The Travel Thread

[ousdahl]

Right on!

“More shades of green” is how I felt about Oregon, and I’m pretty sure Olympic might be even greener yet.

Plus, for damn near a decade now, I’ve wanted to knock a steelhead off my fishing bucket list. Never got one when I lived in Oregon, though I did get a few chinook salmon, which ain’t a bad consolation prize. But still, a monkey in your back is a monkey on your back. An old fishing buddy from KS now lives in Seattle and is game, which will he good companionship and help with logistics.

There’s just some mystique to them: a rainbow trout that gets bored of the little coastal mountain stream where he was born, so he swims downstream, to the ocean, literally to Japan and back. And thousands of miles later, now a big strong adult having tacked on an ocean’s worth of mass, he manages to find his way right back up into the same little coastal stream where he was born.

The winter run of Olympic steel is some of the biggest, averaging 12-20+ pounds. And unlike the public water trout in CO who get caught dozens of times in their life and tend to just know when to concede and let the fight get over with, a wild steelhead has never even seen a hook, and apparently have no sense of quit to them. The fact they live in gorgeous coastal rainforests makes the trip worthwhile even if I don’t catch one, but I’m going with the mindset that I’m gonna catch one. A week straight of 8+ hours a day standing in an emerald river swinging flies over and over and over...my kinda vacation!

[ousdahl]

jk we’ll prob get bored by lunchtime day 1 and drive down to Portland to spend the rest of the week binging at the titty bars.

Man, when I put it that way, I bet Leawood would make a great fishing buddy.

[jfish26]

I have this (almost-certainly wrong) fear that the Portland titty bars would be...a bit crunchy.

[ousdahl]

More titty bars per capita than any other US city. Sure some of the chicks are crunchy, but more than anything they seem hipster. Frequent tats and piercings, some in places you didn’t even know chicks had.

My favorite part is just how casual the Portland titty bars seem. It just feels like being at any other good dive: laid back patrons, good tunes, and cheap beer. They just happen to also have naked chicks everywhere.

[Deleted User 89]

Right on!

“More shades of green” is how I felt about Oregon, and I’m pretty sure Olympic might be even greener yet.

Plus, for damn near a decade now, I’ve wanted to knock a steelhead off my fishing bucket list. Never got one when I lived in Oregon, though I did get a few chinook salmon, which ain’t a bad consolation prize. But still, a monkey in your back is a monkey on your back. An old fishing buddy from KS now lives in Seattle and is game, which will he good companionship and help with logistics.

There’s just some mystique to them: a rainbow trout that gets bored of the little coastal mountain stream where he was born, so he swims downstream, to the ocean, literally to Japan and back. And thousands of miles later, now a big strong adult having tacked on an ocean’s worth of mass, he manages to find his way right back up into the same little coastal stream where he was born.

The winter run of Olympic steel is some of the biggest, averaging 12-20+ pounds. And unlike the public water trout in CO who get caught dozens of times in their life and tend to just know when to concede and let the fight get over with, a wild steelhead has never even seen a hook, and apparently have no sense of quit to them. The fact they live in gorgeous coastal rainforests makes the trip worthwhile even if I don’t catch one, but I’m going with the mindset that I’m gonna catch one. A week straight of 8+ hours a day standing in an emerald river swinging flies over and over and over...my kinda vacation!

was in se alaska one year during september...one of the most amazing things i’ve seen, salmon stacked 5-8 deep coming in from the coast. you could literally have walked into the water and kicked them out

[DCHawk1]

I can see Russia from there.

[NewtonHawk11]

Late spring I am headed to California for a week with the family.

Have 1-day tickets at Disneyland. Kids will be 7, 5 and 1 at that time.. Woof.

Tips, tricks, things to avoid, etc?

[TDub]

Right on!

“More shades of green” is how I felt about Oregon, and I’m pretty sure Olympic might be even greener yet.

Plus, for damn near a decade now, I’ve wanted to knock a steelhead off my fishing bucket list. Never got one when I lived in Oregon, though I did get a few chinook salmon, which ain’t a bad consolation prize. But still, a monkey in your back is a monkey on your back. An old fishing buddy from KS now lives in Seattle and is game, which will he good companionship and help with logistics.

There’s just some mystique to them: a rainbow trout that gets bored of the little coastal mountain stream where he was born, so he swims downstream, to the ocean, literally to Japan and back. And thousands of miles later, now a big strong adult having tacked on an ocean’s worth of mass, he manages to find his way right back up into the same little coastal stream where he was born.

