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Draft — Day 2 — Open Thread
The Chicago White Sox put all their fireworks at the start of the show today — stealing first-round-talent Jared Kelley at pick 47 to an overslot bonus. Including taking 4 today, the Sox have now taken exclusively pitchers in 2020, probably setting a new MLB Draft Record in the process. Today’s picks:
The Sox lit everything off taking prep RHP Jared Kelley in the 2nd round, likely on an overslot deal closer to first round money. This whole move was likely the jewel of the entire organizational draft strategy, and it will be the main pick by which this entire draft— and by extension front office— get judged going forward. There’s no way the Sox do this without everyone agreeing to the plan. Kelley was ranked number 12 on the MLB draft board, which puts him well ahead of our nominal first round pick Garrett Crochet (ranked 18th). Crochet was a highly-questioned Day 1 choice, although he has his fans, but this pick is getting consensus praise I assume. Keith Law had Jared Kelley ranked a little lower, but still extended first round, at 31. (you don’t even want to know where Law ranked Crochet) Here’s his profile:
Jared Kelley, RHP, Refugio (Texas) HS, Age: 18 Kelley remains one of the top four high school pitchers in the class, although he lost a little ground this spring before his school’s season ended. Kelley is the prototypical Texas prep pitcher, big and hard-throwing, listed at 6-foot-3, 215 pounds, but heavier than that when he pitched this spring. He’s been up to 98 mph with a plus changeup but in the past has had trouble finding a consistent breaking ball, although he had at least one outing this spring where he flashed an average slider. His arm is very quick and his delivery works well, contributing to a history of throwing strikes. He’s going to have to work on his conditioning in pro ball and could use a better slider to profile as a mid-rotation starter. —KL (in The Athletic)
The only problem is that Kelley was likely only won to the White Sox with $$$. Specifically, so much money that we didn’t have any for the 3rd-5th rounds.
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In the 3rd round, at 83rd, the Sox went back to back for the second year in a row choosing non-college right handed pitchers—- signing Adisyn Coffey of Wabash Valley [Junior] College (IL) — probably to an underslot deal. Wasbash Valley JuCo is in Mt. Carmel, down in southern Illinois — but he was only there a semester. He also grew up in Indiana — close enough that he probably got scouted really well, but I don’t think it counts as a home town pick. He also played 1 year, his freshman year, as a redshirt at Arizona State. I use “played” lightly as he didn’t get much time. That makes him currently two-years out of prep. He doesn’t appear on Law’s top 100, and ESPN’s draft show totally skipped talking about him (this willl be a recurring theme). He isn’t even on the MLB top 500 draft board, which makes this pick very much a below slot choice to save money for Kelley in round two. Coffey, beyond the funny name, is officially being listed as maybe a funny 2 way player. Infielder and RHP— although he is being drafted primarily as a pitcher. Coffey is a converted short stop from high school originally, so he’s definitely just as big a project as a regular prep pitcher would be— if not a much bigger one. In fact, the prestigious Luisville college program was planning to put him in the outfield next year— so he might even be an OF/RHP project, who knows? More likely he was drafted only to pitch. The Sox have experimented with a number of hard-throwing converted short stops and catchers as pitchers during this rebuild, most recently calling up and sending down Jose Ruiz repeatedly (while keeping him on the 40 man roster a surprisingly long time). Legend has it that that if you don’t go check his fangraphs page right now Jose Ruiz currently is bothstillonandsomehow not on the CHW 40-man roster, like Schrodinger’s relief pitcher. The last time the Sox took a JuCo player in one of the first 3 rounds — that I can think of at least — was reigning face of the franchise Tim Anderson himself. Not too shabby. Sox on 35th was the first of the big Sox blogs to get a full write up for Coffey posted, writing:
Coffey is a 6-2, 195 lbs. converted pitcher who features a 92-95 mph fastball and also throws a slider. The Muncie, Indiana native previously committed to Arizona State University and didn’t play. He is now committed to Louisville for the upcoming season, but is almost sure to pass that up for the opportunity to play professionally in the White Sox organization.
Future Sox In their draft tracker had this to say:
Coffey is a redshirt sophomore who is a bit off the board, but perhaps will save the White Sox some bonus money to give Kelley an overslot deal. On the MLB Network draft broadcast, Jim Callis said he throws 93-96 mph with his fastball and is a good athlete. He noted he was a shortstop prospect out of high school in Indiana.
The best writeup came from a college sports blog:
Wabash Valley College two-way baseball player Adisyn Coffey signed with the University of Louisville and was expecting to make it to campus in August. But his career took a quick turn to the professional ranks on Thursday night. A draft-eligible player, Coffey was selected with the No. 82 pick of the Major League Baseball Amateur Draft by the Chicago White Sox. Coffey was expected to play outfield and also see time as a right-handed pitcher at U of L. He was listed by the White Sox as a pitcher. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Coffey is originally from Muncie, Ind., and played at Delta High School. He was considered the No. 6 player in the state of Indiana in the Class of 2017 and was a top 350-player nationally on Perfect Game [as an infielder, not pitcher —beetlejuiceme]. Coffey signed with Arizona State and played in eight games as a freshman, stealing one base and scoring one run. He saw two appearances on the mound, allowing four hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts in three innings pitched. He then went to San Jacinto College before transferring to Wabash Valley for this semester. Coffey hit .289 with two doubles and two RBIs for Wabash in eight games as a position player. He made four appearances on the mound this spring, pitching 3.1 innings and allowing three hits and three runs with five strikeouts and five walks as a pitcher.
—— Correction: Adisyn’s last name is Coffey not Coffee. His twitter is @CoffeyTime05 and he seems cool. Apologies for not getting that accurate.
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In the fourth round, the Sox selected Kade Mechals, another RHP and likely another money savings underslot. Suffice it to say he’s not on any public draft boards I can find. The Sox appear to be in full money saving mode. Mechals is a 5’10 righty at 185 LBs and he’s already 22. He started at a JuCo in Oregon, but put up the last full year at Grand Canyon University which is a Western Athletic Conference division I school. Because of his age and also confusing transfer history, I’m not sure if this counts as a “Senior Sign” or not— a phrase which, considering the NCAA gave everyone another year of eligibility to play, it’s not clear would have the same meaning this year. He put up really good numbers at GCU fwiw.
118 Ks against 42 walks over 109 innings is eye popping, as is an ERA under 2.2 and a WHIP of 1.075. His H9 is 0.83, so mistake pitches don’t seem to be a big problem for him (or the opposition he faces wasn’t good enough to take advantage). Whatever it was, he was overmatching everyone at GCU as shown by his .189 batting avg against. But he’ll still need to prove something before he is considered a legit prospect of the caliber we normally think of from the 4th round. To my unprofessional instincts he’s the most exciting of these last 3. Stiever or even righty-Bummer are both extreme upsides I see for him.
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In the fifth round the Sox again went underslot pitcher, but grabbed a lefty from Auburn University. Baily Horn is 22 and I think a Senior Sign, whatever that means in this draft. According to Sox Machine’s Josh Nelson on Twitter:
Bailey Horn was Auburn's Sunday starter. He struck out 11 in his last start against Chicago State.
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The bottom line on this draft will be the answer to this basic question: Is it better to take one early-mid round quality player at 11, and then taking 3 more players in the top 30-100 range, maybe going a bit underslot somewhere but trying to maximize the talent of this incredibly deep draft— —or is it better to get two back-of-the-top 25 first round quality players, and spend the rest on lotto tickets? If the choice were for two top-5 picks or even top-10, I think it would be obvious in this and every draft. Those players are just too close to can’t-miss and/or super star ceiling. Research shows that those early first round picks are just so much more valuable than others where outcomes are much more random. But in order to get those semi-random positive outcomes you still need to draft lots of really talented players, and punting on the 3rd-5th rounds takes 2-3 good tickets out of our hands. Both Kelley and Crochet have star potential. And I really think this might have been a great strategy. But neither is a sure thing and they cost us our other 3 picks. But I also worry that I didn’t see tons of other teams doing this today. And the perceived strength of this class — depth— we chose to turn on its head by narrowly focusing resources. ——- Edit: Sox Machine has some much better analysis of the entire draft than mine, including this info:
Of the last three pitchers taken, Horn is the only one that cracked the rankings, showing on Baseball America’s Top 500 list at No. 314, and FanGraphs’ BOARD at No. 172.
Because there are 29 teams and I can't just make it really short, I'll put it into two parts so it's not too long. I'll go in the draft order, so in part 1, the Tigers will start things and the Cubs will end it. Part 2 will start with the Red Sox and end with the Astros. As with the Orioles, I'll even post a grade more for humor purposes than anything. 1) Detroit Tigers: Going all bats was completely understandable for a team with three strong arms atop their farm system (Mize, Manning, Skubal) and their strongest positional prospect being a 19-year-old Riley Greene. Spencer Torkelson and his strong bat is the obvious prize of the draft class, but let's go over the rest of Detroit's class. The Tigers went with Ohio State catcher Dillon Dingler atop Round 2. He's always been thought of as a strong defender, but with the way his bat came around to start 2020, his draft stock soared. And I thought it was a nice value considering he easily could have fit into the first round. LSU outfielder Daniel Cabrera could have easily fit atop Round 2 or even in the competitive balance A picks, so getting him in the competitive balance B picks was excellently done. He may not do anything at a super standout level, but he does everything very well. He'll be a nice fit in the 2 hole or in the middle of a big league lineup (5 through 7). Trei Cruz was probably a money saving pick, and the Rice shortstop did hit well in his college career and on the Cape Cod League. But he may fit better at 2nd base as a professional. Torkelson's college teammate Gage Workman was a solid buy low move in Round 4. He had a strong season as a 19-year-old sophomore and then in the Cape Cod League last summer. At only age 20 now, he could bounce back. Colt Keith was a strong Round 5 pick assuming he can be bought out of his Arizona State commitment. A two-way player in high school, it sounds like the Tigers plan on developing him as a hitter with the possibility he could go back to pitching if he's unable to cut it with the bat. Grade: A+ (Great draft for Al Avila and the Tigers) 2) Miami Marlins: Doing the exact opposite of the Tigers, the Fish went with all pitchers. It started with Max Meyer, who I fully expected would be the #2 pitcher off the board after Asa Lacy. However, perhaps Lacy's price drove them to Meyer, who was reportedly willing to accept a slightly under slot deal. Some of the MLB Network guys think his smaller frame could force a move to the bullpen, but I don't think so. Smaller pitchers have held up just fine as starters before. After Mad Max, the Marlins went with Oklahoma high school lefty Dax Fulton, Ball State righty Kyle Nicolas, Coastal Carolina righty Zach McCambley, Vandy lefty Jake Eder and finally USC righty Kyle Hurt. Fulton underwent Tommy John surgery in September, but we've seen that's not the big deal it once was. I think he'll be fine. IDK how projectable he is when he's already 6'6" and 225 pounds, but you could also argue he doesn't need much more of it at that size. He's already got a plus fastball/curveball combination with a developing change. Nicolas has a great fastball that can reach triple digits, a strong slider when it's on and a good enough curve. He doesn't have a long track record of consistently throwing strikes, which he'll need to do in order to be a starter in pro ball. McCambley has thrown strikes more often and showed better in the Cape Cod League than Nicolas last summer, but he only has two reliable pitches (fastball/curve) at the moment. If he can't develop a third, the bullpen may be his destination as well. Eder has enough pitches to start, but he'll need to become more consistent with his command/control. Otherwise, he, too, will likely be a bullpen guy. Hurt was a talented prospect coming out of high school and has enough pitches to start, but inconsistency has been a problem for him as well. Grade: B+ (Meyer and Fulton were good starts, but the latter four picks may or may not pan out as starters (if they do at all). That drives the grade down from the A range for me) 3) Kansas City Royals: Asa Lacy still could develop more from a control standpoint, but the well built Texas A&M lefty could have four plus offerings at his peak. I think he's got Chris Sale type of potential. Nick Loftin out of Baylor may not be a star, but he's a good bet to stick as a major leaguer for a while as at least a utility player. Ben Hernandez is a projectable righty from Chicago who goes to school just minutes from Guaranteed Rate Field. His changeup is maybe the best amongst all pitchers in the draft class. He impressed last summer at the Pipeline Developmental League and the Under Armour Game. Alabama outfielder Tyler Gentry quietly put together a strong resume in Tuscaloosa, has no major holes in his game and can play all three OF spots. Oregon State lefty Christian Chamberlain and Eastern Illinois righty Will Klein started for their teams, but both have had trouble throwing strikes in college. Both are more likely relievers to me. Klein shined in a relief role in the Cape Cod League. Grade: A (I thought the Royals nailed it with their first four picks. Chamberlain and Klein I'm not as high on since my guess is they'll be relievers, but the first four picks carry this draft class) 4) Toronto Blue Jays: They had to be thrilled to have Vandy's Austin Martin fall into their laps at 5. The Jays are already rich with young and strong position players and got even richer. Florida State's CJ Van Eyk has a quality three-pitch arsenal needed to start, but if he remains inconsistent with his control, I could see him eventually becoming a reliever. Jacksonville righty Trent Palmer threw a lot more strikes in a shortened 2020, but doesn't have a strong track record of doing so prior to that. I see him as a smaller Florida school version of Van Eyk. There's a strong enough arsenal to start, but will he have consistent enough command to do it? Nick Frasso out of Loyola Marymount is someone I think they'll try as a starter while knowing he could move back to the bullpen since he's done good work at Loyola out of the pen. Louisville outfielder Zach Britton is not related to the former Oriole and current Yankee, but I imagine he was a money savings pick to ensure they could sign Martin and Van Eyk. He's flashed some as a hitter, so maybe something's there. I can't speak about his defense since I hadn't really heard of him prior to the Jays selecting him. Grade: A (Getting Austin Martin at 5 pretty much assured them of a very good draft grade, and they got some quality arms and an under the radar bat after that) 5) Seattle Mariners: Emerson Hancock was once thought of as the potential #1 pick in the draft class, but an inconsistent shortened 2020 and analytics pushed him down some. The Georgia righty was a strong value pick for the M's at 6. Texas A&M outfielder Zach DeLoach didn't show much his first two seasons, but then raked in the Cape Cod League and was continuing to do that during the shortened 2020 season. Connor Phillips is a young junior college product with a lot of natural talent, but needs to become more of a pitcher than a thrower. He could be a boom or bust type of pick. Kaden Polcovich hit on the Cape and then at Oklahoma State in a shortened season. Ole Miss' Tyler Keenan will derive all his value from his bat. Cal Poly righy Taylor Dollard has pretty average stuff, but he commands it well and could profile as a #4 or 5 starter. Grade: B+ (Dollard seems like an underrated pick in Round 5, and I like mixing a higher risk/higher reward arm like Phillips in with him. The hitters aren't terrible, but not particularly anything special in my eyes) 6) Pittsburgh Pirates: 2nd baseman Nick Gonzales and South Carolina righty Carmen Mlodzinski were a good mix of high floohigh ceiling picks on Day 1. La Mirada HS pitcher Jared Jones is someone I thought could easily go higher, so solid value with him. Nick Garcia needs more experience having just begun pitching, but he impressed at D-III Chapman and did solidly on the Cape for an inexperienced pitcher. Jack Hartman and Logan Hofmann strike me as easy to sign guys. The former is a reliever from Appalachian