Travel

Our Travel Stories & Photo's

An overview of our travel stories can be found here...

White Mountains, USA

We made a few snowshoe hikes during our recent visit to the White Mountains. The mountains are perfect for snowshoeing.

A lot of Americans have or rent snowshoes. They hike the deep snow as welcome alternative for skiing or snowboarding. Both young and old can be found along the highway. Strapping on the snowshoes near the trailhead.

We have Tubbs Katahdin snowshoes, Lieke has MSR Denali snowshoes.

We decided to hike the 3 mile Boulder Loop Trail starting near the Albany covered bridge located at the Kancamagus Highway (Route 112). Not too difficult, but 2 hours plowing through deep snow and some 700 feet gain.

We were all alone on the trail. Although the trail should be self guiding (yellow markers) you can download the waypoint file for your GPS here...

US Customs (More)

I wrote a few notes about the US Customs before, you can find them here...

The regulations will change again this coming month or so. Travelers flying to the USA need to provide information before departure using the US Customs website.

ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization) is offered to the traveler to enter and submit the passenger and trip details. Most travelers will notice similarities with the API (Advanced Passenger Information), the information you need to provide during check-in.

To learn more about ESTA go here...

Snowboard Gear

Now getting more into snowboarding we were looking at renting or buying gear. We didn't want to spend too much being novices. We still have to find out our preferences and getting more advanced (expensive) boards would be counter productive.

We kept our eyes open for some bargains visiting Burton country in the USA. In general the gear is cheaper and we were hoping for good advise and a decent offering. And then we have the Dollar/Euro advantage too...

The guys at Joe Jones Ski & Sports Center on North Conway main street were a big help. They had some good last year's stuff and good discounts.

I bought the Burton Elite 155 (-40% = $216,-), Burton Mission bindings (-20% = $144,-) and Burton Driver X boots (-20% = $240.-). The boots made the deal somewhat expensive, but the boots are most important for riding the mountains. I spend $600,- or €428,- in total.

My wife bought the Rossignol Diva 153 board, Burton Stiletto bindings and Salomon Vigil boots for $482,- or €344,- in total.

I think we had a good deal reading the reviews on the Internet. I haven't found better or similar prices in The Netherlands.

Sometimes you can save a bit more. Buy through the Internet may save you some money, but you have to know the material matching your needs. In most cases shipping within the USA is pretty decent, but International Orders get pretty pricy and you will have to pay tax to the customs authority.

Computing

Software Packages For Synology Disk Stations

Here you can find free software packages for installation on your Synology Disk Station.

Some may find the SABnzdb package interesting for torrent downloads managed by the Synology without impacting your workstation.

Family

Winter Sports

December 2008 was all about winter sports, being outdoors in the white snow.

On holiday in the White Mountains we had enough snow and each day we went outside into the cold freezing air. Packed in layers, holding your body warmth and still offer enough ventilation to prevent sweating.

Also very important the gloves and hat, with the wind chill you loose a lot of warmth without them and run the risk of frost bite. Your hands and ears are most vulnerable. You will loose a lot of warmth through your head. Don't forget good boots with thick and good fitting socks keeping the feet warm and dry.

Also essential are good fitting sunglasses or goggles protecting the eyes from the reflection on the snow. You can seriously damage your eyes.

Finally the required gear e.g. the snowshoes or snowboard. First read the information available on the Internet. So many good tips and advices, even tutorials, gear reviews, forums for sharing info with other sports fans.

You should visit a good outdoor store specialized in winter sports or mountain sports. Either rent to try or buy the stuff you need. Remember to buy decent material. In general forget about the cheap products. The tools should be tough as the terrain is rough and asking a lot from the gear. Cheap products will fail you and probably at the most inconvenient time.

Snowboarders should wear helmets on the slopes. One wrong turn avoiding a collision with another skier or boarder, a icy surface is enough for an encounter with trees or a rough tumble. Don't forget you cannot tell what boulders are hidden underneath the snow.

Tubing is the cheapest winter sport, accessible and definitely fun for everyone

After returning home we found the small waters frozen. Everybody on the ice with skates. A great final of the Christmas holidays.

Music

Marc Olson & Gary Louris (Jayhawks)

I loved the Jayhawks very much. I have their records and they gave one of the best concerts at the Paradiso, Amsterdam.

After a few years of silence Marc Olson and Gary Louris released another album. Recognizable for their fans, but another good product and very enjoyable.

Unfortunately I missed their concert. Last month they visited Amsterdam again. Friends attending the event were very positive. You should keep an eye out for any upcoming concerts near you.

P.s. check-out the website of Paradiso for upcoming concerts. In particular visit the FabChannel pages for previously recorded concerts.

Television

Stephen Fry In America

Last year Stephen Fry visited the USA. The result is a book and a TV series of 6 episodes.

As always he knows to look at the world with amusement and wit. I have been to the USA very often and I recognize a lot of places presented in the TV series. Good for late night viewing from my bed.

At the same time I am a bit disappointed about the lack of depth and the limited amount of time spend in each place.

Photography

Photo Collections

You will find various photo's as illustrations with our travel & family stories. The complete photo collections can be found on our personal photo server. New collections will be added on a regular basis and new photo's will be added to existing collections.