Peter Judge McElroy's Blog

Now in Boulder

2006-05-10T15:03:00.000-06:00

Hey there gang. Its beena while since I posted anything. I moved to boulder, co after the holidays after all my options in durango went south. I am doing much better in Boulder. I have a good job now and an nice sublet through the summer. More to come later.

Vegoose

2005-11-05T16:29:00.000-07:00

Went to Vegas the weekend of halloween to go to attend the music festival Vegoose !! Stayed on the strip and had a bunch of fun all weekend long. Phil's show halloween morning was great.. played from midnight to 5:10 am! Got home with the sun completely up. Made it back to durango late monday night after crashing out the entire day of halloween.

In Durango for now

2005-11-05T16:19:00.000-07:00

So after coming back to Vail to find out my company was shutting down in Oct, I considered my options. After not enjoying Vail anymore, my buddy Pete moved out from NYC and we checked out durango a few times. After having a good time there, we ultimately decided to move to town. We ended up renting an older house on the river and by the old durango rail road. The ski area is a 25 min drive and downtown is 5 mins away so its a good location. Been busy painting the house and moving in.

Back In Vail, CO

2005-08-26T08:08:00.000-06:00

Well my west coast trip has ended as of Monday where I got back into town. After AK, I returned to Seattle where I relaxed for a few days before heading north to Vancouver, BC. A Real nice town but expensive by Canadian and US standards! The weather was nice and I saw the good and the ugly of the city. I met very nice folks from Vancouver as well as other tourists. I hope to return there at some point to see more. After that, I returned to Seattle for a few more days to chill out and visit with Katrin whom is from Germany but living in Seattle, we were part of the same AK trip and enjoyed getting together while the opportunity was there. She will be doing her own west coast trip in Oct.

Next on the trip I headed down to Portland with a side trip to Mt Ranier. Portland was a great stop for me, very nice town and friendly folks as well. I saw the rose gardens as well consumed plenty of the local brews they make. The hostel was one of the best I have stayed at too so it was a real treat to be there. I could def go back and consider living there in the near future.

Now it was time to drive down the OR coast to Northern CA on HWY 101. I drove over to Tilamook from Portland and drove down to Florence and then back inland to grande pass, or. The coast was very nice but cool and breezy, not the warm beaches I am used to back east. I camped two nights along the beach while on my way to Ca.

Next I headed back down to the coast via the red wood highway into N CA arriving in Trinidad, ca as the sun set (pics are the real nice sunset ones in the west coast folder). I ate dinner in Arcadia and camped along the coast torward Eureka. The next day I drove south torward Napa but took the Ave of the Giants redwood road which parallels hwy 101. I then headed on Rt 1 to the coast and drove down past fort brag before heading back through the Russian river valley. I saw many vineyards along the way but was holding out for Napa which I was heading to meet up with friends from the AK trip.

Napa was a blast, went out for drinks after a quiet dinner with Laurel. The next day, we met up with Jennie from Sonoma and headed in the heart if wine country to begin our tasting! Went to a bunch of different places but really enjoyed the stops at Stag Leaf and BV! I was fairly buzzed as the designated driver only had a sip from each sample and gave me the rest so I was drinking for two at times, but not always! Finished the day at an awesome restaurant. Spent the evening practicing my salsa dancing which didn't go so well but was fun!

Left Napa for lake Tahoe where I stayed at our company condo we have for business. Saw some coworkers there as well as visited width a few clients to say hi and show my pics of my trip. Drove around and gambled a little too but basically relaxed and enjoyed being in the mountains again.

Time to move on so I visited with Cousin Marie (my mom's cousin) in Fallon, NV and also with Jim her boyfriend. Saw the ranch side of living and enjoyed all the farm animals too. We went into town where I saw the old and new sides of town. Was impressed how much was there as the road map I had was about 10 years old and showed fallon to be a one horse town but it really isn't.

