7fff – think max value

import org.jruby.Ruby;
import org.jruby.RubyRuntimeAdapter;
import org.jruby.javasupport.JavaEmbedUtils;
import org.jruby.RubyInstanceConfig;
import org.jruby.CompatVersion;

import java.util.ArrayList;

public class JRubyEmbedded {
  public static void main(String[] args) {
    RubyInstanceConfig ric = new RubyInstanceConfig();
    ric.setCompatVersion(CompatVersion.RUBY1_9);
    Ruby ruby = JavaEmbedUtils.initialize(new ArrayList(), ric);
    RubyRuntimeAdapter rra = JavaEmbedUtils.newRuntimeAdapter();

    System.out.println(rra.eval(ruby, "\"Ruby #{RUBY_VERSION}\""));

    JavaEmbedUtils.terminate(ruby);
  }
}

Evening of Day 4: St. Mary Lodge and Resort, St. Mary, Montana (near Glacier National Park)

After our tour of the Going-to-the-Sun Road on June 30, 2009, we went to the St. Mary Lodge and Resort in St. Mary, Montana. Calling this place a “Lodge and Resort” is a misnomer. It’s really just a multi-room hotel with some cabins, a store, a gas station, a decent restaurant, a gift shop, all surrounded by blacktop parking. (What you can’t see from this picture of their cabins is that these buildings are right on the road, and it’s a pretty busy one.)

We had a decent meal at the lodge’s restaurant. I had whitefish supposedly fished from the nearby St. Mary’s lake, and Julie had elk medallions. The wine was pretty bad, as was the service. And it was damn expensive, but I guess that’s to be expected given how far we were from normal distribution circuits.

In addition, they have teepees (oops, I should be more politically-correct: tipis). There were seven or eight of them. Each one is quite large, perhaps 20 feet tall, and large enough to accommodate two queen-sized beds, a couch, and a table. There is no power in the tipi, so you are issued a battery-powered lantern. You also get a key to a small building next to your tipi that has a shower/hot-tub, toilet, sinks, and power.

Upon being told the number of our tipi (#2), we walked across the street to take a look. On examination of the tipis, they seemed to be made by a company from British Columbia. They were made of very heavy fabric, that was, I think, decoratively painted (from the inside, you could see something like brush-strokes). The poles were sturdily planted into the ground with industrial-strength fittings. Looking closely at this particular tipi, a lot was off. For one thing, the flap on the front had no means to secure it. There was a pole on the ground that was (from looking at the other tipis) supposed to be in place to hold open the top of the tipi. This particular tipi was also right off of the road. People would stop their cars and take a look inside. In general, it seemed kind of lousy, and made me kind of nervous: With that proximity to the road, there would be noise, as well as the possible intrusion from nosy passers-by. So we asked for a tipi change.

The new tipi (#3) had a flap that could be secured, as well as all of its poles in the right place, and it was off the road. Better.

The tipis are not particularly air-tight; there was a noticeable gap at the bottom between the bottom edge of the tipi fabric and the ground. Julie and Caroline are very tasty for mosquitoes (I’m not, for whatever reason), so the whole thing seemed like kind of a bad idea to me. Also, here we are briefly in “civilization,” and . . . no wifi in the tipi? Plus, the cost was by far the most expensive option at the Lodge.

Having said all that, it was pretty neat on the side (see the pictures below). After the pictures, though, I have a bit of a tale to tell.

