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on March 24, 2013 - 1:00 AM
James "Jay" Manno worked at many Buffalo nightspots starting in 1989 as a barback at the old Stuffed Mushroom on Main Street before taking jobs at the former Pier Restaurant, Croc Bar and Coliseum.
For the past 14 years Manno has operated Soho Burger Bar on West Chippewa Street, where he's built a reputation as an outspoken advocate for the entertainment district downtown.
Last year, he was part of a $600,000 makeover that transformed Soho Bar to Soho Burger Bar – not surprising considering Manno comes from a family of butchers. In September he became Soho's sole owner.
At age 44, the father of two young children is settling into his life as a family man in North Buffalo. Manno, you'll see, thrives in an urban setting.
People Talk: What attracted you to the Chippewa Strip?
James Manno: I don't know that anything did. At first I think I was a little bit anti-Chippewa when I was younger. My mother and father got divorced when I was 5, and my mother always either cooked or ran restaurants. Several of those we lived above or near. When we moved to Indiana, my first job was washing dishes for a restaurant.
PT: Did you go to college?
JM: I went to so many colleges. I went to Wabash College first in Crawfordsville, Indiana. Remember [Buffalo Bills tight end] Pete Metzelaars? He was the Knute Rockne of Wabash. I hated it there: 800 guys in the middle of nowhere. So I went to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne, and then moved back to Buffalo in 1989. School became less of a priority, and that's my only regret – that I don't have that piece of paper. If I would hit the lottery tomorrow, I would go back to school.
PT: But you're married and the father of two.
JM: I didn't get married until I was 39. I always wanted children; that was a foregone conclusion. But if I married every girl I thought I was going to marry I would have been married at 17. I actually have a 22-year-old son, and it's kind of strange but we didn't know of each other until he was 18. That was a Jerry Springer moment, and now he has a daughter so I'm a grandfather. So I have a 3-year-old son, a year-and-a-half-old daughter and a 6-month-old granddaughter. And a 34-year-old wife.
PT: What's your secret vice?
JM: Not so secret but I smoke a lot of cigars – sometimes three or four a day. For me it's kind of relaxing. Sometimes if I don't eat enough I get a little lightheaded. It catches me off-guard. My wife will tell me I'm turning green. My real vice overall is eating. I'm in the gym six days a week so my cheat day is Sunday.
PT: What were you like as a kid?
JM: I was always the art teacher's pet. They would give me art supplies to take home. But then I took art history, and now I wish I knew more. A few years back I started drawing and painting again at 4 in the morning instead of watching TV when I got home to wind down from work. I'm not good at it anymore, but I would like to be.
PT: Describe your personality.
JM: I'm definitely opinionated. Stubborn, too. I think some people who don't know me would say I'm kind of arrogant, a little flashy. I tend to dress a little flashy sometimes, but I don't shop like I used to. I try to buy stuff that's timeless. I'm a hat freak. I've had four custom hats made. I have an Armani fur coat, not real fur. I'm not O.J. walking through the airport in the '70s. If it's possible, I want to be a little Renaissance-ish. I want to know a little bit about everything. I've got good taste in food, good taste in wine. I smoke a lot of cigars. I appreciate art, fashion, architecture. I sold men's retail when I was still in Indiana. I was selling Hugo Boss in 1988 when no one knew who Hugo Boss was.
PT: Why not add boutiques to Chippewa?
JM: It's tough for a boutique to pay the rent that landlords can get from a bar. What someone really has to do is take over Main Place Mall. It's an eyesore that used to be – when I was a kid – the coolest mall. My father bought me my first pair of Jordache jeans at the Main Place Mall. Now it's a dump.
PT: Aren't you president of the Buffalo Entertainment District Association?
JM: I don't even know anymore. I'm just the guy who gets things done. The whole age commingling thing was a real divisive factor with our association. We just had a meeting last week, and we're trying to work on things for Cinco de Mayo. This is a very good year to make a nice night out of that.
PT: Do you think in terms of drinking holidays?
JM: It's not just that. It's days to build nights that you can be known for, and not just drinking. We're open every Sunday now, and I don't care if we close at 9 o'clock.
PT: Chippewa needs to get the age commingling debate settled once and for all. Where do you stand?
JM: Frankly, I think the 18 and over is a boring topic. We debated it in public and it gave us a black eye. At this point I'm not really worried about the other places and the ages. My main focus is my business, and the aesthetic improvements of the area – trees and benches.
PT: Do you still see a need for a paddy wagon on Chippewa?
JM: For years we were calling for a paddy wagon as a deterrent for these kids who come down and loiter. Certain nights are unruly, like New Year's Eve when there's 200,000 people downtown and 50 cops. You don't want to get thrown in the wagon if you're fighting. Or if you're belligerently drunk and a cop approached you. Or you're underage and you have no business being down there hanging on the corner with your white T-shirt and your butt hanging out of your pants.
PT: What went wrong on Chippewa?
JM: Gang initiations for one. Honestly? And don't get this wrong, but the press hurts us more than the reality.
PT: Do you own a gun?
JM: Yes. Mine was more for my family. I had taken my class for my permit, and that thing sat on my desk for almost four years. Then the City Grill thing happened, and I decided to turn it in. What happens if someone does follow me home? I still only have one gun, a simple old-school .38 revolver, five shots. It's something that won't jam. I hope I never have to use it. I keep it in a safe with a push-button combination. Eventually, after all this craziness – this arms race that's happened recently – I'd like to get a smaller one, believe it or not. It's a pain to carry.
email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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'The Months of the Year - December'
About 1870
Wood engraving
Engraved by R. & L. Taylor
Museum no. E.706L-1888
In these engravings the imagery underlines the link between women and nature that was so popular in the 19th century. The settings are largely contemporary, rather than taken from historical sources.

subset: commoncrawl


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on February 8, 2013 - 11:03 PM
A committee that includes students, teachers and administrators will be part of the decision to hire a new middle school principal in the Cleveland Hill School District, with interviews beginning next week.
The committee, comprising 14 people, gave district administrators ideas about what types of qualities they would like to see in the new principal and have already identified 11 candidates for consideration.
Mary Pauly, assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction, explained the timetable during a Board of Education meeting Wednesday night. The candidates will be narrowed down to three by the end of the week, after which Superintendent Jon MacSwan will make a recommendation to the board.
"We're going to be very diligent," Pauly said of the search.
Jill Sherman, principal of Cleveland Hill High School, has been supervising the middle school in the absence of a regular administrator.


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The wife of local fallen firefighter Sean Misner gave birth to a baby boy, named after his Dad.
Amanda Misner welcomed Sean Jaxson Herbert Misner into world on Thursday. He was born weighing six pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 3/4 inches long. The news was posted Friday on the Sean Misner Memorial Facebook page.
Misner, 26, was a member of the Granite Mountain Hotshots killed battling the Yarnell Hill wildfire in Arizona. He and 18 of his comrades died in June when they were overrun by the wind-driven blaze.
Misner graduated from Santa Ynez Valley High School in 2005. He was the nephew of Montecito Fire Protection District Chief Terry McElwee and the grandson of the late Montecito Fire Chief Herb McElwee.
Baby Sean Misner will likely make many trips to the Santa Ynez Valley, where his grandparents still live.
Fallen Firefighter's Baby Son Born
Mom Names Boy After Dad Sean Misner
The wife of local fallen firefighter Sean Misner gave birth to a baby boy, named after his Dad.
Copyright © 2013 KEYT & The Associated Press - NPG of California, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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I've been Tweeting (@loisgeller) for 2 years and I enjoy it. A lot.
But I never gave Twitter a lot of thought until the other day when my friend, Amy Africa (@amyafrica in Twitter talk), called to chat.
We talk about a lot of things but sooner or later the "How's business?" question comes up. "Fine," I told her, "but it could always get better."
Amy's an Internet marketing expert and she knows that I have 12,000 or so Twitter followers. She mentioned that having a large-ish Twitter following credentializes you. Amy tends to just mention things and let you make the connection.
I made this connection immediately. Could the time I spend on Twitter ever actually do my business any good? Twitter is big part of what we call Social Media – Facebook, Plaxo, LinkedIn, this blog, etc., all of which I'm involved in to different degrees. Could Social Media do my agency any good?
I should know the answer but I'm not sure I do.
I write about the power of Social Media: relationships, consistency of voice, brand issues, one-to-one communication, frequency, etc. I know how to make a deal, how to close a sale.
Does all this credentializing do any good? Have I been invited to make more speeches this year than last year? Does anyone send me a Tweet asking for marketing help? No and no.
So I asked my Twitter friends if I'm missing anything. Here's what a few of them said:
@vbpickett: "You should appreciate the great friendships" ( I do!)
@Journeywoman said "absolutely invest in Twitter time …"
@MatthewTNelson:"I have my tweetdeck open all day and I'm constantly scanning for website RFPs. When I see one interesting I reach out and connect."
Later he tweeted that he had landed two website development contracts via Twitter in the past year.
Wow! Results. Now I have to figure out how to home in and do the same.
If you have any ideas, suggestions, advice you can share, I'd love to hear from you.


