Spring Adventures

My how the time flies - I can't believe it's been so long since my last blog!

This past week in between an *ahem* lovely time in Boston for work, I was lucky enough to spend a weekend in Denver and another in Baltimore. In both places there was fabulous weather, scenery, and old friends.

Denver of course featured a lot of beer - starting with a tour of the New Belgium Brewery in Fort Collins. Actually that's not entirely true; it started with lunch at Denver's first brew pub - the Wynkoop. But New Belgium was awesome. In case you aren't aware (although I don't know how this is possible), New Belgium is the maker of the beloved Fat Tire. And I enjoy many other of their beers including Springboard, Skinny Dip, 1554, Abbey,the organic Mothership Wit... (pick up a sampler case today!) Also New Belgium is a super sustainable and socially responsible company. And if you work there you get a sweet cruiser on your one-year anniversary!

I also got to spend time with my college buddy Pete who I hadn't seen for more than 5 years! Denver also featured a fabulous pizza called the Abruzzo, a bike path on Cherry Creek, cinnamon rolls, a super old martini bar (where Pete's grandfather drank!), and a lot more beer. On the other hand, Denver was super sprawly (although with a walkable downtown) and even the hippie/yuppie Boulder was sprwalier and strip-mallier than I expected. I love my density!

Denver March 2009

This was my third visit to Baltimore to see one of my best friends, Nicole. I hadn't seen her in probably two years either - but it's great to have friends where nothing seems to change. You could have hung out yesterday or a week ago or two or five years ago and it's all just like yesterday!

We explored some great Baltimore neighborhoods - Fell's Point, Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon, and Nicole's area near the beautiful Patterson Park. Cherry blossoms were everywhere and perfectly pink! We also took a great 45 minute harbor cruise on a gorgeous day. The next day we went on about a two hour hike along the Waterfront Promenade - what a beautiful city. I am so spoiled to live by water now and can't imagine spending a nice day without it :)

Baltimore April 2010

Saturday in Marin: Walking, Hiking, and Beer

Matt and I spent a lovely Saturday in Marin. We started out near Blackie's Pasture for the morning TNT run:



Not a great picture, but I'm still obsessed with my 12x zoom that makes the other side of the bay look oh so close:



Then on to a trail near Fairfax that wound through some beautiful trees and up to rather stunning views:





And then on to the Fairfax Brewfest for some tasty local brews. It was in a super cute old gymnasium called the Pavilion:



You'd think that at only 30 minutes away we would explore the natural beauty of Marin more often. But alas, that bridge is mentally distancing.

Day Trip to Pescadero Area

When it's sunny sometimes I decide I want to drive out of town. However, we then invariably find that our lively microclimates mean that it's actually not quite so sunny wherever else we go.

Check out the sunny day!



And once again no tidepools, but spectacular waves and spray:





Onward to Pescadero Creek State Park. We had the place to ourselves and enjoyed lovely redwoods:





Banana slugs (on a vertical wall - this is a macro but we counted more than 20):



A waterfall:



The fact that our new camera takes much better macros than the old:



And walking in the creek (it was cold, but the trail was under water!):



And grassy meadows:



Absolutely gorgeous, and less than 45 minutes from our house! How lucky we are!

Trip to Mendocino for President's Day Weekend

Mendocino Area

Hark the Herald Angels 12K

Since I never found a partner for the Santa Barbara International Marathon relay, I had to sign up for another race to at least keep myself in some semblance of shape (that was before I signed up for another half marathon...). So, a 12k on Angel Island it was. Unfortunately, I am destined to never go to Angel Island in good weather.

I spent the whole drive up to Tiburon speculating on how I could obtain a running rain slicker before the race to which I was already almost going to be late thanks to weather. Luckily by the time we got to the ferry docker, the downpour had subsided. Here I am waiting to start, a little chilly. My poor mother who picked an unfortunate weekend to visit is covered in the slicker.



For the most part, the trails and the weather looked like this:



It was really muddy.

But I loved this race - it was really fun! The runners were very friendly and laid back, and the scenery was gorgeous! Every time you round a corner on Angel Island, another view awaits you - the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, the City, the Bay, other parts of the Island. Even in the rain, the light can be gorgeous. And by the time the rain really started coming down with about a mile left to go in the race, I was back in the forest flying down a hill under the cover of trees.

I will definitely be signing up for another Enviro-Sports race in the future.

Happy Holidays

Hello blog friends!

Matt and I have been busy moving and also having some great adventures.

In reverse order, because that's how I uploaded the pictures and now I am lazy:

On Saturday of Thanksgiving weekend, after being scared out of Yosemite early by snow that the Echo was not good at driving through, we stopped at the Cosumnes River Preserve near Sacramento.



People like to bird here:



These trees were nice enough to shade me from ridiculously high winds that literally blew me around:



We enjoyed Thanksgiving dinner at the Yosemite Lodge food court, where I partook of tofurkey and vegan dressing, along with mashed potatoes, yams, and pie. We also went ice skating that night. On Friday morning we took a phenomenal 10 mile, 3200 foot hike up to Glacier Point. You can see more pictures of this hike on Facebook:



But before we got to Yosemite, we woke up early Thanksgiving morning and ran a 5 mile turkey trot!





