Posted in Photos by Jesus Tirso
So, here are some of my “visions” from day one – a rather short one. My flight was delayed a bit, then the logistics of getting added to the car rental agreement, lunch, and such. While I navigated, Chris did a good job of staying on the right side of the road – a good thing as the left side was nothing but sheer cliff!
We started off at Sky Harbor Airport (where else?), drove the Apache Trail, and wound up in Globe, AZ. That’s where this is being written from. Actual photos next – Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in News by Chris Mann
Globe AZ of course… after our intrepid journey through the Superstition Mountains along the Apache Trail, past Canyon Lake, over Fish Creek and past Roosevelt Lake and the Roosevelt Dam, we are now making a well-earned overnight stop in Globe, Arizona, a town that seems mainly to consist of cheap motels, burger places and used car lots.
It may look nicer in daylight. 
Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Madness, News by Chris Mann
Well, the first half does at least! I just arrived at my hotel in Phoenix, having flown from Providenciales to Miami this morning and then from Miami to Phoenix this evening.
The MIA-PHX flight was delayed by 40 minutes but landed only 15 minutes late so that was no big deal.
Slightly more interesting was the discovery that the Hilton Garden Inn had no record of my reservation (made through Expedia.co.uk), and the hotel was full…. Fortunately they found me a room but I will have to call Expedia and get a refund when I return home.
We have a Jeep (not a Similar!) so we are all set – I will be collecting Mr T. from PHX at 11.30 tomorrow and then the UHRT can start in earnest!
Posted in General by Chris Mann
No doubt many of the visitors to this blog will be fellow photographers – let’s face it, nobody else has enough free time to read this stuff 
– so I feel I should give you all a complete geeky technical rundown of the camera gear I will be using on the UnHipRoadTrip.
In all fairness I should warn those of you that might be of a nervous disposition that in keeping with the spirit of the event I will be using gear that is Extremely UnHip. Read on if you dare… Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in General by Jesus Tirso
We have a route. We have TWO GPS devices (just hope they don’t give us conflicting directions!) We have advice from a good friend…and we have a book!
Yep, our good friend Tammy Warnock (check out her website) and her husband Michael have offered us great guidance as they are very familiar with that part of the country. So, if it’s a success, it’s thanks to them!
I also found a book on my bookshelf that I had forgotten about. Laurent Martres’ Photographing the Southwest – Volume 2: A guide to the natural landmarks of Arizona will be our “print” guide.
Now, aside from that I’m just hoping Chris keeps the car on the RIGHT side of the road!
Posted in Madness by Chris Mann
Actually we don’t have any. Sponsors that is. Not for want of trying – Jésus has been out at all hours tramping the streets of Houston with his begging bowl and pack of brochures – but to no avail.
So we had to invent some.
You may feel they are suspiciously similar to certain real organizations or companies, but that is merely an illusion, I assure you. This blog and the UnHipRoadTrip itself are entirely paid for by private donations (i.e. us).
Maybe we can get a bail-out from Chrysler for driving one of their Similars…
Posted in General by Chris Mann
So I have successfully negotiated the minefield of vehicle rental and obtained the use of a Jeep Liberty for the UnHipRoadTrip.
And it’s a big thank you Dollar Car Rentals for offering the best deal and also having the same kind of SUV that I drive at home, which is reassuring. I always find getting into a rental car a bit disconcerting as the controls are always reversed from my own car, so I start by putting the ashtray into reverse gear and lighting up the road ahead with the windshield wipers.
Actually, the rental details say the vehicle is a “Jeep Liberty or Similar” – I hope I don’t end up driving a Similar as I’ve had bad experiences with them in the past. I think Similars are made in one of those factories that used to turn out tanks for the Red Army – the view of the road ahead is through a narrow slit and you turn left or right by pulling on a lever and having your passenger lean out of the appropriate rear window.
We shall see. Maybe the 2008 model year Similars have had a facelift and an engine and gearbox licensed from Volkswagen – so perhaps I shall be pleasantly surprised…
Posted in Random Thoughts by Chris Mann
I expect plans will change, but the official intended route is now available for your perusal – click the big button marked “The Route” up above…
Jésus is navigating since he figured out the route and so I can blame him if we wind up stranded in some canyon in the hills buried under a snowdrift.
I’m sure it won’t come to that…. we will have GPS. And if I see penguins I will do a U-turn and ask for directions.
Posted in General by Chris Mann
It’s all going awfully well.
We think we have a route (well, Mr. T does, at least – I have no clue), and we almost have a vehicle. We’ll be travelling in style (I hope) in some kind of SUV so that we can make intrepid detours off the highways into uncharted territory…
You would think that figuring out vehicle rental would be simple, but no.
There are different rates depending on whether you rent from a concession at the airport, or elsewhere in town, which means I’ve been calculating whether it’s better to stay somewhere near the airport so I don’t need a car to get to and from the first and last hotels of the trip, or rent at the airport and drive further out of town to somewhere cheaper.
Plus there are deals on websites like Expedia, and discount codes to try. Plus you have to figure out if taxes are included or not.
So far I have six sheets of paper covered in notes….
But fear not – we will have wheels – hiking is not an option!
Posted in General by Chris Mann
Thanks for visiting! This site is all about a road trip – you probably guessed that from the title – which my friend and photographer colleague Jesus Tirso and I will be making in January 2009 in Arizona.
You can read more about who we are and where we’re located on the “About us” page – but the short version is that we are both moderators on the Digital Wedding Forum, an internet forum for wedding and portrait photographers, and decided to take a trip around Arizona for a few days before attending the DWF annual convention, which is happening in Phoenix AZ in January 2009.
That’s it really – no other reason for doing it – we’re going to drive around, see the country, shoot some photos and video, and generally have a good time.
Oh and why is it an “unhip” road trip? Well mainly because neither of us are young cool kids any more – if we ever were! So don’t expect any skateboarding videos or bungee-jumping into the Grand Canyon from us – just (hopefully) some nice images and a story or two along the way…
