What is this Disc Golf you speak of?

My disc and shirt match!

How does one go about explaining disc golf? Well, it is like golf except it lacks the etiquette and “prestige” of regular golf. But do not become alarmed, as these characteristics have been replaced by more pleasurable characteristics. For one, rather than feeling constantly on edge of breaking some rule the disc golfer will find himself sharing pleasant conversations with other disc golfers whom he has never met. These conversations range from “how you shooting?” to “what’s your dog’s name?” (yes you can bring dogs) to even the occasional “Want a beer?”

bunch of dudes playing some disc golf.

It is impossible to explain disc golf without comparing it to golf. There similarities are as a like as there differences are different. For one, both games use the “par” system where a player is trying to get it into a hole within a certain amount of shots. But with disc golf a disc is used while with golf a ball is used. In Golf the players attempt to get the ball in a hole in the ground while in disc golf the player attempts to get the disc into a chained basket that is above ground. In Golf, silence is more important than breathing. In Disc golf massive amounts of silence would just make for unnecessary awkward silence.

There is a constant tension and frustration I feel when I play golf. There is a constant relaxation and an “oh well” type of attitude when I play disc golf. For me, golf is perpetually painful. Even, when I make a great shot I am still stuck with the ever present anxiety of “I still have another shot” yet with disc golf there is the ever present excitement of “Can I do something awesome with this shot?”

Me next to the basket that you have to make the disc in.

When I make a lousy shot in disc golf I simply shrug my shoulders and move forward. When I make a lousy shot in golf I must listen to my peers explain the miniscule details which lead to the massive error in my shot.

Though both games could be simply summed up with “put that thing in there” I find one incredibly enjoyable while the other flat out painful.

We all define “making it” in life in a different way. The day I hold my first “business meeting” on the disc golf course I will “have made it”…

Let me sum it up with this simple analogy. If Golf were a woman I would go against all the lessons I have learned in my life. I would go ahead with my impulse and kick it really hard in the shin! If Disc Golf were a woman I would take it on a date and even pay for her when she ordered the expensive salmon on the menu!

The Bottle Shop- Taking Advantage of the creation of sliced bread!

Today I went to the Bottle Shop. This is a very well known sandwich joint in Ukiah, California. Let me start here with a little story. As I was ordering my sandwich a man walked in. He worked his way through identifying his own personal struggle verbally. I don’t think he was talking to anyone specifically. I think he was just putting it out there in hopes that someone in the room would hear him and get him a sandwich. This is the type of situation that can eventually become very awkward. If the man continues to verbalize his problem and no one steps up… Well, that’s up to the imagination what may happen. But before things could turn awkward one of the ladies behind the counter said “I’ll get you a sandwich”. This single act represents the character of “The Bottle Shop”. This is a great place with great employees and extremely well made sandwiches.

I got a Roast beef sandwich with Jack cheese, Lettuce, pickle and tomato on a Sourdough crunchy roll. On the side I got a bag of Jalapeno Kettle Potato Chips. The cost out the door was around $7. Bottomline: My sandwich was awesome! The ratio of the portions on the sandwich were nothing short of perfect. There was the perfect amount of lettuce, pickles, tomato, and mustard. The chips were an outstanding compliment to the meal.

The service was professional and handled with integrity. The individuals behind the counter take their time with each sandwich. While I watched them I felt like my sandwich was in good hands.

In short, The Bottle Shop is flat out really good. I have ate here many times in my past and have always had an excellent experience. There is a comfortable seating area inside and outside. It is peaceful enough to read a book but alive enough to people watch. The bottom line: Eat Here!

Mendocino: On The Coast of Somewhere Beautiful

Today I went with my buddy to the Mendocino Coast. When we entered the town we immediately decided to head toward the coast. I can’t get myself to call this coastline a “beach”. When I think of beaches I think of hot weather, families on the coast, swim gear, and beach sports. The atmosphere here is very different. There were very few people on the beach. Those that were wore sweatshirts and long pants (except for Zach and I). There were no beach sports. People don’t go to a beach like this to play around.

