Vera Gnomad's Life Adventures

Sedona, AZ - April 3, 2010

2010-04-19T20:39:00.000-07:00

I had never been to Sedona, so I was really looking forward to this day trip. I have heard so many great things about that town!

The ride down from Williams was lovely - through forested hills with red rock cliffs all around. Quite stunning! We pulled off to the side of the road to investigate what looked to be a pretty spot, and we were not disappointed. A little forested area with a creek running through it greeted us. On the other side of the creek, red cliffs towered over us. Wow! This is what we had to look forward to!

My friend Eileen had recommended that we stop at Slide Rock Park, so we made that our first stop.

Now how's that for a view??

Slide Rock State Park, originally the Pendley Homestead, is a 43-acre historic apple farm located in Oak Creek Canyon. Frank L. Pendley, having arrived in the canyon in 1907, formally acquired the land under the Homestead Act in 1910. Due to his pioneering innovation, he succeeded where others failed by establishing a unique irrigation system still in use by the park today. This allowed Pendley to plant his first apple orchard in 1912, beginning the pattern of agricultural development that has dominated the site since that time. Pendley also grew garden produce and kept some livestock.

As one of the few homesteads left intact in the canyon today, Slide Rock State Park is a fine example of early agricultural development in Central Arizona. The site was also instrumental to the development of the tourism industry in Oak Creek Canyon. The completion of the canyon road in 1914 and the paving of the roadway in 1938 were strong influences in encouraging recreational use of the canyon. Hence, Pendley followed suit and in 1933, built rustic cabins to cater to vacationers and sightseers. (From the Arizona State Parks website)

Tee hee.... I couldn't help myself

This is one of the actual Tourist Cabins

And the Pendley House

A short walk takes you down to the slides....

There were a few kids playing in the water, but it was WAY too cold for me to go check it out!! But the area is absolutely beautiful. The water area looked like sooooo much fun to play in. If you're traveling with kids, it would be a GREAT place to stop!

From here, it was only a short trip over to Sedona, where we started seeing the famous rock formations....

Having never been to the area, we signed up for a Trolley Tour. It was very reasonably priced and promised to give us an overview of the town and a stop at the Chapel of the Holy Cross, which we wanted to see anyway. Before the tour started, we walked around the main street in town for a little bit, and I have to say, it reminded me of a cheesy cruise-ship port. If you've ever been on a cruise, you know what I'm talking about. You get off the ship, and the first street you come to is full of tacky souvenir shop, after cheap t-shirt shop, after cheesy sight-seeing "opportunity". Sedona was just like that. I was actually very surprised! Add to that some seriously loopy people, and well, it's an odd place.

Our Trolly tour took us through some nicer areas of town, where the higher end shopping areas were and some art galleries. The guide showed us the only visitor information center in town that wasn't run by time-shares. He warned that if you wanted information, that was the one to go to or you'd get attacked by salespeople.

He did point out some of the rock formations and told us their names. My favorites were:

Elephant Rock

and

Snoopy Rock

Our tour stopped at the Chapel of the Holy Cross. This famous landmark was commissioned by a sculptor as a way to show faith through a work of art.

The church was very interesting architecturally and the location was stunning - surrounded by red rock formations everywhere you looked. The inside was tiny. It is apparently used for services, but I sure couldn't imagine how you'd fit too many people in there!

The outside was nicely landscaped and featured a pretty fountain:

As our tour headed back into town, our tour guide mentioned a Trout Farm just outside of Sedona. We had seen it as we had come into town. Well, it turns out that you can catch your own fish there and make it for dinner! Well, we were pretty done with the loopy people in town and ready for an adventure by then so we decided to cancel our fancy dinner plans and head on over to the Rainbow Trout Farm.

Well - I should start this part of the tour with a disclaimer..... Our tour guide told us they'd cook up dinner for us. That's not entirely true, but you can purchase a "grill packet" and cook up your catch at one of the many grills around the trout lake. We opted for the next choice - bring your fish into town and one of the local restaurants will cook it up for you (more on that later).

So, very confidently we got into the line at the trout farm and started chatting with the gentleman in front of us. He already had a bucket of fish he was about to pay for. As we were chatting, that was about the time that we realized that none of us in our group had fished since we were kids and our dads were with us.....

Uh oh.....

So, we got our fishing pole, net, bucket, and blob o' bait and off we went.... We baited the hook, dunked it in the water.... As soon as I felt a nibble, I yanked it up, but no juicy trout on the end of my line - no bait either!!!! Hmmmm.... More bait, another dunking, another nibble... no fish..... and no bait either... and then another try, and another... Those trout were WELL fed that day!!

Meanwhile, on the other side of the little lake, we watched this little girl bring in fish after fish after fish. So we ambushed her - HELP US!!!! If it wasn't for her, we'd probably STILL be there trying to catch our dinner :-) But, thanks to Sidney, we had success:

Yep, that right there is my very first fish!

Incidentally, no one told me they bleed. By the 4th fish, there was a horror show in that bucket!!! It took over an hour to get our 4 fish and I'm pretty sure we entertained the entire complex, but hey, it was worth it! The Rainbow Trout farm folks are great - they will clean your fish for you and package them all up on ice so you can head out on your way. We brought our fish over to the Heartline Cafe, back in Sedona:

Where they served it up - pecan crusted with a dijon sauce and a tasty rice medley.

Can you say YUM!!! Nothing like fresh trout, caught within the last hour, served up in a lovely preparation! I have to say, if you're in the Sedona area, I HIGHLY recommend this! It was the highlight of our trip and the end results were incredibly tasty!

Grand Canyon, Arizona - April 2, 2010

2010-04-11T19:31:00.000-07:00

Are we there yet????

On Friday, Mel's cousin Karen joined up with us and off we went to the Grand Canyon. YAY!!! I was so excited! I've heard about it, but I've never been there. So as you can imagine, the hour long drive seemed sooooo very long!!!

Well, we finally made it to the front entrance of the park. I was surprised by how flat the drive was. When I think "canyon", I think you have to drive up into the mountains to see it, right? Well, this canyon happens to be a really large hole in the ground with practically nothing (other than national park signs, ranger stations, and traffic) to warn you that it's coming!

I could just imagine some poor pioneer in a covered wagon who had traveled hundreds of miles and was looking forward to getting to their destination coming across this:

It's a LONG way across and an even LONGER way down!!!!

Karen, Mel & I walked the Rim Trail, which is a nicely paved 2 1/2 mile walk giving you spectacular views of the canyon. We didn't anticipate the impact of the 7000 foot elevation though, and darn nearly didn't make it all the way before dark!! NOTE TO TRAVELERS: Bring water & snacks!!!! There aren't any places to buy them along the way, and we definitely ran out of energy before we got to the village. But it was soooo worth it. Here's a sampling of what we saw....

Yavapai Point & Observation Station

Inside were windows overlooking great views and all sorts of informational displays

(but no snacks)

Here's a little piece of the rim trail.

Very nicely maintained.

Hopi House was really cool!

Hopi House was built by the same architect who designed many of the buildings in the Canyon Village area - Mary Colter. Her designs are all meant to blend in with the landscape. This building was cool because she used many of the same techniques the Hopi had used for hundreds of years to build their homes. The only concession was putting doors at ground level (Hopis enter from the rooftops). Real Hopi indians lived in the upper 3 stories for many years.

The El Tovar Hotel is the premier lodge at the Grand Canyon. This was opened in 1901 to serve the tourists. The Grand Canyon Village area was designed and operated by the Fred Harvey company - have you heard of the "Harvey Girls"? If you haven't, go out and rent the movie - right now! It's really cute!!! Well, the restaurants were staffed and run by Harvey Girls. I didn't know that and thought it was a pretty cool piece of history.

Incidentally - this is where we finally found snacks :-) We dragged our sorry tired behinds into the lounge and ordered several items to share. Never been so happy to have calamari in my life!!!

Lookout Studio

Lookout Studio is another of the buildings designed by Mary Coulter. It houses a shop now, and has a wonderful balcony from which you can view the canyon (which was unfortunately closed by the time we got there). There's a funny story about the Lookout.... Apparently 2 brothers, the Kolb brothers, had set up a photography studio a little farther down the trail, where they sold pictures of the canyon. They also took pictures of the mule trains and would sell the prints to the tourists as they came back up from their trips. Well, Fred Harvey didn't like the competition, so when this structure was built, they called it "Lookout Studio". So, when tourists got off the train and asked where the "studio" was, employees would happily point them out to Lookout Studio. Sneaky, huh??

