Charles Lindbergh on Maui

I will always choose the Hawaiian islands over the Caribbean. Maybe it's the volcanoes that continue to evolve them, that leave behind such dramatic landscapes. The great distance between the islands and any other land mass helps as well. It is truly a place to go to escape, to relax. The great aviator Charles Lindbergh would agree.

The man who completed the first solo Transatlantic flight in 1927, whose son's kidnapping was sensationalized as the first "Crime of the Century," whose fame placed the world in the palm of his hand, chose the island of Maui to spend his final years. After being diagnosed with lymphoma in 1972, Lindbergh would travel to New York for radiation and chemotherapy. When treatments were no longer effective, he went against his doctors' orders and traveled back to Maui for the last time. His death in 1974 was followed by small, nearly unnoticed funeral procession to the Palapala Ho'omau Church, where his body remains today.

Lindbergh's grave site lies along the Road to Hana, Maui's most scenic drive (and a major tourist draw). Heading east from the airport in Kahului, the road starts out easy, but quickly turns into over 50 miles of steep, narrow, winding pavement with scores of one-land bridges and blind curves. There is no shame in going only 15 mph for this drive. This trip definitely takes all day, and it's best to start out early, as that helps avoid most of the tourist crowds.

There are plenty of places to stop along the road, and they're all beautiful. There are several waterfalls,

black sand beaches,

red sand beaches,

and unbeatable scenic overlooks around every corner.

The traditional "destination" of the Road to Hana is a bit past the city of Hana itself, at O'heo Gulch, part of Haleakala National Park (http://www.nps.gov/hale/) in Kipahulu. Clever marketing by a local hotel proprietor branded this spot the Seven Sacred Pools (there are several pools, but there are not seven, and none of them sacred), and tourists have been flocking ever since. From here, most people backtrack the way they came, while a few others brave the five-mile section of unpaved road and complete the full circle.

One mile west of the Seven Sacred Pools lies the cemetery where Charles Lindbergh is buried. Invisible from the main road, the small churchyard sits quite idyllic on a cliff overlooking the ocean. Taking in the surroundings, I juxtapose the great life he led in the public eye, with how secluded his final resting place is. But one look around makes it clear why he choose this spot. Maui is truly a tropical paradise.

There's one additional anecdote that made this drive truly amazing. Upon returning to Kahului that night, starving and exhausted from the day's trek, the local chain Zippy's was calling my name for exploration. (Also, it was the only thing open that wasn't a national brand). It is a strange combination of diner and fast food, also serving local specialties, Asian dishes, and perfect onion rings. This is the first time in a long time that the onion stayed firmly inside the crispy fried shell after each and every bite. Unlike most incarnations where the onion all falls out and the fried portion remains in your hand, keeping the two parts together is the best way to enjoy this splendid creation. The only thing I forgot to ask for was a side of Ranch dressing.

Air Force Museum

In addition to exploring cities I've never been before, part of me also enjoys returning to places I haven't visited since childhood, places that always filled me with such joy and fascination, places that inspired me in ways I haven't felt in a good many years. One of those such places is the Air Force Museum near Dayton, Ohio (http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/).

Currently renamed to the National Museum of the US Air Force, visits were always turned into a big deal with my family. It was only two hours away from home, but we would always head that direction the night before, to stay at the Holiday Inn Holidome in Springfield, Ohio, to play in the indoor pool and playground. That way, we'd be fresh in the morning to get to the museum just as it opened.

Having tripled their interior exhibition space since my first visit in the mid 1980s, the museum currently displays over 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on over 17 acres, and is the largest museum of its kind in the world. It is located at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, with some of the display hangers inside the base's secure areas. Admission is completely free, and the museum is staffed by volunteers, most of which served in the Air Force and even flew some of the planes on display.

The collection spans the history of flight, from a replica of a Wright Brothers' wind tunnel flier to spy planes and satellites that have just been declassified. All my favorites as a child are still there as I'd hoped: the "Shark Plane,"

my first exposure to a written curse word,

the SR-71 Blackbird,

and the B-36J, a six-propeller and four-turbojet engine plane so large it just barely fit inside the original museum hanger, the building was built around it.

The collection also includes some very famous pieces of history, like the B-29 "Bockscar," the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki,

and the B-2 Stealth Bomber.

In addition, the museum displays several Presidential planes, "Air Force One," after each was retired and replaced. Most notable among these is the newest acquisition, the plane that carried Kennedy's body back from Dallas, on which LBJ was sworn in.