Packed up and headed to Park City for one night before going to Jackson Hole again for a wedding. Park city was typical... Beautiful and very relaxing. This is also a place I am considering living for a ski season for some fun and change of pace. Has breakfast with Jennie and headed to JH. JH was more busy this time around as there was an outdoor art festival in downtown that weekend. I stayed in town and saw some more of the area and met some locals whom seemed to have the same issues with JH as long timers have with Vail... Over developed, expensive and full of tourists! The wedding was in the Teton park at one of the chapels (the secrete heart). Saw some more folks from work at the wedding whom I didn't see in Tahoe which was nice. The reception was a very nice down home affair. Had fun dancing and catching up with friends and meeting new ones.

JH was my last stop before returning home and I headed out that Sunday and drove all the way to Craig before camping out there at nightfall. Got up early the next day and made back to Avon by 1 pm after having a filling lunch at the Wolcott Yacht club (bar and grill no club).

so here I am in CO for now and will be planning the next phase of my fall trip soon!!

More Photos are up on my photo site

2005-08-16T01:22:00.000-06:00

I have been real busy traveling since AK. I will be adding detailed blog entries shortly, but encourage you to see more photos at http://photos.yahoo.com/judgenh

Alaska Parts 3 and 4

2005-08-03T01:25:00.000-06:00

Ok so week 2 was just as busy and interesting as the first week. We went from Denali up to Fairbanks and took a dip at the chena hot springs and had a late dinner. this was the hottest weather we had all of our trip... 90 ish. We then headed overnight to Homer and got there a bit late and very tired. The over night trips are called miracles when we stay on the bus all stuffed in. Homer was like valdez, rainy and cool until the last day and a half when it was sunny and warmer. Did my fishing here as 4 of us did a small charter and caught our limit of Halibut and some salmon. I caught more fish in one hour than my entire life before hand. I will def fish again when I go back. camped on the spit which is a long rocky penesula between town and the docks. After some late nights with local riff raff crashing our parties, we headed to seward. We arrived too late to find a viable camp spot so we were homeless in the bus crashing in the safeway parking lot... they got more business at 4 am than usual that night. So the next day we all split up and did various things. I choose to chill in town and met up with some former tortoise folks whom played music down by the pier where the cruise ships sail into. It was nice to do nothing for the day! Next we packed up and headed to Hope where we invaded this cute semi rustic town of 200. It was the nicest friendly town we went to. They loved us and the pub was open late for us. I signed up for the six mile creek raft trip the next day so I went to bed early... 1:30 am! The next day we hit the river which required a swim test and some crash tests prior to the big water. The creek was all class 4/5 rapids. The weather was wet ands cloudy so it was a cold day on the river even in our dry suits. They treated us to hot chocolate and a hot tub at the end of the trip. I bought some photos and some funky cloths they were selling. That night was the last night in hope and the official last night of the trip. we had a big bon fire and savored the moment of our new friendship and all that sappy stuff. Got back to anchorage and camped in the hostel backyard for 2 days. They were the longest two days stuck in a dim sea city that offered almost nothing interesting to do. many folks caught earlier flights and others got stuck because they missed check in times etc. Got back to Seattle safe and recovered for a day or so before I was heading to Vancouver, BC.

Alaska Parts 1 and 2

2005-07-23T18:36:00.000-06:00

I arrived in anchorage and stayed at a the cheapest place I could find and it was just that.. Small and gross. The taxi driver told me that in the winter its a crack / whore house but they rob the tourists blind in the summer so its not as bad. I met up with my tour group on time and well rested. We boarded on and headed out of town to begin our trip. We have a global contingent on the bus from the UK, Germany, Ireland, and one from France and one from Australia. Everyone is nice and knows the concept well of group traveling under one roof. We saw many glaciers the first few days along the coast to valdez. The weather was bleak with misty cloudy and some rain here and there. Once we headed in land and drove toward Denali, it cleared up and they say its been the best 4 days of weather they have had this summer. I just did two nights camping in the park and taking bus transport as they don't allow cars past a certain point. Its very scenic, but the main attractions are the wildlife you see. I have seen it all thus far... bears, wolves, caribou, moose, dall sheep, arctic squirrels, and numerous birds and bald eagles. We have eaten very well most nights with camp site fires and group cooking. I have eaten more salmon so far then any other food. I also took a raft trip down the local river here and about to shower and do laundry. Its been a terrific time so far. I have another week to go with visits in Fairbanks, Chenca hot springs then off to the coast again to Homer, Seward and back to anchorage next Saturday. I will write about my week once I am back. I have taken many photos but won't upload them until I get back to Seattle. Hope all is well with everyone.

