u/AtOurGates

I was just reading the NYTimes list (Gift Link) of "41 of the Greatest Mexican Restaurants Across the United States", and was surprised to see Caldwell on the list.

Here's what they had to say:

> Amano

> The chef Salvador Alamilla, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Rebecca, is from Michoacán by way of Santa Ana, Calif. He brings the spirit of both places to the menu. The tortillas are made in-house with the Indigenous technique of nixtamalization, and in a nod to Southern California, the L.A. Birria Tacos have a particularly rich consomé. But the meats that emerge from the depths of the oak-fired barbaoca pits outside are Mr. Alamilla’s Michoacan magic. The smoke and spice on short ribs or lamb shanks and belly are worth a detour to the Idaho prairie.

Looks pretty delicious, but I'd love to hear what locals think.

I don't get down to that part of the state much, but I just realized I'll be driving through Friday night and made myself a reservation.

Interesting article in the NYTimes titled "A.I. Companies Are Recruiting Electricians and Carpenters by the Thousands"

Turns out, when you're trying to hire an electircian to wire a new circuit for you're bathroom, you're competing against Google, Anthropic, Microsoft and OpenAI.

A few relevant quotes:

> There is no parallel in American history for the boom underway in the construction of data centers, fueled by companies with functionally unlimited cash that are racing to supply skyrocketing demand for their A.I. models.

> Developers are paying a premium for workers, especially in the rural areas where they are building data centers. According to an analysis by Indeed, the job listings website, hourly installation and maintenance jobs at data centers pay 42 percent more than similar jobs in other fields.

> The megaprojects are pulling skilled trade workers into remote locations with some of the highest pay and bonuses than the industry had ever seen.

> Behind that inflated pay is a bidding war. In markets with a lot of data center construction, like Dallas and Northern Virginia, workers can jump ship for bonuses or higher per diem rates.

Of course, there's at least some recognition that this could be a boom:

> “If we have an influx of workers at this point with the data centers being built, what happens when they’re done? Where do those workers go?” he said. “How many people does it take to run a data center after taking up all this property and all this land that could have been used for something else?”

I guess I'll just probably learn to DIY more stuff.

I made a post about a year ago asking for advice on the cycling-themed bits of an anniversary trip in the French Alps focused on iconic TDF-climbs. Many of you were nice enough to deviate from your regularly-scheduled discussion to give me some tips. Now we've actually made some reservations, and I'm back looking for more specific advice.

Big Picture

• 5-nights/4-days of cycling based out of Bourg d'Oisans & Valloire
• I tried to simplify from my original vision so that we're not moving hotels/driving as much, minimizing logistics and giving ourselves more flexability.
• Trying to do iconic climbs of the TDF in the region + just nice rides. Ended up with an itinerary that looks like breaking up the Marmotte into multiple days + some extras.
• Early September
• Spouse who likes to suffer on the bike. Both of us do a decent amount of gravel and MTB riding, and usually an event or two a year. Even the longest versions of these rides would be no big deal for us to knock off in isolation, though I've given some shorter options to customize our days based on how we feel/vibes/weather.

The plan:

Day 0 - Arrive
Arrive in Bourg d'Oisans from Paris via Lyon

Day 1 - Col du Glandon + Col de la Croix de Fer

Pickup our rental bikes in Bourg d'Oisans at 9 AM, then ride:
48.5 mi / 6,255 ft - This Route

I've heard the route from the North might be more scenic/iconic, but this saves 1.5 hrs of driving each way.

Day 2 - Alp d'Huez one of 3-Ways
We'll pick one, based on how we feel from the previous day.

• Option 1 - ~17 mi / 3,680 ft - Short out and back like this -
• Option 2 - 27.9 mi / 4,164 ft - Full climb + loop down via Allemond & Oz, reverse of this, but with a tail added to get the proper top of the climb.
• Option 3 - 36 mi / 6,580 ft - Add Col de Sarenne + Balcons d'Auris - This.

Day 3 - Col du Télégraphe + Col du Galibier
43.2 mi / 7,432 ft - This route from St.-Michel-de-Maurienne.

Check out of our Bourg d'Oisans lodgings in the AM, drive to St.-Michel-de-Maurienne, and into our Valloire lodging in the evening after the ride.

Day 4 - Col de la Madeleine, One of 2'ish Ways

• Option 1 - ~24 mi / 4,993 ft - Short out-and-back from La Chambre. This route
• Option 2 - 36.5 mi / 6,764 ft - Add Lacets de Montvernier + Col de Chaussy in a loop, like this (Any feedback on how challening that unpaved section would be on a road bike? I found photos here that makee it look approachable, but maybe I'm deluding myself?) EDIT: Maybe this route to avoid the unpaved section on non-gravel bikes.
• Option 3 - 62.3 mi / 11,377 ft - Both sides. Reverse of this. (Amost certainly not gonna choose this. I know I'd lose all my joy descending the far side knowing I have to turn around and climb it back up).

Specific Questions

• Any general feedback or advice?
• In terms of tour history, the only climb I'd like to do that I'm missing in the area that I'd like to do is Col du Granon, which is more or less the last time we saw Pogacar blow up and get dropped. But I don't really see a practical way to fit that in.
• Tips for how much gear to bring, and how to carry it on these rides? Minimal CO2 + Multi-tool + Snacks + Tube in the jersey pocket? Under-seat bag? More? Less?
• Any tweaks or changes you'd make to improve the itinerary?
• Any local food/etc. options in the places we're staying? Must-do non-cycling stops?
• Favorite TDF (or other race) stages to watch before we go, to make sure we're getting the full experience?