It is a mixture of peaceful and slightly scary. I think the fear deals with the overwhelming power that the ocean presents. The ocean constantly thrusts against the coastline and rocks with immense power. When I looked at the ocean I could see nothing living inside of it. This intensified the fear of the ocean. It is a visual statement of “all who enter no longer exist”. Though my brain knows this is not the truth my eyes and ears tell me otherwise.

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This is the type of coast that is constantly inviting one to sit upon it’s rocks and just watch. At the same time, I have moments where the immense power of the ocean brings me a desire to “flight”. As quickly as the instinctive “flight” response comes it is gone when I realize I am on land.

In the background you can see the town of  Mendocino

I enjoyed walking along the coast and just trying to feel the power of the world that was in front of me. There is something special about this place that my words are unable to express. It reminds me of a line by Kenny Chesney when he says “on the coast of somewhere beautiful”. This is what this place feels like… I’m not exactly sure where I am but I know I’m “on the coast of somewhere beautiful”.

Montgomery Woods: Lord of The Rings?

Today my friend Zach and I went to Montgomery Woods. I recently got a new camera and wanted to head somewhere that could capture some good pictures. Using Orr Springs road we came from Ukiah. As we exited Ukiah and slowly entered the mountains there was that feeling of “I’m not in Ukiah anymore…”

After being there I cannot imagine any location more suited for great pictures.

The trees in this location are massive. In some ways I felt like I was at “The Land of the Dinosaurs”. While I was walking I was floored by the massive size of a bed of Clovers… Never in my life have I ever been “floored” by clovers. But these bad boys were huge. In fact, if it weren’t for my background in martial arts I would have feared for my own safety…

As we walked through Montgomery woods Zach and I were constantly saying “woah!” “look at that” and “woah”. One of the most exhilarating things to do was to just look up. The trees are so tall that in many cases they nearly block out the entire sun. Some light shines thru.

The environment felt like I was inside a Lord of The Rings movie. Eventually we left the woods with no sightings of hobbits… Though the next time I’m there I expect to see two (not one!) hobbits!

The Country, Pizza, Videogames, and My Hometown

Tonight I went to my good friend Zach's house. Zach lives near Potter Valley. The interesting thing about Zach's location is that his house is the only one up his road. Therefore he is truly in an isolated countryside. From his house, I can see all around Redwood Valley but I see no houses. It is peaceful and at times slightly eerie being out in the country where no one can hear you, see you, or accidentally stumble into you.

This is a massive tree right next to Zach's house. Look at the car by it.

Allow me to get slightly off topic. This is a travel blog. I write about my experience that relate to travelling. In my eyes this incorporates a wide body of experiences. It could be a fair question to ask: How does this relate to travelling if this is your hometown? Simply put, I don't have to travel 3000 miles to be "travelling" and "exploring". There is beauty and awe to be seeing from the second I open the door of my home in Redwood Valley. I grew up in an area that goes beyond the imagination of many people. Therefore I would argue that my hometown has just as much a right to be part of my travel blog as any other location.

A view from Zach's Porch

One of the really cool things to do in the country is to go outside and look up at the stars. In cities the lights make it difficult to see the stars in the sky. Out in the country the only light is from the moon and stars. It is quite humbling to stare at the stars. I often become baffled when I try to gain an understanding of the actual size of the universe.

We had pizza from a local take and bake place. The pizza was excellent. All of the ingredients were fresh. This is the type of pizza where every ingredient counts because it is so fresh that every ingredient adds it's own life to the pizza.

We then played Madden. It came down to a final drive where I was up 28 to 21. Zach made it all the way to the goal line. It was 4th and goal on the 5 yard line with about 15 seconds left. I then stopped him.

When I was younger I thought I would eventually grow out of videogames because when I looked at my parents and all their friends none of them played videogames. Now, that I am an adult I have realized two things: First, I am the the first generation of adults that grew up with videogames and Second, I think I will be playing videogames until the day I die :)

The Final Stats from our Madden Game