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Vol. 10 is going to be released June1, 2010. http://www.amazon.com/Hellsing-10-Graphic-Novels/dp/1595824987
so what they changed again?
yes the schedule changed. it should be out by June 1st.
"very mad" i have been waiting form april 28th, may 19th and now june first?
me 2. it'll be out very soon though. can't wait.


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Closed Captioned
Quilting expert Angela Walters will guide you step by step through quilting pebbles, swirls, squares, feathers, clamshells and ribbon candy, before helping you build on these basic designs to create more complex variations. Use small changes like adding echoing, altering the design layout, combining designs and changing scale to bring new interest to basic designs and an updated look to your quilts. Plus, you can use these modifications on more of your favorite designs to instantly increase your quilting repertoire! Easily tweak basic designs for intriguing visual interest and finish quilts that look anything but simple.
Meet your instructor, quilting teacher and author Angela Walters. You'll get a sneak peek of what you'll learn over the course of the class as you set your sights on the seemingly endless design possibilities you'll embark on.
Learn how to create a diverse ensemble of pebble designs, including overlapping and echoing shapes. Angela guides you through methods that set you up for fun, efficient sewing sessions and points out ways to fill blank spaces of all sizes. You'll learn how to break away from making patterns that are identical as you embrace a more whimsical, spontaneous approach to quilting.
Angela shows you how to create a basic swirl before adding increasingly complex variations that modify the layout, size and spacing of your swirled patterns to create new aesthetics. You'll love this free-flowing stitch pattern, as well as the troubleshooting tips Angela offers on freeing yourself from corners and sketching out your designs ahead of time.
Discover a new take on a gorgeous classic: ribbon candy stitches! Angela helps you relax into the process of creating basic ribbon shapes and shares tips on ways to visualize this unique pattern. After a little practice, you'll be ready to create variations as you experiment with shape, size and placement.
Work through an array of feather motifs, from classic feather designs to flowers, echoes, swirls and more. In addition to learning helpful placement and stitching methods, you'll also see real examples on quilts to help inspire your future feather designs.
Move from fluid lines into angles as you explore beautiful square designs. Angela demonstrates ways to get comfortable with a mixture of filled, offset and different-sized squares. Learn how to create angles and straight lines with precision using varying sewing speeds, implementing Angela's helpful troubleshooting tips along the way.
Wrap up the class with a bevy of clamshell designs that will add a gorgeous flourish to any blank strip of fabric, from sashes to borders and anything in between. Start with a classic design before trying teardrops, a mod variation, echoed clamshells and more. You'll finish the class with a new sense of confidence and limitless design combinations that you can use on your future projects!
"Angela, amazing awesomeness! I always enjoy your classes except for the last lesson. The last lesson means the class is drawing to a close, which is always a bummer. Really enjoyed learning the variations and how you make the awesome definition between the designs! I can't wait to try these designs and am so looking forward to purchasing your last books! Great job as always."
- GrandmaJack
Conroe, Texas


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Sap Bucket, Verdigris
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Exclusive | Country Style Sap Bucket
- Versatile, decorative sap bucket has striking verdigris finish
- Perfect for displaying LED branch lights and holiday greens
We designed our Vermont-style sap buckets to look just like the genuine article. Made of galvanized steel with a stylish verdigris finish, it's a perfect container for our branch lights and other seasonal decor.
Product Details
- Galvanized steel with verdigris finish
- 8-1/2" top diameter x 12" H; 5-1/2" bottom diameter
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We're proud of the fact that this item is shipped to you directly from our warehouse in Vermont, by one of our 250 employee-owners. In-stock items are packed with care and shipped within the next business day to ensure prompt delivery to your home and garden!


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Hospice programs improve the quality of life and quality of death for men dying of cancer. We sought to characterize hospice use by men dying of prostate cancer and to compare the use of high-intensity care between those who did or did not enroll in hospice.
We used linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results–Medicare data to identify a cohort of Medicare beneficiaries who died of prostate cancer between 1992 and 2005. We created 2 multivariable logistic regression models, one to identify factors associated with hospice use and one to determine the association of hospice use with the receipt of diagnostic and interventional procedures and physician visits at the end of life.
Of 14 521 men dying of prostate cancer, 7646 (53%) used hospice for a median of 24 days. Multivariable modeling demonstrated that African American ethnicity (odds ratio [OR], 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.68-0.88) and higher Charlson comorbidity index (OR, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.44-0.55) were associated with lower odds of hospice use, while having a partner (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.14-1.32) and more recent year of death (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.11-1.14) were associated with higher odds of hospice use. Men dying of prostate cancer who enrolled in hospice were less likely (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74-0.91) to receive high-intensity care, including intensive care unit admissions, inpatient stays, and multiple emergency department visits.
The proportion of individuals using hospice is increasing, but the timing of hospice referral remains poor. Those who enroll in hospice are less likely to receive high-intensity end-of-life care.
Hospice enrollment and median hospice stays by year. "Days" in right vertical axis represent median survival.
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Top Definition
When a person messes up looks like a asshole doing it. When you fail so miserably that you shit yourself.
"Findlay, you really shit the rag on this one, you missed that layup and you fell down on your ass doing it!"
بواسطة Timmy-K أغسطس/آب 25, 2011
Trending Now
Can you define these popular missing words?


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Jennie Johnson, Ph.D
Associate Professor
Jennie Johnson earned a Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a master's degree in organizational behavior from the College of Business at Eastern Michigan University and a B.S. from Oakland University.
Prior to an academic career, Dr. Johnson worked in business and industry in management positions and has over 20 years of experience in human resource management, organizational development and workplace learning and performance. She has worked in 25 counties, has visited 50 and lived in Latin America (Uruguay and Costa Rica) for three years.
Her research interests are organizational justice and ethical decision making. She enjoys teaching because it is an opportunity to share both theoretical and practical perspectives on subjects she is enthusiastic about.
E-mail: email@example.com
Phone: 956-882-5832
Fax: 956-882-5808
Office: Main 2.422
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Arnone's, landmark of Erie's Little Italy, is closing
A landmark of Erie's Little Italy neighborhood is going out of business.
Arnone & Sons Food Importers, 1711 Cherry St., will shut its doors on Monday. The wholesale food business opened in 1971.
Arnone's Bakery & Italian Deli, 564 W. 18th St., closed on Jan. 4. The well-known bakery opened in 1956.
Owners and managers on Friday cited the area's poor economy, tough competition from bigger food companies, and customers' perception that the business was in a high crime neighborhood as some of the reasons for closing.
"It's very hard," said Michael Arnone, one of the business' owners. "This is something I've done my whole life, and now it comes to an end."
Court records show the business owes more than $40,000 in property taxes.
There also are several federal and state tax liens against Arnone's, records indicate.
Eight of the business' employees will be out of work on Monday, managers said.
"It's depressing," said Tony Arnone, a former warehouse manager at the wholesale business. "We worked hard here. It's just getting tougher to compete with bigger companies."
Carla Rose (Arnone) Fisher, Michael Arnone's sister, late Thursday night posted an item on Facebook about her family business closing.
By 4 p.m. Friday, the post had been shared 415 times and generated hundreds of comments.
"It set a chain reaction of memories shared by longtime customers," Fisher, who lives in New York, said in a Facebook message on Friday.
The wholesale food business will be open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday, its last day, owners said.
"It's really sad to see they couldn't continue to do the business. We're going to miss them," said Bob Attalla, owner of Premium Coffee & Water Co. of Erie.
Attalla has been a vendor of Arnone's for the past 10 years. He went to the business on Friday to say goodbye to the family.
"As a small-business owner myself, I know how hard it is," Attalla added. "It's really tough."
The bakery was opened in 1956 by Liborio Arnone. He died in 1977.
Anthony Arnone opened the wholesale food business in 1971. It supplied many Erie-area restaurants, businesses, and pizza and sub shops with pepperoni bread, pizza shells, cakes and several other products.
In 1979, two years after Liborio Arnone died, Anthony Arnone sold the bakery and deli in order to focus on the wholesale business. In 1993, Anthony Arnone and his wife, Bernadine Arnone, reopened the retail store.
"I've been coming in here for years and years," Erie resident Maggie Gilson. She was hoping to shop at the bakery and deli on Friday but found it closed.
"Their pasta was awesome," Gilson added. "Real fresh, and much better than what you get at the store."
The Arnone family also opened another business, Arnone's Italian Restaurant, in 2001. It closed in 2010.
GERRY WEISS can be reached at 870-1884 or by e-mail. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNweiss.