Well, about the time we made it to Lookout studio, it was time to start thinking about picking a spot to watch the sun set. Everything we had seen or read about the canyon said that the best views, best colors, best pictures were at sunrise or sunset. (And we didn't make it there by sunrise...). So, we headed back towards the El Tovar hotel, where the overlook had more sweeping views, and camped out on a bench....

Nice spot, don't you think?

We even got to check out some of the local "wildlife"

But seriously - watching the changing shadows and play of light & color on the canyon during the sunset is one of life's true spectacles and should not be missed.....

Since this was Good Friday, we could not watch such a spectacular display of God's creation and without worshipping the Creator.

Psalm 19

The Witness of Creation and Scripture

   For the choir director. A Davidic psalm.
    ¹ The heavens declare the glory of God,
    and the sky proclaims the work of His hands.
    ² Day after day they pour out speech;
    night after night they communicate knowledge.
    ³ There is no speech; there are no words;
    their voice is not heard.
    ⁴ Their message has gone out to all the earth,
    and their words to the ends of the inhabited world.
    In the heavens He has pitched a tent for the sun.

One of the things that struck me as so indicative of man's hubris is that the formations and landmarks in the canyon are named after ancient false gods. How sad.....

After sunset, we wanted to finish the trail, so we headed back down past the Lookout Studio to Kolb Studio

It was closed by the time we got there, so we could not see inside, but it was situated at a stunning location, right at the beginning of the Bright Angel Trail.

Bright Angel Trail is the most popular route into the canyon. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, it was too dark to go even a little way.

From the rim trail, visitors can take a bus down the Hermit Route trail, which I hear is a spectacular scenic ride. We did not have the opportunity to do it. Maybe next time.... :-)

Instead, we hopped on a bus that took us back to the visitor center where we started. ANOTHER NOTE TO TRAVELERS: If you park at the visitor center near Mather Point and think you'll get back after it closes, BRING A FLASHLIGHT! There were very few lights on, and those were only within the visitor center area. The parking lots were not well marked and were PITCH DARK. We wandered around into a couple different parking lots before finding the right one, and then we couldn't see our car at all until we were right on top of it. Just getting to the car was quite an adventure!!! And no, the flashlight program you can download to your smart phone is not enough - take it from me!

I have to say, if you've never been to the Grand Canyon, make plans to go - and stay a few days so you have time to see more than we did. It's an awe-inspiring experience and a natural wonder you should not miss. You will not be disappointed!

Petrified Forest & Painted Desert, Arizona - April 1, 2010

2010-04-11T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hello from Arizona!! It's good to be out again! Mel and I took a spontaneous trip out to the great Southwest....

Someone forgot to tell me it snows here! Isn't this supposed to be the desert????

We flew in to Flagstaff and immediately headed out to the Petrified Forest, where quite possibly the world's largest concentration of petrified wood can be found. A gazillion years ago, this was a thriving forest, which was buried for so long that the wood turned to stone. Time and erosion have exposed them so we can see them.

We started out at the visitor center. They have done a great job there - lots of information to tell you about how the area formed, friendly park rangers, free wi-fi so you can upload pictures, and a great video about the park. It's definitely worth the stop. Behind the visitor center is a trail that brings you right up close to many, many samples of petrified wood - in some places, it looks like the trail is going right through a tree trunk!!

It was a neat walk, but COLD!!! It actually started snowing while we were there. We eventually sought out the warmth of the car heater, and headed on down the 28 mile road that winds through the Petrified Forest & Painted Desert.

Our next stop was at the Crystal Forest. This is an easy .8 mile trail that takes you through the landscape that is littered with colorful petrified logs that once held glassy amethyst & quartz crystals (they've all been stolen, sadly) We walked the trail, and by that time it was getting WINDY too. But it was a really neat walk - we got to see lots of really pretty logs close up and even were able to appreciate the vastness of the land around us:

Look at the color in that log!

I saw this plant growing there - it must be a hardy one to survive in the harsh conditions in that area! But it was really pretty - a vivid purple among all the browns of the desert.

Our next stop was the Agate Bridge.

It's pretty cool when you realize that people have worked to preserve this because it's so interesting. I read somewhere that it's the oldest natural bridge in the world (but of course, now I can't find where I read that, so don't quote me on it) :-)

As we headed down the road, we saw a sight that just made us stop the car along the shoulder and get out. It's called The Teepees, and they are impressive formations layered with blues, purples & grays created by iron, carbon, manganese, & other minerals.

I just love these!!

Off we went towards the Painted Desert. The Petrified Forest is actually part of the Painted Desert and the same road takes you through both. There are lots of other stops, but I was limited on time (and well - cold!) so I didn't get out at all of them, but the ranger at the Visitor's Center had told me to be sure to go to the Crystal Forest & Pintado Point. So I headed down the road, marveling at the vast wide open spaces and pretty soon, there I was. There wasn't another soul at Pintando Point when I got there, and I soon figured out why.... I got out of the car and was almost blown over!!! Those winds had picked up so much I was scared to stand out on the wall to take a picture! But I couldn't help myself - it's beautiful out there!

I was on my way out of the park, when for some reason I pulled over at Kachina Point, and boy am I glad I did.... How beautiful is this?

And finally - one more "Oh my gosh I have to take a picture of this" stop alongside the road.....

I'm not normally a desert person - I don't like to be hot! (I'll melt, after all). But I was so glad I came through this way. The landscape is so unusual and so beautiful in its own way. That's something I realize everywhere I go - how grateful I am for a creative Creator who gave us so many very different beautiful places to enjoy!

Ooh La La! Paris! July 16, 2009

2009-12-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

Paris! I love Paris!!

Richard & Janet took me up to the top of the Arc de Triomphe for some spectacular views of the city! The Arc is located at the western end of the famous Champs-Elysees and is a monument to all those who fought for France, particularly in the Napoleonic wars. France's "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier" is located under the arch.

Here is the view looking down the center of the Arc... (that's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below)

And several views of Paris from the Arch....

This is not a postcard - just another picture from the Arch....

Night is falling at the top of the arch.... time to go!

But not before one last glimpse of the Eiffel Tower at dusk....

Tomorrow we leave for home. Thank You Richard, Janet, Marc & Keith for letting me tag along on a fabulous adventure!!

Versailles - Paris - July 16, 2009

2009-12-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ahhhh..... This is the life. A day at Versailles, Louis XIV's spectacular chateau located in the suburbs of Paris (although it was outside of the city at the time it was built).

The gardens go on for as far as the eye can see!

And that's the palace behind me

There is art everywhere inside the palace - and naturally, it's amazing!

Here I am at the famous "hall of mirrors"

And here in the courtyard....

Louis the XIV made all of his nobles move out to Versailles so that he could keep control over them and prevent them from getting regional power that would threaten his own. He set up an elaborate system of court etiquette that everyone had to follow. It was all about power, which is too bad because it probably ruined a spectacular place to live....

Lucerne - July 14, 2009

2009-12-16T14:32:00.003-08:00

Good Morning.... We had a nice ride on the train to Zurich, and then on to Lucerne.... Janet is so pleasant to sit next to. We had a great conversation all the way....

Hello from Lucerne Switzerland! Isn't it pretty here?

Here I am in front of the Lucerne Lion - it's a tribute to fallen Swiss Guards who died during the French Revolution trying to protect King Louis XVI & Marie Antoinette at the Tuileries Palace (not knowing they had already left)

Lest We Forget.... Dachau Concentration Camp, July 12, 2009

2009-12-15T19:58:00.000-08:00

If we forget history... It will be repeated.

Note: Much of the information here comes from the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. I highly recommend it.

Dachau Concentration Camp was the first established by Hitler, shortly after his appointment as Reich Chancellor in 1933. It served as a model for all later concentration camps and a training ground for SS men.

In the twelve years of its existence, over 200,000 persons from all over Europe were imprisoned there and in the numerous subsidiary camps. 41,500 were murdered. On April 29, 1945, American troops liberated the survivors.