State, the latter impressed in four outings as a starter at small school Northwestern State. Grade: A- (Gonzales should be a solid regular, and while the three pitchers taken after come with some risk, there's some high reward with them as well. Of the final two picks, Hofmann is way more intriguing to me) 7) San Diego Padres: Robert Hassell was an interesting pick with Zac Veen still available, but I love his hit tool and can respect them for sticking with their guy. Justin Lange is a very projectable righty who throws really hard, but he'll require patience. Owen Caissie has good raw power, speed and a plus throwing arm. He may even be able to handle center. We'll see how much he hits. Georgia righty Cole Wilcox didn't see his draft stock go as high as I and probably he expected it. There's definite reliever risk with him, but he's got as much upside as just about any of the second tier college arms in the class. Troy righty Levi Thomas is likely a cheap signing. He impressed in four starts this spring. High school pitcher Jagger Haynes is a North Carolina commit who I couldn't tell you anything about, but I could see needing to go over slot to sign him away from UNC and the Padres never shy away from high school players. Grade: A- (I was kind of torn between an A- and an A since I really liked the Wilcox value in Round 3, but not knowing enough about Haynes, I feel a bit more comfortable sticking with the lower mark. Strong haul for the Friars, though) 8) Colorado Rockies: Zac Veen was unbelievable value at 9 and has the potential to be a five tool player. Drew Romo is a very strong defensive catcher. High school catchers don't have the best track record, and we'll have to see how much he hits. Chris McMahon was an excellent Round 2 pick. He's a high floor guy who could be a 3rd or 4th starter. Sam Weatherly has excellent stuff, but I'm not convinced he has enough command/control to be a starting pitcher. Case Williams, I couldn't tell you anything about, but he's from Colorado, so he's got some experience pitching in altitude. Jack Blomgren was fine in Round 5. He can play shortstop, but I'm not sure he'll hit enough to be more than a backup or utility player. Grade: A (The Veen, Romo and McMahon picks really made this draft class stick out for me) 9) Los Angeles Angels: Reid Detmers was the easy part. David Calabrese was a strong 3rd round pick. He's got top of the line speed, can hit a bit and should have no problem playing centerfield defensively. Adam Seminaris is basically a poor man's Reid Detmers. The Long Beach lefty won't blow anyone away, but he's got very good command and could be a backend starter. Werner Blakely is an athletic, projectable high school shortstop from Detroit. He's committed to Auburn, but I'm guessing the Angels will be able to sign him away from that. Grade: A (IDK if this is the highest upside class, but Detmers is maybe the safest pitcher in the draft class and I feel like Calabrese is less risky than a lot of high schoolers. His plus speed and solid CF defense should play. Seminaris should at least be minor league pitching depth and could be more. I like adding a high risk/high reward pick like Blakely in with three higher floor guys) 10) Chicago White Sox: Garrett Crochet is a bit of a high risk/high reward college lefty. He's got as much pure stuff as any college pitcher in the draft, but he doesn't have the track record of the guys who went before him. Jared Kelley has the Emerson Hancock syndrome of analytics knocking him down draft boards, but he's a hard throwing righty (aren't they all that way from Texas?) who was a great value in Round 2. Adisyn Coffey can throw mid-90s, started his career at ASU and was slated to play for Louisville next year. Beyond that, I've got nothing. Kade Mechals had strong numbers in two seasons at Grand Canyon and was comp'd to Mike Leake on the draft broadcast. So basically, a durable innings eater. Auburn lefty Bailey Horn had a strong four game showing in 2020. Nobody seems sure if he's a starter or reliever long term. Grade: B (Jared Kelley is the one propping this grade up a lot. The final three picks are easy to sign guys who should help pay for him and Garrett Crochet. Mechals and Horn have had Tommy John Surgery before, something to keep an eye on with them) 11) Cincinnati Reds: Austin Hendrick could end up being a bit like Jay Bruce was for the Reds. You have to live with some swing-and-miss, but he can launch the ball when he gets the bat on it. Christian Roa has four pitches in his arsenal and solid control to go with it, but didn't put it together at Texas A&M. Jackson Miller is a high school catcher who doesn't necessarily stand out with any one tool, but is a solid all-around player. Mac Wainwright is a projectable high school outfielder who I didn't know much about. Bryce Bonnin has a four pitch mix, but he's been largely ineffective in college. He does have a plus fastball/slider combination that could play up in relief. Joe Boyle is strictly a reliever who can throw 100 MPH, but often times really struggles with his command. Grade: B- (I could go for a B since I do like their high school picks enough, but because none of these pitchers have really proven themselves even in college, I'm bumping it down a notch) 12) San Francisco Giants: It'll be interesting to see how the Giants try fitting two catchers, Patrick Bailey and Joey Bart, together. I imagine one or both of them see time at other positions. Casey Schmitt fits the power hitting 3rd base profile, although the 49th pick felt a bit early for him. He also pitched in relief for San Diego State and could fall back on that if he doesn't hit enough in the minors. Nick Swiney was used largely in relief his first two seasons at NC State, but impressed in four starts in 2020 to really enhance his draft stock. Jimmy Glowenke played shortstop at Dallas Baptist, but will likely move to 2nd as a professional. He hit very well in Dallas and will have to continue to be a big league regular since no other tool really stands out. Kyle Harrison isn't a super projectable high school lefty, but he is pretty polished for a young pitcher. ASU righty R.J. Dabovich has enough pitches to start, but has done better as a reliever thus far due to a lack of control. The Giants could try and let him start and move him back to the pen if he can't start. Ryan Murphy is a smaller framed right-handed pitcher out of tiny Le Moyne College in Syracuse. He's likely a signablility selection in Round 5. Grade: B- (Bailey was a bit of a strange selection to me given what the Giants have in the minors, but he did fit the draft range. Harrison had a bit of value to me as a mid-3rd round pick. The rest of their picks, I don't really hate, but nothing stands out, either) 13) Texas Rangers: Texas Rangers: Justin Foscue doesn't have loud tools, but does everything at a relatively solid level. Evan Carter in Round 2 may have been the shock of the whole draft. He's tall at 6'4" and seemed to have helium leading up to the draft. He could have projectable power and I imagine he won't be going to Duke now. Tekoah Roby is a HS righty with a strong fastball/curve combo with a developing changeup. Dylan MacLean is the second best high school guy in Oregon after Mick Abel. He's not as projectable, but the 6'3" lefty does have three average/solid pitches at his disposal. California high school shortstop Thomas Saggese is another one who had helium leading up to the draft. It sounds like the Rangers really like his bat. Grade: C (This draft class was interesting if nothing else. The MLB Network guys sounded befuddled over it. Because I think it's much more difficult to try grading MLB Draft classes than NFL or NBA Draft classes initially, I try not to go below a C or a C- with my grades even though others may grade the Rangers in the D range themselves) 14) Philadelphia Phillies: Mick Abel was a strong selection at 15. The Oregon high school righty has four pitches that could be above average or better. He could be a future ace. Arkansas shortstop Casey Martin has very loud tools, including top of the scale speed, but he strikes out a ton and his best season was as a freshman. Carson Ragsdale out of USF did well in four starts in 2020, but has a limited track record of starting and needs to develop his changeup if he hopes to stick as a starter as a pro. Baron Radcliff strikes out a ton and hasn't hit a ton at Georgia Tech. I imagine he and Ragsdale are signability picks to save money for Abel and Martin. Grade: A- (I'd go for an A if I were convinced Martin would hit enough to offset his very high K rate, but buying low on him in the middle of Round 3 was something I could get behind and I did love the Abel pick) 15) Chicago Cubs: Ed Howard is a high school shortstop who can stick there and be a strong defender. I think he's a high floor guy who still has more left in the tank as a hitter. Jordan Nwogu is like a left field version of Casey Martin with a strong powespeed combo, but you wonder if he'll hit enough. Luke Little can throw the ball 100+ MPH, but like Joe Boyle, has little control/command. He does have maybe an average slidecurve combo as well. The Baseball America guy on the Draft broadcast really liked Koen Moreno, a projectable high school right-handed pitcher from North Carolina. Others will probably like the Burl Carraway pick way more than I do. I strongly dislike it. The Dallas Baptist lefty has a strong fastball/curve combo. He's a reliever only, which would be fine to me late in the draft. But I don't really like using essentially a top 50 pick on a reliever only. Relief pitchers are generally very volatile and if he fails as a reliever, he's got nothing to fall back on. Grade: B+ (Maybe being a tad generous I really liked the Ed Howard pick, will adhere to the Baseball America guy on Moreno and was at least fine with the other two picks. I'm not saying Carraway can't/won't be good, but I don't like using a premium pick on a relief pitcher profile only for the reasons I stated above)
Tracking and Rating Arizona State Legislative Campaign Filings for the 2020 Cycle (October 2019 Edition)
It's been a while since my last post highlighting the 2020 AZ legislative campaign (January and June), so I've decided to write an update on how things are looking in the Grand Canyon State. Like last post, there are 3 main lists: Incumbents (this includes State House running for State Senate), People I Have No Clue About (political newcomers in AZ), and Notable Challengers (people with a past political history/otherwise known). When a specific filing has a discernable impact - i.e. "this is good for Democrats" - I'll say so. There is also an update section for an incumbent legislator whom I've heard additional comments about, and candidates who have dropped out of one race and filed for another. Ratings are subjective and not equal to one another. Some candidates are incumbents, and them running for these seats was a foregone conclusion - even though their presence may be as good/bad for Dems as a stellar and unlikely recruit would be. Going to try to keep my biases to myself on this, although I definitely have candidate preferences. Those will be revealed later. Updates
Jennifer Pawlik, HD-17 (D) - my comments about Pawlik in my June post have proven to be just the tip of the iceberg. Pawlik is a strong candidate, yes, but has significant weaknesses below the surface. For NFL fans here she can be best described as the Terrell Owens/Antonio Brown of Arizona Democrats. If the party can keep her in line then this is good for Democrats, if not, things could get bad for Democrats. Treat this filing as a neutral for the time being.
Daria Lohman, SD-23 (D) - Lohman has decided to drop out of this race and run for County Health Board instead. She's a poor campaigner, so I'm glad she's getting out of a somewhat-competitive Senate race instead of forcing a primary, and also glad we're fielding someone for that County Health district, even if she's not the best of candidates. This move is good for Democrats.
Daniel Toporek, HD-20 (D) - Toporek has dropped out of the HD20 race to run for County Treasurer. His website is here. Toporek is currently uncontested for Treasurer, so in that regard it's good for countywide Dems. The legislative impact is iffy, depending on if the party successfully only fields one Democrat in LD20 for the House race. If they manage to pull off the single-shot/bullet voting strategy this will be good, if a weaker candidate makes it on the ballot instead of Toporek (had he stayed in the LD20 race) this move will be bad legislatively. Mark it as slightly good for Democrats for now.
Nadia Hanif, HD-4 (R) - Hanif has dropped out of the House race after just 2-3 months, having spent $66K to find out that the district she was running in was crazy blue. Good on you for lighting all of your cash on fire, Nadia. When Republicans like her implode, that's good for Democrats. Incumbents
Sylvia Allen, SD-6 (R) - Incumbent Senator famous for her "Great Replacement" comments and for a past bill that would have mandated church attendance for all Arizonans. Her sticking her head into the contentious primary for SD-6 (a swing seat) is good for Democrats.
Lela Alston, SD-24 (D) - Progressive Democrat, longterm legislative member. Backbencher so probably will spend the rest of her career in the legislature. It's slightly good for Democrats that her experience probably will return to the legislature for the next 2 years.
Nancy Barto, SD-15 (R) - not an incumbent in SD-15, but a House incumbent in the analogous House district. Primarying moderate-ish Sen. Heather Carter from the right, Barto is sure to bring about a bloody GOP primary in this seat. While I'll mourn the loss of Carter if she doesn't make it, and while losing Arizona's Murkowski will lead to even more insanity among the state GOP, it's good for Democrats that this primary seems set to be divisive.
Rusty Bowers, HD-25 (R) - Speaker of the House Rusty Bowers is a quintessential conservative Mormon theocrat. Absolute whack-a-doodle. The fact that he's not retiring is slightly bad for Democrats since it's always good to have the opposing party lose experienced legislators.
Kelli Butler, HD-28 (D) - incumbent, very great candidate and absolutely amazing person. Strong financial connections as well. Rising start in the Democratic Party. Could run for CD6 (or its successor seat) in 2022 if we don't pick it up this year. Her running again is good for Democrats.
Andres Cano, HD-3 (D) - relatively progressive freshman. Backbencher but could show promise soon.
Heather Carter, SD-15 (R) - if Kate Brophy McGee is the Susan Collins of Arizona (fake moderate who postures strategically to survive in a D+6ish seat), Carter is the Lisa Murkowski. She routinely votes to the left of her district and is a strong advocate for education funding on the R side. I'd obviously like to replace her with a Dem. but would sleep better at night if all Republicans were like her. She faces a tough primary with Barto, so I'm glad she's hopping in to set off some fireworks in that race. This, like Barto's filing, is good for Democrats.
Lupe Contreras, SD-19 (D) - Dem. backbencher, deep blue seat. Good dude.
Domingo DeGrazia, HD-10 (D) - flipped this seat in 2018. Strong candidate, glad he's running again. This is slightly good for Democrats.
Tim Dunn, HD-13 (R) – GOP backbencher in deep red seat, appointed to fill the seat vacated by the expelled creep Don Shooter.
Diego Espinoza, HD-19 (D) – Dem. backbencher in deep blue seat.
John Filmore, HD-16 (R) – GOP backbencher, deep red seat. Yadda yadda yadda.
David Gowan, SD-14 (R) – Longterm GOP lawmaker. Disappointing they’ll get to hold on to his experience for another cycle. Slightly bad for Democrats.
Rick Gray, SD-21 (R) – GOP backbencher in a once-safe district that’s slowly purpling. Slightly bad for Democrats that this seat isn’t open for this cycle, but not killer news.
Gail Griffin, HD-14 (R) – GOP backbencher who’s most famous for trying to levy a porn tax to pay for The Wall. Safe red district.
Aaron Lieberman, HD-28 (D) – Wealthy, young, telegenic Democrat in a swing district. Strong on education. Great dude in general and it’s good for Democrats he’s staying on for another term.
Lea Marquez Peterson, CorpComm (R) – Former candidate for CD2 who lost to Ann Kirkpatrick (D), Peterson was recently appointed by Ducey to fill an open seat on the Corporation Commission. She’s running for a full term in 2020. I guess it’s bad for Democrats that she is going for a full cycle (since she has good connections to cash and is a decent enough candidate), but no one was expecting her to not run.
Juan Mendez, SD-26 (D) – Incumbent, great dude. Being primaried by a former runningmate of his in a deep blue district. Definitely gonna be voting for him, personally. A separate AZCentral article on this primary will be posted at some point.
Javan “JD” Mesnard, SD-17 (R) – The AZGOP’s Golden Boy, Mesnard never fails to come across as an annoying prick. He won his seat last year by a narrow margin and is going for another term. Mesnard is a dangerous friend of theocratic bigots and could feasibly be a great Congressional recruit post-redistricting. This is expected, but bad for Democrats.
Becky Nutt, HD-14 (R) – Nut(t)job in a deep red seat.
Joanne Osborne, SD-13 (R) – Freshman in a deep red seat. Slightly more moderate than other options in the area, but definitely no Heather Carter.
Lisa Otondo, SD-4 (D) – Longtime name in AZ politics, originally ran in 2002 for the open seat in CD3, losing to Raul Grijalva. Makes sense that she’s running for another term.
Kevin Payne, HD-21 (R) – GOP backbencher in a somewhat competitive seat. Him staying on to probably fight the Dem. nominees in the general is bad for Democrats, but expected.
Jamescita Peshlakai, SD-7 (D) – Dem. backbencher in a deep blue seat. Fascinating person and I’d honestly want to see her run for CD1 at some point.
Geraldine Peten, HD-4 (D) – Dem. backbencher in a deep blue seat. Facing an interesting primary but is safe for the general. Not much to write here.