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Inspiration, Advice, Gear, and Training
These big adventures are true American classics. They are the quintessential adventure experiences you organize your year around because they require fitness, specialized gear, and maybe a large chunk of time off work. Our top ten cover life-list terrain in the mountains, ocean, and the desert and include the expert advice, gear tips, and training ideas you'll need to go from dream to reality. —Brendan Leonard
Climb Mount Rainier, Washington
Photograph by Tim Matsui
The Experience: Mount Rainier is the "big mountain" of the Lower 48, a white giant standing alone 14,000 feet higher than the sea-level city of Seattle, a mere 60 miles away. Mount Whitney may be taller, other mountains may be more photogenic, but up close, Rainier feels more Himalayan than American, what with its seracs, huge glaciers, crevasses, bad weather, and high altitude. Twenty-six glaciers cover the peak, adding up to a cubic mile of snow and ice. The mountain gets 50 feet of snow every year, and the average temperature on the summit during the warmest month, August, is a brisk 32ºF.
More than 10,000 people attempt a climb on Rainier every year, and at least half of them head up the classic, but far from casual, Disappointment Cleaver route, almost all on snow and ice. Day one is typically a five-mile, 4,700-foot hike up the Muir Snowfield to Camp Muir, a group of spare huts perched at 10,080 feet at the edge of the Cowlitz Glacier. Day two, beginning with an alpine start between midnight and 2 a.m., tackles 4,400 vertical feet of snow, ice, and rock to Columbia Crest, Rainier's proper summit at 14,410 feet. The 10- to 15-hour summit day, climbing up 4,400 feet and then descending 9,000 feet back to the parking lot, is a huge day. It's an achievement, and one that often whets the appetite for more—once you've sat down for a post-climb burger and a beer in the town of Ashford at the base of the mountain.
Expert Opinion: Melissa Arnot has guided clients on more than a hundred summits of Rainier while working for the mountain's oldest guide service, Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI), which has held a guide concession on the mountain since its founding in 1969. Arnot started guiding for RMI in 2004, and has gone on to guide internationally—and summit Mount Everest five times, the record number of summits for a woman.
Only about half of all climbers summit each year (the success rate is about 45 percent for self-guided climbers and 60 percent for guided climbers), and those who do gain an understanding of mountaineering—and often go on to climb Denali, Aconcagua, Everest, and other big mountains.
In 1962, for example, Jim Whittaker, twin brother of RMI founder Lou Whittaker, used Rainier to train for the 1963 American Everest Expedition, and the members of the expedition used the mountain for a practice run in September of that year. Jim Whittaker became the first American to summit Everest in 1964.
"Rainier is one of my favorite mountains in the world," Arnot says. "It's a long endurance climb that weaves through crevasses, over rock fins, and across beautiful open glacier slopes. It gives you every opportunity to challenge yourself and experience what mountaineering is all about. It offers all the challenge and requires all the skill you will need to climb similar peaks in the Andes, Himalaya, or really anywhere in the world."
Time: Two to four days
Season: May through September
- A full-length ice axe for protection on the steep glaciers
- Glacier glasses to prevent snow blindness
- A durable rain shell pant and jacket
- A big, warm down parka with a hood for summit day
Training: "The best preparation for climbing is climbing," Arnot says. "If you can mimic the activity you're going to do that's the best. Filling up a pack with 35 to 40 pounds and hiking uphill (on stairs, in the gym, or outside are all good options) for an hour at a time is the best preparation."
Guide: Rainier Mountaineering, Inc.
Ski Tuckerman Ravine, New Hampshire
Photograph by Brian Post
The Experience: There is no more famous rite of passage for East Coast skiers than their first trip up and down Tuckerman Ravine. An amphitheater of rock and snow on Mount Washington's southeastern face, Tucks holds snow well into May each year and is the classic line for eastern off-piste skiers.
On weekends in late April and early May, dozens of cars carrying hundreds of skiers line the road at Pinkham Notch, 45 minutes from the town of North Conway, New Hampshire. By mid-morning, everyone's plodding up the three-hour, three-mile hike to Tuckerman Ravine. Some will ski and snowboard—and some will just drink beer and watch the action. Skiers travel from as far as Washington, D.C.—eight hours one way—to get in their turns after all the East Coast ski resorts have closed for the season.
It's a tradition that's been going on since the 1930s. A few hardy skiers had climbed and skied the ravine in the 1920s, but in 1933 the Civilian Conservation Corps cut a ski trail from Pinkham Notch to the base of the bowl and built a warming hut—making access easier and paving the way for ski races, from Ivy League duals to Olympic tryouts. In the 1939 American Inferno race, Toni Matt accidentally did a straight-line run of the headwall, flying down the slope at 85 miles per hour—and forever into the mythology of Tucks.
The huge bowl has ten lines and some variations of those. It's bookended by Left Gully, one of the easiest and most popular at 35 to 45 degrees (and steepest at the top), and Right Gully, another popular 35- to 45-degree line.
Expert Opinion: "The terrain on the mountain is totally unique in the White Mountains and pretty much in the East as a whole," says Bayard Russell, co-owner of North Conway-based Cathedral Mountain Guides. "When you look at the mountain, all of it pretty much looks like every other place with above-tree line terrain in the area—steep but rounded old mountains—except for the two ravines that carved out the mountain's east side. Once you're in the ravine on a good snow year it's just beautiful. There are not many places in the east with safe run outs and no trees anywhere."
In late April and May, the snow has consolidated, avalanche danger is low, and the masses flock to Tucks. But in the winter months, it's real-deal backcountry skiing, with avalanche potential and sporty snow conditions.
"The thing about Tucks is it's really steep, and unless you're catching an extremely elusive powder day or a perfect day of corn before the masses get there in the spring, you're going to have to ski on some variable surfaces, some of which will probably resemble ice," Russell says. "The wind is so powerful on Mount Washington that very often the snow that's there is pretty rugged."
Time: One day
Season: All winter—but in late April and early May, avalanche danger is lowest and Tucks explodes in popularity.
- Beacon, probe, and shovel (until avalanche danger recedes in late spring)
- Climbing skins— "A much more efficient way to travel over deep snow than having to carry your skis while postholing," Russell says.
- Helmet
- Screwdriver that fits the adjustments on your skis
- Plenty of energy food — "After a long and steep hike, you'll want to fuel up before clicking in," Russell says.
Training: "Skiing in the backcountry is always the most fun when you have enough time in the hills under your belt so you have some energy left after the hike," Russell says. "The best way to train for hiking or skinning uphill is to do it. Plenty of time on the skis on variable snow conditions is also huge."
Guide: Cathedral Mountain Guides
Surf Waikiki, Hawaii
Photograph by Morgan Masseen
The Experience: No other place on Earth can claim to be more important to surfing than Waikiki. Starting in 1901, Waikiki's beach boys began to teach the sport to Hawaiian tourists, including writer Jack London, who then brought surfing to the world outside of Hawaii in a magazine article first published in the 1907 edition of Woman's Home Companion. Duke Kahanamoku, the man thousands have called "the father of modern surfing," mastered Waikiki's waves on a ten-foot board as a young man in the early 1900s before introducing the sport to the U.S. East Coast, followed by Australia and New Zealand. Surfboard innovator Tom Blake invented the first hollow surfboards (solid wood had previously been used) in Waikiki in 1926, after discovering ancient Hawaiian olo boards.
Imagine a theoretical ski resort that's open for business with perfect conditions for eight months of the year—that's Waikiki's surfing, with 248 prime surf days per year. The average water temperature is 74°F in winter and 80 in summer. And, of course, there's the weather: Daily high temperatures are nearly always between 70 and 90, and average annual rainfall is only 22 inches, almost half of that coming between November and January.
Expert Opinion: "It's the spiritual and physical home of surfing," says Ben Marcus, former editor at Surfer Magazine and author of The Surfing Handbook: Mastering the Waves for Beginning and Amateur Surfers. "It's where hotdog surfing was invented, where the beach boys rule, where stand-up paddling was invented. And it's just a beautiful place."
Surfers can paddle out into the blue-green water and turn back to see the 17-foot-tall Duke Kahanamoku statue on one side of Waikiki Beach and a view of the iconic Diamond Head State Monument, a more than 475-acre grassy crater, on the other. Then they catch one of the most famous—and friendly—waves in the world. It's been said that no other wave has seen more surfers stand up for the first time. The gentle waves, along with a lot of other factors, make it the perfect place to learn to surf, Marcus says.
"The waves are long and rolling and allow lots of time to make mistakes, recover, and keep going," Marcus says. "They have enough power to propel beginners on big boards but not enough to drown them. There's a lot of space along Waikiki Beach, with a lot of different waves to surf, depending on ability. And there are a lot of instructors and other beginners around you, so you aren't intimidated."
The beach boys, Marcus says, have a long tradition of helping malahini, newcomers to Hawaii, take their first steps in the water. At more than a century old, it's hard to imagine a longer-standing surfing tradition.
Time: As many days as you can stay and play
Season: Year-round, but summer (June to August) is prime season.
- Shorts/swimsuit
- Rash guard
- Waterproof sunglasses
- Sun hat
- Surfboard: "Rent a board on the beach—that's part of the tradition," Marcus says.
Training: In the weeks leading up to a surf trip, swim if you can and work on strengthening the "pulling muscles"—lats, biceps, and rhomboids—as well as core strength and torso rotational strength.
Guide: Hans Hedemann Surf School
Hike the Presidential Traverse, New Hampshire
Photograph by Erin Paul Donovan, Alamy
The Experience: It's no stretch to say the 22-mile winter trek across New Hampshire's Presidential Range is the Northeast's premiere mountaineering achievement—and plenty of people would argue that it's the most famous mountain traverse in America. Covering three days, more than 8,500 feet of elevation gain, and all the major summits in the range, walking the ridge in bluebird summer weather is tough enough—winter conditions can make it a matter of survival as well.
The Presidential Range isn't high (Mount Washington is the high point, and its summit at 6,288 feet is barely 1,000 feet higher than the city of Denver, Colorado), but it's burly. The convergence of multiple storm tracks means weather can change in a matter of minutes, catching many an unprepared hiker out on the mountain in summer, with tragic and sometimes fatal results. During the winter, it can be even more intense—the Presidential Traverse is no casual snowshoe romp in the mountains.
Most who attempt the Presidential Traverse do it north to south to get most of the elevation gain out of the way early in the hike, on the way up to the 5,366-foot summit of Mount Madison. On the ridge, hikers are exposed to the elements for almost a dozen miles—but, in good weather, can tick off as many as eight Presidential summits—before dropping back down to civilization in Crawford Notch.
Expert Opinion: Mount Washington, the centerpiece of the Presidential Range, has been called one of the cradles of American alpinism. Mountaineers who've cut their teeth there know that if you want to prepare for the best, you put yourself through the worst. Peter Doucette, owner of Mountain Sense Guides, knows this well: He's completed a dozen winter Presidential Traverses and more than 75 winter ascents of Mount Washington, as training for ascents on peaks in Alaska, China, and South America.
"The Presidential Range is often used as a training ground for the world's largest peaks, but they're a worthy goal in themselves and shouldn't be overlooked," Doucette says. "It's certainly beautiful, but I don't and wouldn't recommend a winter Presi Traverse to just anyone. It's worth doing if you have a strong winter-mountaineering skill set and you're looking for brilliant winter adventure.
"You must have—or want to develop—a tolerance for difficult winter conditions in a sometimes brilliant, more often fierce setting," he adds. "I've seen it go from 35°F and raining with nearly calm winds to snowing, minus 10ºF, and winds of 80-plus miles per hour in the course of 90 minutes on Mount Washington. It routinely blows over 100 miles per hour there in winter."
Time: Three to five days
Season: Winter (December through March)
- Reliable stove and fuel. "I like white gas over canister stoves in extreme cold—I often use an MSR Whisperlite," Doucette says.
- Double boots that you've broken in
- Gaiters
- Face mask and/or balaclava
- Ski goggles
- Gloves: a liner glove/mid-weight glove/mitten system
- Excellent down or heavy synthetic jacket
- Minus 30ºF sleeping bag—"Mandatory for those in tents January through March," Doucette says.
- A shelter plan or a four-season tent—"And an idea of possible places to escape the wind," Doucette says. "There aren't many good campsites up high in the range."
- Reliable communication—"A satellite phone, cell phone, or personal locator beacon—bring something and realize that most batteries die in a few hours when it's below 15º F," Doucette says.
Training: "A traverse of the Presidential Range in winter requires excellent cardiovascular fitness, and the capacity to carry a 40- to 45-pound pack with everything you'll need for three or more days up high," Doucette says.
- Do some longer winter hikes with a significantly heavy backpack (40-plus pounds).
- Spend some time breaking trail with snowshoes and develop your familiarity with crampons on variable surfaces. Depending on conditions and weather, there's a good chance you'll need both.
- Consider equally the technical skill set: Self-sufficiency and good pre-trip planning are crucial for success and a reasonable margin of safety.
- Be familiar with your clothes and equipment.
- Practice everything you can before you do it live—including melting snow for water—to understand the process and the time it takes and to develop your system. Set up your tent, consider how you plan to anchor it, make sure you have guy lines attached before you start your hike. Practice whiteout navigation with a GPS or map and compass, and consider doing the traverse in summer to prep for a winter traverse.
Guide: Mountain Sense Guides
Climb Desert Cracks at Indian Creek, Utah
Photograph by Alex Ekins
The Experience: Indian Creek is the United States' most world-famous climbing crag. It's truly like nowhere else on Earth, with miles of long, parallel-sided cracks shooting up red sandstone cliffs. If ever there was rock made for climbing—or at least crack climbing—Indian Creek's splitter paradise is it.
Until 1976, what's now known as the Creek was just a set of cliffs along Utah 211, the highway winding through the desert from Canyonlands National Park's secluded Needles District to the nearest town, Monticello, 55 miles away. That year, however, a group of climbers from Colorado noticed a perfect 300-foot splitter crack on one of the undulating cliffs, towering above the desert floor atop talus slopes. They weren't sure it could be led safely—cams, which actively expand to securely hold in cracks, had only recently been invented, and the group only had hexes, or hexagonal chocks, that might just slide all the way down the parallel-sided cracks. Earl Wiggins stepped up to lead the climb and sailed to the top—hand jam, foot jam, hand jam, foot jam, all the way up. The climb became known as Supercrack and opened Indian Creek for climbing development.
Today, more than a thousand routes line the sandstone, and climbers flock to Indian Creek from all over the world. The advent of camming devices, which made climbing parallel-sided cracks safer, enabled extensive development of routes at Indian Creek over the following decades. It didn't make the actual climbing of them easier, though: The dead-vertical nature of most climbs, along with the uniform crack size, means the climbing can initially be extremely challenging. If you don't have crack-climbing skills—hand jamming, foot jamming, finger locks, ring locks—Indian Creek will make sure your ego is in check your first day there. After toproping a few routes and teaching yourself to trust the security of a hand or fingers wedged in the sandstone, you begin to understand its magical appeal.
Expert Opinion: Moab-based Windgate Adventures's Eric Odenthal, who has guided and helped climbers learn crack technique at Indian Creek for eight years, says it is a great, if demanding, teacher.
"Indian Creek has the most pure splitter crack lines in the Moab area and possibly the world," Odenthal says. "Crack climbing is absolutely a blast and the only way to learn is to try. The first time your hand jam locks, your shoes stick and you begin walking upward, it is the best experience—and that becomes quite addicting." And even Odenthal's first experience at Indian Creek was humbling. "My first trip there, I got schooled," he says.
Time: As many days as you can stay and play
Season: Spring and fall—March through mid-May and mid-September through November.
- Cams: You may think you need to bring multiple sets of cams, and this is correct if you have them. Remember that you may be at a cliff with many other climbers who also have multiple cams that you could kindly ask to borrow. Always try to place their gear first in case the route takes longer than planned—this way you can also retrieve their gear first.
- Clothing that can take a beating
- Plenty of tape and chalk. Athletic tape can be used to attach your long sleeve shirt to your wrist and pants to your ankles so you won't get any sliding for the wide cracks.
- Multiple pairs of climbing shoes, from loose-fitting to snug face-climbing shoes. "I prefer the Five Ten Moccasyms for an all-around shoe and Anasazi Velcros for the technical edging and thin seams," Odenthal says.
- Flip-flops—always great to let your feet breath after a route.
- Plenty of food and water (there are no filling stations, except for at Canyonlands National Park, 15 miles away)
- A 70-meter rope and rope tarp
- Colorado beer (of course)
Training: "I have to say the only way to train for Indian Creek is to climb at Indian Creek," Odenthal says. "The best thing to work on is your cardio. Climbing is most of the time anaerobic, but with the Creek and its endurance-fest long pitches, you'll be fighting to get to those anchors, and of course learning techniques on movement with every move."
