Part Time Vagabond

ROADSIDE: Holy Land, U.S.A.

By ChrisCavs // // August 11th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // ROADSIDE

It’s the early 1950s in Waterbury, a mid-sized mill town in western Connecticut, known affectionately as the “Brass City.” While the city’s occupants go about their daily routines, one man decides a tribute to his Lord and Savior is desperately in order. So he begins to build. For the next several years, John Baptist Greco (attorney and evangelist) organizes hundreds of volunteers who put in thousands of man-hours constructing a miniature re-creation of Bethlehem and Jerusalem from Biblical times. It’s truly a labor of love for Greco, whose devout belief in God leads him to build this strange — but intriguing —  miniature village.

Today, Holy Land, USA stands in ruin on a hill overlooking the Brass City. In it’s heyday, Holy Land drew crowds from around the world, up to 44,000 people a year, who came to see the miniaturized place of worship and devotion. In the 1960s and 1970s, Holy Land was a top tourist destination greeting vacationers who wanted to see the chicken-wire-and-plaster recreations of their favorite Holy Land landmarks.

Growing up in Waterbury, we were known as the city with “the cross on the hill,” the 40-foot concrete and steel lighted behemoth that was as much a source of pride as it was an eyesore. The Hollywood style sign on the side of the hill was the only other marker that could be seen from Interstate 84, and since the park’s demise in the mid 1908s, even that slid into obscurity. Occasionally, the nuns to whom the park belongs attempt some maintenance, if only to appease lovers of the attraction and keep trespassers (of which there are many) from maiming themselves on the property. But as the years pass by, this loving tribute slides further into obscurity.

A few years ago, the old 40-foot tall cement and steel lighted cross was replaced with a much smaller steel beam cross, which pales in comparison to its predecessor, and to me signals the final nail in the coffin of Holy Land. If you do attempt to see this place (not condoned or recommended by me), take your camera and wear sturdy shoes. It may be one of the last times you’ll be able to see this post-apocalyptic looking relic.

4 Simple Tips for Healthy Shopping

By AMunier // // August 9th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // HOW TO

As a card carrying crazy coupon lady, I get a whole lot of side eyes and skepticism when it comes to the prospect of buying healthy food on the cheap. I think that people associate high quality low preservative foods with fancy high end health food stores (I’m talking to you Whole Paycheck), or the jacked up prices that the grocery store charges for organics.  And then of course the coupons found in the newspapers definitely tend toward the Pop Tarts and Little Debbie end of the spectrum. So yeah, to the layman, eating healthy on a tight budget probably seems damn near impossible. But, it’s all lies! It may be a little less obvious, and in certain cases take a little more finagling, but living on a lean budget in no way means living a lifetime of ramen noodles and frozen sausage biscuits.

Change with the seasons.

Produce is a budget buster for many, but the simplest rule of thumb is to go with whatever is in season. Sure, asparagus and pomegranates seem tempting year round, but when they’re out of season, they could be two or three times more expensive.  The quality of in-season produce tends to be much higher, and because it’s plentiful, infinitely cheaper. The more you pay attention while you’re shopping, the more price sensitive you’ll become. Check your local grocery store fliers before you head out, and build your meals and shopping list around whatever is in season and on sale.

Buy local.

The only thing better than seasonal produce is local seasonal produce. Farmers markets and farm stands abound in Maine and in most other states, and are a great source or super fresh, often organic, and reasonably priced fruits, veggies, herbs, eggs, and other such goodness.  Another great and inexpensive way to get in on the local harvest is to buy a CSA share. Generally a huge amount of fresh food for between $15-$40 a week, you can split the cost and the bounty between family and friends to make things even cheaper.

Bulk up.

Most of us are so preconditioned to buying the name brand and prepackaged foods of the central grocery aisles, that we completely forget that most stores still have that old school section of bulk food bins. From grains to granolas, when stripped of their brand names and shiny packaging, these bulk choices can be two to three times less expensive than their more fancily dressed counterparts. Another bonus is that you are not constrained by commercial pre-portioning. You wanna buy 3 walnuts, buy three walnuts.  When you’re only buying as much as you need, you are much less likely to be wasteful.

Coupon magic.

Despite what you think you know about coupons, there are actually a good deal of coupons out there for whole and natural foods. Websites like Mambo Sprouts offer nothing but printable natural foods coupons, and even Whole foods puts out its own coupon book called “The Whole Deal”. Or, if there are products that you love that don’t offer regular coupons, if you send a little love note via email, they will often send you a bunch of coupons in return.  Keep your coupon stash organized and handy whenever you hit the stores, because when combined with weekly specials, you can often end up scoring your healthy favorites for Little Debbie level prices.

