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In March, I did a month long road trip (see the Road Trip category for a play-by-play), and I wanted to blog as I went, incorporating pictures and sharing photos on Flickr. My iPhone is a wonderful Internet device, but it doesn’t do everything.

I could bring my 15" MacBook Pro, but it’s large, heavy, and most of all, expensive. A wonderful machine, great keyboard, big bright screen, I’m using it to write this entry because it’s such a nice computer. But, being on a road trip means leaving your car a lot of places while you explore, you either want to take your most valuable possessions with you, or not worry much about them. Few small-town inexpensive hotels have safes, so you’ll leave gear in your room.

But, I’m also working on some self-employed freelance projects, playing with iPhone app writing, some server-side cloud computing ideas, and building kinetic wind-art, while taking a break from my traditional engineering management work, I don’t want to spend much money since I’m living off some savings for a while. What to do?

Netbooks seem to be all the buzz with the cool kids. They’re small, cheap, have good battery life. They also have crappy keyboards, slow processors, and limited space for memory and storage.

I really want a 12" Macbook replacement, having given mine to my wife as her primary computer, but Apple doesn’t have one of those right now. I end up finding a solution for that, but it’s the focus of part two of this blog entry.

A week before the trip, I read the reviews, figure out what’s in stock given my procrastination, and end up with an ASUS EeePC 900HA  (8.9" screen), and order an 2GB memory upgrade. It quickly arrives, and I start the process of getting it set up for a trip.

I know I’ll have sporadic Internet access, so I need some apps to work disconnected, but I also want to also keep personal information in "the cloud" just in case I loose the netbook on the road, I don’t want it to be full of personal information.

I’ve used Windows on occasion in the past, I can navigate around and use it just fine, but I’m a UNIX and Mac guy, primarily. That just means I’m not instantly conversant on the new top cool Windows apps. I spend an evening hunting around for software that’ll fit the bill.

• Web Browsing: Firefox
• Email: Thunderbird
• Blogging: ScribeFire
• Microblogging: Tweetdeck
• Password management: LastPass

I grab a couple WAP scanning programs to help me find working wireless connectivity on the road, throw iTunes on it so I can play the music I loaded on the second partition, and I’m set.

They keyboard on the ASUS is pretty good. Everything where it should be, I can nearly touch type (I’m 6′4" and have hands to match), screen is mediocre, but I expected that. XP runs fine, I’m not pushing it very hard.

My summary, I’m really happy with the ASUS. I loaded Windows 7 on a second partition which makes the experience even better, it runs for 3-4 hours on the (removable) battery, and as a portable photo/blogging/browsing/twittering machine, it worked great! My only real complaint living with windows is that the required virus blockers are nearly as annoying as clearing my daily email spam. I think Windows 7 with Microsoft’s new virus blocking software makes an even better ultraportable computer. If only I could get such an affordable and portable platform with OSX running on it, I’d be ecstatic. Humm…

Every Memorial Day weekend for the last 43 years, my wife’s family has gone camping. It started as a Sportsmen’s club event with her Dad, and became a family tradition. At some point, the location her family settled on was Burney Falls State Park. A lovely park with hiking and tons of stocked fishing nearby, perfect since her whole family love to fish. Mostly catch and release, but a few trout are eaten as well. Also some lovely countryside with farms and small towns to visit, hiking, ice caves, and nearly always snow if you drive up Mount Burney.

The weather is a big part of the weekend. It can be cold, torrential rain, very hot and dry, lovely, and often a combination. I’ve never been there for one of the legendary "it poured all weekend" trips, this year, the weather was perfect. High 70’s/low 80’s during the day, lower humidity, cooler, but not cold, nights.

I’m not a very good fisherman, and haven’t been steeped in the tradition as long as everyone else, but it’s still the big family event of the year. Friends of various family members also attend, so it’s a great annual reunion with 20 and sometimes more family and friends.

