Subway. This subway didn’t even have the $5 foot long deal yet. Also, don’t think that the walks downhill will give your feet a break. They are both equally as hard in the midday sun. Therefore, laundromat lady was 2 for 2.

Number 3. In her opinion, the Golden Gate Bridge is uncrossable. “That bridge is swingin’ and swangin’. No lane dividers either. Gots to worry about people drivin’ all in your lane.” She told us that she hadn’t crossed the bridge in over ten years. She only traveled south. That is why she told us she made it down to Houston at one point for some conference, but it wasn’t much of a story. Anyway, we knew that we needed to go across the bridge and didn’t think much of it. For some reason, I think she thought that the bridge swaying was a bad thing, but I didn’t feel like getting into architecture with her. So, we eventually made it to the bridge on our way to Sausalito. My GPS managed to send us in a few circles, and I burned out my clutch. (Really! Be aware of how steep the hills are. If you drive a standard then use your e-brake on stops.) So, the bridge was nice. There are no land dividers, but there are cones. I also blew through an ez pass lane without a tag, but I never got the ticket in the mail. so, if you are from out of state, be sure to take advantage of that. Apparently, this would make the laundromat lady 2 for 1. Still, I’m glad we met her.

Have fun in San Fran.

Okay. So, Sequoia National Park. We stayed in Lindsay, CA in a Super 8 as said before. That was as close as we could get in the time that we had to make a reservation. That meant about an hour drive to the entrance of the park, which is only about $6 to get into. Also, the Sequoia trees (The Giant Forest) was about 17 miles inside the park. That means another hour drive through the park. The roads are extremely steep, very narrow, and absolutely gorgeous. You will probably average about 10 mph while driving to The Giant Forest. The colors of the leaves vary between gold, orange, red, and green. I wish I took more pictures. However, entering the Giant Forest is definitely when the real show starts. You really do feel like you re in the land of the giants. There are different parts of the park, such as Kings Canyon, which holds the Redwoods, but the Sequoias were enough to blow my mind, thoroughly. The forest is damp and a little foggy, which makes it seem like a fairytale. We took some short hikes and felt miles from the real world. I would love to go back and experience more of the park. We even managed to see some deer while hiking through the park. But, if bear is what interests you, then be sure to check out Yosemite.

Yosemite National Park. This is where shit goes down, as some would say. As I’m typing this, I am actually looking in the thesaurus for the proper words to describe this experience. Hiking through Yosemite is stunning, sumptuous, superb, dazzling; it’s a dream. The lakes are like mirrors-mirrors with fish beneath the surface. The mountains make you feel like you were barely born-they’re enormous. Waterfalls, rainbows, horseshoes and blue moons…Not to mention, we ran into a few bears. The first time, we were hiking in a group of about 15 people. They looked like dark blurs running through the trees. I took off running at first sight. They were only cubs though, so we pointed our cameras and clicked. The next encounter was when we were alone. I didn’t even notice it within ten feet of us. We were hiking around dusk and my friend said “Shit! Matt, what should we do?” I said, “About what?” Then he pointed. There was a fatter cub, ten feet away, eating out of a trunk. We snapped a few pictures, then left quickly fearing th presence of a mother. The cub didn’t even notice us. I can’t say whether these were Grizzly or Black bears, but I would guess Black because they didn’t look too big. I am not guarantying that Yosemite will bring bears, but it is still a worthy place to visit. There are many great hikes in the area, so be sure to give yourself more than a day. And don’t worry about walking everywhere because there is a shuttle system that runs all throughout the park. Check out the pictures.

Quick tip. While driving through Arizona, be wary of random thunderstorms and sandstorms. They can mess with your paint job.

This past summer, a good friend of mine and I made our first trip to Cali. A full blown road trip from Houston, TX all the way to the west coast.

I’ll begin with the first leg of the trip. A 12 hour drive to the Gardner Hotel in El Paso, Tx. We stayed in the hostel section of the hotel, which consisted of a small room with 2 sets of bunk beds, a sink, and a door to a shared bathroom with the next room. I’ll admit that this place did have some antique charm. They had an old school elevator and a pretty nice looking lobby. However, the front door was a popular hangout for some of the more shady guests. And, for $30 a night, you would probably be better off forking over a little extra for a La Quinta with free wi-fi, of which this place had none. Overall, it looks like a cute little place, and they do have some pricier private rooms with cable and extra amenities, but if you are on a budget then I would recommend looking elsewhere.