Friday Snapshot: Fort Edgecombe, Maine

By ChrisCavs // // August 6th, 2010 // No Comments » // SNAPSHOT

My lovely girlfriend and I are on a mission. The state of Maine has implemented a fun and challenging game for their 75th Anniversary this year. It involves collecting stamps in special passport books, available free at all state parks in Maine. Challenge 1: get to a state park and find the passport station. Challenge 2: look up the park in the passport book, find the code to unlock the station box. Challenge 3: Stamp your book. After you’ve collected some stamps, you gain a prize, ranging from stickers to park passes. If you collect all 48 stamps, you get a free season parks pass! It’s really a fun way for the family to see what Maine’s state parks have to offer.

Anyway, one of our stops this past week was to Fort Edgecombe in Edgecomb, Maine, just across the Sheepscot River from Wiscasset. The fort was a built in the early 1800s as part of the U.S. second system of fortifications to protect Wiscasset. The fort did see action, though it’s cannons were never fired in battle. It’s a fun little site on Davis Island, with beautiful views. Check it out if you’re in the area, then stop in to Red’s Eats for a lobster roll.

Viva la staycation!

By AMunier // // July 19th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Feature

I kind of hate the word staycation.  Maybe it’s because it’s been incredibly overused in the last few years of financial crisis. Or maybe it’s because what it implies is a little on the depressing side.  It gets you all excited with the “-acation” part of things, but then demands that you stay put.

Unfortunately, due to some poor pre-planning and a general laziness when it comes to reading the fine print, I will be taking my own staycation this year.  Not only do I have to cancel the cabin I rented on MDI, but I will also not be getting my deposit back (infernal no pets policy!).  Well, broke and homebound doesn’t exactly scream “best vacation ever!”, but sulking isn’t going to make it any better.  Neither will wasting my precious work-free days sleeping in and watching game shows.

So I’m grounded. There will be no airplanes, hotels, or charming cabins on lake.  No continental breakfasts, or needs for tiny toiletries. But that absolutely does not mean that I have to have a sucky vacation.  As always, the name of the game is creativity and can-do attitude.

Get in the spirit. Just because I’m staying home doesn’t mean that I’ll be doing chores, returning emails, or organizing my photo albums.  Sure, I’ll be wasting a full week’s worth of time that I could be spending being productive, but  productivity is for suckers. Pure leisure is what vacation is all about, and I will be using my seven days  for fun and relaxtion, and DEFINITELY NO LAUNDRY- with no exceptions.

Day tripper. Hotels can be exciting and all, but super expensive for what is essentially just a bed to crash into at the end of a day of hot and heavy adventure. That’s where the day trip comes in. All the excitement of traditional vacation travel, but significantly cheaper, and I actually get to sleep in my own bed at the end of the night.  Maybe I’ll hitch a bus to Boston for the day to wander the shops and museums, or convince a friend to jump into the car and just drive as far as we possibly can and still make it back to home base before sunrise.

Finding my inner child. Not every town is blessed with a Disneyland or 6 Flags, but usually a few hours to a few minutes drive to can yield a local water park, traveling carnival, or at least some passable mini golf.  Sometimes, being a grown up can be overrated, and I don’t ever want to stop appreciating the pleasures of eating cotton candy and funnel cake for breakfast, or enjoying a serious turn on the Slip ‘n Slide (or Crocodile Mile- whichever is handier). Sure, I’ll probably get a sunburn and a tummy ache, but if I don’t wind up with a fun hangover, I’m probably doing it wrong.

Beach bum. This is the sweatiest time of year, and I don’t know about your state, but Maine is definitely not big on the AC. When that one big summer heat wave hits, all I have in my arsenal is a highly ineffective combination of ice cubes, box fans and sucking it up.  And of course, there’s always the beach. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a river, lake, or ocean, as long as it’s wet and sandy, I’m all over it.  The beauty of the staycation is that I’ll be grabbing my beach hours during the week, while kids are stuck at day camp and their parents are stuck at work. With fewer people to hog the prime towel spots and kick sand up into my business, I’ll have lots of quality inner tube time to float around with my trashy novel uninterrupted.

Hometown exploration. Especially considering that gas & even bus travel are far from free, it’s likely that I’m going to have to spend at least a few days of my staycation actually staying.  Now I’ve lived in the same place for the last 10 years, but there are still things I’ve never seen or done in my fair city, and I think I’m going to dedicate an entire day to doing them all. New restaurants, out of the way parks and walking trails, paintball ranges… even sort of mundane things like stores that sell thing that don’t interest me, or supermarkets that I’ve never shopped at. Who knows, adventure could be lurking anywhere, and I’m gonna turn the town inside out to find it.

