sponsored by

Hosted by
eROI

Longish   Bike Week by Greg Coyle The myths and realities of the largest motorcycle rally in the nation   Road Trip the Energy Efficient Way interview by Jenn Lackey Say No to Fossil Fuels and Yes to Biodiesel   The Bad Tourist by Tom Byrnes Entropic travel with a twist   Shortish   Globe Cutter by Greg Coyle A brief account of haircuts I’ve received (survived) around the world   William Clark’s Personal Diaries from the Lewis & Clark Expedition The truth about America’s best known explorers is revealed in recently released excerpts   Anvil Employee Interviews by Sid Haddock II The inside scoop on life at Anvil from past and current employees   Lists   Least Popular North American Tourist Destinations   Most Popular Attractions in Boring, Oregon

See You Next Fall
When you stumble, it’s good to have friends to pick you up
by Kent Lewis

I’ve taken my share of spills over the years, as I’m sure we all have. Whether it was a stray shoelace, an uneven crack in the pavement or a ripple in the carpet, I’ve managed to put on a show for friends and strangers alike. None was more entertaining, however, than my collegiate experience at Bellis Fair Mall in Bellingham, Washington.

Freshman year in college, I had a bit of fetish for falling. I tripped in class, in the lunchroom and anywhere between the two. Sometimes I stumbled on purpose, but most of the time, on accident. The pinnacle of my obsession came about as homework, of sorts. Two of my close friends were taking a sociology course and were tasked with conducting an experiment to evaluate unaided response to stimulus in a public environment (or something to that effect).

My buddies and I determined the ideal research project would involve taking a spill at the area mall and record the reaction of passers by. To make things more interesting, we decided to orchestrate a "fall" in front of different types of stores to determine if shoppers behaved differently based on the stores they frequented.

After filling a brown bag with random objects that could only be found in a dorm room: tennis balls, boxes of macaroni and cheese, text books and microwave popcorn, we headed out to the mall. Armed with a tape recorder and notepad, my cohorts located themselves strategically in front of the Pet Store as I lined up for the approach.

I felt liberated as I stumbled and crashed to the ground, tossing the grocery bag of treasures in the process. Tennis balls rolled down the tiled floors, boxes of macaroni slide noisily and heads turned. One man nearby was caught on tape whispering loudly to his son, "Have a nice trip, see you next fall!" A majority of pedestrians were more helpful, however, and by the time I got up, my bag was repacked by total strangers.

The second fall was set for the entrance to Nordstrom’s. This time, I walked alongside one of my friends, who purposely acted as if I was a miscreant when I asked him for help after falling. He just scoffed, and kept walking. People that picked up spilled items went as far as to comment that I should choose my friends more carefully. Indeed. My buddies wrote up their findings and got an A on the project.

For those of us that prefer interacting with total strangers outside of malls, I recommend Daytona Beach, Florida. Beyond the various entertainment complexes and sunny beaches, Daytona is known for annual events. Louder than the famous auto race and more dangerous than spring break festivities, is Bike Week. Greg Coyle gives us a first hand account of the nation’s largest motorcycle convention.

There are environmentally-conscious alternatives to traveling via ear-splitting choppers or gas guzzling SUVs. On the other hand, sometimes you can't be too picky, especially when you're broke and globe trotting. Tom Byrnes recants tless of hitchhiking across Europe on pocket change and a student ID. In a related article, Greg Coyle shares accounts of haircuts he's received from around the world. Who knew Supercuts had such a strong global presence?

Bringing the focus back to our fine nation, it’s important not to forget the most prolific explorer duo of our time: Lewis & Clark. While much of their journey has been retold through their own journals and thoroughly researched biographies, new information has recently surfaced that may shed light into the true relationship between the seemingly inseparable twosome.

On the lighter side, we’ve located interviews from Anvil employees that offer insightful perspective on the nearly seven-year-old publication. The details relating to the Las Vegas trip are particularly interesting and relevant to this issue.

Lastly, we’ve got a few lists for you. If you’re thinking of traveling any time soon, you may want to check out our Least Popular Tourist Destinations and Most Popular Attractions in Boring, Oregon, before booking. You won’t regret it, unless, of course, you go.