Part Time Vagabond

Google Maps adds Bike Directions!

// March 10th, 2010 // No Comments » // News

If you hadn’t already heard, Google announced that they will be offering bike directions on their Maps application. This is great news for all cyclists, as now you can plot routes and save your maps. It’s also great news for bike commuters looking for better ways to get to and from work. Some of the best news is you’ll get to see bike trails and bike lanes right on the maps. Doing a search for bike directions here in Portland, Maine, I notice that not all bike lanes are on the map yet, but as this service is developed I’m sure we’ll see more.

Good for Google for taking the initiative to promote alternative modes of transportation! (Unfortunately, the maps can’t be embedded so I’ll just provide a link.)

Stone Skips Across The Pond – Stone Brewing Co.

// March 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // BREWS, VIDEO

This is fantastic! If you love craft beer, or if you just want to watch a fun, well-produced video about a brewer going to Europe to collaborate on a new beer, then watch this video from Stone Brewing Co. Co-owners Greg Koch and Steve Wagner, along with Head Brewer Mitch Steele went first to Norway, and then to Scotland to pair up with Nøgne Ø and BrewDog, respectively, all to create some great specialty beers. Take a look at the 27 minute video below to see the entire trip. You’ll love it.

VIDEO: The Path Less Pedaled Interviews – on learning to slow down

// March 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Our daily lives can be quite hectic without us even realizing it. Even if you take a vacation, you try to pack as many sights into a short period of time as you can because you see the end before the trip even begins. But when you have no firm end date in sight, when you don’t have to cram lots of things into a limited to-do list, it comes time for you to learn how to slow down.

In part 3 of my interviews with Laura and Russ of The Path Less Pedaled, they discuss coming to the realization that their freedom to choose comes with a price.

FRIDAY SNAPSHOT: London, England

// March 5th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // SNAPSHOT

A few years ago, I was sent to London, England for work. My crew and I were there to video tape some very cool technology segments for a show we were working on. One day of the week we spent there, I had some time where I could go shoot what’s called b-roll: it’s the footage that covers other video that is related to what’s going on in the segment. I know, bad description, but you get the idea. This day, I decided to grab a few snapshots, and as I was getting some video, I also snapped this shot of Westminster Abbey. The architecture in England is truly stunning, and the Abbey is absolutely gorgeous. While I didn’t get to go inside, the starkness of the Abbey’s stone exterior set against the bright blue sky (one of the few sunny days we encountered there) was beautiful.

VIDEO: Compass Points TV Falls for Ricketts Glen

// March 4th, 2010 // No Comments » // VIDEO

Dave Pidgeon over at Compass Points saw that there was a need for well-produced outdoors videos on the web, so he went out and did it himself (I’m right there with him on that point…it’s why I started PTV). Enter Compass Points TV, Dave’s video version of his blog, where he does video trip reports and other videos. He’s just started his second season with a trip to Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania. He and his buddy went on a hike to see the official National Natural Area that boasts 21 waterfalls in 7 miles. That is a hike I must take someday.

Urban Mountain Biking

// March 4th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // VIDEO

My buddy Casey over at Just Northwest does a cool little video series called The Northern Rangers, where he and his buddy go out and do fun things in the outdoors. Their most recent adventure was at the I-5 Colonnade Mountain Bike park in Seattle, Washington where local volunteers helped to build a series of urban mountain bike trails right under the highway! The video’s a bit shaky, but the content is great.