For me, it’s often a love+hate experience. I love camping, but my ideal camping is taking a 4wd to a backcountry camp. Quiet, on your own, no crowds. More roughing it involved, in theory, carting a solar shower and following proper backcountry restroom etiquette. State park camping, especially on a holiday weekend, means a ton of people camped close to each other and the associated noise, and some truly amazing displays of lack of basic bathroom hygiene Also, something you need with this many people, lots of rules, and tickets await if you break them. Feels more restrictive than being at home! It’s a tradeoff. But, the basic outdoor kitchen, sitting around the fire, sleeping (nearly) outdoors is great.

This year, I’m sure another victim of the recession, the town of Burney is falling on very hard times. There was now only one place in town that sold Propane, and they were closed on Sunday or Monday (very odd for a rural town), the urgent care we’ve occasionally had to visit for cuts and other slight accidents was gone, having to drive nearly 20 miles to Fall River Mills, the next town up the road.

The family-oriented upside, and what overshadows my personal pet peeves, is hanging with the family for multiple days, cribbage tournaments, group dinners every night. It’s a bigger tradition than normal holidays, since there are three nightly dinner gatherings, Mexican night (handmade chili rellenos)/margaritas, Italian night (spaghetti and garlic bread)/wine, and American night (hamburgers and hotdogs)/gin & tonic. Then there’s the pinata on Mexican night for the kids (who are now all over 20), the graveyard walk the same young folks now take on their own, music night where folks play, sing and tell stories.

Another Burney has come and gone, this year one of the best ever. Wonderful weather, probably the best camping crowd ever, and as always, fun times with the family. Good times, just had to write a  recap.

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This is super-slick. Interactive flash map. White markers are Brightkite “checkins” on the road, Green means I stopped and ate there, and blue means I stopped and slept (and possibly ate) there. I’ll add more detail over time. Only oddity is the map saves the zoom level as part of the UMapper map, so as I edit, whatever state I leave it at is where this shows, at that zoom level.

Went for breakfast with my daughter, ended up taking her to get a new tire for her car since one had gone flat. Great breakfast, then off to home! Had a great trip, but was ready to be home again.

Road trip Summary:

• Days on road: 21
• Driving days: 14
• Miles driven: 6640
• States visited: 11
• States I’d never visted before: 5
• State border crossings: 17
• Oil changes: 1
• 2+ day cities: Austin, New Orleans, Santa Fe
• Cans of Red Bull consumed: 15
• Food/beverages called Hand Grenades consumed: 2
• BBQ meals consumed: 6

Had breakfast in Ely, then off to Reno. Another great drive across the Great Basin today as well. And, did a quick stop at the shoe tree on Hwy 50.

Stayed at the El Dorado in Vegas, nice inexpensive rooms, sushi with my daughter and her roomate at a great local sushi place. Then an early evening, heading home tomorrow…

Have done the drive on 93 several times, love heading up through the Great Basin, huge open areas, no towns or houses to speak of. Looking forward to the drive again, light driving day, heading to Ely for the night. Got to Ely, a 2 block area entering town was having a big snow flurry, the rest of the town, sunny. Made for a dramatic entrance to the town…

Got a great room at the Nevada Hotel, large, comfortable. The hotel resturant is just OKand the casino needed better ventilationn if you’re not a smoker. Played a little video poker, had an edible, if greasy dinner, and a relaxing evening though. A fine waystation.

Tomorrow, a leisurely drive to Reno to have dinner with my daughter!

Packed up early from Kanab, looking through the places to visit, decided to go to Zion, another park I’d never been to. Met the CIO of Osprey packs when having Sushi in Durango, and he’d suggested checking it out as a great 1/2 day trip (or 5 day trip, depending on if you hike in and enjoy the other parts of the park). Great visit, and got their early enough to get in a couple hikes before it got crowded in the afternoon.