Guide: Windgate Adventures
Mountain Bike the White Rim Trail, Utah
Photograph by Chris Noble, Getty Images
The Experience: The White Rim Trail is the quintessential mountain biking tour in Moab, Utah—that's a "tour," not a "mountain biking ride," mind you, in a town famous for its single-day, single-track rides. In the spring and fall, when thousands of cyclists descend on Moab for technical classics like the Slickrock Trail, Porcupine Rim, and Poison Spider, only a few small groups ride the White Rim Trail, which tracks along the 103-mile sandstone bench encircling Canyonlands National Park's more than thousand-foot-high Island in the Sky mesa. It's actually a 4WD road, meaning a mountain bike is the most comfortable bike for it, but you don't have to have mountain biking skills in order to ride it. Its major climbs total only 4,000 vertical feet, and the short technical sections are easily walkable.
Most groups plan a three- or four-day, vehicle-supported trip—keeping daily mileage reasonable and the camping comfort level fairly high and allowing time to explore the terrain off the trail. At the beginning of the ride, the trail immediately descends 1,200 feet from the top of the mesa to the White Rim, overlooking a 500-foot cliff drop at riders' left to the Colorado River below. The trail rolls over brief ups and downs, circling the mesa through some of the best remote desert terrain in the Southwest—prepare for soaring red-rock landscapes during the day and sleeping under dark, star-filled skies at night.
Thousand-year-old Anasazi ruins; the six-foot-wide, 187-foot-long Musselman Arch; and 500-foot tall sandstone pinnacles dot the map along the route as it circles the rim, eventually dropping down to the tempting waters of the Green River before beginning the climb back up to the top of the mesa.
Expert Opinion: It's become popular to ride the entire trail in one long day (the fastest known time is somewhere around six and a half hours), but taking it slow is rewarded on the White Rim, says Anne Clare Erickson of Western Spirit Cycling Adventures, a Moab-based outfitter that runs more than two dozen trips each year. "The White Rim Trail is not about the riding," says Erickson. "It's about being deep in Canyonlands and having only one thing to worry about—getting to the next camp by a certain time.
"Canyonlands excels at vastness," Erickson says. "You see both the Colorado and Green Rivers from above or below, and off in the distance you can see the confluence of the two rivers, plus amazing views looking off into the Maze and Needles districts of Canyonlands. There are huge sandstone towers, wildflowers in the spring, and lovely sunsets in the fall."
Time: Three to four days (although it's popular to complete it in one day, unsupported)
Season: Spring and fall (March through May; September through October)
- Mountain bike (full-suspension is nice but not required)
- A 4WD support vehicle
- Coolers to keep food cold for four potentially hot days in the desert (and don't underestimate the amount of beer you'll want—remember, it's being carried in a Jeep)
- Water
- Sunscreen
- Lots of chain lube
Training: Over four days, Erickson says, the mileage on the White Rim Trail is manageable for people who are fit, whether they're regular cyclists or not. However, she says, "We suggest doing some riding to get your butt used to being on the saddle."
Hike the John Muir Trail, California
Photograph by Dimitri Alexander
The Experience: The John Muir Trail has a spot on many backpackers' life lists for a number of reasons: It's 200-plus miles of trail traversing the Sierra Nevada, leading past alpine lakes and soaring peaks of clean white granite and crossing eight mountain passes and three national parks. Its start and finish are American legends themselves—Yosemite Valley and 14,495-foot Mount Whitney, the high point of the Lower 48.
Maybe the best reason, though, is that you don't have to quit your job to thru-hike it. Most hikers tackle the entire 211-mile trail in two to three weeks, much more manageable (but just as—if not more—amazing) as longer megahikes like the Colorado Trail or the longer Appalachian and Pacific Crest Trails.
Named for John Muir, who arguably saved much of the Sierra for recreation, the trail was actually the vision of Theodore Solomons, who dreamed up the idea as a 14-year-old and began talking about it in the 1890s, shortly after Muir founded the Sierra Club. Muir died in 1914, the year before construction began on the trail, but no doubt he would have approved of his namesake path in the mountains he dubbed "the range of light."
Expert Opinion: Two or three weeks of hiking the John Muir can be enough to hit your reset button, according to Colby Brokvist, senior backcountry guide for Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides, who's hiked the JMT a dozen times.
"There's something to be said for the long trip," Brokvist says. "You can take someone on a four- or five-day trip, and they're refreshed and rejuvenated and all, but if you take someone on a hike like the John Muir Trail, it doesn't matter what was happening in their lives or at work. On a long trip, say on day six or day seven, you see something change in people, where all that other stuff is just gone."
Most JMT thru-hikers go north to south on the trail, starting in Yosemite Valley beneath iconic El Capitan and Half Dome and ending on the summit of Mount Whitney. The trail gains a cumulative 80,000 vertical feet between its north and south ends—which during a three-week hike means an average of almost 4,000 feet of uphill per day. A third of the terrain is above 10,000 feet, and most of the trail is above 8,000 feet, so it's big on unobstructed views. And solitude: After parking your car, you'll see very few over the next couple weeks.
"What's cool about the Sierra is it's one continuous crest. You go 211 miles in one linear direction and you never cross so much as a Jeep track. There are no passes between Tioga and Tehachapi," Brokvist says. "The JMT was built specifically for recreation. The whole intent is to keep you up high in the mountains."
Time: One to three weeks
Season: July through September
Gear: "Go light, light, light," Brokvist says. Cut weight wherever you can, except for your backpack—get something comfortable first and lightweight second. "I always carry a good backpack with a good suspension system, not an ultralight pack," Brokvist says.
- Bring water bottles instead of hydration bladders—"Bladders will eventually fail, and bottles have other uses," Brokvist says.
- Trekking poles
- Tarp shelters instead of tents—"In the Sierra, the bugs are pretty light after July, and so are rainstorms," Brokvist says.
- Water filtration: SteriPENS or iodine (you don't need to filter out sediment)
- Hygiene: "Leave behind the lemon-scented handy wipes," Brokvist says. "The Muir Trail has crystal-clear lakes every single day; there's no reason to pack wet trash like handy wipes with you."
Training: "Training for strength is just as important as training for the endurance you'll need for a 211-mile hike," Brokvist says. "We recommend you start two or three months beforehand and concentrate on things like running stadium bleachers, hiking with a weighted pack, and using the stairs at work during the day." Brokvist says getting comfortable with your camping routine is also important—it's easier to relax during the day if you're not worried about how to do things like cook, set up your tent, or filter water.
Climb a Colorado 14er
Photograph by Jody Grigg
The Experience: Colorado has more terrain above 10,000 feet than any other state in the U.S., with more than a thousand summits above this height. If you want to see what it's like at high altitude, Colorado is target-rich. Not surprisingly, most of the peak-bagging attention is focused on the state's 58 peaks higher than 14,000 feet, or "14ers."
It's hard to not gravitate to the skyline of the Colorado Rockies in the summertime: The majority of 14ers have fairly gentle slopes, no glaciers, and easy access to nontechnical routes to their summits. If you're fit, respect mountain weather and conditions, and can handle 3,000 or so feet of elevation gain, taking in the view from the roof of the Rockies is within reach. One of the most common 14er hikes, 14,060-foot Mount Bierstadt, is an 80-minute drive from downtown Denver and only a 3.5-mile walk to the summit with a 360-degree view of the expanse of high peaks cutting across Colorado. The noticeable lack of oxygen up there is worth considering (to be scientifically correct, it's not that there's less oxygen at 14,000 feet but less pressure, so your lungs don't take in as much).
Expert Opinion: Jon Kedrowski is a Colorado native familiar with the environment up high. He has more than 500 14er summits on his résumé. He checked off his first ascents of all 58 of them before his 18th birthday, and over the course of 95 days in 2011, he climbed and slept on each one and wrote about it in his book Sleeping on the Summits. He went on to climb Denali, Aconcagua, and Everest, among other summits, but his climbing foundation came from his home state's peaks.
"There is nothing like catching a sunrise on or near a summit," Kedrowski says. "The magical 14,000-foot elevation cuts out 33 percent of the oxygen compared to sea level, and Colorado in the summer is one of the few places in the world that you can hike to a snow-free place that is so high yet not on a glacier."
Kedrowski has climbed all the 14ers multiple times (including 150 winter summits and ski descents), and says his three favorite "first 14ers" to recommend, listed below, are in three different mountain ranges.
Mount Bierstadt (14,060 feet): "Bierstadt, just west of Denver, is probably the best 'starter' 14er. It has a high trailhead elevation (almost 12,000 feet) and a paved road to the trailhead. Hiking is relatively easy on a well-built trail to the top."
San Luis Peak (14,014 feet): "This isolated San Juan peak has a great trail to the summit but it's also an adventure on some long dirt roads to get to the trailhead. While the hike is about 14 miles round-trip, it's not too difficult, and you'll be rewarded with some great wildlife sightings like elk, black bears, and moose—and few people."
Humboldt Peak (14,153 feet): "This peak has a well-marked and well-maintained trail all the way to the top, and the views of much harder Crestone Peak and Crestone Needle will make you feel like you are on a much more difficult 14er."
Time: One day
Season: Mid-June through early October
- Plenty of water (and sometimes a purification device)
- Food you can eat no matter how you might feel at high altitude
- Rain jacket and pants
- Sunscreen and sun hat
- Warm hat and gloves—"Even mid-summer, the summits can be chilly and windy," Kedrowski says
- An extra pair of socks if there are stream crossings
Training: "I recommend about four to five days per week, up to two hours each day, any sort of cardio activity, such as biking, swimming, or jogging," Kedrowski says. "Adding hill training that includes hikes to local hilltops or peaks is a great way to test yourself before trying your first 14er. I also recommend adding one to two days per week of hill interval aerobic training."
Bicycle Across America
Photograph by Cultura/Alamy
The Experience: Riding a bicycle across America certainly isn't new. Thomas Stevens completed the first transcontinental bike ride, amounting to 3,700 miles from San Francisco to Boston, over three and a half months in 1884. He accomplished this on a penny farthing, the classic Victorian-era bicycle with a 50-inch-diameter front wheel—which was, of course, a single-speed, fixed-gear bike.
Thankfully, it's gotten easier. We have paved roads, for one thing. Stevens' ride was a mere 15 years after the U.S. completed the first railroad track across the country. And, of course, we now have geared bikes and mapped routes. The distance, however, is still the same: Even the shortest ride across the U.S. is 3,000-plus miles, requiring a lot of time in the saddle and plenty of time off work.
Expert Opinion: A bicycle is still the best way to see America, says Jim Sayer, executive director of the Adventure Cycling Association, North America's largest membership cycling organization and creator of three cross-country bicycle routes—the 4,265-mile Northern Tier, the 4,232-mile TransAmerica Trail, and the 3,070-mile Southern Tier.
"When you're riding your bike and carrying some gear, just about everyone wants to know your story—and more often than not, they want to help you on your journey," Sayer says. "On a bike, you're open to the world, the people, and the terrain. Every day there are dozens of opportunities to meet, greet, learn, and be challenged."
Cross-country tours are at their highest point in the 38-year history of the ACA, Sayer says. Although the organization doesn't keep official statistics, two signs point at growth: Since 2004, sales of maps of the ACA's three cross-country routes have increased from 20,000 per year to 35,000 per year in 2013; and drop-in visits from cross-country cyclists to the organization's Missoula, Montana, office (which is on only one of the ACA's three routes) are now more than 1,200 per year (an average of 23 per week).
Van-supported and guided groups, self-supported solo cyclists, and fundraising groups all start the bike trip across the country each year, following their own routes from west to east or east to west (the old idea that east-to-west rides have fewer headwinds has been largely disproven) to see the U.S. at 10 or 12 miles per hour. Daily mileage varies as much as the cyclists themselves—young, old, big, small; riding bicycles, tricycles, recumbents, or tandems. "Whatever they're looking for out there," Sayer says, "they usually discover something inside themselves along the way.
"Bike travel makes you a stronger person, physically and emotionally," he adds. "During the first week for most people—and especially those who don't prepare—it is a time of high suffering and vulnerability. They question what they've gotten themselves into. But after a week of pain, they have an epiphany; they realize how strong they are and how ready they are for any contingency. That breakthrough is one of the highlights of any trip—along with the moment you learn you can eat as much as you want and still lose weight."
Time: One to four months
Season: Year-round, depending on the route—the Adventure Cycling Association's Southern Tier Route is best in spring and fall (and even mild winter months), but most routes are best April through October.
- Touring bike
- Padded cycling shorts
- Rain jacket and pants
- Comfortable, lightweight helmet
- Panniers or touring trailer (or a support vehicle and driver)
Training: The more you ride your bike before your tour, the easier the first few weeks will be. If you don't have time to ride much, the first few weeks will be your "training" period.
Raft the Grand Canyon, Arizona
Photograph by Justin Bailie
The Experience: The Grand Canyon is one of the most visited natural phenomena in the United States: In 2012, 4.4 million people from all over the world saw it in some capacity. Only 10,000 of those people got a chance to run the Colorado River at the bottom of the canyon in a nonmotorized boat—a 225-mile trip that takes 13 days at minimum.
It's the most famous river trip in America, and although it doesn't travel through designated wilderness, you can be sure it's wild. After boats are put in at Lee's Ferry, there's no road access for a takeout until Diamond Creek, 225 miles away. If you want to get out of the bottom of the canyon, your options are by foot (hiking at least 4,000 feet up to the rim of the Grand Canyon) or by helicopter. There are no cell phone signals in the canyon, and emergency rescues from the river are usually initiated by satellite phone or by contacting commercial airline pilots flying over the canyon.
Oarsmen and -women must navigate rafts loaded with supplies and equipment through more than 40 rapids rated 5 or higher on the Grand Canyon's own one-through-ten whitewater rating scale. In flows of 7,000 to 13,000 cubic feet per second, righting a boat flipped or pinned in a rapid can be a half-day affair. But those who negotiate the hazards are rewarded: The Colorado River is the only thoroughfare through the Grand Canyon, and the best way to see it all is from the bottom. River runners have access to miles of side canyons—most of which are otherwise unreachable except by technical canyoneering descents from above—and more than 200 river campsites only accessible by boat.
Expert Opinion: Caroline Dove and her husband, Donnie, have outfitted self-guided Grand Canyon river trips through their Flagstaff-based business, Canyon REO, since 1991, and have dozens of trips between them.
"There's one reason why we're here: because there isn't anything else like it in America—both the size of the river and the length," Dove says. "It's an amazing combination of this beautiful wilderness on a grand scale, but you're going in and around it so slowly that, on a smaller scale, you're in each moment. It is really an honor to go down the river."
About 55 percent of river runners were on guided trips in 2012—the other 45 percent were self-guided and applied for trip permits through the National Park Service's weighted lottery system, instituted in 2006 to replace the wait list for permits. At one point, the wait list had applicants waiting up to 27 years for a chance to run the river. Now, the weighted lottery gives more of a chance to those who have applied multiple times or have not previously been down the river. The privilege of taking a trip through one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World still comes with a price of cash, luck, or patience: In 2012, more than 5,000 people applied for the permit lottery, and thousands more paid $3,000 to $6,000 for guided trips. Regardless of the size of your wallet, Park Service regulations prohibit anyone from taking two Grand Canyon river trips in one year—because after you've been down there once, you'll want to go back.
"It's so difficult to explain the power of the canyon because there's so little that does compare." Dove says. "Everybody's heard about it, but when you go, you really understand."
Time: 13 to 28 days
Season: Guided trips run April to October; permits for self-guided trips are year-round
- A sun hat—"Not a baseball cap," Dove says. "You need to protect the back of your neck."
- A good pair of water shoes
- Hand lotion or bag balm—constantly being in and out of the water, your hands will dry out and crack
- Sunglasses
- Personal flotation device (PFD)
- In the summertime, bring a sheet instead of a sleeping bag—it's warm even at night in the bottom of the canyon.
Training: Be prepared to hike and scramble one to six miles to explore side canyons when you're off the boat.
America's Best Adventure Towns - Editor's Picks
Top National Geographic Adventures Trips
About the Writer
Brendan Leonard is the creator of Semi-Rad.com, a contributing editor at Climbing Magazine, Adventure Journal, and The Dirtbag Diaries, and has explored America by bicycle, by raft, on foot, and at the sharp end of a rope. Of all the wild places on this list, he is particularly addicted to the Grand Canyon, which he has explored four times by foot and boat. His first book, The New American Road Trip Mixtape, was published in July 2013.
Adventure Photos
Bike Across America
A coast-to-coast bicycle ride is just one of our favorite 10 classic adventures.