The main entrance and exit to the camp for prisoners was the Jourhaus. Prisoners passed through an iron rod gate with the inscription "Work Makes You Free"

The motto reflected the Nazi propaganda meant to trivialize the concentration camp for outsiders as a "labor and re-education" camp.

The building now houses a model of the camp:

Prisoners were stripped (literally) of all their belongings and issued prison clothes and numbers. They were referred to only as their numbers, stripping them of all individuality. They were then sent off to the prison baths, which were also used as a punishment chamber. Hooks can be seen on the pillars that divide the room. These were used for pole hangings - to punish prisoners.

Prisoners built the barracks where they also lived. There were 34 barrack buildings, housing more than 30,000 people by the time the camp was liberated. The camp was originally built to hold 6,000, but was overfilled from the onset.

Prisoners slept in rows of bunk beds.

Behind me, you can see the foundations of the barracks buildings (the ones we toured had been reconstructed). They were not that big. It's mind-boggling to think they housed more than 30,000 people.

And finally, the crematorium - the original building still stands. This area served as an execution site as well as the crematorium.

As my friend comments, I am smiling because the Nazis lost. Light triumphed over darkness. Evil will never win.

Visitors to the camp will see a memorial that was designed by one of the survivors of the camp. On the memorial is inscribed:

"May the example of those who were exterminated here between 1933 and 1945 because of their fight against National Socialism unite the living in their defense of peace and freedom and in reverence of human dignity."

We live in a world that wants to re-write history, forget the past, pretend that humans are basically good. If we forget, if we buy in to the sanitized version of our past, we will repeat it. We must not let that happen. We need to teach our children, and our children's children what happened here and why.

Munich - July 11, 2009

2009-12-15T18:29:00.001-08:00

On to Munich - Marc got to have his first beer!

Unfortunately.... he hated it... Or maybe that's a good thing :-)

The city of Munich is really beautiful. I love all the old architecture.

We somehow managed to visit the city during their gay pride parade - so we got a bit more of a view of the city than we intended to - oops! We still managed to get around and see a lot though...

Here I am making friends in front of a museum....

And we got to visit a spectacular church - aren't those stained glass windows gorgeous?

Then we headed up to Linderhof Castle. This was up in Bavaria and was built by King Ludwig II. Ludwig had darn good taste!

Isn't this view amazing!!! The scenery and the fountains were stunning....

They say this could be my summer home (note big grin!) - what do you think, is it big enough for Mel & me?

Next we headed over to Neuschwanstein Castle. This was also built by Ludwig II, but was not completed before he died. The castle was designed by a set designer, not an architect, so that explains the "fantasy nature" of the building. You can't take pictures of the inside, but the outside is pretty cool. In fact, it was the inspiration for Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland!

I love visiting the castles - especially the gardens. I think I need to think about marrying well so I can have one! Where are all the Single Rich Gnomads with Castles hanging out these days?

Rome - July 2009

2009-08-03T16:43:00.000-07:00

I was lucky enough to get to tag along with my friends Richard, Janet, Marc, & Keith on a trip to Europe!

We had to leave at the crack of dawn to catch our flight....

But that's OK because it was FIRST CLASS all the way, baby! All I had to do was relax, play video games, and drink coffee.....

We visited the Tivoli Gardens at the Villa D'este. There were about a gazillion fountains - and they were all gorgeous!

Next stop was Villa Adriana or Hadrian's Villa. It was created as a retreat for the Roman Emporer Hadrian in the 2nd century. Here I am standing in front of a model of what the villa looked like in its hey-day.

This pool is said to honor Hadrian's "favored one" Antinous - also suspected to be his lover, who died a suspicious death in Egypt (Hadrien's wife could be a suspect).

On to the Forum, where I heard there is great shopping....

I was misinformed! In reality, the Forum served as a city square and a central hub where the people of Rome gathered for justice & faith.

I also got to see an ancient theater. I live in California, where really really old things are like 150 years old. So seeing sites from the 1st and 2nd centuries is mind boggling!

And exhausting - here I am with Marc, Keith, & Janet taking a break.......

On to the Colosseum. Richard tried to tell me I could play with all sorts of wild animals here, but I'm on to him...

What an interesting place though - it's the largest amphitheater built by the Romans, it was used for gladiator games, hunts, plays, mock sea battles (Seriously! They could fill it up with water!), and executions....

Here I am in front of the Republic Fountain:

On our second day, we got to tour the Catacombs:

Pictures aren't allowed inside, so I just have this - showing the ancient symbol of a fish. This symbol was a secret way to show that a Christian lived in that place. They could not express themselves openly during persecutions. The Catacombs are ancient underground cemeteries for the Christian community, used from the 2nd century through the 8th or 9th centuries. They may have also been used as hiding places during persecutions

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On to St. Peter's Basilica. We met our guide right outside:

St. Peter's is considered to be the burial place of the Apostle Peter. Catholics believe he is buried right under the alter. For this reason, many popes have also been buried here.

We also toured the Vatican.

This is a marble bath:

And a coffin made out of rare red marble. I hear it's worth millions - as if you could actually sell something like that! (but then, it does remind me of things I've seen at Hearst Castle).
I like this tapestry of Christ that was hanging in the Vatican
Behind me is the Sistine Chapel - no pictures allowed inside, of course!
This is a Holy Door - only opened every 5 years. There is a whole ceremony that goes with it. I don't know why it's holy or it's only opened in certain years. Does anyone know?

Tomorrow - on to Munich!

Arizona & New Mexico - Sept 8 - 16, 2007

2009-07-23T20:39:00.001-07:00

Sometimes it takes me awhile to get these pictures up, but it's worth the wait!!!

This is a September trip to southern Arizona and New Mexico with my friend Harvey Jr

Here we are at a stop between Phoenix and Tucson at Casa Grande National Park. We got a National Park Passport and now have to visit all the national parks to get a stamp. Can you say road trip?

A doorway in Casa Grande National Park

We started day 2 at Karthner Cavern. No purses, cameras or gnomes were allowed in the caves - bummer

We stopped in Tombstone and started our tour at boot hill - luckily they did not leave me

While in Tombstone, we had a downpour - it went from dry to very wet in the blink of an eye.

More rain - I kept dry but it was not easy

We visited Silver City on our way up the mountain. Stopped at the cabin where Billy the kid spent time

Went to Gila Cliffs National Forest and Cliff dwellings - very pretty view of a long way into the valley

On our way out of Gila Cliffs, we stopped at City of Rocks north of Deming, NM; we almost got ourselves a set of deer antlers when a buck almost hit the side of our car - luckily both of us escaped without injury

We stopped at White Sands National Monument; we also stopped at White Sands missile range and museum but I did not have my passport so I had to stay in the car - plus they had rules about which direction to face when taking a picture so we decided to just take memories. Not wanting to be a national threat.

More of White Sands National Monument

I got to play in the sand - it sure is white

We got our own stealth display. We were driving by Alamogordo which is the home of the Stealth Fighters and one was practicing take-offs. Way cool.

More Stealth

Went to Carlsbad Caverns - Huge and Incredible; it was very interesting to see the difference between Karthner and Carlsbad and how they are controlled.

I was hanging out in the parking lot looking over the valley

It was very windy!

We went to Capitan, NM to visit Smokey Bear State Park and Gravesite - the real purpose of our trip

At the gravesite

Stopped at Salinas Pueblo Missions Natl Monument on our way to Albuquerque. Not a lot of visitors but well worth the stop. There are three separate locations that make up the park

Outside of Albuquerque there is the Petroglyph Nat'l Monument -don't worry this is the one rock they said we could touch.

Finished off the trip with a stay in Sedona

More Sedona

Special thanks to Annora, Scott & Harvey Jr. for letting me tag along. I had a great time and I can't wait for our next trip!

Mandalay Bay!! Las Vegas, NV May 25-27, 2009

2009-05-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I've been to Las Vegas a few times - I have family there - but this time was different. I got to stay at the Mandalay Bay hotel! It was pretty cool because it's a GORGEOUS hotel and I got a really good rate for 2 nights plus tickets to the Lion King Show.

My room at the Mandalay Bay was great. I had a great view of the Las Vegas Strip.

The view was even better at night!

I spent a couple of hours out at the "Lazy River" in a raft, just floating around. It was a blast, but you've got to watch out for those waterfalls!