Martin Quezada, SD-29 (D) – Progressive Democrat in party leadership, deep blue seat. Good guy, glad he’s running again. This is expected, but good for Democrats.
Rebecca Rios, SD-27 (D) – Scourge of the Miranda family, Rios is an incredibly capable legislator who has shown she can win in both urban and rural areas (she originally represented what is now LD-8, before moving to Phoenix after losing her seat – waited a couple terms so it wasn’t blatant carpetbagging). Former House Minority Leader, Rios was a rumored CD7 candidate if its incumbent (Ruben Gallego) declared for Senate. I’ll stop gushing over her, her candidacy and presence in the party is definitely good for Democrats.
Lorenzo Sierra, HD-19 (D) – Nice backbench legislator, former city councilman. Deep blue district.
Arlando Teller, HD-7 (D) – Freshman indigenous legislator. Good dude. Deep blue seat.
Raquel Teran, HD-30 (D) – Fantastic freshman legislator in a deep blue seat.
Myron Tsosie, HD-7 (D) - Freshman indigenous legislator. Good dude. Deep blue seat. I copy-pasted Teller’s blurb because they’re in the same district.
Michelle Ugenti-Rita, SD-23 (R) – Ugenti-Rita is an absolutely fascinating person. She’s a Tea Party nutjob through and through, except on women’s issues – where she has come out in favor of the ERA and similar legislation. The prime victim of Don Shooter’s sexual harassment, Ugenti-Rita was instrumental in providing evidence leading to his removal. She’s making a good name for herself among Republicans in the legislature and is a rumored CD-6 candidate whenever incumbent Rep. David Schweikert (R) ultimately leaves office (judging by his Q3 filings, that’ll be pretty damn soon). It’s unfortunate, but wholly expected that she’s running again. She is bad news for Democrats wherever she goes.
People I Have No Clue About
Travis Angry, SD-4 (R) - "Inspirational Speaker" who is currently on the "Milk gullible conservatives by pretending to be a viable black Republican running for office" grift. SD-4 went to Clinton by more than 20 points and Angry is not flipping it. I doubt he's even really going to try.
Mark Boesen, HD-12 (R) - Rando pharmaceutical lawyer. Boesen's filing sets the stage for a primary in this deep-red district, and that could be slightly good for Democrats just in terms of money wasted.
Billy Bragg, HD-29 (R) - Random Republican dude running in a Safe D seat. Can't find shit on him online.
Matthew Davidson, HD-26 (D) - Random Dem. running in deep blue district for an open seat.
Helen Fokszanskyj-Conti, HD-29 (R) – CNA running for House in a deep blue district. Her social media just screams nutjob.
Cathy Guglielmo, SD-25 (I) – Independent running for a deep red district. No web presence. Seems to work at a construction company here but hell if I know. Won’t make much noise in the race.
Mary Honne, HD-22 (D) – Dem. running in deep red seat. Throwaway candidacy.
Joel John, HD-4 (R) – No online presence, running for a deep blue seat as a Republican. Super smart move, dude.
Diana Jones, HD-19 (R) – Far too many Diana Joneses in Arizona for me to determine who this is, especially with no online presence. But the basic facts of the race are inescapable – Republican running for a deep blue seat. She’s toast.
Ralph Jones, SD-19 (R) – Possibly related to Diana. Also no real online presence. Also on a suicide mission to win a deep blue seat.
Justin Laos, HD-24 (R) – Software developer running in a deep blue district as a Republican.
Joanna Mendoza, SD-11 (D) – Marine veteran and mom, running for a red but not unwinnable seat. Could be slightly good for Democrats if she wins her primary.
Quang Nguyen, HD-1 (R) – Guy is famous for showing up to a far-right rally in support of the “papers please” bill Arizona passed in 2010 (SB1070) as a “proud legal immigrant”. So yeah, super cool dude. This HD-1 GOP primary is going to be nut house.
Linda Patterson, SD-11 (D) – Retired teacher, probably a weaker candidate than Mendoza. Can’t find much else on her.
David Peelman, HD-7 (R) – Trumpist realtor running in a deep blue seat. Best of luck carrying this 68% Indigenous district, you wingbat.
Tatiana Pena, HD-27 (R) – Teacher and musician. Proud Republican. Props to the GOP for fielding a Hispanic candidate in such a minority-heavy district, but it still isn’t going to get them anywhere. The only way a Republican can win this seat is if Catherine Miranda runs again…which she damn well might at some point.
Felipe Perez, HD-11 (D) – Rural doctor, seems like a good enough dude. Running with private funding. Currently I’d say the fact he’s running is slightly good for Democrats.
Tia Peterson, HD-21 (R) – First time candidate for office, seems to have a pretty professional website and is doing all the initial things right. One of several Black Republican candidates running for office this year in Arizona. Would be a much stronger candidate than Randy Miller (more on him later), and it’s disappointing that his path to the nomination is no longer uncontested thanks to Peterson. Slightly bad for Democrats, depending on how her campaign ends up going.
Judy Schwiebert, HD-20 (D) – Retired teacher, seems to have a good website in place and is on good terms with Ervin, the Senate candidate in the area. Could be good for Democrats depending on how strong of a head start she gets.
Suzanne Sharer, SD-18 (R) – Oh my god what a fucking nutjob. And she’s running in a competitive seat! This is just perfect. Good for Democrats, assuming she wins the primary. 2016/2018 candidate Frank Schmuck has yet to file.
Judy Stahl, HD-1 (D) – Physical fitness trainer in Northern Arizona who recently graduated from a strong Dem. candidate training program. If only this was a Trump+8 seat instead of a Trump+38 one, she might have a chance to flip it. But as it stands, it’s crimson red.
Leezah Sun, HD-19 (D) – Local concerned mom(?) running for office against two Dem. incumbents. Possibly endorsed by Quezada? I don’t see her making much headway but who knows. Deep blue seat regardless.
Patrick Tucker, CorpComm (R) – I cannot confirm which of several Patrick Tuckers this guy is. Given the opposition he’ll face in the GOP primary he’s more or less toast straight out of the gate and not worth discussing in further depth.
Sarah Tyree, SD-22 (D) – Local social worker in the district. It’s dark red and has no chance at flipping, so I won’t really spend more time on this.
Martin Watkins, HD-24 (D) – Paramedic primarying two Dems in a safe blue district. Seems like a decent guy judging from his website, idk if he’ll make the primary competitive.
Mark Workman, SD-2 (R) - Running for Senate in a deep blue district. No web presence – only thing that comes up is an obituary. Given how partisan this district is, his campaign will need one of those come next November.
Notable Challengers
Julian Contreraz, HD-4 (R) - write-in candidate for that seat in 2018, currently works as an assistant university administrator or something. Dude is up against an insurmountable challenge in this deep blue district running against Arizona's Nancy Pelosi. Like Hanif did, he can knock himself out.
Neil DeSanti, CorpComm (R) – 2018 candidate for the seat, running again. Absolute meme of a dude who only raised a couple hundred bucks last time. Won’t make much of an impact.
Kristin Dybvig-Pawelko, HD-15 (D) – 2018 candidate for the Senate seat who ran alongside current County Supervisor candidate Jennifer Samuels and County Attorney candidate Julie Gunnigle (then both House candidates). Dybvig-Pawelko underperformed Samuels and Gunnigle, but that was mainly due to a harder opponent (Carter, instead of more nutjobbier House Republicans). Dybig-Pawelko is a strong candidate with past experience . This is good for Democrats.
Nora Ellen, HD-17 (R) – 2018 candidate for the same seat, local realtor in the area and former Vice Mayor. Ellen is the mother of current SD-17 Senator Javan “JD” Mesnard (R), and was attacked by other Republicans for the nepotistic way her son cleared the field for her. This could become a liability again in 2020, but she is otherwise a pretty good candidate – even if she lost last year. This filing is, on the whole, bad for Democrats.
Douglas Ervin, SD-20 (D) – 2018 candidate for the seat who came pretty close, partially thanks to conservative spoiler Doug Quelland. Strong option who’s running again, this time without public funding. This is very good for Democrats.
Wendy Garcia, HD-22 (D) – 2018 candidate for the Senate seat in the area. Ran a weak race and was rumored to be repeatedly transphobic to her primary opponent at the time, Brianna Westbrook. 22’s a deep red district anyway so as warm bodies go Garcia is as good as anyone for this seat.
Lisa Godzich, HD-16 (R) – Ran for this seat in 2018 and lost. Guess there’s gonna be a primary now between her, Filmore, Forest, and other crazy GOP nutsos. That could be slightly good for Democrats.
Melody Hernandez, HD-26 (D) – Chair of the local Democratic Party (quit that position to run for House), EMT during the day. Recruited by Mendez and Salman to replace Blanc, who is primarying Mendez. While I probably will not be voting for her in the primary, she’s a great person and will be a fine legislator if she wins. My main grudges in 26 are towards a different Dem.
Jake Hoffman, HD-12 (R) – Queen Creek City Councilman running for State House. Gonna be a fun GOP primary in this deep red district, which is slightly good for Democrats.
Jana Jackson, HD-28 (R) – Former GOP candidate for Maricopa County Superintendent (She took 2nd in 2016 in the primary), Jackson drew controversy for having multiple arrest warrants out against her in Indiana. Despite that, she’s still in politics – running for House in District 28. Oddly enough she’s doing this with public funds. If she wins the nomination, Jackson and the local Republicans are going to be SIGNIFICANTLY HINDERED by public funding regulations. And that and the contentious primary that could crop up is definitely good for Democrats.
Kathy Knecht, HD-21 (D) – Former school board president for that area and Independent candidate for the analogous State Senate district in 2018, Knecht is a beast of a candidate. Great ability to fundraise, lots of personal cash to lean on, strong connections to the district, and good past performances in the area. Back in 2006 she became the only Democrat to ever beat current Congresswoman Debbie Lesko (R) in an election, while in 2018 she outperformed multiple statewide Democrats. It is an incredible stroke of good fortune that she’s running again. This is very good for Democrats, and could feasibly be the race that flips control of the State House to them (either this or Evans in HD-6).
Eric Kurland, HD-23 (D) – 2018 candidate for the spot. Performed surprisingly well for a campaign running on public funds and is set up to do even better in 2020 now that he’s not hindered by fundraising constraints or a weak Senate candidate. This is very good for Democrats.
Jan Manolis, SD-1 (D) – 2018 candidate for the same slot. Deep red district so nothing to get excited about.
Christine Porter Marsh, SD-28 (D) – 2018 candidate for the same slot. Absolutely amazing person and an excellent recruit. Seriously, words can’t really frame how amazing of a candidate she is. This is very good for Democrats. Probably the best damn recruit this cycle alongside Knecht.
Barry McCain, HD-11 (D) – Perennial candidate for a Likely R seat. Isn’t going to do much but will probably force competent Dems into fielding two candidates instead of just one (like in HD-20). Probably not much of an impact, but if there is one it’ll be slightly bad for Democrats.
Randy Miller, HD-21 (R) – Deep State/QAnon-adjacent truther who ran for the Senate district last year, losing in the GOP primary. He unfortunately is not guaranteed to win the nomination for this seat anymore due to Tia Patterson filing to run a couple weeks ago (more on her later), but if he somehow wins the nomination the GOP will be hobbled in the general, creating an opening for Knecht and Democrats. Even if he doesn’t make it he’ll make for a testy primary, and that’s good for Democrats.
Patrick Morales, HD-26 (D) – Morales is an incumbent school board member in the area running for the open House seat in this deep blue district. He has multiple unrelated sexual assault rumors floating around about him, and dropped out of a local council race two years ago due to routinely violating signature collections rules. Morales frequently manipulates young, impressionable college and HS students in the area, spreads lies about other Democrats (both those running and in elected office), and is in general an absolute cancer on the local party. I really hope he gets beaten down in this race and then loses his school board election in two years. A credible opponent was almost fielded against him that time and will be in 2022. While this race itself doesn’t mean much in the big scope of things – it’s a primary FFS – Morales and people like him are quite bad for Democrats in general.
Lynsey Robinson, SD-12 (D) – Ran for the analogous House district in 2018. Has no chance of winning but can continue to trim down margins in this deep-red seat. Slightly good for Democrats since they can only capitalize on Robinson’s candidacy so much given the inherent partisanship of voters in SD12.
Tim Taylor, HD-18 (R) – Former Marine, has filed for both CD-9 AND for HD-18. He hasn’t posted federal Q3’s yet, and filed for HD-18 in late September (vs. late July for the US House), so I assume he’s running for the state legislature…but I’m quite confused. Can’t get a good read on his impact on the race because of that.
Trey Terry, HD-13 (R) – 2018 candidate for the same seat who lost in the primary. Combat veteran, conservative whackadoodle. Deep red seat so the actual result in the general isn’t in question, but the testy primary may be slightly good for Democrats.
Ana Tovar, CorpComm (D) – This was NOT something I saw coming, but I’m pretty happy about it. Tovar was a former State Senate Minority Leader and also a rumored candidate for CD7 if Ruben Gallego moved on. She’s currently Mayor of Tolleson, AZ and does a pretty good job of it. She brings strong political connections and cash to the CorpComm race. Her entrance into the race also guarantees a primary (there are 3 seats open, and 4 Dems running), but one of the other Dems in the race really did not deserve the coronation he’s been trying to get (more on him later, I’m staying unbiased in this). Even disregarding this one race, it’s great that Tovar wants to maintain her state profile. This is good for Democrats.
Julie Willoughby, SD-17 (R) – Willoughby is a nurse who ran for HD-17 in 2018, against Sen. Mesnard’s mom. She’s cutting to the source of the problem this year, primarying Mesnard himself. She’s been vocal about how much she hates him and Ellen and is sure to make for a testy primary in SD-17. This is, of course, good for Democrats.
John Wilson, SD-29 (R) – Ran for State House in HD-29 in 2016, lost decisively. Now running for the analogous deep blue Senate district. Best of luck, dude. Thought you had learned your lesson the first time.
And that's finally it! Took me several hours to type up. I'm gonna try to push out another update by December, as well as a post on Democratic candidates running in key AZ counties (Maricopa/Pima/Pinal/Yuma and maybe Coconino) as well as a Congressional race rundown. Will try my hand at rating races in the spring, once financials are available. But for now, enjoy!
Ok, here's the setup: My wife and I have been doing a weeklong (give or take a few days) road trip from the Chicago area to a few destinations out west on a yearly basis for nearly a decade now. We love the places we've hit, but we're looking for a few diversions and lesser-known areas to hike and hit on our way through. We typically camp the whole week - we bring a tent and either sleep in our car between spots, or set up tent on BLM land, in parks, or backwoods when hiking. Standards that we've hit: In Colorado: RMNP (most of the hikes around Bear Lake, but primarily, Bear Lake to Fern Lake loop), Hanging Lake, Grizzly Creek, Colorado National Monument, Mesa Verde In Utah: Canyonlands (both Island in the Sky and Needles), Arches (primitive trail hike, delicate arch hike, as well as pretty much everything reachable by car), Capitol Reef (Cave Spring and, I believe, confluence overlook), La Sal Mountains (we've just camped here). Arizona: Slot canyons, Horseshoe bend, Lone Rock Beach (although this place sucks now, because it's overrun by RVs) Northern Rim of the Grand Canyon (but just barely we did not get to hike). I'm looking for any hidden gems at these spots, or any hidden gems within reasonable driving distance from these spots. We very loosely plan - we just get in the car and drive whichever direction pulls us, so alternative spots are welcome. I'm down for hikes to cool points of interest, scenic drives, great camping - you name it. I prefer to get away from the crowds, if possible. Bonus points if there's a decent amount of BLM land for camping out of our car nearby. Related - I've been wanting to take the trip a bit further west for Zion, but I'm always a bit nervous that the crowds will bother me too much - what's the best way to get away from the rabble in Zion? There's nothing more I hate than a National Park experience that feels like an amusement park - I want to be semi-alone with my thoughts, my wife, and my camera. A million questions, I know, but I figure if anyone would know the answers, it'd be my fellow National Parks lovers.