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Epigenetic changes represent a fine-tuning mechanism for gene expression modulation. Epigenetic changes do not involve changes to the DNA sequence, rather chemical modifications of DNA, folding, and complex formation that render genes transcriptionally active or inactive. The existence of epigenetic controls suggests an avenue for therapeutic interventions in various disease states as well as serving as biomarkers. We have applied technology landscaping to better understand the connections between epigenetics and molecular entities.
To construct the technology landscape, we conducted a broad search in PubMed using the following general keywords: epigenetic, epigenesis, epigenomic, and epigenome. In total, we identified and retrieved 28,574 records from PubMed. The database we constructed using these records means that all conclusions drawn from the analysis incorporate an "epigenetics perspective."
Figure 1 presents the growth rate for epigenetic publications. The shape of the curve indicates an area that is exploding onto the scene. With such a rapid growth rate, it may soon be too late for those who have not yet established a presence in the space to enter without considerable effort or an acquisition.
In order to better understand the connections between epigenetic regulatory components, cytoplasmic control system elements, selected biomarkers, oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, and disease states, we first divided the database into 537 segments using descriptive keywords. Keywords were chosen using text-clustering results and the scientific literature. A Table lists the keywords chosen for this study.
After completing the segmentation process, we constructed a hotspot map, an excerpted segment of which is presented in Figure 2. This interesting map illustrates several points:
In addition, Figure 3A shows that certain analytical techniques such as FRET, pyro-sequencing, and Sanger sequencing are growing rapidly. Figure 3B shows most cancer segments are growing at nearly the same rate as the epigenetics database. However, the endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) segment is growing faster than might be expected. Figure 3B hints that research focus on other diseases such as hypertension, neurological diseases, obesity, and prognostic or predictive biomarkers may be accelerating.
We believe that our epigenetics hotspot analysis is the first to use en bloc technology landscaping methods to understand connections between cancer, putative biomarkers, and epigenetics and can be used to identify niches of opportunity for product vendors and diagnostics/therapeutics developers.
Gary Oosta, Ph.D., is strategic technology assessment analyst and blogger (www.EmergingTechInsights.com) and Enal Razvi, Ph.D. ([email protected]), is biotechnology analyst, Select Biosciences.
Gary Oosta, Ph.D., is strategic technology assessment analyst and blogger (www.EmergingTechInsights.com) and Enal Razvi, Ph.D. ([email protected]), is biotechnology analyst, Select Biosciences.
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While Zika continues to garner a lot of news coverage, a Mayo Clinic survey reveals that Americans believe the country's most significant healthcare challenge is cancer. Compared to other diseases, does the possibility of developing cancer worry you the most?
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Intel and Microsoft are two of the largest and most dominant companies in the technology industry. Both of the companies have also been accused of antitrust violations over the years and have at times been found guilty of the accusations.
Intel has been battling EU regulators over antitrust allegations claiming it abused it dominant market position to prevent its main rival, AMD, from gaining traction in the marketplace. The allegations claim that Intel was illegally paying computer makers to postpone or cancel the launch of products using AMD processors according to insiders close to the case.
Reuters reports that EU regulators are set to decide on Wednesday to fine Intel and order it to change its business practices. One EU executive claimed that Intel has practiced "naked restrictions" to competition in the market.
There is no indication at this time on how large the fine assessed against Intel might be; the largest fine ever assessed by the commission for abuse of a dominant position in the marketplace was the $655 million fine levied against Microsoft in March of 2004.
According to sources cited by Reuters, the EU commission is expected to rule that Intel committed two violations. One of the violations alleges that Intel paid computer makers to delay or outright scrap products using AMD processors. Intel is also said to offer other inducements to computer makers to get them to sell Intel only machines.
Intel allegedly set the percentages of its chips that PC makers had to use. NEC was told that 20% of its notebooks could use AMD CPUs according to sources. The source claimed that all Lenovo notebooks had to use Intel chips and many Dell products had to as well. HP is claimed to have been required to offer 95% of its notebooks with Intel processors. Intel had no comment on the claims and still maintains it did nothing wrong.
quote: If the EU was concerned about fair competition then it would force Intel to pay money to competitors as reparation for past behavior. In reality, EU is collecting money for itself and AMD will not see a penny of it. Complete BS is what this is, just as the Microsoft payouts have been.