After getting settled for bed, we fell asleep. At about 1:30 AM, I woke up with a start. Outside I could hear a huge wind bearing down from over the mountain. What’s more, the poles were rattling, and you could sense that the entire tipi was being significantly stressed by the wind. A lot of nightmare scenarios floated through my mind, mostly along the lines of “how could I put my six-year old in a fragile structure in the wilds of Montana?” I stepped outside the tipi, and the night sky was illuminated by a nearly-full moon. Clouds had set in, which was too bad because I had wanted to see the starry sky without the light pollution. I could see that the clouds were being blown rapidly by the wind. I would guess that the gusts were at maybe 35 mph: It really seemed like too much for the tipi. I woke up Julie and we wondered if we should ask to be transferred to the “Lodge.” We talked for awhile, but didn’t come to a decision. Julie fell back asleep. I stayed awake, staring at the top of the tipi, wondering when the whole thing would come crashing down. While I was lying there frozen with fears, I could hear people from the neighboring tipis partying noisily at the outdoor jacuzzi — who were these people? Eventually I, too, fell asleep. Julie tells me that she woke up again at 3:30 AM, and heard the rattling and crazy winds all over again.

Meanwhile, Caroline slept through the whole thing.

The upshot of this is that I wouldn’t recommend the tipis. They are too exposed to the elements (if not to passers-by); when you’ve had a long road trip, I think you need a quiet locked room and the amenities of a real hotel.

Day 4 (Tues., 30-June-2009): Going-to-the-Sun Road

It sure was nice to sleep in a stationary bed! We got up and went down to the restaurant in the Glacier Lodge, and had a buffet-style meal. We ate a lot because we thought we might skip lunch. The breakfast at Glacier Lodge wasn’t very special, but it was filling, and they had cereal for Caroline.

The main event of the day was the Going-to-the-Sun Road. The road was completed in the early 30s. Vehicle lengths are restricted to 21 feet. If you ever drive the road, you may recognize it from the movies: Among other shots, it is used at the start of “The Shining.”

When planning our trip, we had read that the road at Logan’s Pass still had 70 feet of snow on it, and even after snow removal there might be road work that would prevent people from using the road. But as it turned out, it had just been cleared. If you get to Glacier on July 1 or later, you can take a shuttle bus for the Going-to-the-Sun Road, which I think I would recommend; but we drove. Another way to do it is to pay for a tour in a so-called “jammer” tour bus, which are also from the 30s, and have been recently retrofitted to run on propane. Some parts were fairly hair-raising, but it was really no worse than other mountain driving I’ve done.

Along the way there are a number of places to park and walk around. At one stop, we saw a fine mountain goat.

At another, we took a short one mile hike (round trip) through a glade of cedar and hemlock trees.

I was able to use the macro lens on my digital camera to get some shots of some flowers.

Also in this same glade, there were opportunities to peer down into a pristine gorge, filled with water from the glacier runoff.

Caroline was a good sport on this part of the trip, though of course she got tired while walking, and also took some key naps during the drive.

Day 2 (Sun., 28-June-2009): Chicago to the Dakotas on the Empire Builder

In our last installment, recall that we went to bed on board the Lake Shore Limited expecting to arrive in Chicago at around 9:45 AM. And we did.

As sleeping car ticket holders for the Empire Builder, we were allowed to use the Metropolitan Lounge at the Chicago Amtrak Station. This is no big honor, because there are many overnight trains that depart from Chicago. Still, it was nice to have a resting spot where we could check our bags. Our train wasn’t to leave until 2:15 PM, which gave us plenty of time to roam around the Loop. We checked out the Sears Tower, which was closed due to wind (or so they said . . .)

We walked over to Millennium Park and looked at the fountains and at Anish Kapoor’s “Cloud Gate.” Why doesn’t Boston have any world-class outdoor art spot right downtown?

As luck would have it, on arrival we discovered that it was the first day of Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. This isn’t like a “Taste of Cambridge,” which is an outdoor (and expensive) event catered by the finer restaurants in town; this is an outdoor munch fest hosted by the fried and fat segment of Chicago’s fooderies. Caroline and Julie split a nice waffle, and I ate potato- and saurkraut-filled pirogies, which were delightful. Oh, and then some ice cream. After all that, we were tired and went back to the station.

Sleeper car ticket holders were called to the front of the lounge to meet with the conductor. Julie was told that we didn’t have a train! Uh oh. There was much concern among the passengers-to-be, but in the end we left right on time.