Tourist trap. Even if I should run out of unexplored nooks and crannies in my city, there are still ways to keep things interesting. I’ve been strongly considering spending a night on the town in tourist disguise. I’ll throw on some roomy khaki shorts, grab my digital camera, and hit the streets like it’s my first time. I can ask for directions to places I know, and take get strangers to my picture in front of every monument I can find.  Hell, maybe I’ll even go on one of those Downeast Duck Tours.

Hunker down.  Rest is an essential part of vacation, and while I don’t advocate spending an entire week lazing about, I do think I might dedicate one full day to tapping my inner sloth. There’s likely to be at least one rainy day on my schedule, so I’m planning ahead with an entire day’s worth of crappy movies, serious lineup of favorite snack foods, and a full 24 hours of quality sweatpants time.  Or perhaps I’ll just lock the doors, turn off my phone, and read an entire book from cover to cover.

The point is, I refuse to let my staycation bum me out. Staying home is not a prison sentence, as long as you don’t let it drag you down. Less money will not equal less fun unless you make it that way.

Tips for Better Travel Videos, Pt. 1: Rock Steady

By ChrisCavs // // July 16th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // HOW TO

Uh oh, it’s that time again. Uncle Harry’s breaking out the video camera to take along on his annual vacation to Disney World. Which means you’ll have to suffer through 2 hours of shaky, underexposed footage, mostly of people’s feet and loud carnival music. Harry may love his stuff, but you know you can do better. The next time you take a trip somewhere and you bring along your video camera, take these tips along with you so you can show Uncle Harry how it’s done.

Part 1: Rock Steady, or how to not make your viewers nauseous.

• Use a tripod. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But most people forget this most basic of camera techniques. Manufacturers make lightweight tripods these days that you can bring along with you. You can even use a monopod to help stabilize your shots. Joby makes the Gorillapod, a great portable go-anywhere tripod that can support some of the smaller camcorders.
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• Brace yourself. If you’re going to shoot handheld, use your arms as though they’re the legs of a tripod. The third leg is your body. Hold your elbows close, locking them into your torso, and use your free hand (the one not carrying the camera) to hold underneath the camera’s lens. That also gives you access to many of the camera’s controls.
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• Move in, zoom out. The telephoto feature on your camera is great if you can’t reach your subject, but getting physically closer is better. Zoom your lens out to its widest setting and get as close to the subject as you can. You’ll nearly eliminate camera shake this way (the longer your zoom, the shakier your shot), you can see details better, you get better lighting (the more you have to zoom in, the less light can enter the lens), and you get a more intimate shot. Focus is also more forgiving in a wider angle.
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• Use what you have. Don’t have a tripod or monopod, but still want a rock solid shot? Use a backpack or purse to stabilize the camera. Rearrange things inside the bag so it creates a “U” shape that you can nestle the camera into.
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• Lean. Yup, lean. Lean up against a building, light pole, another person, whatever is solid and can take most of your weight. Your body naturally moves to compensate for changing conditions, and your muscles can only hold a position steady for so long. Again, think of yourself as part of a human tripod. Using an immovable object as a support will help you to keep things from rocking and rolling.

These tips may seem like common sense, but you’d be surprised how many people fail to use them. After a little practice, you’ll become a pro at getting rock-solid steady shots that will blow Uncle Harry’s movies out of the water and win you the praise of a grateful — and non-nauseous — family.

In part 2 of Tips for Better Travel Videos, I’ll give you some ideas on getting good sound for your travel movies.

Abandoned Places

By ChrisCavs // // July 12th, 2010 // No Comments » // Feature, ROADSIDE

I love abandoned places. Ghost towns, decaying hospitals, former amusment parks. There’s something both beautiful and grotesque about a building that has been left behind, subject to the elements, with no humans to make repairs to it, care for it, live in it, that I can’t get out of my head. When I look at an abandoned place, I wonder about its history: who lived or worked there? What events led to its abandonment? Why did no one take over and rebuild? What’s keeping it from being rebuilt today (finances? location? hazardous materials?)? As I explore an abandoned building, my heart races and I can imagine myself as one of the people who used to inhabit the place. It’s a very human experience.

When I look at an abandoned building, I also see its potential for being rebuilt, repurposed, given new life. Buildings may be inanimate, but they always retain something of their previous inhabitants that makes you feel a little sad but also very excited. It’s really a creative wonderland for me.