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The CIE certification will demonstrate that you can do the following:
Your clients want to be confident that they are hiring a trustworthy and competent consultant. One of the best ways to demonstrate your competency is to obtain a third-party accredited certification, such as the Certified Indoor Environmentalist (CIE). The CIE certification is sponsored by the American Council for Accredited Certification (ACAC).
The CIE Prep Course will prepare you to pass the CIE examination. The examination is offered at computerized testing centers throughout the US and beyond. Certain experience requirements and fees apply to students obtaining certification; however, no experience is required to participate in the CIE Prep course.
Upon registering, you're given six months to complete this program.
here for more information on financial assistance.


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Their names might not have been called during the three-day spectacle that is the NFL Draft in New York City, but their opportunity to play at the next level came in a different form – free agent contract.
For the second-straight year after the final pick of the NFL Draft was called out, but after everything was said and done four former Red Raiders found homes with NFL teams.
Deveric Gallington, Cody Davis, LaAdrian Waddle and Seth Doege all signed undrafted free agent contracts with NFL teams on Saturday evening.
Deveric Gallington – OL(Oakland Raiders)
Offensive lineman Gallington, who was signed by the Oakland Raiders, finished his Red Raider career playing 47 games, starting every game the last three years.
The North Richland Hills, Texas native finished his career making 38 consecutive starts. Gallington was a part of an offensive line that really opened up the lanes for the running backs that totaled 1,674 yards during the regular season, marking the most since Tech running backs rushed for 2,219 yards in 1998.
LaAdrian Waddle – OL (Detroit Lions)
Another offensive lineman joining Gallington was teammate Waddle.
Waddle was one of the Tech players that were expecting to possibly be drafted in the late rounds of the draft after working out for multiple teams this past week.
But Waddle, like all of his teammates, went undrafted.
Following the draft, Waddle did find a team to play for – the Detroit Lions.
Waddle entered the draft coming off a stellar senior campaign where the Columbus, Texas native was named to multiple first-team groups.
Waddle was named to the Dallas Morning News All-Big 12 firs team, AP All-Big 12 first team and All-Big 12 first team, just to name a few.
Waddle made 40 starts in his Red Raider career, ending his career starting 38 consecutive, just like Gallington.
Cody Davis – S (St. Louis Rams)
Davis was a player the Red Raider defense could always depend on in his four-year career in the red and black.
Davis played 49 games with 362 tackles, which ranks eighth in the Tech record books, 282 of those solo and 80 assisted in his Red Raider career.
The Stephenville, Texas native also registered 16 tackles for loss and grabbed four interceptions, three in his senior season including an 88-yard return for a touchdown against Texas State.
In his senior campaign, Davis' 84 solo tackles ranked four in the NCAA and second in the Big 12 Conference.
Davis was named an honorable mention for the All-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, All-Big 12 second team and a National Football Foundation National Scholar-Athlete.
Seth Doege – QB (Atlanta Falcons)
For five years, Seth Doege didn't take a snap in a football game.
But for the last two years, the Wolfforth, Texas native has been under center for the Red Raiders leading a high-flying offensive unit.
Not Doege gets to trade in the red and black of the Red Raiders for the red and black of the Atlanta Falcons after signing an undrafted free agent contract on Saturday.
Doege finished his Tech career playing 31 games going 819-for-1,187 for 8,646 yards and 69 touchdowns.
In Red Raider history, Doege finished third in passing yards, touchdowns, passing attempts, completions, total offense and touchdowns responsible for.
Doege's final campaign as a Red Raider finished as one of the best of his career finishing 380-for-541 for 4,215 yards (2ND in the NCAA) and 39 touchdowns (2nd in the NCAA).
Doege's accomplishments were also recognized on a national level, making his way onto multiple awards watch lists – Meieneke Car Care Bowl of Texas Most Valuable Player, East-West Shrine Game, All-Big 12 Honorable Mention and a Davey O'Brien Award Semifinalist as well.