Next Stop: San Francisco. Of course, I’ll skip over the stay in Tuscon, AZ, and a few nights at my uncle’s place in Oxnard, CA. The next hostel we arrived at was the Adelaide Hostel in San Fran. It was definitely interesting to say the least. Bustling is a good word too. It was a little hard to find also. We circled the same streets while demeaning and cussing at the GPS. It just so happens to be located in an alley. They do have a valet service, but we didn’t use it, only because of the fact that we didn’t know about it. Instead, we paid $25 to park in a garage down the street. So, the people and staff seemed friendly enough. About 90 % of the guests were Europeans. I think both the guys who worked at the front desk were Irish too. So, if you are looking for a unique cultural experience with the opportunity to meet people from all across the globe, then this is the place for you. There are also many computers throughout the building, however, there is also an equal amount of guests to occupy these computers fairly constantly. The lobby is pretty nice. There are some tv’s and many couches to lounge upon. Trust me, the environment is very communal. For breakfast, they encourage you to buy your own food and cook it up in the kitchen. Still, they do provide coffee, toast, butter, and many other small food items. My only complaint about this place lies with the room. We were put in a co-ed room with 10 bunk beds, each with a curtain that pulls across to provide some privacy. There are also multiple sinks that run along side the wall. This is no normal room though. It is like a lengthy hallway with a few feet of walking space. Also, when we had arrived, there was only one bed left in the room. My friend nabbed that one with no remorse and I was put in a bed that sat at the end of the hallway in the center of the room, no curtain, no privacy. Other than the open window at the head of my bed and the elderly woman who fell on me while trying to climb up into her top bunk, I had a decent nights sleep. The room was pretty cluttered, pretty damn cluttered. It seemed that most of the guests that had been there before us had been there for quite some time, and seemed to have plans to stay for quite some time in the future.Still, the lines of hanging t-shirts and jeans strewn about the floor, random toothbrushes in the sink, and abandoned facial cleansers made for an unforgettable experience. They even had a laundry room downstairs, which most seemed to not know about. So, if you are looking to meet some interesting and unique people, share a 40 oz or two, maybe a doobie on the alley steps, then this is definitely a place to check out while in San Francisco.

HI: Marin Headlands Hostel. Go here. In fact, if you are planning on visiting San Francisco, don’t even bother trying to find somewhere to sleep in the city. This place is only ten or fifteen minutes away and it is gorgeous. You can see the bridge and San Francisco from the beach. Traveling to this hostel is like being in the country and coming across a quaint little town. You have to wait at a 5 minute red light and travel through a one way tunnel just to get here, but that is what makes it fun. There is tons of great hiking around here and absolutely breath taking views of the ocean. We were able to see many deer and sea otters off the coast. The hostel managers are very nice and accommodating also. Sausalito is only ten minutes north of San Fran, but it feels like you are in a completely different world. The rooms have about 6 to 8 bunk beds but are nice enough. I would definitely describe this hostel as more family friendly. So, if you are looking for gorgeous scenery and a unique experience, with a cost of only $22 a night, then check this place out.

Lake Tahoe. There’s not much to say. The pictures will tell all. We stayed at a little motel just like every other motel or hotel that lines the shore. When in Tahoe, it’s not about where you stay but how you spend your time there.

Mammoth Lakes: Davidson Street Guest House. After a day of hiking through Yosemite, we needed a place to rest our feet. We had it all planned out to stay at Doug’s Mellow Mountain Retreat, but after reading some questionable reviews, we decided to look for a new place. We called Davidson. Luckily they had plenty of space. You would think that after a day of hiking through Yosemite, there would be nothing that could top it. Think again. This place was astonishingly gorgeous. While staying here, you truly feel like you have discovered a hidden gem. First, there was no management at the hostel. You simply slide your money under the door with the appropriate paperwork. The kitchen is fully stocked and the design of the place is very rustic. Also, within five miles you have beautiful lake shores and high end shopping centers. We just happened to be there on a weekend in which a beer fest was taking place, so we ran into many interesting people. Still, even without the beautiful country around you, the night sky would be enough for me to visit again. We spent almost the entire night looking up at a sky that had more stars than I ever knew truly existed. We also managed to grab breakfast in the hostel on our first morning. The only other guests there were a German family that invited us to eat with them. That made the trip. For sure, check this place out. It’s close to Yosemite and is only $25 a night. Totally worth it.

We then continued on to Sequoia National Park and stayed in some sort of Super 8. More on that in part 2.

I have owned one, single pair of boxer briefs. Otherwise, I’ve been a boxer guy since sixth grade or so. The one pair that I do own came to me as a Christmas present. They were and are still the tops. Tops drop even.

So, today was the fist time that I actually went out and bought a pack of them. Like an economy, value, pack of five, five varying shades of blue, pack of boxer briefs. I’ve never been happier. The only reason I even made the switch from briefs to boxers was because of entering junior high. For the past eight years after that, Ive been a slave to tiny shorts that you wear under regular sized shorts. It’s not that boxers aren’t great. There’s freedom. There’s pros and cons.

Boxers are life after college. The feeling of freedom is still there, but you’re skeptical of what may come. Briefs are life before college. You’ve got security, borrowed income, closeness; but you start to feel a little smothered, a little suffocated. So, naturally, boxer briefs are college. There’s freedom and security. The borrowed income may be gone, but hopefully tuition is being paid. You may be away from family, but you can always come home for the weekends. It’s that perfect middle ground. Also, boxers give you chicken legs. They flare out. Briefs are too form fitting. So, I am Matt, I am in college, and as of today, I wear boxer briefs.