matthewebbing.com + photography blog

Washington DC, Georgetown

Wed, 13 Jan 2010 08:53:44 -0700

I spent the week of January 3 – 9th in Washington DC. I was there to work in-house at hotpads.com, collaborating with the team of engineers on a redesign of the user interface of the website. The office, and my buddy Doug’s place where I stayed, are in the neighborhood of Georgetown. It was a ton of fun to walk around to and from work everyday - heaps of history and stories to the buildings and storefronts.

Here is a little blurb about Georgetown from Wiki: “The area reached the height of fashionability when Georgetown resident John F. Kennedy was elected president. Kennedy lived in Georgetown in the 1950s as both a Congressman and a Senator. Parties hosted by his wife, Jackie, and many other Georgetown hostesses drew political elites away from downtown clubs and hotels or the upper 16th Street corridor. Kennedy went to his presidential inauguration from his townhouse at 3307 N Street in January 1961. Today Georgetown is one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Washington and home to many of the city's politicians and lobbyists.”

After my week of work, I had all-day Saturday to play tourist. Doug and I took off on foot around 9 am from his place in Georgetown and didn’t stop (other than lunch) until 6:30 pm. We made visits to the Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam Memorial, Korean War Memorial, WWII Memorial, the Natural History Smithsonian, the Hirschhorn Museum (art), the American Indian Smithsonian, a tour of the Capitol Building, and the Modern Art Smithsonian. It was intense. I had fun taking photos. Lots of fun.

To view a brief slideshow of Georgetown & DC landmarks, click the image below! :::

Moving on, over and over...

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:46:36 -0700

I finally bought a vehicle in San Diego. 2000 Subaru Outback. 10 days later I’m sitting here at a friends place in Boulder, Colorado, having driven over 3,000 miles (4828 km) in it already. I’ve been from California to Colorado to Illinois and back to Colorado. The slideshow below has a few pics from these quick travels - some are of family time in Quincy, IL, so may not be too exciting if you are not family. Have a gander if you are so inclined...

click on image below to flip through some pics!

Turkey time!

Tue, 29 Dec 2009 15:53:18 -0700

Yup. That’s a big turkey! For Thanksgiving this year I flew up to Portland from San Diego to be with my brother Jon’s family. My sister, Abby, also met up with us from Wisconsin. Jon & his wife Devon have three muchkins, so it was a fun, busy household for a few days. The day after Thanksgiving was their youngest' baptism - so a few pics from that as well - have a gander at a short slideshow by clicking the photo below:::

Back in the states.

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 11:15:52 -0700

Had it really been a year? This past Sunday I landed in Los Angeles, after just 3 days short of one year spent in New Zealand. I came home to happy parents, and warm sunny days here in So Cal. It’s crowed, people drive too fast and on the right side of the road, but all-in-all, it’s been good to be back. Of course, many things to miss about New Zealand, many of them are friends, but it’s nice to be back. And it’s nice to have good spicy food and more than 3 t-shirts again. Here’s a dozen photos from my first week back in the States. Click the image below to view pics! ::::

finest walk in the world? na.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:46:48 -0600

The title “the finest walk in the world” was first applied to the Milford Track in an article by poet Blanche Baughan, which was published in The London Spectator in 1908. Today the Milford Track is New Zealand’s best known walking rack, with over 15,000 independent trampers completing the tramp each year. Wiki says, “The Milford Track is New Zealand's most famous tramping route. It is located in stunning scenery amidst mountains and temperate rain forest in Fiordland National Park in the southwest of the South Island.”

I decided I had to try it before leaving New Zealand. It didn’t work out for any friends to join me, so I set up the trip as a solo endeavor. You need a boat ride to the start of the track, and a boat ride from the end of the track, and then a 2-hour drive back to the start - so it took a little cash and coordination to work it out. I should note that it is still pre-season on the trail. This trail is so popular that during peak season their are many rules and regulations set in place to keep order. You must hike the trail in a specific direction, pay $45/night for all 4 huts, etc. They let 40 people start the track each day - and you can bet it is booked many weeks or months in advance for most of the regular season.

The beauty of hiking this track pre-season is mostly the lack of crowds, but also that huts are only $15, and you can walk either direction, skipping any huts you choose not worthy. Only down sides are what keep the crowds away: they haven’t put all the bridges in yet as their is still avalanche danger that could destroy them, and destroy people (it is mandatory to carry a Personal Locator Beacon), they haven’t turned on the running water, gas stoves, flush toilets and solar-powdered lights in the huts.

So, was it really the finest walk in the world? Na. I don’t think so. Maybe it was just too much hype to live up to..... or maybe it was because it starting raining the first night, and never stopped. (I don’t like being cold and wet). But in the end, I say it’s not the finest in the world, nor the finest I have ever hiked, nor the finest in New Zealand, but it was still quite awesome. (click on the image below my following rant about backpacking trips to see photos from the Milford Track!)

I think the conversation of “best backpacking trail” must be tied to how diverse our planet is, and therefore declared as pure opinion based on a person’s preference of geology, flora, fauna, history and weather. Next, I feel obligated to set some “backpacking trip” rules so as not to confuse mountaineering or one-night camping with “backpacking.” When I say “backpacking trip” I mean non-technical (no crampons or ropes needed) and that the trail is hiked for a minimum of 3 days/2 nights. That being said, in my personal experience, I will not be counting numerous weekend-warrior over-night trips in Colorado, Montana, etc. nor technical mountaineering trips in Alaska, the Cascades, Peruvian Andes, or NZ Southern Alps.

So, what’s my list!?!? My favorite proper backpacking trips:

Maze District, Canyonlands National Park, Utah. USA. 5-days.
Abel Tasman Coastal. Abel Tas Nat. Park. NZ South Island. 5-days.
Kepler Track. Fiordland National Park. NZ South Island. 4 days.
Milford Track. Fiordland National Park. NZ South Island. 3 days.
Appalachian Trail. Great Smoky Mountains. Tennessee. USA. 4 days.
Whanganui Journey. Whanganui River. NZ North Island. 4 days.
Appalachian Trail. Shenandoah National Park. Virginia. USA. 4 days.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. Minnesota. USA. 3 days.

As I think about it, I realize that because of my passion for climbing and technical mountaineering trips, until I came to New Zealand this year I hadn’t been on a proper backpacking trip since 2003! Crazy. What are your favorites? I want to know! Use the “comments” below or email me if that doesn’t work! matthewebbing at mac dot com.

Anyway, if you’re still with me - click on the image below to see some wonderful pics from the famous MILFORD TRACK!!!!