Asphalt Dreams: A Mixed Tape for Spring 2012

Posted on May 6, 2012 by Marty

Is it still called a mixed tape when it’s digital? Well, either way, I made a random mix of some old and new country, folk, blues, and rock that I’ve been enjoying recently and wanted to share. I think this mix would be a good soundtrack for driving long stretches of highway, rolling along in a train car, or shuffling through the next airport terminal. Here’s to keeping the mixed tape tradition alive with 18 tracks and a little over an hour of listening time.

Click here to download 

Track listing:

  1. Warren Zevon – I was in the House When the House Burned Down
  2. Dr. John – Getaway
  3. J.J. Cale – Right Down Here
  4. Commander Cody and His Lost Planet Airmen – My Home in My Hand
  5. Radio Moscow – Mistreating Queen
  6. Link Wray – Fire and Brimstone
  7. Hindu Love Gods – Vigilante Man
  8. Drivin’ N Cryin’ – I’m Going Straight to Hell
  9. The Gourds – Lower 48
  10. Pure Praire League – Early Morning Riser
  11. David Allan Coe – Honey Don’t
  12. Levon Helm – One More Shot
  13. Roger Alan Wade – My Baby Loves Malt Liquor
  14. David Bromberg – Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair
  15. Steve Earle & The Del McCoury Band – Leroy’s Dustbowl Blues
  16. Uncle Tupelo – Looking for a Way Out
  17. Warren Zevon – Play it All Night Long
  18. Bob Dylan – Moonshiner
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Camping at Wheeler Gorge and Hiking to Rose Valley Falls

Posted on April 23, 2012 by Marty

The original plan was to camp at the Rose Valley Campground, however once we got there Friday afternoon we found that the small drive-up campground was filled. We headed back down highway 33 to the bigger Wheeler Gorge campground and paid for a spot there. We got a fairly nice little spot there that was somewhat secluded and not too close to anyone else.

In the morning we made breakfast burritos and coffee. Damn I love a good camp breakfast.

Oh, we also made a spur of the moment rope swing.

After we ate breakfast and the morning foolishness was done we headed out for some hiking off highway 33. It was an awesome day out in the hills of the Los Padres National Forest.

We finally made our way back to Rose Valley Campground where we had tried to camp the night before. Nothing had changed with all the campsites still taken. We parked in a dirt area right outside the campground and accessed the Rose Valley Falls trailhead. The trailhead can be found towards the back of the camp. Look for the sign.

The hike to the falls is quite short, about a mile round trip, but totally worth going. It’s a nice shaded trail and very well traveled. We saw about 15-20 people on the trail while we were there.

The waterfall is quite impressive.  About 300ft of moss covered rock with water falling over it. When we arrived at the falls there was a crowd of other hikers standing around watching a group of people rappelling down the face of it.

There was also a cave where you could crawl in behind the waterfall. It’s a tight squeeze getting in the cave, and you get a little wet, but once inside the cave is big enough that you can to stand up in it.

We hung out near the waterfall for a while but finally headed back to our camp for food and drink. After sundown we made a campfire and talked and drank into the night.

It would have been nice to have camped at Rose Valley but Wheeler Gorge turned out to be alright. It’s just a bigger campground which also accommodates the RV crowd and is right next to the highway.

Map of Wheeler Gorge Campground:

Map of Rose Valley Campground (Trailhead to the falls):

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Mardi Gras in New Orleans – Part 4

Posted on March 31, 2012 by Marty

After three nights of partying in New Orleans it was finally Fat Tuesday and our last full day in the city. I woke up sleep deprived and hungry (like the last couple of days) so I left the hotel and went in search of food with my buddy Arun. We were able to grab some burritos at a Mexican joint called Felipe’s that was only a couple blocks from our hotel and the place was pretty good. After breakfast/lunch we meandered down Decatur Street near the river where we got to see the Riverboat Natchez close up.

We continued down to Frenchman Street where we were last night. The word around town was that it was a good spot to be for Fat Tuesday, and since we had enjoyed ourselves there yesterday, we figured why not. On our way there we passed by Jackson Square where people were gathered around watching some street performers.

Among the street performers there was this one blues band playing on the street who had an old school bus which the singer was using as his stage.

When we finally got down to Frenchman there was already crowds of people in the streets and mini makeshift parades starting up. A lot of people were dressed in all sorts of costumes and music was playing everywhere.

We stayed on Frenchman Street for a while, just drinking and hanging out and watching all the spectacles happen around us.

We were lucky enough to witness a delivery truck, which was trying to make it’s way through the crowds, stop, and then watched the driver jump out of the truck and start dancing to the nearest music beat. He then proceeded to get on top of the truck and dance around, putting on a show for everyone.  It was awesome.

As the evening crept up on us we decided to head over to the Tremé area where there was supposed to be an Indian parade, however we got there too late and missed it. With no other plans we decided to hit up Bourbon Street one last time and made our way down to Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop which I had visited the day before. We got a few drinks there and hung out on their patio which was surprisingly not too crowed. Eventually we all got hungry and decided to grab some pizza at Vieux Carre which was nearby; the pizza wasn’t terrible but it wasn’t amazing either. As our night winded down we figured we should stop into one last place for some drinks, but we wanted to make it a good place. We ended up at the swanky Loa Bar in the International House Hotel where there was practically no one inside. The bartender was friendly and the drinks were superb. We stayed there until closing time and then grabbed some snacks (Gator-Tators) and a case of beers on our way back to our hotel. Back at the hotel, Arun insisted on trying on ALL of the beads we had gathered throughout our stay.

When he tried to take them off he got his head stuck in the entanglement of beads and he cried for help but we all just laughed (he was alright after all). In the morning we attempted to ride the Airport Downtown Express back to the airport from the city but became stumped on where to pick it up. After about an hour of walking around with our bags in the gross Louisiana humidity we hailed a cab. We zipped along the freeway in our taxivan and I thought about how great the trip had been, but I must say, all the partying took a lot out of me and I was kind of relieved it was over.

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