I went out for dinner before the Lion King show to Mix, a bar/restaurant at the top of the hotel. The restaurant is really cool - all white, with just red water glasses on the table. And there's a curtain of glass bubbles that goes around the center of the room.

Naturally, I had to have my picture taken by the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" sign - it's a lot easier to get there now - they've built a parking lot right in front of it - so you don't have to run across 4 lanes of traffic anymore!

I headed over to the Bellagio to see the Conservatory, which is always gorgeous

And I had to check out the water show out front:

The water show was set to the song "God Bless the USA" by Lee Greenwood in honor of Memorial Day weekend. Very cool. And I want to take this moment to say Thank You to all our troops who have stood up and defended our freedom. You guys are awesome. And your families too - who go through a lot of tough times while you are away.

Thank you for all you do.

Later that evening, I headed over to Firefly, a Tapas restaurant on Paradise for some of the best Tapas I've ever had. I ordered a pitcher of white wine sangria (YUM!) which they make in the restaurant. And of course, had to have the gazpacho, which is the best I've had anywhere.

I finished off the meal with the Chorizo Clams - wow! I wouldn't have thought those 2 things would go so well together, but yum yum yum!
After dinner, I headed over to the Foundation Room - you know, the exclusive Members Only club at the Mandalay Bay. Yeah, I have contacts...... (Thanks Danny!)

Important note: On Tuesday nights, they close around 11 PM. I only barely just made it up for one drink. Who knew Vegas closes early these days?? Maybe it's turning middle-aged.....

Oh, and check out who I ran into at the Venetian!

100 Miles of Nowhere - Part 1 - May 16, 2009

2009-05-17T20:42:00.000-07:00

I went and did a crazy thing - I signed up for "100 Miles of Nowhere" which is basically an unofficial unorganized ride to raise money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. It was thought up by one of my favorite bloggers, FatCyclist. The whole idea is to ride for 100 miles on your trainer (stationary bike) or in the smallest possible area you can - so that you can have a GPS track that looks like this: (note the scale):

Now, I will freely admit.... I want to help raise money for cancer, and I like the idea of doing it in such a completely silly way.... and part of me just really wants the t-shirt:

But seriously, I'm also doing it for the challenge. I've only been riding bikes with Mel for about a year, and I've never gone more than 40 miles in a ride (and that was an organized ride with rest stops every 15 miles). I know I couldn't ride 100 miles in a day, so I set myself up with a goal to do it in 2 weekends. And I really don't think I could do it on a trainer or by riding loops around my neighborhood without going seriously nutty... So I nixed those requirements and just decided to go as far as I can in the straightest possible line, and then turn around and come back.

Mel and I headed out yesterday morning from her friend Nica's house. Nica lives really close to the beach, so it worked out great as a safe place to park the car, and a way to add a few miles to the ride. We headed out towards Channel Islands Harbor and then Ventura Harbor.

Look - Boats!

It was a pretty gray day - but it was great for riding. I got going pretty fast and wasn't baking in the sun - Gnomads sunburn so easily, you know. I rode from Oxnard, through Channel Islands, past Ventura Harbor until I got to the start of the Omer Rains trail. This is a wonderful 8-mile long trail that runs along the coast in Ventura.

You go right under the Ventura pier and along the boardwalk by the beach. There are lots of people walking their dogs, roller blading, getting ready to surf, and just generally taking in the sun (which we didn't have much of today). I can handle most of those people, but then there are these:

There are a bunch of places where these can be rented at any beach, but I have never ever seen people actually in control of one of these things! Usually it's full of people, half hanging out, screaming and careening all over the road/trail and anything in front or behind is in danger.... I've actually seen kids fall out of them, seen people jump out while it's still going... They're a menace! (I keep trying to tell myself, "At least they're peddling," but it doesn't work....)

In spite of the cool, gray day, there were lots of surfers out....

You can't actually see them in this picture, but they're there behind me.....

One of my favorite spots on this trail is the estuary. The trail turns right to follow the river for a little way, but I like to stop right there where the river meets the ocean and watch the birds and people playing in the water.

Keep riding and the trail takes you through Emma Woods State Beach and then ends up at Old Rincon Highway - there's a scary place where you have to cross the highway and hope no one is coming around the corner (Whew! Made it!) and then you go over this hill to a spectacular view of the coast:

Ok, the view's a little better just a few yards farther down, but I was in the way and didn't want to endanger any other bikers.....

I kept riding until I ran out of trail.... Right at 22.5 miles. I had some choices - turn around and make my ride 5 miles shorter than I planned, or ride a few laps around the harbor until I added up those 5 more miles (see the beginning of this post to see my feelings about riding short laps), OR, I could actually keep going, which meant riding on the 101 freeway until I hit 25 miles, finding the closest off-ramp to that, and turning around.

And that's what I did....

Have no doubt - I do not like riding on the freeway! I've done it before, always with someone riding with me, and I hated it then. I've never done it by myself! But doggone if I was going to turn around 2.5 miles from my goal!

So here I am at Rincon State Park - 25.52 miles.

From there, I turned around and headed back - another 3 miles on the freeway - and no, I still don't like riding on the freeway!

I am fascinated though, by this island - there's a long bridge leading out to it, and it looks really pretty with palm trees and everything, but the public isn't allowed to go out there. What is it? Does anyone know?

I stopped on the way back to take in some Sports Beans (those are nutrition, right?) and thought I'd show that the view on the other side of the highway is pretty too - although foggy today. I got to thinking about how lucky I am to live where I do - I have all this prettiness (even on a gray foggy day) within minutes of my home.

And here are some wildflowers I saw.....

And then I stopped snapping pictures because I was getting tired and very focused on not quitting before I hit my 50 mile mark.... And I made it! Woo Hoo!!

And I've got to send out a big Thank You to FatCyclist for giving me a challenge I didn't think I could do - and a darn good reason to try it.

If you're looking for a good cause, head over to FatCyclist.com and look for links to the Livestrong Ride and Team Fatty.

Postscript.....

I am currently at mile 95, and planning to finish the last 5 miles tomorrow morning! Woo Hoo! I didn't really think I'd get all 100 miles done in 2 weeks, and right now I'm actually on target to get them done in 1 week! I'm very excited about this. No more pictures, unless I take some tomorrow morning, as the last 50 miles have pretty much been around home, most of them on what I call the "Tour de Cul de Sac", which means I'm riding in and out of all the cul de sacs that surround my neighborhood. And Yes, after about the 5th loop, the guy washing his car does start to look at you funny......

P.P.S......

I finished those last 5 miles this morning - it was a sprint to the finish, but I won my division! Woo Hoo!!!! (Never mind that it's the Newbury Park Cul-de-Sac Division for Women ages 40-45. And I was the only one in it - I won!!!!)

Perfect Day along the California Coast - 3/12/09

2009-03-14T21:13:00.000-07:00

Mel and I decided to play hooky from work last Thursday, and we talked our friends Louise & Gnugent into going on a bike ride with us up the California coast from Ventura to Carpenteria.

It was an ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR day. We could not have picked a better day to play hooky from work! The sun was out, the sky was blue. On the way up the coast, we even saw a pod of dolphins frolicking in the waves!!

These pictures aren't great - you can barely see fins popping out of the water. It's because I didn't bring a camera with me, just my cell phone. But we pulled over to the side of the road and just stood there watching them for awhile. As many times as I've ridden up this coast, I've never once seen anything but surfers. So this was exciting. A couple other cyclists pulled over with us and said that sometimes you can see whales too. So I'll definitely have to plan some rides when the whales are moving north!

We texted my brother Georgie, who lives in snowy NY, a picture of the coastline asking if he didn't wish he was playing hooky to go on a bike ride....

He responded: "I hate you". I sent him a note back that it's always nice to feel the brotherly love.... I'm sure it's not fun being taunted by your little sister while you're at work and she's engaging in your favorite past time..... ha ha.... That's what little sisters are for, right?

Louise, Mel, Gnugent, and I headed all the way up to Carpenteria. That's the farthest I've ever ridden up the coast - about 16 miles from where we started. You couldn't ask for a lovelier ride, except the part where we have to merge onto the freeway for a few miles. That part is SCARY! And we rode past La Conchita - the community that had the tragic landslide a couple of years ago that buried houses and killed a family. It's spooky. People still live there, so it looks like part ghost-town and part kitschy beach community. I had no idea when that happened how close it was to where I live.