[Shiptost] Some Chinese nicknames of the ships and where they come from
So the other day I got bored and decided to look into some nicknames I overheard my Chinese friends talking about ships. For instance: Zao was referred to as "Karaoke Machine" and I was like wtf (we all spoke Chinese together), and after some digging I decided to make a list of the ship nicknames the Chinese have given them. Some of these names and the stories are quite interesting imo and so I decided to share them here. USN CL/CA:
克爹/Daddy-C: Cleveland. The sense of calling a ship "Daddy" is because they are quite good/op for their tier and when matched up against one, you are most often likely to get fucked pretty bad. In this case, Cleveland's AA and HE spam are no joke.
彭脆脆/Crispy Pen: Pensacola. So weak it's crispy, one crunch and it dies.
亚棍/Useless-A: Atlanta. Prior to the buff of turret HP, Atlanta often sees broken turrets every match, greatly hindering her output potential.
鸡腿堡/Fried Chicken Burger: New Orleans. Some years ago Chinese KFC had a promotional sandwich called "New Orleans Fried Chicken Burger" which gained somewhat of a fame that remained. As a result, the city that had nothing to do with this sort of sandwich now has a reputation known in China for chicken sandwiches.
爆地魔/Lord Baltimort: Baltimore. Because the pronunciation of Baltimore in Chinese 巴尔的摩 (Ba-Er-Di-Mo) is similar to 爆地魔 (Bao-Di-Mo), she thus gets this unfortunate nickname. In addition, Lord Voldemort's Chinese name is 伏地魔 (Fu-Di-Mo), which may also be a reference this nickname has.
德爹/Daddy-D: Des Moines. American Piercing are the best daddy jokes. Also earliest nightmare of DDs.
大山之子/Son of the Mountains: Des Moines. Because the early Chinese meta of island-camping Des Moines persisted.
USN BBs:
鸡肉卷/Chicken Wrap: New Mexico. Another unfortunate incident of Chinese KFC.
峡谷/canyons: Colorado/Arizona. Because their canyons.
美系最后战舰/The last BB of the USN line: North Carolina. Because she is generally considered quite good, and her bow can tank anything except 460. Some find her more enjoyable than Iowa and Montana. As a result, NC is "the last BB of the USN line".
鸭滑/duck slips: Iowa. Because one of Iowa's phonetic translations is 衣阿华 (Yi-A-Hua), slurring the first 2 words become 鸭(Ya, duck) 滑(Hua, slippery). Nickname remained because of how easy it was to citadel an Iowa that she was treated as a "citadel duck in the water".
T11重巡/Tier-11 CA: Iowa. Due to reason above also, and similar AB-X turret layout as Des Moines, she's obviously a CA.
萌大奶/I like big boobs: Montana. Because Montana's Chinese translation is 蒙大拿 (Meng-Da-Na) and 萌大奶 is (Meng-Da-Nai), only one vowel in difference. Therefore dem bewbs.
T12重巡/Tier-12 CA: Montana. Go figure.
Also 三大/"Big" 3: Montana & Yamato & Grosser Kurfurst. Because these 3 BBs all have the character 大 (Da, Big) in their Chinese translations. 蒙大拿 Montana, 大和 Yamato, and 大选帝侯 Grosser Kurfurst. When referred to altogether, they are the "Big 3". Now with the Conqueror soon to come and whose name doesn't have a "Big" in it, the Chinese community is panicking as to how to keep the "Big X" tradition among all T10 BBs. USN CVs:
运煤船/Coal Transport Vessel: Langley. Because quite possibly the weakest CV in game, and easily detected by everyone and everything. EDIT: Also, Langley started as a collier, or a coal miner ship.
报社/Payback at society: Bogue. 201 Bogue meme is real, and the Chinese meme of "payback at society" refers to those who intentionally want to just fuck up someone else's day like they're being sociopaths.
列太太/Lady Lex: Lexington. Exactly the nickname she held in history.
大E/Big-E: Enterprise. Same as above.
莎姐/Sister Sara: Saratoga. Same as above.
饺子/Dumplings: Essex. Because the Essex-class was a mass-produced CV class and the imagery is that it's like you're boiling dumplings by just swiping dozens from the plate into the water at the same time.
中出岛/In-the-Mid-way-of-being-fucked: Midway. I slightly altered the translation to give a better and more work-safe way of understanding this nickname. It is a play on Midway's Chinese translation 中途岛 (Zhong-Tu-Dao) and altering 途 to 出 (Chu). As to what 中出 means, ask someone else. Nickname endured because Hakuryu's unfair advantage over her.
USN DDs:
4级最强/Strongest of Tier-4: Clemson. Go figure.
本良辰/Benson-the-Messenger-at-Dawn: Benson. Due to Nicholas, Farragut, and Mahan having such horrible performance and grinding experience, when a player gets to Benson and those nice little 5x1 guns, he will feel that as if the darkest of the night is over and the dawn has just arrived - the American DD gets good here. Hence, Benson is the messenger to tell you that the hardship is over.
弗斩仙/Fletcher-the-God-Slayer: Fletcher. Because of her overall prowess and ability to outperform many other ships given a good player, she's considered OP by many. Hence, she gets an epic title.
基日天/Gearing-the-One-Who-Fucks-the-Heavens: Gearing. In the earlier days Gearing was considered the best DD and only rivaled by her cousin Fletcher. Her torps are a nightmare to BBs who didn't take situational awareness. Her guns, when firing at range, also looks like she's firing into the sky (hence fucking it). 日天 (Ri Tian, the-One-Who-Fucks-the-Heavens) is a cliched first name given to Marty Sue fanfic main characters with OP powers.
IJN CL/CAs: (Starting this part there's weebshit ahead)
本子岛/Porno-shima: Katori. Because her sister Kashima in Kantai Collection enjoys an almost unrivald popularity among hentai fanarts. Although this is kind of uncalled for since Katori herself in Kancolle never got that much attention.
古鶸/Furu-cucko: Furutaka. I messed around with the translation as the nickname is a deviation from her actual name Furutaka 古鹰, where 鹰 means "eagle" in both Chinese and Japanese. 鶸 is a combined character of 弱 (ruo, weak)+ 鸟 (niao, bird), and given her 6x1 203mm back in the days, short firing range and weak concealment, she's considered weak in that setup.
颜艺/Dat face: Myoko. In Kancolle, ships will change their illustration to one where their clothes and armor are damaged when they reach 50% HP or less. However, Myoko's artist BoB misinterpreted the instructions of the damaged art when he drew the Myoko sisters - he thought the damaged illustration was supposed to reflect the MOMENT the ship gets hit. As a result, Myoko gets a hilarious one like this. Also, if you return to port with the damaged ship in the flagship slot, she will remain standing in her current portrait on your screen. So imagine Myoko standing there looking at you just like that.
最爹/Daddy-Mo: Mogami. See Cleveland. Reason: Start of IJN HE spam.
最狗/Doggy-Mo: Mogami. After BFT and AFT got changed to affect 139mm or below only and her 155mm turret traverse nerfed, Mogami was seen as a very nerfed ship almost pitiful. Calling her a dog of a ship to play is definitely understandable.
最下/Worst-Mo: Mogami. Mogami's Japanese name is written as "最上", which can mean "Upper-most/Best". But she is definitely not the best cruiser in game. As a result...well...yeah.
大狗/Big Dog: Atago. The phonetic of the Japanese pronunciation is similar to the Chinese phrase of 大狗 (Da-Gou). And she is quite squishy like Mogami too (even tho she has a heal). As a result, inexperienced players get deleted in her and call her a dog of a ship. Hence the big dog.
大魔王/Demon Lord: Kitakami. This name is a carry-over from Kancolle. In Kancolle, Kitakami is considered one of the best ships to use fighting against overpowered enemies, and she has very good stats overall, making her strong "like a demon lord". Those torp-spamming memes carried over and thus came the Demon Lord Kitakami.
皂/Soap: Zao. Here comes the most nicknamed ship. The Chinese word for Soap is 皂 (Zao), which is exactly the same pronunciation.
脏王/Dirty King: Zao. Her name, in Chinese pronunciation, is Zang-Wang, which is also the same pronunciation as "Dirty King". Considering the HE-spamming stealth-firing playstyle, Zao is indeed the king of dirty plays.
点歌机/Karaoke Machine: Zao. This one needs a little explanation. A pretty prominent Chinese warships streamer once got killed by a stealth-firing Zao on stream. In a fit of salt rage, he said: "this next song I'm about to sing is 'Go Fuck Yourself', dedicated to all the Zao players out there." This line then became a meme as everyone who played BBs know thes joy of being spammed by Zao HE. So whenever a BB sees a Zao, BB says "I'm about to sing a song", and the Zao knows exactly which song is being referred to.
IJN BBs:
三爷/Master-Mi: Mikasa. She gets this nickname for sharing the same name as the Shingeki no Kyojin character who's not OP at all...
自走鱼雷1号/Self-guiding-Torpedo-MK.I: Kawachi. Horrible dispersion and range makes her only a good choice for CQC and ramming.
自走鱼雷2号/Self-guiding-Torpedo-Mk.II: Myogi. The horrible dispersion once again makes her just not a good ship to play. She should thus just CQC and ram.
大傻/Dumbo: Kongou. In Kancolle, Kongou's character is an airhead and over-energetic girl. Kancolle's RNG-based target-choosing mechanics on her makes her sometimes choose the weirdest targets to shoot at (that has no strategic point to the battle at hand). In addition, her anime character is quite the happy-go-lucky idiot type, too. Hence, the Dumbo.
违章建筑/Unregulated Building Structure: Fusou. Because the Pagoda Simulator.
长萌/Nagamon: Nagato. A carryover nickname from the Japanese community. In Kancolle, Nagato is depicted as calm and collected but really eager to gain the affection of DDs (a pedophile, when taken to the meme extreme). Hence the weird nickname.
火烧云/Blazumo: Izumo. 火烧云 (Huo-shao-yun) itself is actually a kind of cloud at sunset where it's painted red by the setting sun as if on fire (like the sky in Land of Fire map), and literally means "Burning Cloud". Izumo's kanji name is 出云, also featuring 云 (cloud) in the name. Hence, the Blazing Cloud Blazumo, who gets set on fire as easily as a pile of timber soaked in gasoline.
压码头/Dock-sitter: Yamato. In history, Japan built the Yamato but never got to use her much because she consumes too much fuel to operate. So they instead kept her in the dock, which was mocked by IJN soldiers back then since there's this super huge awesome BB but they only keep it in the dock all the time "like a hotel". 压码头 in Chinese is pronounced "Ya-Ma-Tou", which is almost identical to Yamato.
撑伞的大姐姐/The-lady-with-the-umbrella: Yamato. Because of her Kancolle illustration. The story goes that a Chinese Kancolle player got his young 8-year-old nephew to play the game. Some time later he went to check on his progress but the nephew said "the game got boring". The player then asks why, and the nephew explains: "I built that lady with the umbrella and she ends up killing everything with just one blow. She's too OP and it's boring." Since there's only 1 ship with an umbrella in Kancolle, the guy knows exactly which one he's talking about.
IJN DDs:
驱逐王/King of DDs: Isokaze. She shares the same voice actor in Kancolle as that of Saber, or King Author, from Fate/Stay Night. Hence she's the King of DDs.
睦夫人/Mistress-Mu: Mutsuki.
欠雷/Needs-to-be-struck-by-thunder: Fubuki. Because the Kanji 吹雪 looks like 欠雷.
包子/Bun: Fubuki. Because her illustration in Kancolle looks very unrefined and her face looks like a potato/bun. Also, she's very squishy in game.
岛爹/Daddy-Shima: Shimakaze. Those 5x3 torps aren't joke at all against BBs.
本子风/Porno-kaze: Shimakaze. For a long while, Shimakaze enjoyed high popularity in Kancolle, and there has been many hentai fanfic of her.
IJN CVs:
老板娘/Bar Owner: Hosho. In Kancolle, she's seen as a motherly figure who operates the bar at the naval base.
女儿/Daughter: Zuiho. In Kancolle, her character is a juvenile and adorable one, much like a well-mannered daughter.
砧板/Flatboard: Ryujo. In Kancolle (again), her character is flat af with no boobs whatsoever (while most other CVs and CVLs get big boobs for whatever reason). This became a running joke in the community and carried over to warships.
肥龙/Fat Dragon: Hiryu. The Chinese pronunciation of Hiryu (飞龙, Fei-Long, Flying Dragon) is the same as 肥龙. Considering that she's not actually that weak and can manage battles, this name is more of an adored nickname.
太太/Wife: Shoukaku. In Kancolle, Shoukaku's character is well-mannered, mature, and kind, with many players claiming her to be their waifu. Hence came the nickname.
漏尿凤/Piss-leaking-hou: Taihou. In history, Taihou died of detonation from being hit by a torpedo. However it's not the kind of detonation by hitting magazine. The torpedo that hit Taihou did not do significant damage, but jammed the air-ventilation system and caused gaseous fuel to leak out. The fuel in confined space caused Taihou's damage control party to all faint, and when it was accidentally ignited, the ship blew up. And yes, this is also a Kancolle reference.
白鸡/Haku-weak: Hakuryu. Back in the days Hakuryu once enjoyed a 053 load-out, which can kill almost any ship she wants if she so desires. Then the load-out was removed and her 233 form is considered far inferior, despite still OP. However, she is weakened in comparison, and calling her weak is just a running gag pointing at how broken she once was.
That's it for now and I just realized how much I had typed. If you guys like this I'll do the other lines later.
Was Inspired to create an All-American Baseball League
I was reading this post and was inspired by the idea of creating a league for the 50 states! So, because I don't want to do my work, or pack for my move next week, I decided to create this league! New League: Public Baseball System (Lame name, just going for the acronym) Structure: 2 Leagues: American and National For each League, 5 Divisions, with 5 teams each: West, North, East, Midwest, and South Minor Leagues: AAA, AA, A, Rookie (each minors team must be in the state of it's parent organization. Washington Evergreens AA Affiliate might be Spokane Indians *screw you Texas*) AL: AL West:
Alaska Midnight Sun
Washington Evergreens
California Golden Bears
Idaho Gems
Arizona Canyons
AL North:
North Dakota Roughriders
Wisconsin Badgers
Maine Leaders
Vermont Green Mountains
Rhode Island Reds
AL East:
Pennsylvania Keystones
New Jersey Liberty
Virginia Lovers
North Carolina Tar Heels
Florida Sunshine
AL Midwest:
Ohio Buckeyes
Illinois Lincolns
South Dakota Presidents
Colorado Centennials
Kansas Sunflowers
AL South:
New Mexico Road Runners
Oklahoma Sooners
Louisiana Pelicans
Alabama Yellowhammers
Kentucky Bluegrass
NL: NL West:
Hawaii Righteousness
Oregon Beavers
Nevada Battle Born
Utah Beehives
Montana Bitterroots
NL North:
Minnesota Twins (blech)
Michigan Wolverines
New Hampshire White Mountains
Massachusetts Blue Hills
Connecticut Constitution
NL East:
Delaware First
Maryland Orioles
New York Empire
South Carolina Palmettos
West Virginia Mountaineers
NL Midwest:
Indiana Hoosiers
Iowa Hawkeyes
Wyoming Bison (or Cowboys, not sure which to go with)
Nebraska Cornhuskers
Missouri Discovery
NL South:
Texas Lone Stars
Arkansas Naturals
Mississippi Magnolias
Tennessee Volunteers
Georgia Peaches
----- Rules: (Please note, these are really close to standard, but adjusted for patriotic purposes) Universal DH Roster Size: 25 (half of 50) 40-man Roster: 50 (duh) Expanded Roster: 38 (25 + 13 colonies bitches) Roster Expansion: Sept 1 (kept this, cause Labor Day, federal holiday) Spring Training Roster: 38 (25 + rep those colonies) Foreign Players on Roster Limit: No Foreigners Allowed ('Murica) Waiver Period Length: 4 days (July 4 making an appearance) DFA: 13 days (colonies again!) DL/IL/whatever: 13 days (.....) Kill the Rule 5 Draft! Draft Day: July 4, because it has to be then. Fireworks, amateurs, baseball, America Slot Bonus Baseline: $1,776,000 No Revenue Sharing (Who shares?!?!?!) Development Budget Baseline: $13,000,000 (do I need to say it again?) Scouting Budget Baseline: $7,600,000 Number of Games: 176 Season Start: March 23 (date of "Give me Liberty, or give me death!!") No Rainouts (Play in the rain! Water won't kill ya!) Spring Training Length: 4 weeks (4th of Jooly) Yes All-Star Game Yes it determines home-field advantage Roster Size: 38, again..... Playoffs: Division Leaders + 3 WC spots WC 1-game series Regional Series (Best of 9) League Championship Series (Best of 7) State Series (Best of 5) We'll see how it goes!