Karen and Bernie had been in town for the holiday to see Bernie's family, so we got to enjoy Tyler for a short time:



The weekend before Thanksgiving, we drove down to Ventura for a friend's wedding. On the way home, we enjoyed a sunset along the Pacific Coast Highway.







Also along the PCH, we found seals super close up at Morro Bay:



And also checked out the rock:



And a bit of OHV-free beach near Pismo:



Along with beautiful Monarch butterflies!



Here's me with the groom:



And my husband:



In front of the beautiful view from our hotel room (this is not how I pictured Oxnard):



And two weekends before that we were back in Arizona (sadly for a funeral), but also got to see the nephew:



And of course before that (and still), we were moving into our new apartment with this beautiful backyard garden:



And that was the last month of my life in reverse!

The Happiest Place on Earth

(Photo taken by Bernie)

I never told you about Disneyland! I will do so now so I can think about happier times before h1n1 visited our little household.

We went to Disneyland for Matt's 30th birthday, because, well, Disneyland is free on your birthday and I have been wanting to go there for years. I feel bad that Matt did this for me, but he is a grown man and I can't stop him. At least he enjoyed spending time with the children!

My favorite rides were Big Thunder Mountain, Splash Mountain, the Jungle Cruise, and Tom Sawyer's Pirate Island. The first two are probably obvious - the closest thing to roller coasters and other real amusement park rides. The Jungle Cruise is funny because of all the ridiculous jokes cracked by the guide, and of course it was more funny because Bernie thought it was so hilarious. Some of the content is rather offensive and seems a bit racist though... Tyler also thoroughly enjoyed the ride although he was standing up at the beginning of it (with the assistance of Uncle Matt) and got into a bit of trouble with the guide.

I can't even remember what the island is really called, but I think it has something to do with Tom Sawyer. I enjoyed this because I am basically 5. There are "caves" to explore, things to climb, shade trees, fun bridges, and all sorts of other things to explore. I could have stayed longer, but alas, the real children and their parents had already grown tired of it. Also by that time my ankle was about the size of an orange...

Anyway, yay for Disneyland! We also had fun at the beach and pool with even more friends, and the Dodgers came was a raucous delight.

Now if only the fires hadn't existed and my ankle hadn't been destroyed, the weekend would have been even more fabulous.

Just Read: The National Parks - America's Best Idea

This is the companion book to Ken Burns' PBS series coming out at the end of the month to which I have a link on my sidebar. Some time ago, Matt and I went to a preview of the movie with Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan, and I was obsessed.

Friday night we were in a bookstore and I noticed the beautiful coffee table book for 30% off. And since I am spoiled, I went ahead and bought it and took it home. Today I finished reading its 386 pages of text, with many gorgeous photographs thrown in.

And again I remembered why I changed my major to recreation. Why I wanted to work for the Park Service. And why it is silly that I have been to many other countries but not to all of our parks.

The book's theme seemed to be a bit different from the movie's, at least based on the preview I saw. The most influential part of the book seems to be our personal connection to the parks. How it is hard not to go to one and not have some sort of epiphanal moment, or feeling of awe and grandeur.

I have had the luck to go to many National Parks. I don't remember going to many as a child; I remember being bored at the Grand Canyon after just a peek from the top. But my parents had certainly instilled a love of nature in me from all our hikes in the mountains near Tucson.

In college I visited the Grand Canyon again. I took a job at Bryce Canyon for a summer and fell in love with Zion. I also saw Capitol Reef. At the end of the summer, a fellow intern and I spent a week on a driving tour to Glacier, Yellowstone, and Mount Teton. We thought about going to graduate school in Montana, in the midst of all the beautiful scenery. A week was not nearly enough time.

The summer after college I visited Crater Lake. I took another trip to Yellowstone, where I saw the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone for the first time. Grand Teton again. At the end of that summer, I embarked on a solo camping trip on my way back home to Arizona. After two nights on the gorgeous Oregon coast with a friend, I visited Redwoods National Park, Lassen Volcanic, and Yosemite. I did not make it to Sequoia and Kings Canyon as I had planned, because as it turns out I was not too good with the loneliness factor - I camped just 5 nights alone.

But on this solo trip, I had pivotal experiences that are probably my favorite memories of National Parks. Because I was by myself, I would go to sleep early and then wake up early. At Redwoods National Park, the Coastal Trail I had planned to hike was gated until 9 am, so instead I hiked the 1 mile interpretive trail at Lady Bird Johnson Grove. I was the only one there at the early hour of the morning. I wrote, "The sun was filtering through the trees. The only sounds were of the wind in the giant trees and little animals scattering around me." It was like I was lost in a fairy wonderland. I have another memory of Redwoods, a sinful but beautiful one, although perhaps I dreamed it because I don't see anything about it in my notes. I was driving (the sinful part of such a memory) out of a campground early one morning through a meadow enshrouded in mist, with a herd of elk grazing through it. Did I dream it?