Montana Parts 1,2 and 3

2005-07-15T12:06:00.000-06:00

so I arrived in Montana last Saturday and stayed at the KOA just outside of Glacier national park. Its a top notch facility and recommend it to anyone who likes to camp and may be in Glacier at some point. The weather was a little iffy the first 2 days so I caught up on emails and did short trips. By Tuesday, it was picture perfect and the day I took most of my pictures found online you can see. The views and area are so dramatic and the history behind how it all formed is also interesting. The green color in the rivers and lakes are the result of the glaciating process still underway. I also took some popular hikes and saw some wildlife, still no bears yet on this trip. They stay out of sight until the huckleberries bloom and ripen and then they are everywhere. I had huckleberry this and that and its tasty stuff. I also managed to go to town most nights for dinner and check out whitefish which a nice vacation spot. I have a few friends from college here whom moved here after doing interships at the local ski area. They still live here and do there own thing and still love it. After 4 days in in the boonies of west glacier, I moved into to town at the other KOA. Just as nice, but some highway noise here. I checked out the area and went to the lake a bunch. I also rented a jetski and ripped up the lake for a few hours. The are is growing fast and the real estate potential here is awesome. May have to get a small place and use it in the summer. The folks are all friendly and there is no shortage of things to do. I will def be back next summer or even in the winter to ride big mountain ski area. I am now off to Seattle for a few days before flying to Anchorage, AK Sunday night for my two week trip there!!

Photo Link!!

2005-07-10T14:28:00.000-06:00

My photo library

Yellowstone

2005-07-09T18:17:00.000-06:00

Wow, what to say about yellowstone!! Its huge and there is a lot to see. I spent 4 days and 3 nights in the park. Each day I visited a different area and camped in a different spot too. I saw all sorts of animals except for bears! There was a lot of evidence of the 1988 wild fires and you can see natures own rebuilding process as a result of years since the fire. The area is quite diverse with mountains, pastures, forests, lakes, rivers, canyons along with geysiers and hot springs. The park is quite busy with many tourists from all over the world. Whenever I hit a traffic jam, it was because some animals were nearby and everyone was rubbernecking to see them. The camping was fun too... always a friendly neighbor next to you to talk about what you saw or provide tips on where to go. The last day, I went to the only hot spring you are able to swim in and spent a few hours relaxing with the masses. All and all, I highly recomend going here sooner than later as age will def play a roll in what you can do and how much stamina you have to do everything.

Jackson Hole / Teton Park

2005-07-06T14:04:00.000-06:00

I arrived late in the day on the 5th to Jackson and stopped in town to walk around and see what the hype is all about. Its a very remote and quiet town. Has a very rustic old west charm to it. Grabbed a bite and checked on my emails at a cafe and then headed into Teton Park.

The Park itself is quite nice and the mountains very impressive. They just shoot up from the ground in dramatic fashion. I camped one night in a tent cabin which reminded me of boy scout camp way back when. I got up the next day to catch some of the sites and take photos sinced the sun was at a better angle to catch the views on film. I stopped by the chapel where my friends will be getting married in a month as well as drove up a road to the top of a hill with a 360 degree view of the park. It was rhwe last place I had cell service so i called some people while i ate a light breakfast. Afterwards, I drove north into yellowstone for day one in there.