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Some of my conservative friends are likely to find THIS a little confusing:
Whether it was the criticism he drew from Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh or his own criticism of trickle-down economics,�Pope Francis appears to be more popular on the left than the right.
A Washington Post/ABC News polll released Wednesay found plenty of love to go around for Pope Francis, who was named Time's Person� of the Year on Wednesday. Overall, he's viewed favorably by 69 percent of all American adults. The pope's infallibility also seems firmly in check among his stateside flock: 92 percent ...Read more


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A new and improved version of the original Pickmaster Plectrum, the Smooth Cut is an innovative tool that allows you to make your own plectrums from pieces of plastic, in a hole puncher style. A cost effective solution and encouraging recycling, the Pickmaster smoothly cuts through plastic with its precise cutting head without requiring too much pressure. Tear is reduced to give a smoother edge, and the built in sander can be used to smooth out any rough edges. Designed by and made for guitarists, you'll be able to enjoy an endless supply of plectrums made in a fun way. - R.K.
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Where reviews refer to foods or cosmetic products, results may vary from person to person. Customer reviews are independent and do not represent the views of The Hut Group.
(138 Reviews)
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novel and useful! My son is a guitar teacher and its amazing how well a free plectrum goes down with the kids, thereby improving their concentration levels
This was purchased as a Christmas present for a 15 year old boy, who by all accounts has been delighted and has not stopped making plectrums out of any and all available pieces of plastic! I was a little worried that, despite the packaging that it came in being suggested as several plectrums' worth, I should have provided a few sheets of plastic for him to use until one of his parents' credit cards ran out! However, I needn't have worried as he used his ingenuity to create several 'test' plectrums (no idea how well they play though). As I believe plectrums are the sort of thing you can never have too many of, this will be a present that keeps on giving! His brother was also eyeing it jealously so it will get planty of use. Thanks for a great idea!
Perfect gift. Exactly as I wanted. Delivery was very fast too. Thank you
Seriously my boyfriend did not stop playing with this all day! He was sooo happy punching plectrums out of anything and everything that he could find. I guess my only grievance is the packaging didn't punch as many plectrums as it claimed it did. Other than that I would recommend.
I purchased the Pickmaster Plectrum Puncher for my brother's 13th birthday and he absolutely loves it! He even said it was one of his best presents. He likes the fact that now he can have his own personal plectrums that none of his friends will have!
Yes, I even managed to get more than 15 picks out of the packaging it came in! The edges need filing with a piece of fine sandpaper or an emery board to finish them off properly, but so far the guitarists who come to my studio have been thrilled to bits with their "freebies". I'm sure it will be used frequently!
Bought the Pickmaster Plectrum for my 17 year old brother for Christmas, and he absolutely loved it. His face when he opened it was a picture. He's an avid guitarist and started punching out picks straight away. It did struggle a bit with some materials, but generally it's a really good gadget!
I bought this for my guitar playing husband and he is thrilled with it. He has been experimenting with items with various thickness and flexibility to make new plectrums from - I have hidden my credit cards!!!
Bought the Pickmaster Plectrum as a Christmas present, and the recipient was delighted with it. A great novelty gift.
This Pickmaster Plectrum was a hit. Two of my sons have a studio in Swindon, Bossman Studios. They do work for Union J and the like, and are pretty good. I bought Joe90 the plectrum maker then saw James, my older son's face fall as he didn't have one, so I quickly ordered another one. They loved it and are making plectrums out of everything. The other bonus is that if they use their current credit cards they are killing two birds with one stone. This is genius!
The Pickmaster Plectrum works so well, I've just run out of credit cards.
Purchased as a novelty gift for an aspiring musician and within minutes picks were fabricated with ease from anything that could be punched. Probably a bit over the top for a single player, but great for a band or music school or someone who wants to make & sell plectrums.
I bought the Pickmaster Plectrum for my husband at Christmas, and he loves it! It's very solid and easy to use. You can use almost anything to make plectrums with, I doubt my husband will ever buy them already made again!
Good reaction from recipient upon opening gift.
Bought as a present. My partner was very impressed.
Excellent product! Very good gift.
The Pickmaster Plectrum is a brilliant present for a guitarist, I'm sure they will love it.
The Pickmaster Plectrum was of good quality, I would definitely buy them again and also recommend to friends.
Very pleased with quality of product.
Very pleased with my purchase. Pleased with the quality of the item. I am sure it will be well received.
excellent - such as simple idea - I wish I had thought of it.
This is a brilliant funny gift for a guy!
As my son keeps stealing (and losing) my picks, I stumbled upon this item on iWOOT - how cool is this? I hunted around in the house and found loads of items of different guage plastic that could be used so I thought what a perfect stocking filler! It is in fact quite a substantial item and the weight gives a reassuring feel to it's robustness, I cant wait to see his face when he opens it and realises what it is. Strum on!
Fun recycling old loyalty or creditcards to make plectra for your musical friends. Some edges need trimmed and of no use with old CDs.
My husband loved it and has been trying all sorts of plastic. The item is strong and cuts well and through everything. Very happy customer.
This Pickmaster Plectrum is brilliant. My son will love this.
The Pickmaster Plectrum is a great product, thanks very much.
The Pickmaster Plectrum is a great present for the guitar player who has everything.
Good quality construction and solidly engineered feel to it. Well pleased!
This was a great idea for a novelty gift but what really surprised me was how substantial it was. It was industrial in its build quality and weight like it was meant to be used as a tool and not just used once as a fun gift for guitarists. I was really impressed - definately more of a mantlepiece conversation piece than a cracker toy
Very good item and its certaily a sturdy piece of kit - hopefully it will last the distance
This Pickmaster Plectrum is a present for my son who loves different plectrums. He will be amazed that he can make his own. I better keep my current cards hidden! After reading other reviews at how sturdy this was I got it. This is a great price and I'm sure it will get lots of use!
I was pleased when the Pickmaster Plectrum arrived as it is very heavy and all metal. There's no cheap and breakable plastic bits. My son always loses plectrums so it'll be great! The punch looks sturdy and very good quality. This is such good value for money.
This Pickmaster Plectrum is a unique gift! I recommend!
A unique and clever gift, I give this Pickmaster Plectrum five stars!
Love this Pickmaster Plectrum, I never put it down!
The Pickmaster Plectrum does what it says on the packet! It produces neat plectrums with minimum effort. They do require a little finishing off (I used the fine side of a nail file) but you could use them as they come out of the machine if you wanted to. A great way to recycle plastic and if you lose a lot of plectrums, with this you'll never have to buy another again! Just don't leave any important cards lying about when this is around - the temptation to punch it will be incredibly hard to resist.
Bought thisPickmaster Plectrum for my brother's birthday, he was delighted with it and couldn't wait to get "punching" his own plectrums. Great idea for any guitarist.
This Pickmaster Plectrum was such a good present for a student in his first year at Uni who is also a talented guitarist, playing at all manner of venues in the area. We hope it will be a useful and cheap addition to his hobby.
Absolutely fantastic! A brilliant idea and great quality - the perfect present!
Excellent present idea.
I really wish I had more old credit cards to ruin, this item is solid and great fun. I have a wall full of home made plectrum's, this item is great for everyone. Works great and very functional, it's has a great weight to it so you know it's gonna last.
An awesome gift idea or a stocking filler.
Great item, bought as a present for a family member and at a good price. A unique Christmas present!
The Pickmaster Plectrum is great fun and an awesome gadget. It makes new plectrums to match your mood and style of playing (not to mention your clothing as well!)
The Pickmaster Plectrum is a brilliant gift for any guitarist. It gives lots of fun and is practical. Would recommend this item and the seller without hesitation. My partner and my son are fighting over it!
The Pickmaster Plectrum is great, it does exactly as you expect and the picks made from old cards have a nice feel and flexibility when playing.
This Pickmaster Plectrum is a great product and it was at a great price! It easily creates new picks from old credit cards that seem to last just as good as normal shop bought ones. I just need more old credit cards now, let the saving commence!
This Pickmaster Plectrum is an excellent product if you never want to spend money on new plectrums!
Bought the Pickmaster Plectrum as a present for a 14 year old boy who loves his guitar, but is always losing plectrums. Now he is searching for suitable materials to use as plectrums and has made a variety of personalised plectrums. He's suddenly very popular at music class and has started his own business selling plectrums to other kids! A brilliant product.