I just got back and a friend who is taking the exact same cruise and is also cost conscious asked me to give him all my lessons learned. I figured you all might benefit even if some of this information isn't strictly about cruising. I'm going to ask my travel companions to review it (first time in Hawaii and first time cruising) to see if they have anything to add.
Getting There And Getting Around
Air Fare With Southwest now offering tickets to Hawaii, I expect the competitive market to drop prices across the board but unless you are fortunate enough to live on the west coast in a city with flights that fly direct, air fare can be pricey. I had to get 4 people there round-trip (2 from rural Maine, 1 from Louisville Kentucky and 1 from the Baltimore/D.C. area). I ended up signing up for the Chase Sapphire credit card (annual fee waived for the first year) and the Alaska Airlines credit card that gave me a buy one/take one sign up offer. My total air fare cost was $2400. Besides the credit card, there was no secret other than monitoring the prices as far in advance as possible to see what typical prices are and then striking when there was a decent sale. I would also mention following Scott's Cheap Flights on the off chance a deal becomes available for when you were already planning on traveling. Ground Transportation We flew into Waikiki on Tuesday (cruise started on Saturday) so I got a rental car through Autoslash. The total cost for a mid-size for 4 days was $176 and ended up being from Alamo. While I feel this was a good deal as I had four people, if you're not 100% sure you will need it - you can probably get by with an Uber, taxi or even a hop on/off bus (see excursions later). Many excursions had an option for hotel pickup/drop-off. Probably the best deal I found was Star Taxi which only charged $25 for up to 4 people one-way to/from the cruise terminal and not much more for other locations. Call 1 hour before you need the service. Parking Parking is EXPENSIVE so be sure to do a lot of research if you plan on renting a vehicle.
Oahu
General In your mind, you have this idea of what Hawaii is going to be like. Oahu (specifically Honolulu/Waikiki) is not it. It is very over developed and crowded. Many places are run-down because investors have purchased the property but have chosen to wait until conditions are more favorable to develop. There is a very large homeless population in Hawaii overall but I was shocked by the number of shanty towns and abandoned vehicles doubling as homes I saw on Oahu. Excursions
Snorkel-Cruise-Swim-Dolphins-Turtles - highly recommended (hint: This excursion may be cheaper directly with the vendor Dolphins And You - if you buy the photos, you will have to go to their Waikiki office later to pick them up and they will offer you a 10% discount on merchandise at that time).
Shark Dive - Unfortunately, this tour got canceled due to weather so I can't comment on it. Since it is on the north shore, the plan was to do an early morning adventure (when the water is calmest) and then spend the rest of the time exploring the beaches and surfers. (hints: You may be able to get this cheaper directly with the vendor North Shore Shark Adventures and if you drive, take one way to get there and another way to get back so you can experience more of the island).
Sunset Cruise & Show - The people I was going with had never cruised before so this was to get their feet wet so to speak. It was nice but not spectacular. You may be able to get it cheaper directly through the vendor Star Of Honolulu. On Fridays, they offer an extra hour for a nominal fee upgrade which includes fireworks. I didn't see the fireworks myself but several people I talked to said they are put on by a hotel and aren't anything special. (hint: If you drive, they will validate your parking ticket and parking will only be $4 instead of $18).
Waikiki Trolley Hop-On Hop-Off You can trade time for money and if you have time, this would be a much more cost effective solution to getting around and is very configurable (how many days of use, how many different lines, etc.)
Polynesian Culture Center - I had the Ambassador Luau Package With Circle Island Tour of Oahu. Pickup was at 8:30 in the morning and drop off wasn't until after 10 PM so it is a long day. If you do this one I have several recommendations. First, take it early in the trip because it includes a multi-day pass so you can go back at no charge for 3 more days and the Circle Island tour allows you to see some areas you may want to explore on your own. Second, you don't get food until 6 PM so be sure to eat breakfast first and plan the rest of the time accordingly (bring snacks for instance). The only thing I was disappointed in was the Diamond Head didn't actually drive up to the crater. Update After the initial post, I was reminded by mashel2811 of a few things. The PCC is Mormon owned/operated which has pros/cons. On the downside, there is no alcohol on-site and things overall tend on the conservative side. Not that I have an issue with that but if you're looking for authenticity then this would represent Polynesia post Christian missionaries. On the upside, it is a huge facility that truly will allow you to experience many of the cultures besides just Hawaii. Also, regardless of how you feel about religion, the money taken in from PCC helps to sponsor many students education from all over Polynesia. I had nothing to compare the luau to but I have heard from several other people that there are much better options (the luau at PCC is optional). The Breath Of Life was awesome.
Pearl Harbor (see the end of the cruise excursions)
Recommendations/Notes
You probably want a beach other than Waikiki due to the number of people - Hanauma Bay looked awesome. If you do decide to stay in Waikiki, walking the coastline towards Diamond Head is a better choice for the beach instead of around all the hotels. This is because in Hawaii, beach access and water is considered a public service (free)
What is and isn't expensive didn't make any sense. Eggs imported from the mainland were cheaper than eggs from Hawaii despite chickens EVERYWHERE but I was able to get a large jar of peanut butter for $1.89. The best place I found for groceries was Don Quijote and it had a free parking garage.
Souvenirs were much cheaper on other islands
It rains - almost daily - but not for long - don't let it fool you - WEAR sunscreen of at least SP50
Hydrate more than usual - especially if you're drinking beer like me
Updates From original post below
You can get insanely discounted Pearl Harbor tickets from recreation.gov but they sell out in 5 minutes. Exactly 7am Hawaii time they sell tickets for the next day or for 2 months out. Nothing in between. I recommend having 2-3 people trying it simultaneous for different time slots. The early tickets sell faster. Then the bus ride anywhere is $2.50 each. When you board the bus ask for a transfer ticket. The transfer ticket is good for two more rides for the next 2.5 hours. If you get out of PH within the time slot you can ride back for free.
There's a stand near Breakout Waikiki that is a hard sell timeshare sales pitch (couples only). If you're willing to sit through it, they give you $150 towards an excursion or a free meal and a $120 Visa gift card (as of March 2019). If you want the exact location, message me.
You may think being a Costco member will help you out on expenses and you're probably right but know that the busiest Costco in the world is on Oahu and they claim 1 in 4 people have membership so plan accordingly (think shopping for the latest toy on Christmas Eve)
Pride Of America
I have to be honest, this was hands down the most expensive cruise I have taken and it was the worst cruise ship. I had a great time but there was a lot left to be desired.
Entertainment was very underwhelming - I believe unlike other mass-market cruise lines, NCL's entertainers are on multi-month contracts just like other staff. This tends to be bad for entertainers like comedians (how many different sets can they have prepared) but should be better for magicians (you shouldn't have to rely on the suitcase you get through security at the airport). I have seen a Vegas quality magic show on NCL before (Norwegian Spirit last November) but this act was honestly no better than a birthday party. I could go on but I will summarize it as this: On Carnival, I struggle deciding what I am going to do because of so many good things where as on this ship, I struggled to find anything I actually wanted to do.
Beer prices were outrageous and included a mandatory 20% gratuity and since you spend a LOT of time in port, taxes too. In each port, I found a better selection of beer right off the ship for at least 20 - 30% cheaper than on the ship. If you do drink on the ship however, I highly recommend the Gold Rush Saloon as it has a couple of beers on tap you can't get anywhere else. It has a self-serve popcorn machine and is adjacent to the buffet so you can get self-serve ice cream too.
The food was mediocre (main dining quality was about the same as the buffet which was good but not great). I didn't spend the money to try any of the specialty dining.
Update: One thing that really stood out as being a good thing is that the room had 3 US standard outlets!!! Why Does It Cost So Much
There is no casino to subsidize the fare cost
It is a US Flag cruise ship which means it has to abide by US labor laws (this is an indirect result of the Jones Act as it doesn't travel to any foreign ports)
Hawaii not only has a sales tax but a tourist imposed General Excise Tax which of course NCL passes on to you
Exclusivity - unless you want an extremely sea day intense cruise from California, around Hawaii, to Mexico and then back to California (or similar) cruise - they're the only show in town
Hint: You should get the NCL Mobile App. It includes dinner reservations, account charges, dinner reservations, deck plans, passenger to passenger chat for an additional fee ($10 vs Carnival's $5) and other nifty features. Observations I was astounded by the number of first time cruisers I saw (based on their ship card color). Because so many of the employees were American, I was also surprised by how many told me that they were on their first contract and wouldn't be back. The people (both employees and passengers) were incredibly friendly and most everyone seemed to be having a good time. I didn't see long lines at guest services. I mentioned earlier how this was the worst ship I had been on - and, while true, shouldn't give you the impression that I didn't have a great time. For my traveling companions, they had nothing to compare it to and other than the entertainment - they had no complaints at all and loved it.
Day 1 & 2 Maui (overnight)
If you have ever been on a Caribbean cruise and you didn't feel like paying for an expensive excursion you could always just walk off the ship and go to a beach or a shopping district or a friendly bar - something. This is not the case in Maui. Where the Pride Of America docks there is absolutely nothing (it took 10 minutes to walk out of the port with chained link fence on both sides only to end up about another 10 minutes away from a strip mall). I do want to point out that the strip mall did have a few artisans selling things out on the sidewalk but this was far from what you will be used to at other locations. So what to do instead?
Rent a car if you want to go on your own - day rentals are common and you will be in port overnight. You will have to do your own research as to what to do as I booked excursions for both days
Go up to Haleakala Crater for sunset or sunrise. I went for sunset as sunrise required leaving the ship at 3 AM. I can't stress how amazing this sunset was at nearly 2 miles above sea level. If you go, take plenty of warm (think Maine winter) cold. It was 44 degrees without the windchill when we arrived at around 5 PM (still sunny) and the temperature dropped significantly by the end of the sunset (around 6:40 for us but varies based on time of year).
Road To Hana - I didn't take this excursion but it is extremely popular. Most guests I spoke with said they absolutely loved it though a few called it the road to hell (it's an all day excursion)
Maui Northshore & Waterfall Walk - This is the one I took because it was rated as "easy" and one of my traveling companions has mobility issues. There is an alternative called Waterfall Hike that you may want to consider. This was a great excursion which took you into a historical town for lunch (delicious) and gave you some free time to explore the artisans (glass blowing, jewelry making, etc.) before taking you to the private access Wailele Farm. The waterfalls you can walk to (as opposed to hike to) were not breathtaking but overall the plants and flowers here were amazing. You will get an opportunity to eat many of the things you encounter so if you're feeling adventures, give it a try.
This is the first of two days on the island of Hawaii and it is on the eastern (very wet) side of the island. Normally doing two excursions in one day is a not recommended. I would make an exception here because the Botanical Gardens are not to be missed. It is a short excursion (2.5 hours), is relatively inexpensive (you can even do it on your own) and is offered at multiple times allowing you to get another excursion in. Recommendations
The Botanical Gardens - either through NCL or directly with Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden - they have social media as well if you have questions. Tip: One of my traveling companions said walk through twice - once looking down and once looking up because there is just so much to see.
Go zip-lining. I happened to choose Zipline Through Paradise as it had a tandem/parallel course (you got to zip at the same time as someone else). You can even hold hands on one line for a very special photo. You may even want to book directly with Kapohokine
The other side of the island is a stark contrast to Hilo as it is dry/desert climate. It is the only tender port on the cruise. Unfortunately, we didn't fare very well here on excursions but shopping and beer was good. It has been on my bucket list to be in a real submarine and go over 100 feet to below the surface to the ocean floor. That's what 3 of us did here in Kona and while I am glad that I can now say I have done it (105'), the experience itself was underwhelming. To not interfere with the wildlife, the sub doesn't use any artificial lights nor does anything to attract the fish to your windows. This means almost everything is a monochrome blue (the color red doesn't exist at this depth for instance). It's also nearly impossible to get nice photos out the windows even though they are clear enough - just not the right conditions. Now, I met a guest back on the ship that said he had a phenomenal time on a sub that wasn't sponsored through NCL but I'm not sure what it was. The other guest in my party decided to go on the Gold Coast & Cloud Forest excursion and was also not impressed. The gold supposedly comes from the Hawaii state fish (yellow trigger fish also known as humuhumunukunukuāpuaʻa) but apparently they haven't been plentiful enough to turn the coast gold for years. She also said if she was a coffee drinker, she probably would have enjoyed it more (they are famous for their coffee). Recommendations
If you would like to buy coffee at a discount, a tour guide let me in on a little secret. To be called Kona Coffee it has to indicate what percentage is from Kona (i.e. 100%). Well, geography being what it is, the line between Kona and the region to south is arbitrary (created by humans) so buying coffee labeled just across the boarder (I forget the name of the place - I don't drink coffee) is 25% cheaper
If you want to see the pretty coral and reefs, consider a glass bottom boat ride. The bartender I chatted with told me that she used to work on the sub and a much more beautiful experience was the glass bottom boats.
Normally, the closer to port you are the more expensive things are - like souvenirs. That may in fact be the case in Kona but I found the prices at Whalers General Store to be very competitively priced. Many of the same items I saw at stops before here were at least 20% cheaper.
Have a drink or 6 at Paradise Brewing Company. I was fed up with the prices on the ship so I checked this place out (there was another one further up the street with a fairly large beer menu as well but they weren't very friendly so I moved on. I sat in here for hours (was one of the last tender boats back to the ship). It was extremely friendly - the beer was good, the food was good - I would definitely recommend.
Remember how I said you have this ideal image in your head of what Hawaii is and Oahu doesn't meet it. Kauai exceeds it - I fell in love and if I ever go back, I will just fly directly here and stay on this island - it is that good. I am not going to suggest you do anything other than exactly what I did because I couldn't possibly imagine having a better time. Recommendations
Day 1 - Best Of Kauai. I have no idea if a similar excursion can be booked elsewhere because it included 5 stops (Waimea canyon, Spouting Horn Park, Keoki's Paradise for lunch, Opaekaa Falls and Wailua River Fern Grotto). If you want to "build your own", just go to Waimea canyon and dine at Keoki's Paradise as they were the highlights of the day. If you are into photography and have gotten tired of lugging all of your lenses around, today is the day to have it all at the ready.