As I’m doing research into abandoned places for Abandoned Places Month on PTV, I stumbled across this place, Nagasaki, Japan’s Gunkanjima, or “Battleship Island.” The abandoned former coal mining facility was the most densely populated place on the planet at 139,100 people per square kilometer, and still holds that record today. Imagine yourself as one of those hundreds of thousands of people crammed onto this island — just one of 500 abandoned islands off the coast of Japan — struggling to make your way. The conditions must have been horrifying. Today, the island is closed to the public, but a few images remain of this now decaying ghost town.

Next time you’re out and about, and you see an abandoned place, try to imagine who used to live or work there, why they left, and what might be there someday. You might be surprised at what you find.

Welcome to Part Time Vagabond’s new writer!

By AMunier // // July 12th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Feature

I am supremely happy today to announce the first official writer to Part Time Vagabond (other than myself). Alexandra Munier runs the blog Broke207, and has posted to PTV before. She’s a fantastic writer with a biting wit and sharp sense of humor, knows a ton about having fun while living on the cheap, and loves exploring places most people wouldn’t normally go. I can’t wait to see what Alexandra brings to PTV, but I know you’ll all love it. Here’s a little introduction Allie wrote about herself.

When I was a little girl, my dad used to stuff me (and my mom and 4 additional sisters) into our faux wood paneled (and un-air conditioned) station wagon for 2 weeks of camping all over the state.  And when I say camping, I mean CAMPING. There were no air mattresses, porta-potties, or folding camp chairs. It was just the 7 of us (rowdy and uncooperative as we often were), lots of campfire pancakes, and the great outdoors. My dad taught me everything I know about loving life on the road, finding fun anywhere, and generally amazing travel under inopportune conditions (also known as 5 children under 10), so I’m hoping I can do him proud as I join the cast at PTV.

Other than having logged a lot of road hours with my crazy family, I do have a few other fairly weird qualifications that I hope will add some new perspective to my posts here:

I don’t drive (as in don’t have a driver’s license, and never have).  Surprisingly, it hasn’t kept me from roaming, and it has made me into an excellent co-pilot and expert public transit taker. I can also give one hell of a walking tour.

I’ll do just about anything on a dare that isn’t illegal or dangerously unsanitary. Which is not to say that I’m fearless, but I do believe that some of the best vacation spots lie outside of our comfort zones. If there’s an abandoned building to be explored or a mechanical bull to be ridden, I’m your girl.

I don’t pay full price for anything. I’m a very serious shopper (with enthusiasm for everything from cocktail dresses to plumbing parts), but I am cheap as hell. There are a few things that I don’t tend scrimp on like the occasional amazing meal, or a direct flight when I can afford it, but everything else is fair game for my discount hounding, coupon clipping ways. You’d be amazed how much you can get for free or dirt cheap if you just know where to look (or who to ask nicely).

In my non-traveling life, I am the office manager for a small commercial real estate office, and busy the rest of my hours with my very amazing friends, and other stuff like reading juvenile fiction from the 50s & 60s (go Nancy Drew!), attempting to learn how to dance, and writing about my financial mishaps over at my personal blog, Broke207.  I am extremely excited (and honored) to have been asked to start contributing regularly to PTV, and I’m hoping to use it as an excuse to log even more time out on the road.

GRUB: Hot Suppa! Portland’s Best Brunch

By ChrisCavs // // July 7th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // GRUB & BREWS

Portland, Maine is one of those cities you’d never imagine having a food scene. Yes, a scene. Yet, Portland was named the Foodiest Small Town for 2009 by Bon Appetit Magazine. That’s right. Foodiest. I swear, I did not make that up. With Portland being the foodiest town in the U.S., it stands to reason we’d have the best in all the meals, not just dinner. I know, you think “Maine,”  and both “Lobstah” and “Chowdah” spring to mind, both of which are great traditional foods. But come to Portland, and you’ll find much more to quell your raging appetite. And that includes the most important, versatile, and ubiquitous meal of the day: Brunch.

Corned Beef Hash that kicks ass

Happy Independence Day America!

By ChrisCavs // // July 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Happy Independence Day to all my American friends! Enjoy the day and be safe, wherever you are! I’m taking a couple of days off, but I will be back to posting later this week. Thanks to all my Part Time Vagabonds!

-Chris

Friday Snapshot: Farmington, Maine

By ChrisCavs // // July 2nd, 2010 // 1 Comment » // SNAPSHOT

click the picture to see full size

This past weekend, my girlfriend and I took a day trip to western Maine, to the town of Farmington, where she attended college. On our way out of town to scope out some waterfalls (which must be amazing during spring meltoff), we came across this fantastic vista. To the right, you can see Mount Blue in the far distance. When you see a lookout as stunning as this, even on a cloudy day, you have to stop, snap a picture, and then…just look.