Once in Carpenteria, we stopped at Tony's - a little hole-in-the-wall Italian place that Louise knew about. We split a salad and ravioli. I have to say, that might be the best meat sauce I've had since the last time I went to Vince's in Ontario! (Vince's is famous - if you're out in the Inland Empire, you must try one of their locations! But now I say, if you're in Carpenteria, you must try Tony's!)

Anyway, the salad was nothing special, but meat ravioli with their meat sauce - as Rachel Ray would say.... YUM-O! We practically licked our plates. Good thing they gave us garlic bread (which was also yummy - very thin crisp slices) to sop it up with.

Pleasantly satisfied, we headed back out on our bikes to find a Salt Marsh that Louise had read about. Conveniently, she had a map loaded on to her cell phone, and we realized that from Tony's, it wasn't far away. So we headed down the street, turned the corner, and there we were! The Carpenteria Salt Marsh Reserve turned out to be a lovely spot. Bikes aren't allowed out onto the reserve, so we hope we weren't breaking too many rules by walking (not riding) our bikes in (there was nowhere close by to lock up). There are some informational signs and a nice area to just sit and take in the scenery, which looked like this:

It doesn't look like much in a cell phone picture, but there was a stream running through - at the time we were there, the tide must have been coming in because the water was running away from the ocean and toward the mountains. We saw 2 egrets, a heron, and several hawks fly and land in the area, and just sat and listened to the sound of waves, birds calling, wind, and just quiet. It was such a lovely spot! We thought it would be a great place to bring a picnic lunch to. There were also signs that told about the geology of the area, wildlife, etc. So it would be an educational outing for kids too. It's not a huge area, at least, not what we saw, but soooo worth the trip.

We reluctantly turned around and headed back south down the street we came up. The street dead-ended at a campground, and we thought it might be nice to ride through there as it was right on the coast. There were some lovely views from the campground also:

This first picture was taken when riding over a bridge from one side of the campground to the other. Such a wonderful view of a river emptying out into the Pacific Ocean.

The campground dead-ended and we had to hoist our bikes over some railroad tracks to get back to the road out of town, but it was another side trip that was definitely worth it!

Reluctantly, we headed back out of town - a few miles on the freeway then back to the relative calm of Pacific Coast Highway (which is also not that calm - but much better than the freeway). It was mid-afternoon, the sun was still out, the sky was still blue. A perfect day to revel in God's creation. As Louise put it - it was like a whole vacation in one day.

"The heavens declare the glory of God..." (Ps 19:1) That day, the oceans and the sand dunes did too.

Thanksgiving in Mariposa, CA - November 2008

2009-02-06T20:23:00.000-08:00

It's pretty much tradition to go up to visit Aunt Lena & Uncle Ole in Oakhurst, CA every year for Thanksgiving. Oakhurst is right outside Yosemite National Park, so as you can imagine, it's beautiful there!

On the day after Thanksgiving, we went up to Yosemite to the Wawona school house. It's a little one-room schoolhouse that still operates in the park. On the Friday after Thanksgiving every year, they have an Arts & Crafts fair fundraiser to help raise money for the school.

Look who we ran in to!

She looks like she doesn't quite know what to think of us, doesn't she???

"Mrs. Claus" is really Anita, a friend of Ole & Lena's. She makes and sells the most amazing Elderberry Jam and Tamales. Yum Yum Yum!!!

After checking out the fair, we headed over to Mariposa, CA. That's a pretty little mountain community with lots of nice shops and restaurants. We walked around the main drag for awhile, checked out some favorite shops ("Chocolate Soup" is the best!) and just enjoyed the atmosphere.

Behind the shops, there is a nice walking path that goes along a creek (I'm sure the creek has a name, but I can't remember it - so if you know, post a comment and tell me!). It was such a lovely day - cold but pretty out. Being a city girl, I enjoy walking through the leaves and experiencing (a little) nature....

Isn't it pretty?

Christmas at Disneyland - November 22, 2008

2009-02-05T19:32:00.001-08:00

One of the best times of year to go to Disneyland is between November & January. They deck the whole park out with Christmas decorations and it's just magical! Gnugent and I headed down to the park in late November to check it out.

Right as you get to Main Street, you'll see the GINORMOUS Christmas tree with bigger than life decorations.

Then as you look down Main Street, you see the garlands going all down the street:

And the buildings on Main Street are all decked out too!

Over in the Big Thunder Ranch area (between Frontierland and Fantasyland), they have a cute little Santa's Village set up. The decorations there are just lovely - there are lots of great picture spots!

Then, after dark, you absolutely MUST go over to It's A Small World. Wait until the clock chimes. They have a wonderful light show that I didn't know existed. Here is some video of it (taken a couple of years ago - the first time I saw it).

Definitely take the time to ride on the "Storybook Land Canal Boats". It's the cutest thing ever. There are miniatures of houses from all sorts of Disney stories - and before the holidays, the fairies come out and decorate! Almost all those little houses have adorable miniature Christmas decorations. Sooooo fun! Aladdin's house was the only one that wasn't decorated. We figured they must be celebrating Ramadan.....

There is also a Holiday tour. One of Disneyland's knowledgeable tour guides takes you all over the park, pointing out special touches in the decorations that you may not have noticed (like that there's a Menorah in one of the windows on Main Street).

One of my favorite areas is New Orleans Square. The decorations are, of course, over-the-top, but beautiful. And while we were there, we saw the most amazing sunset:

They take you on the 2 rides that have special "holiday editions" - The Haunted Mansion, which is all made over with a Nightmare before Christmas theme (personally, I much prefer the normal version of Haunted Mansion) and It's a Small World where they show how Christmas is celebrated all over the world.

Then you get special seating for the Holiday parade, where they also give you a yummy gingerbread cookie and a toasty cup of hot chocolate! :-)

(By the way, if you are an annual passholder, or have an Auto Club membership, you can get a discount on the tour. We thought it was well worth doing).

And of course, after the parade, make sure to get yourself a good seat for the holiday fireworks spectacular (although I have to admit - fireworks choreographed to "Silent Night" is just odd...)

Oh! And how can I forget about the Castle!!!! It's my favorite part, naturally!!! During the day, the castle is covered in snow and icicles.

But at night.... WOW!!! The lights come on and the magic happens. It's BEAUTIFUL!

Disneyland's holiday decorations are definitely a festive way to start off the Christmas season! Early in November and early January (before Thanksgiving and after Christmas, but before they take the decorations down) are the best, least crowded times to go. They do have special Thanksgiving Day and Christmas day meal opportunities if you plan to be there during the actual holidays. I've never done that, but I'm guessing they'd do a great job.

Upstate NY - November 7-8, 2008

2009-01-16T18:32:00.000-08:00

Mel and I headed up to Utica, NY in November for a visit with Michelle & Georgie. It was sooo good to see my brother again, and I've never before seen where he lives.

(By the way, if you're going to be in Upstate NY and would like some insider information on great sights to see and places to eat, check out Michelle's blog)

They live in an adorable little craftsman style home in a nice neighborhood where you can walk all over the place. I have to say though, I really don't understand it - it's COLD out there! I had to wear my coat the whole time! Georgie was laughing at me.

Georgie & Michelle took us over to Cat Town where Michelle's great- grandfather had lived and showed us this cool barn that he had built himself!

I think old structures like this are even more interesting to me because you don't often see them in California. Here, things like this are torn down to build condos. It's pretty sad.

One neat thing about this barn is that it's built right along a creek, and I don't know if it was built this way, or just fixed up, but the creek actually flows a little under the barn, and a corner of the barn is propped up on stones to keep up from falling into the creek!

This area was really quite pretty. Michelle & Georgie then took us up a little country road where we saw nice meadows and hay fields. It's funny, I saw big rolls of hay in the field for the first time - I think the only times I've seen that before has been in artwork and movies!

And we saw some snow! Georgie and I got out of the car and played in it :-)

After a nice drive through the country, we ended up at Fly Creek Cider Mill.

I loved the Cider Mill. It has a cute little store and, of course, apple cider, but so much more than that. There were all sorts of apple food products - salsa, bbq sauce, salad dressings, wine... I bought a bunch of stuff and had it shipped home to make gift baskets for Christmas. There was an area where you could see how cider is made (it wasn't operating while we were there though) and outside the mill there were lots of things to see and do.