Now, there's more to the story than just these two excursions. First, since you're overnight you can stay out as late as you want. I asked our tour guide where an affordable place to get good beer close to the ship was. She recommended The Nawiliwili Tavern (or just the Tavern). It happens to be a 2 minute walk from one of the free shuttle stops and they have great pizza, beer and pool. Secret I learned this is also where a lot of the crew from the ship hang out after they get off at 9PM so if you want to have a real conversation and ask real questions - this is the place to do it. Once the bartender realized I was into craft beer and trying all they had, she told me about a brew pub not too far up the road that I really wanted to try but ran out of time.
Napali Coast (still day 6)
The cruise ship leaves port early (circa 2PM) and instead of heading to Honolulu backtracks around Kauai. There is a portion of the island that's only reachable by air (helicopter) or by sea (cruise ship) and I was fortunate enough to do both. Actually, our pilot said that a few of the beaches can be reached by a hiking 11+ miles but it isn't an easy hike. In any event, this is where the opening scenes of Jurassic Park were filmed if I remember correctly - utterly gorgeous. My pilot also let me in on a little secret - that the captain times the cruise ship to sunset when the coast is all lit up in spectacular colors so be out on deck with camera ready.
Day 7 - Honolulu (Pearl Harbor & City Tour)
I made a big mistake here. I booked a late flight so I could go to Pearl Harbor and then get dropped off at the airport. We had already done the Circle Island Tour and none of the other offerings were of interest. This was a mistake for two reasons. Reason 1: Exhaustion After having spent 5ish days in Waikiki and then taking a 7 day cruise, we were wiped out and really didn't have the stamina to really take it all in. Recommendations
Eat a big breakfast as this tour didn't include food
Bring food for the tour and possibly the airport (see airport notes below)
The cheapest place to get hot dogs at the time was at the Missouri ($6 as of March 2019)
If you are using your phone as a camera, practice taking photos against the bus window as the city tour took you to some neat places but they didn't stop to let you off
The tour includes the Missouri and the Arizona - everything else is additional
At the time of this writing, the Arizona was still under repair so you only took a boat close. You will be watching a very emotionally moving video before the boat ride so sit as close to the exit doors (front left) as you can so that when it's over you can pick one of the corners of the boat to get unobstructed photos from - they don't allow you to stand up and they don't play. Oh, and if you are sensitive to loud noises - when the bomb actually drops on the Arizona it is about 10 times louder than the rest of the film so be prepared
Our guide got tickets for the Arizona at 2:15 PM, helped us navigate the shuttle over to the Missouri and told us he would see us at the bus 3:30 PM. If you're not comfortable navigating on your own then this is probably not the tour for you
It's only 5 minutes from the airport so if you want to stay longer because of a late flight it would be fast/cheap to go on your own - just ask to get your luggage off the bus
Reason 2: Airport If you have a late flight home, I'm sorry. All of your checked bags have to be screened by agriculture (certain plants are not allowed to leave the state) which is airline specific and unless that airline is running flights all day (looking at you Alaska), then you will have to wait for them to open before you can even check in. While you wait, there is essentially no place to eat (Starbucks and a bar that serves hot dogs for $12.50 - yes, $12.50). I recommend you keep some food with you for this reason. They do offer a baggage hold service but the prices were ridiculous (4 checked bags for 24 hours was $100). Sorry if it seems like I am whining - it was the end of a long trip and I was returning to reality.
Update: Viator
In this post, I have provided a number of links to NCL's excursions, directly to the vendor and also to Viator. Viator is part of Tripadvisor and generally speaking, you can trust the reviews. On most of the bookings, you can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours in advance. They are competitively priced and you can usually get a discount. For instance, new customers will get offered a 10% discount off their first purchase. Companies like Ebates and TopCashBack will offer an additional 3 to 6% cash back as well. Use a credit card that gives back 2-4% on travel and it can really reduce the price. I haven't had too much trouble figuring out what vendor was being used through Viator so you could just book with them direct too and just use them as a way to find fun things to do and use the reviews to distinguish between what's good and what's not.
Here is my final mock. I did the entire first day. I don't have my own site, so you'll have to bear through a long post here lol. Round 1: 1) Baltimore Orioles: Adley Rutschman (C, Oregon State) – There is talk that the O’s could pass on Ruttschman, but unless there are health issues that they aren’t at all comfortable with, I think they’d be foolish to pass on a potential franchise catcher who is a great hitter and defensive catcher. 2) Kansas City Royals: Bobby Witt Jr. (SS, Colleyville HS (TX)) – Dad was a long-time big league pitcher; son is a potential 5-tool shortstop. Witt sounds like their guy unless Baltimore takes him or passes on Rutschman. 3) Chicago White Sox: CJ Abrams (SS, Blessed Trinity Catholic HS (GA) – If you believe the ChiSox want to target up the middle help, CJ Abrams could be their guy. He may end up at 2nd base or centerfield later defensively, and he’ll never be a big power hitter, but he’s got a plus hit tool, can really run and should be a good defender regardless of where he ends up playing. 4) Miami Marlins: JJ Bleday (OF, Vanderbilt) – Marlins scouts are high on Bleday and Derek Jeter just saw him at the SEC Tourney. The Vandy junior raked on the Cape Cod League last summer and has carried that momentum over into the spring. He’s not a fast runner, but he’s got an above average hit tool with plus power and a strong arm in the outfield. 5) Detroit Tigers: Andrew Vaughn (1B, California) – While Detroit seems to like prep outfielder Riley Greene, I believe they’d take Cal’s Andrew Vaughn in a scenario like this where he’s on the board. With a slew of plus pitching prospects in the minors, the Tigers need to add some hitters. Vaughn is someone who could work his way through a team’s minor league system relatively quickly. 6) San Diego Padres: Riley Greene (OF, Hagerty HS (FL) – Assuming 5 of the top 6 go off the board in the top 5 in some order, the Padres would likely take the last remaining guy in that seemingly consensus top 6. In this scenario, Riley Greene is the one left standing. He’ll probably only be an average defensive outfielder, but he can really hit. He’s got one of the best bats in the draft class. 7) Cincinnati Reds: Nick Lodolo (LHP, TCU) – Drafted 41st overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016, going to TCU will end up paying off big time for Nick Lodolo. The college lefty has above average pitches and control. He probably won’t be an ace of a pitching staff, but he should be a very good #3 starter with a shot of becoming a solid #2 guy. 8) Texas Rangers: Brett Baty (3B, Lake Travis HS (TX)) – Under slot options are being talked about at length for the Rangers. Brett Baty is among those options. He profiles a bit similarly to Nolan Gorman from a year ago. If Texas prefers an under slot college hitter over a high school bat, look for Tulane’s Kody Hoese as a possibility here. 9) Atlanta Braves: Shea Langeliers (C, Baylor) – This pretty much came down to Langeliers and ASU’s Hunter Bishop, with Corbin Carroll behind them in third place. The Baylor backstop is an excellent defensive catcher with some power in his bat. He’s got some questions about his overall hit tool, but his draft stock arrow is pointing up. That record 11 RBI game over the weekend won’t hurt! Worst case now for Langeliers, I believe, is being a top 15 pick. 10) San Francisco Giants: Hunter Bishop (OF, Arizona State) – Tough to say where the Giants will go under new GM Farhan Zaidi. He’s saying best player available, but that could be anyone. Your guess is as good as mine. I’m going with ASU’s Hunter Bishop, who has a terrific powespeed combination and should be able to play centerfield. The overall hit tool is a bit of a question mark, but he’s taking large strides forward this spring. Seeing the Giants hone in on a pitcher wouldn’t be a surprise, either. 11) Toronto Blue Jays: Corbin Carroll (OF, Westlake HS (WA)) – Disappointed that they won’t be able to select Bobby Witt Jr. to add to their collection of players who had fathers that played in the majors, the Jays pivot towards prep outfielder Corbin Carroll. He’s got a plus hit tool to go along with plus speed. He’ll definitely be able to stick in centerfield. The only real knock here is he’s got the undersized label. Other than that, Carroll would be a surefire top 10 pick. A college pitcher is certainly a possibility here as well. 12) New York Mets: Alek Manoah (RHP, West Virginia) – The Mets have their choice of college pitchers not named Lodolo here, and they roll with Alek Manoah, the big Mountaineer righty. Jackson Rutledge and perhaps Zack Thompson are equal possibilities here. 13) Minnesota Twins: Bryson Stott (SS, UNLV) – It’s not really his fault, but due to the rise of some prospects, UNLV shortstop Bryson Stott could fall a bit further than expected on draft night. He’s got a plus hit tool and should be able to stay at shortstop. He garners a lot of Brandon Crawford comparisons. 14) Philadelphia Phillies: Jackson Rutledge (RHP, San Jacinto JC (TX)) – Philly would be pretty fortunate if Rutledge were still on the board for them in the real draft. He may have the best pure stuff in this draft class. He just needs a pitching coach to help him become more of a pitcher instead of a thrower. 15) Los Angeles Angels: Josh Jung (3B, Texas Tech) – Tons of possibilities for the Angels here, but I’ll stick with my pick from last time. Maybe he just set the bar too high a year ago because he seems to be suffering a bit from “prospect fatigue” He can rake and should at least be an average to solid defender at 3rd. 16) Arizona Diamondbacks: Matthew Allan (RHP, Seminole HS (FL)) – Allan is widely considered the consensus top high school arm in the draft. He’s also rumored to have a 4 million dollar price tag. With their 16 million dollar plus draft pool, Arizona flexes its muscles here to give Allan a slightly over slot deal and sign him out of a commitment to Florida. 17) Washington Nationals: Zack Thompson (LHP, Kentucky) – Pitchers with injury histories/concerns have never scared the Nationals off before, so why expect it to here? Thompson could go as high as 12th to the Mets, so the Nats are getting a bit of value here with Thompson, who has stayed healthy in 2019 and had a very good junior season. 18) Pittsburgh Pirates: Quinn Priester (RHP, Cary-Grove HS (IL)) – While I did pick Gunnar Henderson in our mock draft, I will admit the Pirates could prefer Quinn Priester, who I also strongly considered. He definitely fits what the Pirates have looked for recently in drafts with pitchers. 19) St. Louis Cardinals: Will Wilson (SS, North Carolina State) – This is right around the ceiling for Will Wilson, with the late 20s seemingly his floor. Priester could be taken here if the Pirates pass on him as could a host of other college hitters if they like one better than Wilson. There aren’t a lot of loud tools here, but Wilson is just a very good baseball player. 20) Seattle Mariners: Keoni Cavaco (3B, Eastlake HS (CA)) – Here may be the biggest riser in the draft class. Cavaco is getting mentions as high as 10th with San Francisco and 13th with Minnesota. Seattle here at 20 may be his floor. The biggest question mark may be his hit tool, but he could have above average or better tools across the board otherwise. 21) Atlanta Braves: Brannen Malone (RHP, IMG Academy (FL)) – In a scenario where they have two picks to play with, it just couldn’t be a mock draft without giving the Braves a pitcher in the first round. If Atlanta preferred a college pitcher, George Kirby would be the pick here. 22) Tampa Bay Rays: Gunnar Henderson (SS, Morgan Academy (AL)) – Henderson may have to move to 3rd or maybe 2nd base defensively in the future, but the Rays can definitely run him out there at shortstop to begin with. Regardless, he should be a solid defender at whichever position he ends up at. He’s also got a nice hit tool. Philadelphia and Pittsburgh have been strongly connected to him, so he could definitely go higher than this. 23) Colorado Rockies: Kody Hoese (3B, Tulane) – No, Nolan Arenado isn’t going anywhere. But drafting for need is nonsensical. Even moreso in the MLB Draft when you don't see results for at least a couple of years anyway. Possessing some of the best power amongst the college class, Kody Hoese could be long gone by this juncture. His kind of power always plays very well at Coors Field. Hoese could easily go much higher than this. 24) Cleveland Indians: George Kirby (RHP, Elon) – I’ve seen the Indians draft a ton of pitchers with pinpoint control through the years. George Kirby fits that model perfectly. My guess is the Tribe wouldn’t pass on him if he’s here. 25) Los Angeles Dodgers: Michael Busch (1B/2B/OF, North Carolina) – LA does like players who can play multiple positions. While Michael Busch’s best spot on defense is at first base, he has seen time at both 2nd base and in the outfield to enhance his versatility. He’s got a high floor as a hitter who has a very patient approach at the plate. If the Dodgers feel like Daniel Espino won’t get to them at 31, they may pull the trigger on him here. 26) Arizona Diamondbacks: Logan Davidson (SS, Clemson) – If you take Bryson Stott and give him more power with a more questionable hit tool, you essentially get Logan Davidson. The Clemson shortstop should be able to stay at the position in the pros and has a nice powespeed combination. Pairing him with high school arm Matt Allan makes some sense to me. 27) Chicago Cubs: Brady McConnell (SS, Florida) – Sorry, Cubs. I say this because they seem to really like Kody Hoese, but it’s becoming less likely that he’ll be available for them to take. Chicago hasn’t been an easy team to pin down, but they do have a small draft pool. McConnell is a sophomore, but is also 21-years-old, so he could be an easy sign for them here. He seems to have hit his way into the first round or compensatory selections. 28) Milwaukee Brewers: JJ Goss (RHP, Cypress Ranch HS (TX)) – The Brew Crew is another team that isn’t so easy to get a read on. They could really do anything and it wouldn’t be a surprise to me. I’ll go with some of the flock that is mocking them a high school pitcher. JJ Goss may be in that next tier of high school arms just behind Allan, Preister and Malone. 29) Oakland Athletics: Greg Jones (SS, UNC-Wilmington) – Reading around, some people are connecting Jones and the A’s. The speedy Seahawks shortstop may have to switch to centerfield defensively and there is some swing and miss to his game, but that speed and willingness to take a walk could make him an ideal leadoff hitter. 30) New York Yankees: Tyler Callihan (3B, Providence HS (FL)) – A common connection I’ve seen is the Yankees and Tyler Callihan. Some people aren’t sure of where his long-term defensive home will be (some teams have reportedly talked to him about catching), but his bat can definitely carry him to the big leagues where he could carve out a very nice career as an offensive-minded player. 31) Los Angeles Dodgers: Daniel Espino (RHP, Georgia Premier Academy) – The second straight common pairing pick in a row. As I stated above, the Dodgers may have to take him at 25 in the real draft to ensure they get Espino, but they are able to get him here at 31 in this mock. He may not have the most projection left, but he’s got an excellent fastball that can touch 100 MPH to go along with above average to plus curveball and slider offerings. 32) Houston Astros: Michael Toglia (1B/OF, UCLA) –If you believe MLB Pipeline, the four common names connected to the Astros are Toglia, Espino, Goss and Davidson. The latter three came off the board in the last six picks, so Toglia it is. He’s pretty young for a junior and has some legit power in his bat along with the potential to play an outfield corner in addition to first base. His profile is somewhat similar to that of current Astros prospect Seth Beer minus the questions about his fielding capabilities and also with not as good a hit tool. 33) Arizona Diamondbacks: Maurice Hampton (OF, Memphis University HS (TN) – Having a scholarship to also play football at LSU, Maurice Hampton is a very good athlete as you’d expect. If a team can sign him away from LSU and get him focused on baseball full-time, they could have a beast of a player in time. Unless he’s just made it very clear that he intends to play both baseball and football at LSU regardless of the money, the D-Backs are one team that has the funds to buy him away from LSU. 34) Arizona Diamondbacks: Matthew Lugo (SS, Carlos Beltran Baseball Academy (Puerto Rico)) – This is Carlos Beltran’s nephew. And yes, he works out at his uncle’s baseball academy. Matthew Lugo is an advanced hitter and should go early enough to forego a commitment to Miami. Some think he may be destined for 2nd base defensively, but others think he could stick at shortstop. Compensatory Round A: 35) Miami Marlins: Nasim Nunez (SS, Collins Hill HS (GA)) – If you believe some reports, Marlins high level executives may prefer CJ Abrams to JJ Bleday. They didn’t have that choice in this mock and may not have it in the real draft, but could still have a shot at drafting a toolsy high school shortstop later if they don’t get Abrams. Nasim Nunez won’t offer much in the way of power, but nobody doubts he’s got excellent speed and has the chops to be a great defensive shortstop. 