Slowly walking through these hangers, I felt just as I did as a child. The excitement surrounding all these different planes, the irrational fear that the landing gear would give out and I'd be crushed if I walked underneath one. The exhibits have changed and been rearranged since I was young, and the museum feels much less cramped due to the added space, but it still has that nostalgic sense about it. Being exposed to this many aircraft at a young age is part of why I still get excited every time I step onto a plane today.

Peachtree Center, Atlanta

Playing things by ear is one of the best ways to "plan" any sort of weekend trip to a major metropolitan destination. When visiting a friend in Atlanta recently, we discovered a 2-for-1 deal on Early Bird admission to the High Museum of Art. As the two art museums I have grown up with (Cleveland and St. Louis) were always free, anything to reduce the insult of being asked to shell out almost $20 per person was enough of a reason to check out this one while we had the chance.

One of the temporary exhibits currently at the museum was on the architect John Portman. Having never heard of him, I was amazed by the drawings and models of his creations that were on display. Portman has roots in Atlanta, and a large concentration of his work can be found in the city, most prominently in the downtown complex of hotels and office buildings known as Peachtree Center. Inspired by the overview to his work we'd received at the exhibit, we decided to explore some of these local examples of his unique style the next day.

As it was a Sunday, all of the office buildings were closed and locked, but the hotels were open and offered a glimpse into Portman's creative mind. The iconic cylindrical tower of the Westin hotel (1976) is sadly still showing damage to its exterior glass panels from the 2008 tornado that ravaged parts of downtown Atlanta. The large tarps protecting the lobby roof from the recovery work above prevent the true enjoyment of the large atrium, and the tower's floorplan limit the panoramic views to within guest rooms, making the Westin the least impressive of the buildings we visited.



Nearby, the Hyatt Regency (1967) offers a more spectacular example of Portman's style. Clearly a product of the decade in which it was built, the lobby atrium rises the entire height of the building, flanked by walkways connecting the guest rooms, accented with a regular pattern of planters whose greenery overflows to break up the clean lines of the beige concrete that divides the open space from the walkways. The repetitive design of each floor gives the lobby a certain elegance, but it still feels dated compared to Portman's other work.

Immediately to the east, the Marriott Marquis (1985) is the most modern of these three buildings. The bulging exterior encloses a 47-story atrium, which narrows as building itself towards the higher floors. Walkways similar to the Hyatt's connect the guest rooms, but their layout varies as the shape and size of each floor, creating spectacular views when examined from above or below. In the building's central core is a set of glass express elevators, which whisk you to the top level faster than my comfort level allowed, and offer a flip-book style journey past the undulating balconies. Leaning over the walkway's edge on the uppermost level affords the greatest view in the building, though not at all for the acrophobic.

While the entire Peachtree Center complex offers an unforgettable glimpse into one man's vision for the central business district of Atlanta, any architecture enthusiast will enjoy a few hours spent exploring the public spaces inside these hotels. Conveniently located just blocks from all the major downtown attractions (Georgia Aquarium, World of Coke, CNN), touring these masterpieces or even spending the night in one requires very minimal effort. Wandering through hotels was something I never expected I would do while visiting Atlanta, but it turned out to be an unforgettable experience that I'm surprised I'd never stumbled upon in previous visits.

Statement of Purpose

I love to travel, plain and simple. I always enjoy going new places, seeing new things, having new experiences, meeting new people. Whether it's a weekend trip across the state, or a three month trip around the world, I will not pass up the chance to get on a plane and explore the planet.

But I am also a slave to my own existence. I cannot hide from the conclusion others jump to when they hear I have a Ph.D. in physics: NERD. But at least it is not a debilitating affliction. Nor is my enthusiasm for knowledge limited to just science. Interests in architecture, history, engineering, music, art, and more all come together to guide me through life and shape who I am as a person.

This combination of nerdy travel has led me to seek out spots not always on the main tourist routes. I've found myself tracking down the Patent Office where Einstein used to work, the feeling of giddiness from floating so effortlessly in the Dead Sea, and becoming so engrossed by the Science Museum in Tokyo even though I can't read any of the explanations in Japanese. But at the same time I still find the beauty and enjoyment of spending a day on a train through the snowy Swiss Alps, climbing South Africa's Table Mountain, or just laying on a beach in Rio de Janeiro.

And so, I have decided to share my adventures. This blog will contain tales of my current travels, as well as interesting and entertaining stories from past trips. There will be science and history, but there will also be humor, numerous cases of referring to citied by their three-letter airport codes, and of course there will be photographs. And if I do it right, it will inspire the reader to undertake their own travels such as my own, to see what an amazing world we live in, and how different and yet how similar each part of it can be.