You could ride a tractor, for example:

And there was also an area where you could feed ducks and chickens. This was pretty funny - you'd get food out of the dispenser and boy would they come running! A few of them were eye-ing Georgie & me a little too hungrily for my comfort.

There were 2 ducks though that really cracked us up. They had such a distinct "look"! One had this top-knot that looked like an unruly thatch of hair - we named him Elvis. And the other had these curly poofy feathers - they looked like one of those formal dresses we wore to dances in high school back in the 80's. We named her the Prom Queen:

Elvis and the Prom Queen

On my last day in Upstate NY, Georgie took us over to Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I'm a big baseball fan, and so is my grandma who lives in Las Vegas, so I was excited to go there!

Almost the first thing we saw was Doubleday Field! This used to be the home of every year's Hall of Fame baseball game. It was so neat! It was also in the movie, "A League of their Own", which of course, I loved...

This is the Baseball Hall of Fame! We got to go inside, but I didn't actually get to do the museum tour - we were just out of time. I'd really like to go back and do that though. I think it would be interesting! But, we did manage to find time to check out the museum gift shop and I found lots of great Christmas presents there (for my baseball loving family!)

As we were leaving Cooperstown, we turned down a little side street and came upon the most spectacular sight. This is Lake Otsego. Enjoy.....

Queen Mary - October 11, 2008

2009-01-04T19:36:00.000-08:00

Mel's cousin Karen came out to run the Long Beach Half Marathon in October, and she invited Mel to ride the Bike Tour at the same time. Now Karen is the reason Mel started biking. Karen started running earlier this year, and Mel was thinking, "Hey, if she can run, I can ride!" And that's when the dusty old bike came down from the rafters and got fixed up. So it was really fun that they could do this event together. The City of Long Beach really goes all out - they have a full marathon, a half marathon, a 5k run/walk and a bike tour (which goes the full marathon route).

Karen, Mel, & I stayed on the Queen Mary. It's the real cruise ship that used to cross the Atlantic Ocean, served in WWII, and now is docked in Long Beach and is a floating hotel. What a NEAT experience to get to stay on the ship!

Our room had 2 twin size beds, a nice closet and a decent sized bathroom. It wasn't a huge luxurious hotel bedroom, but on the other hand, cruise ship rooms are not usually huge (unless you pay lots of extra money). The walls were gorgeous wood (teak, I think, but I'm not sure about that) and there were all sorts of things in the room that were original - like an original ships fan and the faucets in the shower that gave you choices of hot salt water, hot fresh water, cold salt water, and cold fresh water (those don't work anymore. You have just plain boring hot & cold fresh water now). The whole boat is done in Art Deco style, which is very beautiful.

The night before the race, the Queen Mary hosted a "Carb Load" dinner for the participants. We had all sorts of pasta and garlic bread and could eat to our heart's content. Actually, the only bad thing I have to say about staying on the Queen Mary was the food - none of the restaurants we tried had good food and the service was terrible. But other than that, we really enjoyed our stay!

Both the bike tour and the half marathon routes took us right past the Queen Mary. The bike tour started before dawn, so as we went past the ship, the sun was just rising - making for a beautiful scene:

The next day, after the races, we took an audio tour of the ship. I highly recommend doing this. It's self guided - you get an audio system and it tells you where to go next. We learned a LOT about the ship's history and even how it functions today. Did you know the radio room is still in use? They allow a local amateur radio club to operate the radios and they talk to people all over the world from the ship! I thought that was kind of cool. (Incidentally, if you want to take the tour, I highly recommend doing it BEFORE you run a marathon, as there are a lot of steps for sore legs to handle!)

Some other things we saw....

A beautiful inlaid wood picture of the Queen Mary:

And the life boats (they were totally rotted - good thing there's no chance of the ship sinking now!)

It was a great opportunity to get to re-live a little history and enjoy the nostalgia of staying on the Queen Mary. There are flaws, like some repair work that desperately needs to be done, but all in all, we were very glad we stayed there.

Harvest Ride for Literacy - October 4, 2008

2009-01-04T19:13:00.000-08:00

One of the really nice things about getting places by bike is that you get to see some really pretty places - you see them so much better than you do when you're speeding by in a car!

In October, Mel & I and a couple of her friends participated in the Harvest Ride for Literacy. This was a 30 mile ride to help raise funds for adult reading education in Ventura county. A pretty cool cause, I think.

The trail went along the Ventura Coastline - an absolutely beautiful area:

When you go on these organized rides, there's a route all planned out for you. They give you a sheet of paper with directions, and they also paint little symbols along the route for you to follow - like this:

Our route took us along the coast, riding up Pacific Coast Highway for a ways, and even getting onto the 101 freeway for part of the ride! That part was really scary!! We rode past the La Conchita landslide area. It was so strange. People still live in the community, so it looks like it's part ghost town, part still lived in. It was kind of creepy. I hadn't been up in that area since the landslide happened, so this was the first time I had seen it.

Our halfway point was at Rincon State Beach. There was a nice rest stop set up for us, with snacks and water.

This is Louise & me at the rest stop.

The view from the rest stop was beautiful - right out over the Pacific Ocean. It was a gray and gloomy day though, and visibility didn't go out that far.

As we turned around and headed back for the last leg of the ride, disaster struck in 2 forms.... First, it started to rain. We expected maybe a little drizzle, and had jackets for that. But this was a DOWNPOUR. We were getting pelted - and since it was also slightly downhill and we were riding pretty fast, those rain drops actually stung! And then, Louise got a flat tire. Now she's had lots of flat tires (I keep telling her she needs to slime her tires!) so she can change them pretty fast, but nothing seems fast when you're getting soaked! She got the tire changed, and off we went again, then we found a family from the same ride sitting along the side of the road. Apparently Junior had crashed and had a skinned knee. Well, since Mel is a bit of a klutz (she admits it!), she was well prepared and she gave the family some Neosporin & bandaids and they got Junior fixed right up. Off we went again... within one mile - Louise got another flat!

That was IT! We called SAG support, which are very nice folks who ride around in real cars and help the bikers who have trouble. The vehicle that stopped only had room for Louise & her bike, so Maureen, Mel, & I were preparing to finish the last soggy 7 miles of the ride, when finally another SAG vehicle stopped and offered us a ride. After a very short battle with our pride, we very gratefully accepted the offer!

So we didn't finish the whole 30 miles, but then this is supposed to be fun, right? And we decided getting pelted with rain, soaking wet and cold is really not that fun. But we're still planning to sign up again next year.....

Biking to Ojai - May 2008

2008-12-31T11:48:00.001-08:00

Mel has taken up a new hobby, so I'm finding myself on a lot of bike rides lately. The trail up to Ojai is one of my favorites.

We usually start out at Foster Park. It's got great parking and nice clean restrooms (very important!).

I've got pretty comfortable accommodations in the bike basket. And the views are nice from there - all the benefit of the ride with none of the work!

I believe the trail is officially called the "Ventura River Trail". It goes along a river for part of the way and then ascends up into the mountains towards Ojai. It rises about 1000 feet in 11 miles, not too bad.

The scenery is stunning! You get everything from streams (where we often see people swimming) to mountains to wide open meadows.

And we even get to see all sorts of "Yard Art" along the way......

Now, the 2nd best part of the ride happens when you get to Ojai. We ride all the way out to the end of town to Bocalli's - where we get the best pizza ever made!! This isn't a great picture of the building - but it does show how busy the parking lot always is!

So what's the best part of the ride, you ask? Well, that's the ride back - it's all downhill! Wooo Hoo!!!!

Las Vegas - February '08

2008-12-31T11:17:00.000-08:00

You may notice that I go to Las Vegas a lot. I'm not your typical Vegas traveler - not big into gambling or clubbing. But I have family there. Mel's grandma, 2 of her aunts and all of her cousins live there, so we try to go at least twice a year. We don't always get down to the Las Vegas Strip (believe it or not), but when we do, we try to explore something new or something we haven't seen before.

This time, we had some fun at the Wax Museum at the Venetian hotel. As you can see, I made quite a few new friends.....

And of course, what trip to Vegas is complete without a little sing-along......

We also got to ride in a Gondola outside of the hotel. My pictures didn't come out for some reason, but I did get a nice one of me and the Gondola driver.....