36) Tampa Bay Rays: Seth Johnson (RHP, Campbell) – A failed junior college hitter, Seth Johnson has round out his real potential lies on the mound. He’s a bit of a project as he hasn’t dominated in a Big South conference that’s not known for being the best college baseball has to offer, but he’s someone with raw talent that pitching coaches would love to work with. 37) Pittsburgh Pirates: Brooks Lee (SS, San Luis Obispo HS (CA)) – I think the Pirates will probably take a shortstop at some point in the draft even if they don’t go with one at 18. If Brooks Lee goes this high, he likely won’t make it to Cal Poly to play for his dad. He’s got an above average hit tool and great instincts defensively, which should help him be a solid defender at shortstop or 2nd base. 38) New York Yankees: Kameron Misner (OF, Missouri) – He has all the tools in the world, but Kameron Misner has disappointed in conference play this year. His tools could get him selected quite a bit higher than this, or his struggles could cause him to drop far enough to where he just decides to go back to Mizzou. I think the Yankees would definitely pull the trigger on him here at 38 (or even with their first pick at 30) and see if they could convince him to sign. 39) Minnesota Twins: Kyren Paris (SS, Freedom HS (CA)) – Here’s a second straight up the middle player for the Minnesota Twins. Kyren Paris has a shot of going quite a bit higher than this. He’s got above average speed and should be able to stay at shortstop defensively. We’ll see how much he develops as a hitter, but he won’t turn 18 until November, so he’s very young for this draft class. That could hint at potential untapped upside. 40) Tampa Bay Rays: Hunter Barco (LHP, Bolles School (FL)) – While Barco was recently shut down on the mound, I think I read somewhere that he was cleared to start pitching again. If the Rays want to make a couple big first round signings like Barco and Henderson, they’ll have to probably save in later rounds. 41) Texas Rangers: Blake Walston (LHP, New Hanover HS (NC)) – Some of our mock drafters think the Rangers may want to take a Texas product here, but I’m going against that grain and giving them projectable young lefty Blake Walston. He may not be an easy guy to sign away from NC State, but if the Rangers do go with an under slot guy at 8, that could enable them to save enough money to go for a tougher sign like Walston here. Round 2: 42) Baltimore Orioles: Josh Wolf (RHP, St. Thomas HS (TX)) – Wolf has been moving up draft boards throughout the spring, and he could certainly be off the board sooner than this. Baltimore shouldn’t complain if he’s still around, though. They really need pitching in the worst way possible and he may be the best one available in terms of projection and a reasonable signing bonus. 43) Boston Red Sox: Braden Shewmake (SS, Texas A&M) – No, Xander Bogaerts isn’t going anywhere. This is just a best player available selection and a guy who could sign for a reasonable price, something the Red Sox need to consider since they have the smallest draft bonus pool in 2019. Shewmake hasn’t taken the next step forward after a terrific freshman season, but he has been a consistent high level performer for the Aggies and should be able to play shortstop at the pro level. 44) Kansas City Royals: Kendall Williams (IMG Academy (FL)) – Bad news with Kendall Williams is he may be a tough sign away from a Vanderbilt commitment. Good news for the Royals is they have a 13 million dollar draft pool, so they may have the money to sign him away from that commitment. He’s your prototypical projectable tall high school righty. 45) Chicago White Sox: Davis Wendzel (3B, Baylor) – In the second round, the White Sox go back to the college well that they’ve treasured over the years come draft time. Davis Wendzel is an above average hitter and fielder who should be able to play a number of different spots defensively. 46) Miami Marlins: Noah Song (RHP, Navy) – This is sort of a sticky situation. Noah Song could have a military commitment to fulfill. That could cause him to drop further in the draft than where his talent says he should go. Given how big of a rebuilding job the Marlins have on their hands, patience will be a virtue for them regardless of whether they are able to get the player they draft here immediately or in two years. He may not be facing the strongest competition, but Song posting a 1.44 ERA and 161 strikeouts in 94 innings of work. Impressive. 47) Detroit Tigers: Sammy Siani (OF, Penn Charter HS (PA)) – The younger brother of Reds prospect Mike Siani, Sammy has become a high end prospect in his own right. Sammy also gets higher marks with his hit tool, but lags behind his older brother some in terms of power, speed and fielding ability. 48) San Diego Padres: Jimmy Lewis (RHP, Lake Travis HS (TX)) – With the toolsy shortstops worthy of this pick off the board, the Padres go back to the theory of never being able to have enough quality pitching. A tall, projectable righty, I think being a top 50 pick would be enough to get him out of a commitment to LSU. 49) Cincinnati Reds: Bryce Osmond (RHP, Jenks HS (OK)) – Sticking with pitching, now the Reds go for a high school arm. While Osmond does have some potential as a hitter (which the Reds could fall back on), they’d definitely be taking him for his pitching chops here given the major organizational need for pitching. 50) Texas Rangers: Dasan Brown (OF, Abbey Park HS (Ontario, Canada) - While this may be a round early for Brown, he is a raw and extremely athletic outfielder, which could very much appeal to the Rangers. The speedy centerfield prospect will undoubtedly be able to stick there as a pro. He won’t turn 18 until late September, so he’s pretty young for the draft class. It’s easy to dream on him becoming a prototypical leadoff type hitter. 51) San Francisco Giants: Andrew Dalquiest (RHP, Redondo Union HS (CA)) – Badly needing to upgrade the pitching in their farm system, the Giants stay in the state of California with Andrew Dalquiest, a projectable righty with two above average to plus pitches. In addition to a fastball and curve, he’s also got a slider and changeup in his arsenal. 52) Toronto Blue Jays: Drey Jameson (RHP, Ball State) – Possessing the pure stuff to stick as a starter, there are some people who believe Jameson may be best suited for a bullpen role given his smaller stature. I’d give him a shot at starting, but know I could have a backup plan as a possible late inning reliever. 53) New York Mets: Ethan Small (LHP, Mississippi State) – Two straight college starters it is for the Mets. Ethan Small had Tommy John Surgery that kept him out in 2017, but he’s come back a much better pitcher. Posting an ERA under 2 thus far on the season and already 22, he should be a relatively easy guy to sign who has nothing left to prove at the college level. 54) Minnesota Twins: Ethan Hearn (C, Mobile Christian HS (AL)) – Fangraphs has connected the Twins with high school catcher Ethan Hearn, so I’m rolling with it. I could see them taking Shea Langeliers if he’s available for them at 13, but Hearn could be a solid backup plan in the second round. He’s got some power and a strong throwing arm while he can develop as a hitter and defender. 55) Los Angeles Angels: Spencer Jones (1B/OF/LHP, La Costa Canyon HS (CA)) – If a team drafts Spencer Jones, they’ll have to decide whether they want to deploy him as a hitter or a pitcher. He’s also been out dealing with an injury, so teams will have to weigh what he did over the summer. If he doesn’t go high enough or get enough money, going to Vanderbilt is a strong backup plan. 56) Arizona Diamondbacks: Chase Strumpf (2B, UCLA) – More up the middle help for the D-Backs, who turn to UCLA’s Chase Strumpf here in the middle of the second round. While he should be a passable defender at 2nd base, it’s the bat that will be his calling card as a pro. 57) Pittsburgh Pirates: Cameron Cannon (2B, Arizona) – You can pretty much take the scouting report I gave to Chase Strumpf and apply it here to Cam Cannon. With the last name, it’s sort of disappointing to me that this player doesn’t have a strong throwing arm. But oh well. What can you do? 58) St. Louis Cardinals: Drew Mendoza (3B, Florida State) – Difference between Drew Mendoza and the last two picks are the power is not in question, but the overall hit tool is. Despite that and the swing and miss to his game, he is very willing to work the count and take a walk. Some think he can stick at 3rd base, others think a move to first could be in order. 59) Seattle Mariners: Matt Canterino (RHP, Rice) – Rice hasn’t had the greatest track record for big league pitchers, but Matt Canterino has put together a couple strong seasons and could turn the tide a bit there. Some don’t love his delivery, but he’s made it work both in college and in the Cape Cod League last summer. 60) Atlanta Braves: Rece Hinds (3B, IMG Academy (FL)) – IMG Academy is becoming a stomping ground for the Braves in this mock draft. There isn’t much questioning the power stroke as he’s got some of the best raw power in the class. There are some questions about the overall hit tool and where he’ll play defensively, though. 61) Tampa Bay Rays: Matt Wallner (OF, Southern Miss) – Henderson and Barco could be relatively expensive signings in the first round, so the Rays take a guy in Matt Wallner who doesn’t have much more to prove at the C-USA level at Southern Miss. He’s dominated Conference USA since his first day on campus. Wallner has some very good power. 62) Colorado Rockies: TJ Sikkema (LHP, Missouri) – If you’re doing a mock draft and don’t give the Rockies a pitcher in the first round, you’d be smart to give them one in the second round. The Mizzou lefty dominated all spring long, posting an ERA well under 2. This is a solid value selection for the Blake Street Bombers here with Sikkema at the #62 pick. 63) Cleveland Indians: Yordys Valdes (SS, McArthur HS (FL)) – An excellent defensive shortstop, the team that drafts Yordys Valdes will have to be patient with him as a hitter since his bat lags well behind his defensive abilities. The Indians do like grabbing up the middle talent, so this makes some sense. 64) Chicago Cubs: Isaiah Campbell (RHP, Arkansas) – After an uneventful first few years in college, Isaiah Campbell has put it all together for the Razorbacks in 2019. He’s a pretty solid value play for the Cubs this late into the first day. 65) Milwaukee Brewers: Nick Quintana (3B, Arizona) – A very good defensive 3rd baseman with good raw power, Nick Quintana could make sense to pair with a high school pitcher like JJ Goss. 66) Oakland Athletics: John Doxakis (LHP, Texas A&M) – The profile with Doxaxis is not too dissimilar from Isaiah Campbell, except Doxaxis has proven it for two years instead of one. Plus he’s a lefty while Campbell is a righty. 67) New York Yankees: Tommy Henry (LHP, Michigan) – It’s been a bit of an up and down season for Henry. He pitched well for the Wolverines outside of Big 10 play, but got lit up in conference play like a Christmas tree to the tune of an ERA over six and a half. That said, he could still go late first day/early second day thanks to the dearth of pitching in this draft class. 68) Houston Astros: Cade Doughty (SS, Denham Springs HS (LA)) – Perhaps I’m bored or just liked the pick I made for the Astros in our community mock, which was Cade Doughty. It does sound like high school players who play up the middle could be of interest to the Astros, so maybe they’d grab one like Doughty here if they pass on one with their first pick. He gets plus marks for his hit, speed and throwing arm. Some compare him to a Ben Zobrist type of player. They’d have to likely pay him over slot to sign him away from an LSU commitment. 69) Boston Red Sox: Logan Wyatt (1B, Louisville) – Given their small bonus pool, I figure I can’t go wrong with giving the Red Sox a college hitter like Logan Wyatt here. He could be a Yonder Alonso/Andre Ethier type of player. Compensatory Round B: 70) Kansas City Royals: Ryan Garcia (RHP, UCLA) – Similar to some of the picks the Royals made a year ago, Ryan Garcia doesn’t have the highest upside, but he knows how to pitch and could find a spot in the back of a starting rotation. 71) Baltimore Orioles: Graeme Stinson (LHP, Duke) – At the start of the year, Graeme Stinston was getting hype as a top 5 to 10 draft pick. A rough junior season marred by injury could persuade him to go back to Duke, as teams will now have more questions if he can make it as a starter. But given how desperate they are for high potential arms, the O’s could make a run at him here. 72) Pittsburgh Pirates: Brennan Milone (3B, Woodstock HS (GA)) – Possessing a strong bat, there are some questions about Milone’s future defensive home. Third base or left field may be his best bet. 73) San Diego Padres: Evan Fitterer (RHP, Aliso Niguel HS (CA)) – Another case of I either like the pick I made so much or am bored, I made this exact pick for the Padres in our mock draft. A projectable pitcher who already has some polish, Fitterer could have a higher floor than some high school arms. It may be costly to sign him away from UCLA, but if the Padres save money in subsequent rounds, they may be able to make this work. 74) Arizona Diamondbacks: Hunter Brown (RHP, Wayne State) – Having a strong arm and two above average to plus pitches (fastball/slider), Hunter Brown does give teams something to dream on. A lack of command could eventually relegate him to a bullpen role, where his strong two-pitch mix could play up. 75) Arizona Diamondbacks: Jack Kochanowicz (RHP, Harriton HS (PA)) – A tall, projectable right-handed pitcher, the D-Backs continue to show their draft pool muscle. He’s got two above average to plus offerings in his fastball and curve as well as a changeup that should get better. 76) Seattle Mariners: Erik Miller (LHP, Stanford) – Possessing great size and a plus fastball/slider combo, Erik Miller does have the ingredients to start if he can command his pitches better. If not, that two-pitch mix could make him a great reliever. 77) Colorado Rockies: Jared Southard (RHP, Rouse HS (TX)) – A Texas high school pitcher whose stuff is getting better and could have four or five reasonable or better offerings? Sounds good for the Rockies here. Compensatory Pick: 78) Los Angeles Dodgers: Ryan Jensen (RHP, Fresno State) – thekidfromyesterday brought Ryan Jensen to my attention. Some think he could go quite a bit higher than this. He’s had a strong season for the Bulldogs. Because of that tidbit, I’ll work him into my mock as the very last pick of it.
Where are the best places to go backpacking in the U.S.?
There are literally hundreds of thousands of hiking paths in America; each state has a seemingly infinite range of incredible paths to explore, so you can imagine how hard it is to narrow down a list of the top 10 hikes in the US. For many reasons, the USA is the dream country of a hiker. America is absurdly varied and includes almost every kind of landscape within its boundaries: deserts and hills, rainforests and thousands of kilometers of shoreline. From the Grand Canyon and Hawaii's lava fields to the Rockies, Tetons, Smokies, and Sierras, America's hiking trails bring you across all kinds of terrain and climate. It's no surprise that the trails are hit every year by millions of individuals from the US and around the globe. https://preview.redd.it/a338rnxn6bh31.png?width=598&format=png&auto=webp&s=c1dee5596bbcaf09e02bb9829fe5d29b4d1d2de1 Now, let's understand some of America's finest hikes Each adventure starts with the correct equipment. Frankly, hiking is not so much fun without adequate facilities. If you've ever had a pair of bad hiking shoes or a sleeping bag that doesn't keep you warm, you understand what I'm talking about. It is not only important to own the correct equipment for comfort and fun, but it is also crucial to stay secure in unpredictable weather patterns and hostile natural surroundings. In distant, wild, and possibly harmful settings spread across the nation, the finest hikes in the United States are discovered. For any hiking journey, the first step is to evaluate the equipment you own and what equipment you may need to purchase. We are very enthusiastic about quality backpacking equipment at the Broke Backpacker. Our team has been testing and reviewing the market's top outdoor devices for numerous hours. Below is a series of equipment reviews that will bring you in contact with all you need to have a successful (and secure!) hiking adventure. Best Hiking Trails in the United States: Find Your 2019 Adventure
California's Lost Coast Trail
https://preview.redd.it/jj6tjirv6bh31.png?width=596&format=png&auto=webp&s=ac3bb084ccc9de4f7e9d448c24b86c430f597cc5 Length: 24.6 miles (39.6 km) Days: 3-4 Best time to hike: All year, Fall is best. Northern California's Lost Coast Trail is often overlooked. Why? Well, it's kind of lost. Logging companies attempted to construct a highway here and failed to do so. Instead, Highway 1 cuts into the windy coastal mountains and redwood forests inland from the coast. Lost Coast has even been heard by few individuals. Fun fact: This portion of the shoreline from Northern Mendocino to Humboldt County is the biggest undeveloped coastline outside of Alaska in the United States! Either direction (north-south or vice-versa) from Mattole Beach or Black Sands Beach close Shelter Cove can be walked on this nearly 25-mile walk. The southern segment of the Lost Coast Trail goes to Usal Beach about 30 + miles north of Black Sands Beach for those interested in an even longer walk. However, most individuals tend to adhere to the northern section. The path along the Lost Coast winds its way along barren, misty beach and forest stretches. The tide schedule has to be factored into the hike and bear-proof canisters are advised to be carried by hikers. A misjudgment may literally imply the end for you in the tide timetable. At high tide, there are a few miles of the path that is impassable, so do your studies. Due to its distinctive and remote place in a state of nearly 40 million individuals, this hike is one of the finest hikes in the USA. Here I enjoy it!