4th July was in Park City, Ut

2005-07-05T16:12:00.000-06:00

I decided to go to Park City instead of Jackson for the 4th of July. I was staying with my friend Jennie whom I know from work (client of mine). She lives almost downtown on the parade route and by the fireworks so it was an easy walk to everything. I got to town late sunday night in time for a dinner bbq at a new exclusive golf course / planned community. There we had booze, food and saw Cool and the Gang live followed by fireworks. Was able to meet and shake all members of the band after the show and cheer them on. The 4th itself was a busy day starting early as Jennie hosts a brunch while the parade passes by her house. There were about 50-60 folks whom passed by to say hi during and after the parade. I took many pics and again will have them and others shortly. Spent the rest of the day going to various yard parties in the neighborhood. The evening fireworks were nice and the weather couldn't of been better. Didn't realize until late in the evening that i had met 3 olympic medalists friends of Jennie's from the salt lake winter games of 2002! Got some rest and now am in Jackson hole at an internet cafe. I am about to head into the wilderness for about 10 days straight!

Back in Colorado for a few days

2005-06-30T22:13:00.000-06:00

I made it back to Avon last night after 3 long days on the road. I did visit with friends in Atlanta one night and had dinner with my boss in KC the next night as I was passing through at the same time as he was (He was importing his girl friend back to Colorado). I managed to avoid any speeding tickets and had no foul weather either. Its crisp here compared to where I was back east. I am enjoying the dry weather so far and the cool nights. I will have just enough time here to pack my stuff up for my 7 week west coast leg which starts sunday. I do have some pictures I'll post shortly once I download them and edit them down.

Mrytle Roo / Last week in the South

2005-06-26T20:49:00.000-06:00

My last week in town here was very busy! I saw 3 shows, 2 of which I hadn't expected to see. House of Blues had Rusted Root and also Galatic on back to back nights so I checked those out. Also saw a good local ambient jam band called Grace Park Cathedral. I held to my goal of going to the beach every day for a few hours. As a result, I no longer have my pale irish tone. I will have to stay tan by enjoying the sunny outdoors on my next leg out west! My grandma came home from physical rehab from her back surgery and is inproving daily. My cousin and his wife made to town one night before I left so I was able to visit with them and see his harley.

In the south part II

2005-06-18T23:05:00.000-06:00

So the week after bonnaroo was spent here back in Myrtle Beach SC. My grandparents and parents are doing well and they are fun to be around. However, at night, I usually go out with my high school buddy Alyson to the downtown bars to chill and hang out with the locals. Went to an art show at a thai place and met some cool folks there as well. The art was modern and very good. The weekends are busy here and more famly oriented than party goers. I will have to get to the beach more the last week I am here now that I am back on a routine. I made homemade chilli for my family tonight and it went over quite well. All and all, a lazy week in the hot and humid south.

Bonnaroo or um Bonnarain!

2005-06-15T22:56:00.000-06:00

Bonnaroo was emensely fun! After waiting a few hours for everyone to meet up before car pooling in together, we settled into a tent city area. We had fair and mild weather when we arrived but the rest of the weekend consisted of off and on light rain with some sunny periods. The music was legendary with so many great acts playing. My favorite shows were DMB, the first night of widespread panic, and Jurassic 5. Many others were good but not as memorable. Trey's band was a disapointment but others were a surprise. Modest Mouse and Jack Johnson and john butler trio were solid. I was always on the look out for "Bonnie", my bonnaroo girlfriend whom I never found. Everyone was nice and the vibes were great. Will def think about doing this again next year.

In the south

2005-06-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

Woohoo, I have started on my "tour". After 3 days of driving, I made it to Myrtle Beach, SC on sunday (6/5/2005) by 4 pm. I had an uneventful drive through the midwest and south. I did enjoy the hills and thick forests of eastern tennessee and the Ashville area of NC. It has been real hot here, the steamy humid kind that one would expect from the deep south. I have been resting a bunch and drinking lots of fluids. My folks are visiting here as well so we have been catching up. I have one day to go until I head back to tennesee for the bonnaroo music festival (http://www.bonnaroo.com). Friends from work will be coming from Vail so we'll meet up and have a lot of fun. So far, I don't miss work as it seems like a week off so far, but the lack of high speed internet is starting to bother me. I found a coffee cafe with free wi-fi, but no outlets to plug your laptop into and my old beast doesn't work on a battery anymore so it was dissapointing. Oh well, dial up will do for now. No pictures yet as I have been here so many times that I don't take many pictures, but will have a bunch from bonnaroo later next week. Until then, have a good one everyone!! -Peter