After a great morning and early afternoon in Zion, had a lovely drive east in Utah. When I got to St. George, it was still really early, so I checked the maps, realized I was only 2 hours out of Vegas. I love the Oyster Bar in Harrah’s in vegas, so thought I’d just pop over, find a room, have dinner and then explore my favorite area of Nevada, up the easy side of 93, the next day. But, it was Saturday, rooms at the casinos were 4-5 times the price of any other day during the week. Asking the twitterverse, one of my contacts who’s a Vegas local told me the off-strip hotels were still cheap, so I decided to just drive and find something.

A surprise to me, the Motel 6, which is only a block off the strip, had rooms available. They did book up later, but I got one of their newly remodeled rooms, which was nothing like I’d ever seen at a Motel 6 before!

Had, as usual, a great seafood dinner, then touristed around the strip for a while, and got a great nights sleep. The motel was surprisingly quiet all night! Tomorrow, entering the Great Basin.

Heading east from Durango today, drove by Mesa Verde, and decided it’d be a great time to visit! Ended up being perfect weather, and again, very small crowds. Only one dwelling was open, so it was a bit crowded, but a great visit. Had no idea there were so many ancient settlements located inside Mesa Verde’s boundries, ended up being an educational visit.

Spent 1/2 a day or so at Mesa Verde, then continued to head east so I could get a bit more 4 corners siteseeing in. Really love the high desert area around here. Visited monument valley for some late afternoon pictures as well.

Drove by Lake Havasou, took a quick look at the dam, but decided not to stay over the night in Page, but to keep going.

Ended up getting to Kanab, a really nice little hub town for recreation in the area. Had a great dinner at the Rocking V Cafe, seriously good food, friendly service. Save room for desert!

Stayed in Walsenburg overnight, heading south to avoid the incoming snowstorm up Colorado Springs way, heading east to get to Durango for the night. Only storm touched part of the route was Wolf Creek pass above Pagosa Springs. The pass got about 8″ of snow that day, temps in the mid-teens at the 10,000 foot level, pass is at about 10,800 feet. Hadn’t driven in weather like that before, very limited visibility, windy, icy. Below the summit, passenger cars were sliding into snow banks due to the ice roads. The FJ Cruiser just held the line and drove right through, but was definately 20 minutes of hoping I’d make it through, and happy I had warm clothes and food in the car. Took this picture about 15 minutes after the summit, after you could actually see a little of the road, and it wasn’t so hazardous.

Got to Durango, got a nice room right near the train station.

Unfortunately, my good friends were out of town this one week on a dive trip, so I didn’t get to see them, but from a prior visit, knew some of the good places to visit. Had a great dinner at West by Southwest, a good Japanese Fusion resturant, and visited the open mike night at Cuckoo’s Chicken House and Watering Hole, which made for a fun evening.

Headed out early from Santa Fe. Checked with a friend in Colorado Springs (@mgion on twitter), and he told me a big storm was coming in, and I should check the weather and roads to decide if I wanted to head up. Looked like if I went up north, then came back down south, I’d avoid the biggest part of the storm (possibly 10-20″ of snow). Colorado’s had hardly any snow this season, so they need it!

Primary goal today was a surprise visit to a town close to Colorado Springs to meet my twitter friend @MaxWeb. We’ve corresponded for over a year, but never met, and now was a perfect time to pop up. Jim and Victoria own the Wild Wings resturant in Woodland Park, another great hub town for local recreation. Maybe the best wings I’ve ever had, and I’m not just saying that ’cause I know Jim. If you’re in the area, I highly recommend a plate of the ribs, or the buffalo chicken sandwich, which was really tasty. Here’s the view from the Wild Wings parking lot.

Had a great lunch at Wild Wings, Jim also sent me off with a Colorado beer “care package”. Thanks so much Jim! Met @mgion in Colorado Springs for a little while, then headed south toWalsenburg for the night. I’ll find out tomorrow if I can make my way west since the storm will start building overnight and into tomorrow.