Space Shuttle Launch - Kennedy Space Center, Florida - October 23, 2007

2008-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

I was incredibly lucky enough to be in Florida at just the right time to witness a Space Shuttle launch. This is something I've wanted to see for as long as they've been launching shuttles, so I can't even begin to tell you how excited and honored I was to be there!

Mel was excited too. The last time she had been at the Kennedy Space Center was right after the shuttle Challenger exploded. The Space program was on hold, and much of the activities in the center focused on keeping the program alive. So it was really special to be there to witness what we've accomplished since then.

The Discovery was the shuttle that was launching that day, and its mission was to deliver a new module for the international space station.

We had to get special tickets to be at the Space Center on launch day. We ordered them ahead of time and were so unspeakably excited when they arrived!

We had to arrive at the Space Center early - several hours before the launch. We had been warned about traffic in the area - and boy they weren't kidding! But we got there and scoped out what we thought would be a perfect viewing spot - and boy did we guard that spot! There was only one problem.... The place where we were looking very intensely wasn't where the shuttle lifted off! We still could see it though - fortunately. But it was kind of funny!

They had the launch control stuff going over loudspeakers, so we could hear messages to the shuttle as they prepared for lift-off. Then the countdown started. It was really neat because EVERYONE there counted down. 5.....4........3........2.........1! And then you heard the engines. It was a low roaring noise - hard to explain. You almost felt it more than heard it. And then (once we looked in the right direction), you could see it - lifting over the trees, leaving a trail of white smoke behind it. Everyone cheered! It's really an emotional moment to see it happen. As it raised up toward the heavens, you could hear shuttle command talking to the astronauts. We heard the command for booster separation then saw it happen. We could even see the solid rocket boosters plummeting back to earth. And we followed the shuttle until it was just a speck of light leaving the atmosphere.

(excuse the shakiness of the video - you'll get a laugh because you can hear us going "Wait - where is it??")

Even in the video, you can feel the roar of the engines. Where you hear everyone clapping - about 1 min, 30 seconds in, that's when the Solid Rocket Boosters separated. We could see them falling back to Earth.

It really was such an amazing sight!

After the launch, we all just stood there and breathed for a few moments - I think the whole place had been holding its breath! And then we were able to roam around the facility and check it out....

This big building held the space shuttle launch simulator ride. You could actually get tickets to go in and experience what a launch would feel like. What was neat is that you had actual real astronauts describing what it would feel like and why you would feel the things you did. Of course, we thought Mission Space over at EPCOT was just a little bit of a better ride.....

There is also a life-size model of a shuttle that you can go into and look at - you can see the control panel room and the payload bay. It was kind of neat.

And it made a great place to hang out and get some shade.....

The rocket garden was really neat. There were models of rockets from all different stages of the space program that you could see - and some you could even go into. The rockets are beautiful silhouetted against the clear blue sky.

We could see the ginormous Vehicle Assembly Building - but since it was a launch day, we could not take the tour that takes you out there and to the launch pads.

One of the most touching displays at the Kennedy Space Center is the memorial to astronauts who have lost their life. There is a huge black marble slab and their names are etched into it. The slab is on rollers and can be moved. It is moved throughout the day so that it always reflects the sky - so that "the astronauts will forever be among the clouds." We stood there and looked at it in silence for awhile.

If you ever have a chance to visit Kennedy Space Center, I can't recommend it highly enough. If you will be in the area when there's a launch, do everything you can to go see it. The shuttle program is scheduled to end in 2010, so there wont be that many more launches. And it's soooo worth it. Now I'm hoping I can see the shuttle land at Edwards Air Force base. It lands here once in awhile, but there isn't much notice so it's VERY hard to get out there to see it. But just a couple of weeks ago, I heard the twin sonic booms as the shuttle flew over my house for a landing at Edwards just a couple of minutes later. That may be as close as I get to seeing it, but I'm still hoping!

(And if any astronauts out there want to take me on a shuttle flight.... just send me an email and I'm there!!!!)

Disney World - Hidden Mickeys - October 2007

2008-12-29T20:46:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about Hidden Mickeys? (No, I'm not making this up...) They're all over all the Disney Parks. They're little hidden images of Mickey Mouse concealed in the design of Disney attractions. They're kind of tributes to the mouse.... (and actually started as inside jokes by the imagineers).

Gnugent and I had some fun looking for hidden Mickeys in Disney World (Yes, we had some help from this book). Here are some of the Mickeys we found (We forgot to take pictures of all of them).... And, there are no hidden Vera's or Gnugents anywhere to be found here....

This one is on the Tree of Life in the Animal Kingdom park:

And this is just outside of the Expedition Everest ride:

This is in the Conservation exhibit at the Animal Kingdom park.

This one is in the carpet at the beautiful Grand Floridian hotel:

This one is one of my favorites. It's in a mural painted in the loading area of the Maelstrom ride in Norway (EPCOT). Notice the Viking that's wearing Mickey ears.....

And here is the tunic of King Olaf of Norway:

This one is in a miniature German village in the World Showcase in EPCOT:

And this is in a pond in the Japan Pavilion:

This was in Morocco. It was so obvious, I didn't think it would actually be considered a "Hidden" Mickey, but the book says it is:

Another one of my favorites - it's the carpet at the Rock N Roller Coaster:

And this is on the Tower of Terror (look at the smudge on the wall.....):

I think the most fun thing about Hidden Mickeys is that they're all different - you never quite know where you'll see one or what form it will take. It's a fun little scavenger hunt and a GREAT way to kill time when you're waiting in line. There's a book for Disneyland too! If you're heading off to the parks, I recommend it - happy hunting! (Note, the books are pretty small and easy to carry around the parks.....)

Disney World - Magic Kingdom & Disney Hollywood Studios - October 2007

2008-12-29T19:38:00.000-08:00

Next Stop: The Magic Kingdom - This is the park that is most like what I have at Disneyland. It really was a copy of the original Disneyland, but with a few changes.

We were there in October, so it was decorated for their "Halloweentime" celebration. When you first walk up to the park, you see the Mickey floral display all done up with pumpkins....

Now, I hate to be one of those people who's always comparing and saying "my park is better because...." but in this case.... I have to say, Disneyland does Halloweentime better. Our decorations are WAY more sophisticated and way more elaborate. At the Magic Kingdom, there were only decorations when you first came into the park, but at Disneyland, they're all over, and they're at California Adventure too (there weren't any Halloween decorations at any of the other WDW parks that I noticed). So, for example, here's the Mickey floral at Disneyland...

OK, I wont harp on this anymore.... But if you're listening WDW folks - you can do better!

Generally, the Magic Kingdom is the same as Disneyland, but there are some differences. The biggest one is that the Magic Kingdom has Liberty Square, which is early America. I liked it a lot. But MK doesn't have New Orleans Square, so you miss out on some neat architecture.

and the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion is WAY different from Disneyland's - and I have to say, I like it better! The architecture is neat and I thought the ride (which had recently had some upgrades) is actually better than ours. Especially at Halloween when we have that dumb Nightmare Before Christmas makeover, which I can't stand.

We used to have headstones in our Haunted Mansion graveyard like this, but they're gone now. I can remember standing in line as a kid and reading them. They were funny.
I took a picture of this one for a reason - I used to have a wonderful boss named Fred, and he had this picture hanging in the office. It always made me laugh. It was kind of nostalgic to see it again.

Now, you may have the better Haunted Mansion, but we have a better Pirates of the Caribbean. Although you had some cool things in the queue that we don't have...

like gnomads in the queue!

The funny thing about this picture was that another tourist pushed Mel out of the way so he could take a picture of Gnugent & me here. She's like "Um... I put them there...." We had a good laugh over that and were wondering where our picture might end up.....

Another difference at the Magic Kingdom is the Fantasyland area. It's still decorated like the Fantasyland that Mel remembers from her childhood. At Disneyland, it was upgraded in the early 80's, and the look is totally different. It was really fun remembering what it used to be like.

And then we went to the Disney/MGM (now called Disney Hollywood) Studios Park. We don't have anything like this in California, except Universal Studios (which naturally isn't part of Disneyland). It was kind of funny walking into the entrance since it's themed like a Hollywood Studio, so it was a lot like being at home!

The icon of this park of course is the Sorcerer's Apprentice hat. It's ENORMOUS!