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6 Things People Get Way Too Worked Up About
Everybody enjoys the guilty pleasure of going on a self-righteous rant every once in a while like an Aaron Sorkin character or something, whether it's about the way politics and the media are these days, or more everyday things like people with more than 15 items in the express lane, or terrible drivers nobody complains about.
There are certain subjects that people get waaaay too worked up about, though, where it goes beyond "Twilight sure annoys me!" to "EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN TWILIGHT NEEDS TO BE PUT IN TRAPS LIKE THE ONES IN SAW."
Did you know that 400,000 deaths in the U.S. every year are attributed to hypertension? How many do you suppose we could cut if we stopped having aneurysms about things like ...
#6. Remakes That "Raped My Childhood"
If you've spent any time on the Internet, I'm sure you're familiar with the phrase. The most popular childhood rapist cited would of course be George Lucas, who allegedly violated Star Wars fans metaphorically by creating the Star Wars prequels and revising the original trilogy with some stupid edits, a crime certainly on par with forcible sexual assault against a human being.
I probably don't need to go on about the inappropriateness of the terminology, or I should hope not, so let's just suppose they used a less charged word, like it "destroyed" their childhood, or that it "tore up the foundations of my childhood, unraveling the very fabric of it at the subatomic level, leaving in its wake a devastated waste compared to which all imagined post-apocalyptic scenarios pale." Or "This makes me very upset!" Whatever.
The point is that even if they manage to express being upset in a smarter way, why even be that upset in the first place? Suppose someone remakes A Christmas Carol where Scrooge is a cross-dressing drug dealer and the three ghosts are Aquaman, Ryan Seacrest and the robot from Lost in Space. Why not just keep reading the book and watching the numerous previous Aquaman-free versions, and ignore the new one?
It's not like they're cutting off access to the old, pure version that you like so much (with the exception of Lucas' new Star Wars rereleases, I guess, since you can't buy the original ones new now). You can just pretend the new version doesn't exist, like most Indiana Jones fans do with Crystal Skull.
DVDTalk forum
Apparently Real Genius was a sacred part of someone's childhood for some reason.
#5. Minor Factual Inaccuracies
Now, "minor" can be a subjective word, and it's pretty common for someone to defend a big error by playing it off that way, a la "Everybody keeps jumping on me for minor errors like confusing Mexico with North Korea. STOP NITPICKING!"
What I'm talking about is when someone is talking about fixing the U.S. electoral process and says that unlike fixing the Ikea bookcase next to him, it'll "take more than just an Allen wrench," and then someone else jumps in and furiously corrects him, shouting, "YOUR IGNORANCE FINALLY SHOWS THROUGH! Everyone knows the 2007 Ikea 'Expedit' bookcase could NOT be fully assembled with only an Allen wrench, requiring a Phillips screwdriver as well. This whole thing is a sham! A house of cards! HOW CAN I EVER TRUST ANYTHING YOU SAY AGAIN!" Then they refuse to listen to the political science professor discuss the electoral college because he is not an Ikea bookshelf expert.
To be totally honest, I can't remember what goddamn tools we needed to put this thing together.
To be clear, there's nothing wrong with pointing out what "peruse" and "ironic" really mean when someone's misusing them. But there's a fine line -- wait, no, not a fine line, a really wide, gaping chasm -- between pointing it out and having an apoplectic fit over it.
There's a pretty big difference between saying "'Irregardless' isn't a word" and "OH MY GOD I HATE PEOPLE WHO SAY 'IRREGARDLESS' SO MUCH I WANT TO HANG THEM BY THEIR GENITALS." You'd think it would be really easy to stay on one side of that ... line, if you can call something so fat a line.
If you want to write in to a newspaper and remind them that Richard Nixon's screw-up brother was Donald Nixon, not Ronald Nixon, that's helpful, until you suggest that their entire editorial staff should be executed by firing squad for their failure.
#4. Other People Liking Some Shitty Pop Culture Phenomenon
There are a lot of pop-culture targets out there that people love to hate for some reason, maybe because they are bad. Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, Twilight, Nickelback, Katy Perry, various Kardashians and Warren G. Harding, to name a few.
Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
I'm not saying we should all be nice and not judge people's tastes and acknowledge that everybody likes different things and you're OK and I'm OK and all that. If people like something terrible, by all means feel free to call them on it, think slightly less of them and make a mental note not to ask them for recommendations in that area. If someone praises Smash for its dialogue and characters, for example, I will stop asking them what TV shows are good to watch.
For those of you who didn't catch the show, here is a sampling of the dialogue.
I can see being disappointed in someone you thought had good taste when they confess how addicted they are to Jersey Shore or something, but there's a certain type of personality that makes a crusade out of it, like instead of just arguing with the Twilight fans in their life, they look for the nearest public megaphone (the Internet, usually) to try to reach as many people as possible with the vital message that Twilight is dumb and we need to fight back against the people who like it.
It's bad enough when they take it to a place where Twilight fans congregate, which is kind of like a Cowboys fan going into a Philadelphia sports bar to stir up shit -- it's just gratuitously antagonistic. But at least it makes sense, I guess, as opposed to when they take it to a place where nobody cares about Twilight either way, like the CNN comment section or something, which is more like a Cowboys fan going to an international figure skating event to stir up shit.
Everyone is just going to be confused and not know what he is talking about, and he is going to rationalize to himself that people are throwing their tiny flags at him because they disagree with his brave opinion and not because he is ranting about things they don't care about and appears to be some kind of crazy homeless person shouting things.
Now, there's a couple of legitimate reasons to be at least mildly annoyed at bad media, like if a bad song gets stuck in your head, or if you didn't realize how bad a movie was going to be and it wasted your time, but if your time is so valuable that two wasted hours is a big to-do for you, it's probably too valuable to waste 30 additional hours attacking the thing.