Later I arrived in the Toulomne Meadows in Yosemite, a few days before the campground would close for the season, in late September. I stopped to hike to the Gaylor Lakes, which rise to over 10,000 feet, challenging by ability to deal with altitude. I remember feeling like I had a head cold the whole hike. But it was worth it. I remember hiking up the trail, and suddenly you would come up over a ledge, and there would be a lake in front of you that you could not have seen before. As I wandered around Middle Gaylor Lake, I saw another hiker, the first I had seen. When he saw me, he seemed to change direction and walk around the side of the lake I was on, so we would meet. After he told me briefly about the rest of the hike, we stood there together in silence contemplating the view. Then he continued down the trail. Maybe you like your solitude in the wilderness. I do too. But I remember this as a priceless moment where it was fantastic to share the beauty with someone, having taken in such gorgeous sights the last several days by myself.

Since that solo trip, I have visited with Matt Yosemite, Mesa Verde, and Black Canyon of the Gunnison. All fabulous of course. I'm sure I'm forgetting a park somewhere. I've also been to numerous National Monuments and National Historic Sites.

Reading this book makes me want to plan more trips. Yosemite for Thanksgiving. Maybe Yellowstone this winter for a ski race. I want Matt to see Glacier. There are so many places I have yet to see.

What is your favorite memory of a National Park? Do you love them like I do?

Day Trippin' Down the Coast

I have been reading some books by Rachel Carson lately - you know, the author of Silent Spring. As it turns out, she also wrote some phenomenal books about the ocean and the shore. So I've been bugging Matt to take me to some tide pools so I could exclaim over what I'd been reading. Then a facebook friend posted about the many star fish and anemones at Natural Bridge State Park in Santa Cruz.

So we headed down Highway One toward Santa Cruz yesterday, only to realize that we would soon run up against smoke from the fire in the Santa Cruz mountains. Instead of keeping on, we decided to stop and check out one of the cards from our Bay Area Back Roads deck - the sequel to City Walks, which we are almost finished with.

First we pulled over at a random coastal access point to have lunch. As luck would have it, there were a few tide pools there, although the tide was coming in. However, we still saw 2 starfish, several anemones, and many many sea urchins. There were also crabs scrambling for cover. And there was no one else there for a long time - fabulous!

We then checked out Pigeon Point lighthouse and headed into the town of Pescadero which was having an Arts and Fun Festival. What a cute little town! I got some fabulous new bags from a vendor called JaJaJa purses. I felt guilty walking away from her stand only having parted with $8. The purses are all "green" because they are made from old material like 1960s drapes or sheets. Loved it!


(Yes the little red bag is attached to a bangle - so I can't lose it!)

We also went to a grocery store that sold awesome artichoke-related products, hot bread, and fresh goat cheese. Both the local grocery stores had outdoor picnic areas as well. And we grabbed a beer at a bar called Duarte's that has been in existence in the same family since the 1800s. Definitely a place we'll go back to.

As we were driving back through Half Moon Bay, we spotted a huge amount of sea creatures frolikcing and pulled over. Awesome!

Visit from Jackie

Hello blog friends! Long time, no chat. Matt and I have been super busy. Last weekend we had a visit from Matt's 14 year old niece. She spent the whole time texting but still really enjoyed all the tourist sites and most of the museums to which we took her.

Here we are checking out the sea lions playing under the Golden Gate Bridge:

And here's a beautiful butterfly at the CalAcademy:



We later saw two mating butterflies fly through the air and land on a man's head, proceeding to continue copulating without shame. One stood perfectly still while the other pumped its wings rhythmically up and down. Over and over. On a man's head. I'm glad I ducked.

Also, in case you haven't heard from any of my other social media, but I have signed up to run a half marathon with Team In Training. My first group workout is Saturday at Crissy Field. What a beautiful place to train! Visit my website to find out how you can help.

How are you doing?

(Mis)Adventures in the Mountains

That's Lake Tahoe in the summer! We didn't mean to go there, but alas we had a mishap:



After taking a lovely run/hike around the beautiful Silver Lake, 30 miles this side of Tahoe, we started hunting for a campsite and instead found a flat tire. Rather than driving back down the mountain with a donut, we decided to head into South Lake Tahoe to get the tire repaired.

Of course all the repairshops were closed for the night, and all the campgrounds were full and the hotels $120 (Days Inn), so we pulled off the side of the road and woke up next to this:


Unfortunately Matt woke up complaining of not feeling good, but I did drag him to Fallen Leaf Lake (which I loved in the winter as well).





Then we played some Bocce ball on the beach while we waited for a tire shop to open, but Matt didn't feel well enough to go kayaking.

After we got the tire repaired, we headed home, leaving probably before noon, and not arriving until 5. WORST. TRAFFIC. EVER. I may never drive anywhere again.

So although we meant to spend the weekend hiking and kayaking around Silver Lake, we had a bit of an adventure instead. All was beautiful, though.

(However, I become more and more sure I should never have kids every time Matt gets sick. I have little sympathy and feel sorry for myself instead! I am such a bad wife... Although I did drive 5 hours all by myself.)