Tom's Page: My Travels

My
Travels

2003
2002
2001
2000
1998
1997
1996
1994

take a road trip

top

I like visiting other places and taking the time to explore. I can cover a lot of ground quickly but I tend to care less where that ground is so not too many people travel with me well.

Being a New Yorker (funny how I spent almost half my life outside New York and I still consider myself to be one) you can't understand the pride others have in their home towns. Even the transplanted New Yorkers in Boston talk as if they still live there although the two are not very far apart. I think this creates a certain curiosity and a quest for the answer to Why do you live there? In my qwest I have found some unlivable but interesting places.

The essentials of a good trip. Can't answer the phone now.. standing on a chair.

Some of my favorites have been the road trips, particularly out west. When I was a student I got the chance to give a talk at a conference in San Diego. I thought this was way too cool and at the time New Jersey was my westernmost point. I thought that was enough frontier for me. The flight was on a clear day and I remember looking out the window and noticing that most of the country is empty space. You can see some roads that go on in straight lines for what seemed forever. Who goes down there? Then the flight path took us directly over the Grand Canyon. Since then I have driven on many of them.

Bring your own music. The radio stations are sparse and they all play country.

The Great Circle Route to Boston from December to March.

Fly the Great Circle Route. It's more efficient, the earth being spherical and all, especially if you are traveling on someone elses tab. Let's say you have a teaching engagement in New Orleans. As it turns out Delta doesn't really care which hub you fly through. So it is more efficient to fly back to Boston via Utah during the winter months than to take a direct flight. It is seasonal because of the precession of the earth and what you like to do. It also depends on your airline. Denver would also be a good choice but it's too much schlepping for me.

Let's say you have a meeting at Microsoft and your friends are getting married in Orlando. The Great Circle is through Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver (Whistler), Seattle, Salt Lake, Orlando, Salt Lake and Boston. The proof of this one is complicated. Just trust me.. I have a degree from MIT in this stuff.


My Travels 2003 2002 2001 2000 1998 1997 1996 1994 take a road trip top		Graphic courtesy Library of Congress. I like visiting other places and taking the time to explore. I can cover a lot of ground quickly but I tend to care less where that ground is so not too many people travel with me well. Being a New Yorker (funny how I spent almost half my life outside New York and I still consider myself to be one) you can't understand the pride others have in their home towns. Even the transplanted New Yorkers in Boston talk as if they still live there although the two are not very far apart. I think this creates a certain curiosity and a quest for the answer to Why do you live there? In my qwest I have found some unlivable but interesting places. The essentials of a good trip. Can't answer the phone now.. standing on a chair. Some of my favorites have been the road trips, particularly out west. When I was a student I got the chance to give a talk at a conference in San Diego. I thought this was way too cool and at the time New Jersey was my westernmost point. I thought that was enough frontier for me. The flight was on a clear day and I remember looking out the window and noticing that most of the country is empty space. You can see some roads that go on in straight lines for what seemed forever. Who goes down there? Then the flight path took us directly over the Grand Canyon. Since then I have driven on many of them. Bring your own music. The radio stations are sparse and they all play country. The Great Circle Route to Boston from December to March. Fly the Great Circle Route. It's more efficient, the earth being spherical and all, especially if you are traveling on someone elses tab. Let's say you have a teaching engagement in New Orleans. As it turns out Delta doesn't really care which hub you fly through. So it is more efficient to fly back to Boston via Utah during the winter months than to take a direct flight. It is seasonal because of the precession of the earth and what you like to do. It also depends on your airline. Denver would also be a good choice but it's too much schlepping for me. Let's say you have a meeting at Microsoft and your friends are getting married in Orlando. The Great Circle is through Dallas, Seattle, Vancouver (Whistler), Seattle, Salt Lake, Orlando, Salt Lake and Boston. The proof of this one is complicated. Just trust me.. I have a degree from MIT in this stuff.