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Travel

Navigon iPhone GPS App Review

February 3, 2012

People living in Silicon Valley are spoiled. With 3G data speeds, I’ve been able to rely on Google Maps for most trips outside the daily commute. However, as the Arizona trip approached, I knew that one lousy data connection and I was going to be lost. With that in mind, I purchased the Navigon GPS app for the iPhone.

Fortunately, I did not wait until the last minute because downloading the app and its associated maps took a long, long time. Besides the map, there is an additional 194.8 MB of required files. I pretty much had to leave the iPhone alone and let it pull down maps overnight for all the states I was going to be traveling in–California, Nevada and Arizona. If you discover that you were missing maps, like I did, then pray that the hotel you are staying in offers a fast Wi-Fi connection. The Courtyard Page at Lake Powell really saved me when I discovered the night before I was heading out that I was missing the Utah map.

For the most part, the Navigon app is somewhat straightforward. However, if you are accustomed to entering free-form addresses into Google, then Navigon’s approach of requiring the user to select a state, then a city, then a destination may feel archaic. I experienced a slight learning curve in terms of getting acclimated to the voice directions. Took a couple tries at first to get on the highway, but once I achieved that milestone, I didn’t experience any further problems. The issue was that I was not used to thinking in terms of feet, so I had some difficulty at first in gauging how far away the next turn was coming.

At the Grand Canyon, the Navigon app was indispensable. Since the Grand Canyon Village does not have a traditional urban grid layout, figuring out which direction I was heading was not obvious, especially at night. The Navigon app took me from the highway to the hotel entrance without problems. The only hiccup I encountered was when heading out along the Desert View Drive. I always ended up at the Grand Canyon Visitor Center without the Navigon app telling me to turn right before the parking lot.

Two other problems I encountered were entering GPS coordinates for The View Hotel in Monument Valley and finding a place to eat in Page, Arizona. To learn how to enter GPS coordinates, I had to depend on Google. Google told me that More > Coordinates would lead to the form for entering GPS coordinates. Not the Addresses or POI button, but the unintuitive More button. The POI button is for selecting a hotel or restaurant nearby or in a city. If the establishment is not in the Navigon database, you can perform a local search using Google. Using the local search option lead me to the wrong place while I was in Page, Arizona. If the Navigon app was integrated with Yelp or TripAdvisor, I would have like it even better.

As it turned out, the Navigon app was absolutely indispensable. I’m not sure that I ever saw the 3G icon show up during the trek. I was mostly on EDGE, which is not much better than no connection at all. And, of course, don’t forget to bring a phone charger.

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The View Hotel, Monument Valley, Utah

February 2, 2012

The View Hotel is located inside Monument Valley. The three floors of guest rooms are to the left. The lobby and restaurant are to the right.

The View Hotel

The View Hotel offers large, clean and comfortable rooms. The bathrooms are quite spacious as well. But, you don’t come to Monument Valley to spend all your time inside.

As I opened the sliding door and stepped out into the private patio, I am greeted with an absolutely stunning view of the mittens. A wonderful hotel in a gorgeous location.

Once the sun sets, don’t hit the sack too early or you will miss the glorious night sky filled with stars. Absolutely breathtaking.

ISO 6400, 18mm, f/5.6, 30.0 seconds

If I knew anything about night photography, I probably could have come up with a better photo. Actually, if I had brought a battery charger, I would not have been afraid to take a truly long exposure shot.

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Glen Canyon Dam

February 2, 2012

If you are visiting Page, Arizona, you must be here to see Antelope Canyon. The Horseshoe Bend would be a second choice, and Glen Canyon Dam would be the filler.

The Dam is just minutes away from Page. Just cross the bridge…

and you will find yourself at the Carl Hayden Visitor Center.

The visitor center has a few exhibits.

Like this dinosaur.

Outside, you can get an unobstructed view of the dam.

Free to visit, and much smaller than Hoover Dam. I wanted to attend a dam tour, but the last tour of the day was canceled.

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Antelope Canyon

January 24, 2012

Winter is supposed to be slow season. At the Courtyard Page at Lake Powell, that certainly seemed to be the case. We didn’t see too many other travelers and the hotel parking was pretty empty for the most part.

