Bounce Below: Underground Trampoline Park

Located in the Llechwedd caverns in Blaenau Ffestiniog, North Wales, Bounce Below is operated by adventure tourism company Zip World and offers visitors a chance to explore this huge underground hole in an exciting fashion -- with supplied safety helmets and overalls, of course.

Alternatively, it would be nice to see something like this created inside of a gutted old building rather than tearing it down.

Red Bull 400

Red Bull 400 is the steepest uphill race that takes place in Europe. It’s a tough 400-meter vertical sprint up the face of a ski-jump slope in Planica, Slovenia. 300 male and female contestants competed in this year’s 2013 event and pushed their muscles to the absolute limit, in an attempt to reach the top first.

I think I could crawl up it. In like, an hour.

Bubble Football

I so very, very much want to try this.

Molten Lave Meets Can of Coke

Photographer Bryan Lowry wondered (as so many of us do): “What would happen if a can of Coke crossed paths with molten lava?” He decided to stage an experiment on a volcano in Hawaii. One can had a small hole punctured in the top too prevent the aluminum can from exploding. The second can was left perfectly sealed. Lowry used a GoPro to capture the video and was not in any personal danger.

Really, I'm just obsessed with the beauty of lava.

Oru Kayak

Designer and founder Anton Willis grew up in rural Mendocino County, with easy access to rivers, lakes, and the ocean. In 2008, a move into a small San Francisco apartment forced his fiberglass kayak into storage. Inspired by an article on new advances in the art and science of origami, he sketched a few ideas for a folding kayak. Sketches turned into countless paper models, and over 20 full-scale prototypes. After user-testing on dozens of bays, lakes, rivers and oceans, Oru Kayaks are ready to explore the world.

This makes me wish I had good rivers near me to have a good use for this.

Perils

http://thephotosociety.org/reality-check/

For years and years, being a photographer for National Geographic was a dream. I think a big part of why I went to school for archaeology was a half-brained notion this would pan out. Seeing as how it has happened not once, but twice, that a seat belt has broken while tilted over a volcano, I am beginning to think not following that path was a wise idea.

Colorado Bend

0.9 miles from vehicle to campsite. 1.5 miles Lively Loop. 2.24 miles Lemon Ridge Pass. ~4-4.5 miles back down the road to vehicle. 6 times total between campsite to vehicle. 2 times carrying between 30-40 pounds each. Estimated 2000 calories spent just hiking in around a 4 hour span. Gave up after the original plan of 10+ miles hike after about 5.75 miles, then the trip back. 1.8 miles back and forth to the car after leaving cellphone behind and having to make sure it is answered due to being on call. Sore, tired, sunburnt, 1 fire ant bite on stomach, 1 mosquito bite on foot, another on back of left thigh. 2 fireflys, 2 shooting stars, 3 satellites.

I was asked why I like camping/hiking, at a point in time in which I felt like dying. I still think some of the answers were valid, such as seeing/doing something else than spending money I don't have at stores where I don't need things, being out in the world somewhere I haven't been, etc. The answer brought forth from Matt was that he liked that it was hard. When said, I realized I didn't know how to express it before really. I like the challenge, that I am always inadequate and I need to be stronger and harder in these types of things.

That said, we're totally going to do a wimpy camping trip next time, early registered, close to water, no further than 100 yards from a car to tent. Can drink, play guitar, be merry, not want to die.

By the way, a chiropractor appointment after a sunburn hurts really, really badly.

Memories

Road trips to nowhere, underage smoking, falling asleep on an old mattress in an over-crowded house. Eating each leg off individually after stopping at the only gas station this side of Oklahoma. Nothing beats these for automatic nostalgia for time a decade gone.

Back to Normal in less than 8 hours...

Galactic Center of Milky Way Rises over Texas Star Party from William Castleman on Vimeo.

Arrived in the Mail

Now I just need somewhere to go. :)

MMMm

Hidden things smell sweeter than expected....with a slightly more bitter aftertaste. In good ways.

Although I could say, it would be nice if smokier. Personal preference.

Dollies!

The things you find at thrift stores can be amazing sometimes. Other times, you get the most despondent, creepy baby dolls ever.

Reason's to Travel

Bruno's Art & Sculpture

Gorgeous! I'd love to visit here, unfortunately it is in Australia. Someone sponsor me....Francis?

A Bit Off Course

Scientists trekking across a little visited part of Antarctica have discovered a bizarre relic of the Soviet Union is dominating the South Pole of Inaccessibility.

Urban Decay/Abandoned Photography

Opacity features photographs from throughout the world of abandoned hospitals and buildings. The guy who takes these has an amazing style and seems to have broken into just about every old psych ward possible. check it out.

I much prefer dark quiet bars

I was conned last night into going out when I was already in a rather loose frame of mind. So I met up with Rebecca and we proceeded to go to Carson's Live, a huge monstrosity of a club, and met up with some coworkers. There are a few technicians in town for training and they evidently wanted to go out with the people who tell them what to do all day. I'm not sure if it was the shock of seeing me there or what explanation can be given, but I was assaulted with free drinks from the moment I walked in the door. Test tube shots and scotch from DeAndrea's boy, Randy was in a very happy place and felt the desire to share, and jello shots from James, on of the techs from Connecticut. Raheim picked up the chair I was on to try to carry me to the dance floor at one point, and everyone tried to dance on and around me. I don't dance. Ever. But it was good they tried.

I remember Princess on stage dancing to the crowd, Randy grinding behind Angela, being told by one who has just met me that he would like to 'break me'.

It was definitely not the night I had planned out. I am glad I went, except for the head of pain I'm trying to forget now.

Fine spring day

Nothing like the brightness of sunshine.....

Humanity

So this afternoon I drove around running errands. I stopped at one point at the Farmer's Branch cemetery I've been meaning to visit for as long time. I have no ties but have passed it frequently enough to wish to visit. Between studying archaeology for so long and my mother the genealogist I really find cemeteries peaceful. Maybe I can only really handle people once they are no longer living.

Either way, this was the most interesting headstone. Pure white marble, it has had over a century to stand. The owner was 6 year old Clara Jewel born in 1885, died in 1892. Somehow it will never cease to amaze me how people lived completely different lives so close to my own and yet so long ago. That someone had planted tiger lilies around the grave to live with her remembrance is beyond stunning.

It was also nice to have camera in hand again. It has been too long and I have complained too often to hold out any longer.

This Reminds Me

Hey, Ja', when are you coming to visit again?

Tax Dollars at Work

The Interstate /System if the US was a big box.

If you've ever driven through Utah the you only wish it was really like this. Click picture for full view.