The winter run of Olympic steel is some of the biggest, averaging 12-20+ pounds. And unlike the public water trout in CO who get caught dozens of times in their life and tend to just know when to concede and let the fight get over with, a wild steelhead has never even seen a hook, and apparently have no sense of quit to them. The fact they live in gorgeous coastal rainforests makes the trip worthwhile even if I don’t catch one, but I’m going with the mindset that I’m gonna catch one. A week straight of 8+ hours a day standing in an emerald river swinging flies over and over and over...my kinda vacation!

was in se alaska one year during september...one of the most amazing things i’ve seen, salmon stacked 5-8 deep coming in from the coast. you could literally have walked into the water and kicked them out

I lived near the canadian border in washington for awhile in the 90s. Same deal. People were literally taking coolers to the small streams and reaching in and grabbing salmon with their hands.

[jfish26]

Late spring I am headed to California for a week with the family.

Have 1-day tickets at Disneyland. Kids will be 7, 5 and 1 at that time.. Woof.

Tips, tricks, things to avoid, etc?

My kids - 9 and 6 at the time - got a lot more out of Universal than Disney. Connected with the IP a lot more.

If you're stuck with Disney, then I suggest pre-acquainting yourself with how FastPass (and if you buy it (which you should), FastPass MAX) works. It will be the only way you get on any major rides after about 11am.

Which, speaking of: if you get into the park as early as possible, you can knock out the major rides that are to the "left" of the main hub (meaning Indiana Jones, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain), in about 60-90 minutes.

[ousdahl]

I’ve never been to Disneyland or Universal, but one time I did take trustee’s mom to splash mountain.

[NewtonHawk11]

Late spring I am headed to California for a week with the family.

Have 1-day tickets at Disneyland. Kids will be 7, 5 and 1 at that time.. Woof.

Tips, tricks, things to avoid, etc?

My kids - 9 and 6 at the time - got a lot more out of Universal than Disney. Connected with the IP a lot more.

If you're stuck with Disney, then I suggest pre-acquainting yourself with how FastPass (and if you buy it (which you should), FastPass MAX) works. It will be the only way you get on any major rides after about 11am.

Which, speaking of: if you get into the park as early as possible, you can knock out the major rides that are to the "left" of the main hub (meaning Indiana Jones, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain), in about 60-90 minutes.

Yeah I went to Disney World in Orlando when I was a youngster and I remember the FastPass thing. Greatest thing we did there.

But we are stuck with Disney. Gift from my grandparents to them. But a thing that does help us is that we are only 2 blocks away from Disne, so we'll be there extremely early. (And a sidenote, a 5 minute drive to Angels stadium the same weekend the Royals are there, so will attend a game there as well.

[Shirley]

Yay!!!

It's not enough, but it's a start:

United Airlines joins Delta in banning emotional-support puppies and kittens

United Airlines will no longer accept emotional-support kittens and puppies under four months of age and will ban emotional-support animals outright on long flights as it tries to crack down on soiled cabins and biting incidents that have harmed passengers and crew.

The Chicago-based airline joins rival Delta Air Lines in tightening its rules. Delta took the lead in banning young puppies and kittens last month.

Airlines have been tightening restrictions after a surge in emotional-support animals on flights. Passengers in recent years have brought animals other than dogs and cats — including a turkey, a pig and a duck — on board as emotional-support animals. United last year denied boarding to a passenger traveling with a peacock as an emotional-support animal.

[...]

[Shirley]

ousdahl, I really enjoyed your post about the migratory habits of the steelhead trout, so I went all Google on it:

#fascinating

Steelhead trout are the same species as rainbow trout but have different lifestyles.

Steelhead can be grouped into winter and summer ‘runs,’ depending on when adults return to freshwater.

Steelhead trout are anadromous, meaning they spend part of their lives migrating to, from, and within the ocean.

Unlike Pacific salmon, steelhead may spawn several times before they die.

[...]

[ousdahl]

Wait, steelhead is a fish?

I thought it wuz just the stage name of my favorite Portland stripper...

[jfish26]

Back to the topic: the travel thing I am most excited for in 2018 is SWA opening up Hawaii, which inched closer to reality yesterday with the FAA approving SWA's ETOPS certification.

[ousdahl]

could we please discuss the pros and cons of checking an extra airline bag vs. shipping the stuff to where you're going?

[PhDhawk]

nope

[Deleted User 89]

could we please discuss the pros and cons of checking an extra airline bag vs. shipping the stuff to where you're going?

checking an extra bag?

what are you, a woman?

[ousdahl]

no way Finkle I mean Einhorn!

I just have a week's worth of fishing gear I gotta get to Olympic National Park and back.

[jhawks99]

Do the math. If it's cheaper and you have someone to ship to to, go for it.