To get to Antelope Canyon, we signed up for a tour with Antelope Canyon Tours. Their office is located along the main street in Downtown Page, and it was packed with tourists. So much for being the slow season. From their parking lot in Page, we boarded one of many pickups that headed to Antelope Canyon within the Navajo Nation.

During the winter, the sunlight doesn’t directly strike the canyon floor. So, you will not be able to capture the beams of light photos that have made Antelope Canyon famous. Still, I considered the visit to Antelope Canyon to be one of the highlights of the trip because the spectrum of colors visible on the canyon walls from the reflected sunlight was absolutely breathtaking.

Here’s the best photo from the excursion:

ISO 800, 23mm, f/2, 1/6 second

Shot handheld from a Fuji Finepix x100, this photo captured the full range of colors visible from the floor of the slot canyon. The remaining photos were from a Nikon DSLR.

ISO 100, 29mm, f/9, 2.0 seconds

ISO 6400, 46mm, f/4.5, 1/40 second

ISO 100, 24mm, f/10, 3 seconds

Lessons Learned From Antelope Canyon

I departed from the Grand Canyon in the morning and headed to Page, Arizona. Since the turnoff for the Horseshoe Bend appeared before I entered Page, I stopped there first. I had no idea how large Page was, and did not want to back track unnecessarily.

As it turns out, Page is a really small town. I should have saved the Horseshoe Bend excursion for later and proceeded directly to the Lower Antelope Canyon. Instead, the extended hike at the Horseshoe Bend took me outside the limited winter hours at Lower Antelope Canyon and I missed that opportunity!

The entire purpose of visiting the Lower Antelope Canyon was to get some practice time before the camera. With that chance gone, the Upper Antelope Canyon tour became a one-shot deal the next morning.

The biggest problem I had was focusing the camera at a dark canyon wall. In some locations, the camera had difficultly auto-focusing because of the lack of contrast. The tripod was also cumbersome, but essential. With slow shutter speeds, even at ISO 800+, I don’t think I could have shot handheld without encountering problems with camera shake. Framing and focusing is so much slower with a camera mounted on a tripod. I really could have used some practice on refining my work flow. Our tour guide was fairly tolerant, but he definitely wanted to keep the tour group together.

ISO 100, 26mm, f/9, 2.5 seconds

ISO 100, 18mm, f/9, 20.0 seconds

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Horseshoe Bend, Page, Arizona

January 8, 2012

The Horseshoe Bend is located just outside Page, Arizona.

As I approached Page (from the south), I saw a sign for the Horseshoe Bend, made a left turn into the parking lot, and started on the trek. Reaching the Horseshoe Bend requires a short march up a hill and then a downward hike to the Horseshoe Bend.

From the descent, the Horseshoe Bend looks like a hole in the ground. The soil is very fine and soft, much like beach sand. So, take that into account.

Here is the view from the Horseshoe Bend back to the direction of the entrance. At the peak, you can see a few people as well as a gazebo. The other side of the hill is the parking lot. So, the trek back is uphill on fine sand. Definitely an easier journey on a cool winter day.

Photography Note: If I had done the research, I would have figured out what time to arrive at the Horseshoe Bend so that the Horseshoe Bend was more evenly lit instead of having to deal with the shadows from the canyon walls.

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Grand Canyon Photography

January 4, 2012

I found it difficult to capture the full beauty of the Grand Canyon. In the morning, when the sun first hits the canyon walls, the colors begin to warm up.

ISO 100, 20 mm, f/5.6, 1/60 seconds

However, as the sun rises, the sunlight totally washes out the colors of the canyons. I didn’t find any midday photos that came out well straight from the camera. Sure, I could tweak the saturation and contrast in Photoshop, but what’s the fun in that?

ISO 100, 28 mm, f/4, 1/30 seconds

Towards sunset, the sky took on a surreal palette with a purple and pink ribbon running along the horizon. This image is straight from the camera. Outside of resizing the photo, I have not touched it otherwise. The tower at Desert View is in the background.

