– Carl Bidleman

“I would like to thank all the little people…”

As a couple of TV guys, Doug and I are used to used to working in a business that’s fond of handing out awards. But even as jaded as I’ve become over the years about the self-congratulatory behavior of all media businesses, I was very excited and honored when I won my first Emmy over twenty years ago. And now I must admit to having some of those same feelings when we got word that OpenRoad.TV was selected as an Official Honoree in the Travel category of the 2008 Webby Awards.

We’re proud to be in very good company. Fellow honorees include NYTimes.com/Travel, Trip Advisor, Virgin America, Yahoo Travel, Lonely Planet, TravBuddy, boo.com, germanwings.com, Hostelworld.com, Hungry Suitcase, We Know You, Wild Therapy and Yapta.

We’ve been telling stories on television and in print for many years but we’re quite new to this web business. In fact, OpenRoad.TV hasn’t even been online a full year yet. So it’s nice to learn that others in the business don’t find us completely out of place and without merit. We’re grateful for the vote of confidence. And we’re especially grateful to our many friends and advisers who have generously supported and educated us in this venture. I’d also like to thank my agent and… I think I hear the music playing me off…………….

– Carl Bidleman

Photo by Rick Audet

I’m surprised how often I need to be reminded to get out of my car and walk. Every time I do it’s a revelation. The world passes by much more slowly and you can actually SEE it when you walk. What a concept! San Francisco is an especially interesting city to see on foot. The architecture, landscaping and people are so varied and fascinating. And there’s so much more to see when you look UP. Bay windows, second floor temples, rooftop gardens…things you’ll never see through your car window. What reminded me of the benefits of seeing the world on foot is a video we posted this morning about three guided walking tours of San Francisco. Greg Pabst, a University of San Francisco professor and tour guide, tells Doug about San Francisco City Guides’ tours of downtown, the Golden Gate Bridge and Chinatown. Take a few minutes to watch the 3 San Francisco Guided Walking Tours video then make time to walk them yourself.

– Carl Bidleman

Growing up in Detroit, mountains were not part of my everyday experience. Glaciers left southeast Michigan flat as Kansas and the western landscapes on television and in the movies fascinated me. So imagine my delight when I moved to Marin county in 1991 and discovered that I had acquired my own local mountain. Mt. Tamalpais rarely has the snow I captured in this photo but always has the landscapes, wildlife and reservoirs to provide a wonderful natural escape that begins just down the street. Our latest post includes a very nice Mt. Tamalpais video.  It’s called Mt. Tamalpais’ Land of Lakes and gives you a good look.

– Carl Bidleman

Our friends at Yosemite Blog posted this news item today:

Yosemite Campground Reservations Available Starting March 15th

Been thinking about going camping in Yosemite this summer? Recreation.gov, the national park services reservation site, will begin taking reservations for guests who want to be sure they’ll have a spot when they arrive at their campground this month.

Starting March 15th at 7 a.m. you’ll be able to start reserving sites for the July 15th – August 14th summer camping season. Campgrounds available for reservations will be: Bridalveil Creek Group and Horse Camp, Crane Flat, Hodgdon Meadow, Lower Pines, North Pines, Tuolumne Meadows, Upper Pines, and Wawona.

Login in early because reservations will be first come – first served.

For more information check out recreation.gov or the yosemite campground information page for a list of campgrounds and dates..

– Carl Bidleman

OpenRoad.TV Community member Betsy Husband submitted another fine entry. This one is called Beyond the Strip and describes a trip to Red Rock Canyon just outside Las Vegas. Thanks, Betsy.

Photo: Betsy Husband 

– Carl Bidleman

There’s a fine post in the forum that, if you love the Sierra, you should check out. RiversideRich has uploaded 8 photos (including Bullfrog Lake and Mt. Brewer below) along with the story of his 1968 journey hiking the John Muir Trail. Thanks for sharing Rich.

– Carl Bidleman

A big storm is hitting the west coast promising gale force winds. For me it looks like a good weekend to hunker down, stay dry, edit a Life Outside the Box episode with Scott Beale for Monday, and imagine some future travels. But for Doug, the annual Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook Off & Festival has lured him to the boardwalk in Santa Cruz to judge the culinary arts. Hang on to your bowls, Doug.

Death Valley Photo: Betsy Husband

As for imagining future travels, we got a delightful new post from Betsy Husband today. She writes an evocative portrait of Death Valley.

And if you want more on Death Valley, check out the Death Valley Fun and Adventures video my neighbors Janet and Jeff Conley posted awhile back.

And finally, my wife, Karen, has been urging me to plan a winter trip to see Death Valley’s wildflowers. Anyone else have some tips they’d like to share and help me get a life outside the box?

– Carl Bidleman

If you love Yosemite and miss being there, I recommend one of my favorite blogs, Loyd Schutte’s Yosemite Blog. I take a minute to check it out every day. Today Loyd features a short compilation of quotes from Ansel Adams, including this gem:

“A good photograph is knowing where to stand.”

And speaking of Ansel, our Yosemite’s Ansel Adams video features an interview and tour of Yosemite Valley (during a beautiful snowstorm) with Ansel’s son, Michael Adams. Michael tells great stories of growing up in Yosemite and helping his dad make pictures. Plus you can see Doug looking like a member of the Continental Congress wearing what looks like a powdered wig.

– Carl Bidleman

Keep watching this space for the soon-to-be-launched Life Outside the Box video series where we’ll introduce you to citizens of the blogging world and find out where they like to go and what they like to do when they manage to get offline.

— Carl Bidleman

Like Doug, I’ve fallen in love with Yosemite too, which puts me in an exclusive club with only 3-4 million other people who visit every year. I recently discovered and have become very fond of Loyd Schutte’s Yosemite Blog.

I look forward to his daily posts that bring insider’s info and spectacular photos (with photographer credits which is very cool) of the Yosemite region to my inbox. For me it’s a mental journey to Yosemite that I can take when I most need it during the day. In fact, it’s inspired me to create a similar series for this blog that I’ll call 10 Second Vacation featuring stunning or intriguing photos from around the west. Thanks Loyd. And take care of Yosemite for the rest of us till we can get back there again.