We got on our train and proceeded to a “family room.” This is a sleeper with four beds, one of them wide enough for two skinny parents to cohabitate. We picked it for the extra room, though a downside was that it didn’t have its own bathroom — the shower was done the hall. In general, the sleeper seemed newer, cleaner, and not dingy. One thing, however: The cars on the Empire Builder are “Superliners,” and have two levels on each car. Because of this, the headroom is somewhat limited. It’s not much of an issue for standing in the sleeper, but if you’re sleeping in the top bunk, it’s a bit like being in a coffin. Claustrophobes beware.

Once on the train we proceeded through Wisconsin. There was a “Rails and Trails” guide on board in the lounge car (observation car) to provide geographical and anthropological points of interest regarding the people from America’s Dairyland.

But for the most part, it a flat and green Midwest to behold, with which I am much familiar. I thought I had gotten some pics of the Wisconsin Dells, but apparently not; maybe they’re on Julie’s camera.

After settling down in our sleeper, we made reservations for the dining car. We were only 3, and one may be seated with strangers to fill out the full table of 4. I ordered catfish; Julie ordered lamb shank; and Caroline had penne with meatballs. It was pretty good!

There was also a half-bottle of some mediocre wine; more about train wine in the post for Day 3.

After dinner there was more window-gazing at dairy country, which lulled us into a sleepy state, and back to the sleeping car.

I woke up at around 10:30 PM because I wanted to observe the entry into St. Paul, where I had gone to high school. At this time of night, the lounge car was pretty deserted. I was still a bit buzzed from dinner so I grabbed a root beer and went up to watch. I got out my iPhone and observed the approach with Google Maps and the built-in GPS. To my surprise, the tracks into St. Paul go right below Linwood Park:

View Larger Map

When I played Little League at Linwood and was waiting to bat, I would surreptitiously walk over to the fence on the edge of the park, and look down at the tracks (perhaps some 50 feet below and 100 yards distant). Frequently a freight train would go by, and I would count the cars and think about hopping a train so as to “light out for the Territory,” if you know what I mean.

Now I was on those very tracks, looking up into the dark as Linwood passed by.

After that, the approach to Midway Station was uneventful; I did see the Cathedral of St. Paul, but not much else of great notice. Weary, I went back to the sleeper, to dream of lighting out for the Territory . . .

Train to Oregon via Glacier National Park: Itinerary

Here’s our itinerary for those who’d like to follow along:

Saturday June 27:
Leave Boston 11:55 a.m.

Sunday June 28:
Arrive Chicago 9:45 a.m.
Leave Chicago 2:15 p.m.

Monday June 29:
Arrive East Glacier Park 6:45 p.m.
Pick up rental car 7:30 p.m.
Night at Glacier Park Lodge

Tuesday June 30:
Drive around Glacier Park
Night at St. Mary’s Lodge (in a Teepee!!)

Wednesday July 1:
Drive around Waterton Park
Leave East Glacier Park 6:45 p.m.

Thursday July 2:
Arrive Portland 10:10 a.m.
Night at Nine’s Hotel

Friday July 3:
Leave Portland 4:45 p.m.

Sunday July 5:
Arrive Chicago 3:55 p.m.
Leave Chicago 9:00 p.m.

Monday July 6:
Arrive Boston 9:10 p.m.

Trip on the Empire Builder: What I’m Taking

So I’ve just finished the majority of my packing for the big train trip, and here’s what I’m taking:

• Change of clothes for 4 days (we should be able to wash our clothes in Glacier National Park).
• Nice pair of pants and a shirt so we can go out to something more than casual if need be.
• A sweater. I’m not taking a jacket, which I may end up regretting. No umbrella, either.
• Laptop (MacBook Air), and very light external DVD drive.
• Earphones. Rechargers. Cords.
• iPhone (set up for tethering).
• Digital camera. Adapter to get photos off of the camera.
• Kindle.
• Passports.
• Sunglasses.
• Toys and entertainment for Caroline: E.g., portable “Battleship” game, deck of cards, MadLibs, etc.

Am I forgetting anything?