Mountain Side Gear Rental: Camping Equipment Rentals Delivered to YOU

Mountain Side Gear Rental

I'm in the midst of planning a West Coast adventure trip. The fun will start at a close friend's wedding outside San Francisco and continue with a road/plane trip with another friend coming in from Barcelona, Spain, to explore the vineyards in Sonoma and cities like Las Vegas. The highlight: a camping adventure inside the Grand Canyon. One of the greatest obstacles though, until now, was figuring out how we would pull of our camping outing. We couldn't possibly smuggle all the necessary gear on the different planes we are taking to California from NYC and Barcelona respectively. And with airlines now charging for checked luggage, we needed a smart solution. I searched online for camping rental shops near the Grand Canyon and was about to give up, when I stumbled upon a forum, where a woman mentioned Mountain Side Gear Rental. 

What do they do? Rent camping and backpacking equipment, everything from tents to cooking sets. 

Goosepimp: Boston Funkliciousness April 16th at Vassar College's The Mug

Goosepimp  

Goosepimp Orchestra, an 8-member music group from Boston is not involved in waterbird prostitution (as the name might imply), but works to make music that combines different styles, resulting in the creation of a Goosepimp, or "superbeing." GPO will bring their unique brand of funk, Latin and psychedelic-liciousness to the stage at The Mug (or Matthew's Mug) at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY this weekend. I caught up with GPO founding fathers Michael Cantor and Bob Greel, who note Charles Mingus, Pantera, Sly and the Family Stone and the Buena Vista Social Club as musical favorites and influences, a couple days before the show. 

David Sedaris: He had me at "Haven't we met before?"

How Sedaris signed a copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day for a friend.

"Haven't we met before?"


"No, this is my first time," I giggled. 


And that is how my meeting with David Sedaris began at his book signing post-reading at Proctors in Schenectady, NY (he is currently touring the US and then will be in the UK from May on). I had braved the 2 + hour drive up from Pawling, NY, a drive that was pretty spectacular (rolling NY hills, a random white Buddha head sculpture on one of them in near a place called Austerlitz) and boring. 

Wanderlust Revelation: Rockstar Storyteller on Tour (worldwide)

My copy of Sedari's When You Are Engulfed in Flames, signed thanks to my friend Sara

David Sedaris, a modern storyteller of rockstar status (as he sells out venues across the country) kicks off the Canada and US legs of his world tour tomorrow, March 29th. The self-effacing, sardonic storyteller who is a master manipulator of bon mots, has a huge following throughout the world, with people postings themselves reading his words on YouTube, to which I can only utter: wow! 

Wanderlust Revelation: Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (NY)

 Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

From March 14-27, enjoy three-course lunches at popular Hudson Valley eateries for $20 and dinners at $28 (tips not included).

Modeling itself after NYC's Restaurant Week, the 5th edition of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week highlights locales on the stretch of farmland, wineries and suburbs that flanks the Hudson River crawling up the state of NY from Manhattan. Simply look over the list of 100+ HV eateries (read over the special details column as some places have surcharges or will not have special pricing during the weekend), make a reservation for a date that falls within the specially priced two weeks (via Internet or phone) and enjoy. 

Wanderlust Revelation: Auto-Tune Antidote: Musician Dan Lavoie Performing March 14 (NYC)

To The Waters Edge Cover (RAD Graphic)

What's happened in the music world? Since when are tone deaf, reality TV housewives, suped up by auto-tune and backed by mega-marketing machines our era's music popstars? I'm not completely against auto-tune, it does have its place: in karaoke bars or to help the musically challenged win a round of SingStar. But, what happened to honest, pure music and the uniqueness of that, with all the cheesy, cliched things that come along with witnessing it: chills, hairs standing on end?

Wanderlust Revelation: Bang Bang Boogaloo Label Launch Party March 8, 2011 (NYC)

 Bang Bang Boogaloo

It's been my experience that 90% of the time 'Boogaloo' is used in the title of an event, it is a sign of a guaranteed good time.

I got the tip-off on Bang Bang Boogaloo's Label Launch party happening Tuesday, March 8, 2011 from another blogger, Vivian Kelly, of the Fashion Examiner, who is not only hip to what is happening with factions of fashion, but is clued into many cool cultural city happenings. Unfamiliar with the Bang Bang Boogaloo crew (an NYC record label/blog dedicated to authentic music and specializing in digital compilations of relevant artists), I emailed my personal music guru (a dynamite DJ, who puts on fantastic funk/soul and boogaloo -there it is again, that magical, fun workout word for your mouth muscles- sets every Friday in Barcelona, Spain under the heading 'Friday Nite Funk Fry') and while he wasn't familiar with the BBB either, he did say it "sounds like some white boy blues thang... could be fun."