Tonto Trail, Arizona (National Park of the Grand Canyon)
https://preview.redd.it/zt2rv2567bh31.png?width=600&format=png&auto=webp&s=830de4811cd1a4e1602b59611aa7d8684c306924 Length: 70 miles (113 km) Days: 4-6 Best time to hike: Spring, Fall, Winter (avoid July and August, you will melt.) The Tonto Trail is an amazing multi-day trek to make that dream a reality for those who really want to experience the Grand Canyon from within the Canyon itself. Officially categorized as a South Rim Hike, the Tonto Trail goes from Garnet to Red Canyon. Water, particularly in summer, can be a problem on the Tonto. Appropriate sources of water include Hermit Creek, Monument Creek, and Garden Creek — but remember (very important!) that you MUST filter or treat water as it may be loaded with heavy metals / unpleasant bacteria. Back country campsites along this path must be reserved with the Backcountry Rangers Office through a wilderness license. Enjoy amazing views of the Colorado River and huge red rock canyons ' infinite ocean!
California Trans-Catalina Trail
https://preview.redd.it/mzxfc3em7bh31.png?width=595&format=png&auto=webp&s=2a28cd0541c0b0b019dd362442f116c2d709b4fa Length: 38.7 miles (62. km) Days: 3-5 Best time to hike: All year, (Summer is HOT AF) I wouldn't usually reach Southern California with a 10-foot pole for the finest hiking paths in the U.S. list (ok, Joshua Tree is great and some other places are also great). That said, it is worth knowing about the Trans-Catalina path. Catalina Island is about 22 miles south of the mainland and couldn't be any distinct from Southern California's mainland. Well, at least the island's rough interior is a world away from So-Cal traffic / people-ridden. The hiking can be intense as it is pretty exposed throughout the whole route. I'm not recommending to tackle this summer hike. In August, I did it, and it was really a poor choice. I felt like I was melting and on several occasions I likely approached the heat stroke. Simultaneously, I had my life spotting buffalo, camping on hidden beaches, and soaking in the spectacular landscapes of the desert island. You can really walk your own pace on this hike. If you tend to be a slower hiker or walk it in the summer heat, consider completing the hike for 4 days.
Katahdin Mountain, Maine
https://preview.redd.it/423zeslv7bh31.png?width=597&format=png&auto=webp&s=e4fb998604d92ba0f8cb6aee860484be2744898e Length: 2.4-9 miles (depending on where you start/end) Days: 1 (8-12 hours) Best time to hike: Summer Mount Katahdin is the iconic peak where thru-hikers start or end their epic voyage on the Appalachian Trail. The Katahdin hike may not be very distant, but as you can see from the time-on-trail–8-12 hours–it's a hard nut to crack. However, the juice is worth the squeeze; a Katahdin ascent provides sweeping opinions from the state of Maine's highest mountain in all directions. The path in locations along the so-called Knife's Edge path is mercilessly steep and slow. The hike is an absolute pleasure with the correct level of fitness, rewarded by the epic landscapes discovered at the top.
Coast of Kalalau / Napali, Hawaii
https://preview.redd.it/t48qmwc28bh31.png?width=594&format=png&auto=webp&s=c76831c3af9fa679dedbb772fe6eeb1d601811ee Length: 22 miles (35.4 km) Days: 2-3 Best time to hike: All year I'm not the first to dub one of the finest hikes in the US on the Kalalau Trail. The Napali Coast on Kauai's Hawaiian island is one of the most amazing sites on Earth. Out of Jurassic Park and Avatar, the landscapes look like something (oh wait, they've been filmed here!). The Kalalau Trail has amazing beach scenes, waterfall swimming possibilities, rivers— all framed in the background by the hills. This path is rough, remote, and some sophisticated planning is required. It is necessary to apply for camping licenses for months in advance. Rainstorms can suddenly come with a flash's intensity. When mellow creeks turned into raging torrents, hikers were swept away. The Kalalau Trail can be performed as a day hike to Hanakapi'ai waterfall, but you should tackle the entire trail to really get the essence of what the Napali Coast is about. Come ready and leave with lifetime memories.
Arizona's Wave
https://preview.redd.it/ewkhj5w98bh31.png?width=591&format=png&auto=webp&s=7236e3a7955c0d57384cd71c868e2aec446880a1 Length: 5.2 miles (8.3 km) Days: 1 (2-4 hours) Best time to hike: All year Instagram might have made The Wave even more famous than it was before. True. But this magical swirling red sandstone landscape is not to be missed in the Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. But... wait for it... the Land Management Bureau limits foot traffic to 20 people / day due to the site's overwhelming popularity. Yup. 20. You're going to need a lucky stroke to get the license, but if / when you do it, you can be sure you're perhaps the best desert day-hike in the United States about the tackle. Pack plenty of water as there's no one on the path accessible.
Lake Cracker, Montana (National Glacier Park)
https://preview.redd.it/0rnzil5g8bh31.png?width=594&format=png&auto=webp&s=4d84d1ad9f31eef88b15aac95b4e9de2e3a071bf Length: 12.6 miles (20 km) Days: 1-2 days Best time to hike: Summer Glacier National Park is so lovely that it was really difficult for me to cover just one walk from this park on my list of "best hikes in the USA." The landscape is dramatic and the crowds are not as abundant from such a lovely national park as you would expect. The hike to Cracker Lake can be made as an intense day walk or as a pleasant overnight stay. I suggest this last one. Trust me, the last thing you want to do when you come here is turn around and leave. Glacier National Park stays quite cold for most of the year due to its northern place. I can't believe of a better location to be on a good, clear summer day.
South Climb of Mount Adams, Washington
https://preview.redd.it/34f96vjm8bh31.png?width=594&format=png&auto=webp&s=b4bd0b32b4e6f48f4b192954942a88904b9c7fb4 Length: 11.2 miles (18 km) Days: 1-2 days Best time to hike: May-September The hike up Mount Adams is one of America's greatest hikes for its genre, as far as medium-difficulty mountain summits go. The hillsides explode in a colorful wildflowers ocean in the summer. Snow stays on the summit throughout the year, and many hikers choose to ski down the mountain (or more closely to the end of the snowline). You should understand that because of its accessibility and relative ease, this path is popular. You shouldn't try the Mount Adams trek in anything but good weather. Although the path is simple and I dare to say, obvious, hikers get lost every year and end up in severe or worse danger.
The Peak of Long, Colorado
https://preview.redd.it/na04le6u8bh31.png?width=595&format=png&auto=webp&s=cc46833dccf5ef9e68accfb6c510b5a1194d36d6 Length: 15 miles (24.1 km) Days: 1 (12-14 hours) Best time to hike: May-October The Colorado Long's Peak is one of the most remarkable 14,000-foot peaks that can be climbed by the state. The hike is as hard as it is rewarding. Most hikers take out when it's still dark in the wee hours of the morning. You can catch the sunrise above the tree line and also offer yourself plenty of moment before sunset to finish the trip. The Long's peak hike climbs more than 5,000 feet through the conventional Keyhole path. Half the individuals who try to reach the peak of Long do not reach the summit. Why? The simple response is it's not simple. A late start is another factor contributing to a failed summit bid. If you start at 10 am, don't expect to finish this end-to-end hike. Give yourself plenty of time and deliver plenty of actual food, snacks, and water. You should crush it if you set yourself up for achievement.
The Narrows, Utah (National Park of Zion)
https://preview.redd.it/iq3rzcr59bh31.png?width=601&format=png&auto=webp&s=acd36f931b7493e28beaca78ddf3087ccc1c2fff Length: 5-16 miles (depending on the route) Days: 1 (5-10 hours)/2 days Best time to hike: May-October The Narrows in Zion National Park, Utah is not just one of America's finest hikes, but one of the world's finest slot canyon hikes. Few other locations on earth give the chance to descend into a canyon to gawk at the eroded rock walls of 18 million years. The Narrows relates to two hikes, both the bottom-up hike of 3.6 miles (5.8 km) from Sinawava Temple to Big Springs, as well as the top-down hike of 16 miles (26 km) from Chamberlain's Ranch back to Sinawava Temple (for which we suggest bringing a backpacking tent and making it an overnight stay). I suggest tackling the bottom-up hike for one of the best day-hikes in your life. Hiking takes place mainly in the river as the river runs canyon wall to canyon wall for a third of the path. Water concentrations are changing from season to season; most hikers are going to wade at least waist-deep and a few brief segments are going to swim. Flash flood hazard is a very severe threat to consider when walking the Narrows, and generally hiking slot canyons. If there's rain in the forecast, stay out the hell! But set off and appreciate the truly amazing landscapes in stable weather conditions. Books to read about America's Best Hikes Get to understand in more detail some of America's lovely landscapes and hikes through some of these wonderful readings: The Bible Backpacker— Learn how to dissect your desk and travel around the globe on just $10 a day while building internet revenue. Our National Parks— the classic collection of marvelous drawings and descriptions of America's domestic parks by John Muir. From a wonderful view, a very significant book told. California Mountains— the comprehensive account of John Muir's traveling experiences through California's domestic parks (before they were domestic parks). My First Summer in the Sierra — John Muir's other significant novel. My First Summer in the Sierra is Muir's account of his adventures and observations while working in the Yosemite Valley as a shepherd, who later became Yosemite National Park as a direct consequence of Muir's writings and activism. I enjoy John Muir really, all right. Desert Solitaire — Edward Abbey's very touching autobiographical work, regarded the American West's Thoreau and his passion for the desert of the Southwest. The book details the author's distinctive adventures and disputes, from coping with the harm caused by land development and excessive tourism to finding a dead body... Wild — Cheryl Strayed's PCT trip transformed the now-famous tale into a film. Alone on the Wall — Alone on the Wall recounts Alex Honnold's extraordinary life and career's seven most amazing achievements, brimming with lessons of fearless living, taking risks, and keeping focus even in the face of extreme danger. For anyone who enjoys climbing rock and adventure sports, a must-read. Appalachian Trail Guidebook (North Bound) — All you need to understand, including section-by-section breakdowns, to prepare and hike the AT.
In case you haven’t noticed, this area of Arizona is perfect for finding slot canyons! This one is also less popular than Antelope Canyon but also longer so it is definitely worth the effort to find. Trail information: Access to the canyon is located on the Navajo Nation and will require a permit prior to access. Upper Antelope Canyon, also known as Tsé bighánílíní — “the place where water runs through rocks”, is typically the most crowded of the slot canyons near Page, Arizona for a number of reasons. For one, this canyon has the largest caverns, meaning that it can accommodate even the largest of tour groups. Additionally, the entire canyon is at ground level, so no climbing is involved to get to or through the canyon. This makes it accessible to just about everyone. You won’t have any ... Antelope Canyon is the most popular slot canyon in Arizona. You can visit either Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon but make sure you purchase your tickets months in advance as they do sell out at this popular attraction. Upper Antelope Canyon is easier to access as there are no stairs. Slot canyons are like nature’s best-kept secret that so rare and exquisite mother nature took millions of years to architect it. These canyons are so beautiful and surreal that it is hard to believe that these are natural and real. A slender canyon formed by the erosion due to water hitting the rock is known as a slot canyon. These are mostly composed in sandstone and limestone rock, but ... 10 Amazing Slot Canyons to Explore 1. Antelope Canyon. Arguably the most beautiful slot canyon on this list, this is also the most popular. Located on Navajo lands, this slot canyon can only be visited on a tour. Two different slot canyons make up Antelope Canyon and both offer very different experiences. These pages describe slot canyons and other narrow gorges of the Southwest, mostly within the Colorado Plateau of north Arizona and south Utah. All canyons listed are explorable by hiking, scrambling and limited climbing, ie without need for rappelling or any equipment. Some technical canyons are included if a reasonable amount can be seen in this way. All may be visited on day trips, and with ... Arizona is often known for its sunny weather and beautiful desert but there are many more topographical features to love about the 48th state. Arizona is home to dozens of canyons and here are five to enjoy this summer: 1. Antelope Canyon. Antelope Canyon is one of the most photographed slot canyons in the world. Located technically on the Navajo Reservation just southeast of Page, Arizona, Lower Antelope Canyon is the most popular slot canyon on our list. Because this slot canyon is located on and managed by the Navajo Reservation, permits and a guide are required. While that does sound scary and a hassle, it really isn’t. Upper Antelope Canyon is the easiest Arizona slot canyon to maneuver. After paying a hiking and permit fee (around $21 on our last visit), a truck takes visitors from the starting point off Highway 89 near Page, Arizona, to the canyon’s opening. Access is via a level, sandy path—no stairs or climbing involved. Top of the list of our favorite slot canyons in Arizona is the spooky and spectacular Buckskin Gulch located just west of Page, Arizona on the border of Arizona and Utah. As the longest slot canyon in the world, Buckskin Gulch offers over 30 miles of twists, turns, and narrow passageways.
Antelope Canyon is the most photographed slot canyon in the world. It is located on Navajo land near Page, Arizona, and managed by Lake Powell Navajo Tribal ... Upper Antelope Canyon, Lower Antelope Canyon, Canyon X, and Secret Canyon The video kicks in around 2 min. www.WildFireAdventures.comArizona 2 Upper Slot Canyons & the drive from Scottsdale to Page Az. It is worth your time to visit the lesser known slot canyons of Arizona.This video contains photos taken at Canyon-X Slot Canyon and Horseshoe Bend Slot Cany... Secret Canyon AKA Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon outside Page, Arizona. So beautiful! Thank you to Horseshoe Bend Slot Canyon Tours for the tour and music and Na... We all know Joel McHale as the often clever, always snarky comedian from "Community" and "Talk Soup," but he's also an avid adventurer and extreme athlete. J... The Top Ten Amazing Slot Canyons Around the World 10-Oneonta Gorge Canyon,Oregon, United States 09-The Colored Canyon, Sinai,Egypt 08-Spooky Gulch, Utah, Uni... The Navajo are opening up a new major slot canyon to the world – Cardiac Canyon, near Page Arizona. They hired Frank Lee Ruggles to photograph it and we were... Great weather, great friends and awesome scenery. We traveled 180 miles round trip from Lake Havasu City, Arizona to Alamo Lake where there are some beautifu...