ISO 100, 32 mm, f/8, 20 seconds

30 minutes later, the pink ribbon had vanished from the horizon and it was definitely dark. The purple canyon walls evoke a calmer and cooler mood than the more typical red rocks seen during the day.

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Hoover Dam Tours

January 2, 2012

Located about an hour out of Las Vegas, Hoover Dam is a natural stop when heading out to or back from the Grand Canyon.

Hoover Dam offers several different tours from admission to the visitor center to tours of the dam and powerplant.

The visitor center offers exhibits on the history of the Colorado River, the building of Hoover Dam, and how dams generate electricity.

From the visitor center, the outlook offers a view of the dam below.

Hoover Dam offers an educational experience with a mix of history, science, and geography. There’s a cafe by the parking lot that offers visitors a bite to eat before they head out for the long drive to the Grand Canyon.

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Grand Canyon Hotel and Dining

January 1, 2012

The Grand Canyon provides beautiful vistas throughout the year. If you are willing to endure some cold weather, the winter season offers an opportunity to visit explore the canyon when the crowds are few and far between. To book a Grand Canyon hotel or lodge, visit the Grand Canyon Lodges website. Depending on the time of year and the size of your party, you may have a number of lodging options from which to select.

El Tovar is the main hotel located on the south rim of the Grand Canyon.

TripAdvisor is a bit confusing because it categorizes El Tovar under hotels, Kachina Lodge under specialty lodging and Thunderbird Lodge as a bed and breakfast. In reality, the differences between these options are not significant.

From the outside, Kachina Lodge resembles a college dormitory. No charisma. No architectural details worth observing.

The Kachina Lodge rooms are slightly more attractive inside. But, when you step outside, you are greeted with a view of the Grand Canyon.

In terms of location, I would consider El Tovar, Kachina Lodge, Thunderbird Lodge and Bright Angel Lodge to be equivalent. There are no advantages to be gained, in terms of geography, to pick one over the other.

For food, the Arizona Room is well within walking distance for all four lodging options above. The food selections are somewhat limited. After one dinner in the Arizona Room, I opted for all remaining meals at the adjoining Bright Angel Restaurant, Fountain & Bar. The portion size is on the generous side, so if you are health conscious, splitting an entree with a friend would be recommended.

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Exploratorium, San Francisco, CA

August 27, 2011

On a foggy San Francisco morning, I stopped by the Palace of Fine Arts to visit the Exploratorium. While the museum is off the 101, transportation is a hassle because a stretch of 101 winds through the City of San Francisco, with all the attendant problems that crowded streets and endless blocks of traffic lights bring.

With a print-at-home coupon in hand, we walked up to the admission desk and claimed our $2 off for adults and $1 off for children discount.

The breadth of exhibits was astounding. The junior explorers had a wonderful time seeing, touching and experiencing the science in action. The museum had both simple and complex exhibits that appealed to young children, teenagers and adult alike. Allow a minimum of three hours for a cursory roam through the museum.

One of my favorite exhibits was a camera and flash rigged to a dropper and a cup of water. A rotary dial allowed the user to select how soon after the water drop the camera would take a photo. Who knew that hands-on science can be so much fun.

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Las Caletas or Las Marietas Eco Discovery

July 7, 2011

While trip planning, I could not decide between Las Caletas and Las Marietas Eco Discovery. Both sounded similar in that they were boat trips with the option to snorkel and kayak. However, these adventures were completely different.

Sea Sick. Las Marietas is located in Banderas Bay, and the journey out there can be unpleasant for those who get motion sickness and have not taken dramamine. The crew were handing out plastic bags to those who were sea sick at the tail end of the ride out to Las Marietas. In contrast, Las Caletas is a smooth, enjoyable ride along the coast of Puerto Vallarta.

Activities. If you have young children, Las Caletas is the perfect destination. Between the burro ride, ziplining, and floating on an inner tube off the beach, the little ones were absolutely delighted. Las Marietas offers kayaking and snorkeling. If you get sea sick on the way to Las Marietas, you’ll probably be spending your time on the beach.

Food. With a full kitchen, Las Caletas offered a better assortment of hot food and cool desserts. For Las Marietas, the lunch offerings are sandwiches and salads.

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