I liked this little fruit stand - it reminded me of home. I'm sure the name "Anaheim Produce" is a nod to Disneyland....

The Disney/MGM Studio Park has some interesting attractions - like one that shows you how special effects are done for the movies. We almost got picked to be in the "movie" that is made during the show, but Louise had been there before and knew what was in store (that is - that you get very wet!) and told them we didn't want to do it. I was kind of glad of that, but it was still an interesting attraction (but VERY much like the Universal Studios tour).

There's another ride that takes you through classic film scenes & has some fun interaction in it. And some stunt shows and other things like that. Now, I have to admit, that where I live, there's a lot of this in real life - after awhile, you see all the movie trailers and trucks and things, and instead of getting excited about what movie star you might see, you groan and think "Oh great, traffic!" So a lot of the "behind the scenes" stuff doesn't get me all that excited - that's not to say though that it's a boring park. There's lots of neat things to see.

AND.... This park had what turned out to be my 2 favorite rides in all of Disney World - and they're right next to each other!

The first one I couldn't wait to try... We have a version of it at California Adventure, but I've heard time and time again that the one at Disney World is better! It's the Hollywood Tower of Terror.

The outside looks pretty similar to ours, but the ride itself is a lot different - and the best part is that it changes every time. It took a lot of convincing to get Gnugent to go on this with me. He doesn't generally like drop rides, but neither do I and I LOVE this one. What I had heard about the Florida version was that it has different drop sequences each time you ride, and I couldn't wait to try it. I talked Gnugent into riding and the funny thing was - our first ride was a bit of a dud! It was like a drop sequence for pre-schoolers! But it worked out OK because it convinced Gnugent he could handle it, so he agreed to go on it with me again. And the second time, it was GREAT. Soooo much fun. It's more like a bouncy thing than a drop, and this one bounced a bunch of times. Even Gnugent liked it. We went on it several more times while we were in Florida and he liked it better each time (He even goes on the one in California with me now!).

And then.... There was the Rock 'N' Roller Coaster! Oh my gosh is this one fun!!! (Note to other girl Gnomads out there - take off hair clips and earrings before riding!).
This one is themed to a recording studio, and even has a little movie starring the band "Aerosmith" (did I spell that right? Gnugent is a fan - I'll ask him....). The whole premise is that you're speeding off to a rock concert and you're in a limo going through the jungles of LA freeways to get to the club. You board the car, get all strapped in (take off hats & glasses folks!) and it takes you to the starting area. You sit there with the engine revving for a minute, and then you take off - 0 to 60 in like a millisecond! It's such a kick! And you go right into a dark room and into a corkscrew spin! Wooo HOOO!!!!! It's indoors, pitch dark except for freeway signs that light up only as you pass them. There are corkscrews, loops, it's crazy! It was sooooo much fun, I can't even count how many times we went on it! Oh, and there's Aerosmith music blasting in your ears the whole time. What an adrenaline rush!

So, when you go to that park, take the first right and go on Tower of Terror and the Rock N Roller Coaster - you will love them!!!!

Disney World - Epcot - October 2007

2008-12-29T18:54:00.000-08:00

My next stop at Disney World was to EPCOT - which stands for "Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow" - or as the cast members will tell you "Every Person Comes Out Tired".

It was pretty true to its name - there is so much to do and see there, I was pretty darn tired at the end of the day!

The front part of the park is "Future World" and has some really neat attractions that teach about stuff - space, energy, testing cars, the ocean, & agriculture. The most innovative (I thought) ride in this section is "Mission Space". You get into this little pod and it feels like you're in a space shuttle hat is taking off and landing. It's a really really strange feeling! It made my eyes water and I got a little dizzy (I'm prone to vertigo anyway). I was pretty nervous getting on it because they warn you that it might make you sick - in fact, there are air sick bags right there in front of your seat! But it was a really neat experience. I believe it's based on the simulators that astronauts use to prepare to go into space. (I could swear I took a picture in front of that ride, but I can't seem to find it!)

Between the two main "lands" in EPCOT, there is a really nice lagoon that provides for a pretty picture spot:

All around the lagoon is the "World Showcase". That's my favorite part of EPCOT. There are 11 countries represented there. Each country has an attraction that tells you more about the country, one or more restaurants, and shops. Since traveling is my thing, naturally I loved this area!

Here I am with Gnugent & Louise in the "Mexico" area:

And in front of a miniature Butchart Gardens in the Canada pavilion:

And visiting some new friends in Norway:

One of the really neat things we were lucky enough to experience was the international food & wine festival. We just happened to be there at the right time - and interestingly, we didn't really pay attention to it the first time we were at EPCOT (we went back a couple times), but boy did we the second time! We got to try food from several different countries, like Ireland, Argentina, Greece, Morocco, Spain, & India. And it was yummy! That was our lunch that day - we just went from booth to booth trying different things!

Oh, and I must say.... You must stop at the pastry shop in France for the chocolate mousse.... mmmmm.... .......

Oh! One more thing..... The picture at the very top of this post was taken at sunrise before the park opened. What was I doing at EPCOT at sunrise before the park opened, you might ask? Well, we signed up for a Segway Tour - where you ride those 2-wheeled Segway scooters all over the park before it opens. SOOOOO much fun! I highly recommend it. Although it's a little tough to convice cab drivers that it's ok to drop you off at the park that early!

Disney World - Animal Kingdom Park - October 2007

2008-12-29T18:01:00.000-08:00

I was so excited I almost couldn't stand it - I was getting to go to Disney World! I mean, I spend a lot of time here at Disneyland, but I had never been to Disney World and there's soooo much more to do there!

We started out in the Animal Kingdom Park. We picked that one for our first day for 2 reasons:

1. The new Expedition Everest Ride - I had heard it's a GREAT roller coaster and I couldn't wait to check it out

2. It's soooo different than any of the other theme parks and I had seen TV shows about it and couldn't wait to see it!

So, we hopped onto the Disney bus and headed straight there - and once we got there, we headed straight for Everest!

I think I forgot to mention that I went to Florida with my buddy Gnugent. We travel so well together - we like a lot of the same things. So it's always so much fun to go places with him.

So here we are with the mountain in the background - this was our first view of it. Isn't it impressive? It's huge! The theming in the Animal Kingdom park is phenomenal, so the walk to Everest felt like we were walking through a Nepalese village. There was even a shrine to the Yeti - complete with offerings left in hopes of safe passage.

I got a kick out of this sign:

As you approach the mountain, you walk through a village full of shops to help you buy provisions for your trip:

The line for the Expedition Everest ride is also really neat. It's set up like a museum, where you see all sorts of interesting facts about animals that live on the mountain, about other expeditions that have gone before, and about the legend of the Yeti..... The mysterious creature that protects the mountain. There are even artifacts from a previous expedition that mysteriously vanished....

So, what did I think of the actual ride? I think I may have been anticipating it a little too much, because it wasn't as exciting as I expected, but it was FUN, and the special effects, especially the audio-animatronic Yeti, were amazing! We only got to ride it once. We had a fast pass to ride it again, but it broke down by the time we went back to it, and we never saw it running again that day.

Another really neat feature of the Animal Kingdom park is the Tree of Life. This is right in the middle of the park and it's the icon for that park:

It's really interesting to just sit and look at the Tree of Life. There is soooo much to see! Everywhere you look there are animals carved into the tree - but so cleverly that they're almost hiding. We walked around and around the tree just looking at all the different animals - and every time we looked at a spot, we'd see something different. It was really fascinating.

The rest of the park, of course, was also great. It's divided up by continent and there were areas where we could see the animals from each continent, and of course the shop/food areas were themed for that part of the world too. It's really, really well done and I would have liked to spend more time there. One thing I will say - between the plants and the water for the animals, and it just being Florida - well, it seemed even MORE humid in that park than it did in the rest of Orlando. We may have just been there on a beastly day (and it was a beastly day), but I swear the atmosphere of that park was thicker than anywhere else we went!

One of my dreams is to take a safari in Africa, so naturally one of my favorite parts of the park was the "Kilimanjaro Safari" attraction. You loaded onto a safari vehicle with open sides and took a trip out into the Savannah. We got to see all sorts of animals roaming free in various habitats: Giraffes (my favorite!), zebras, hippos, flamingos, gazelles, gnus..... And lots I can't remember. Oh - and the lions were very cool! There's even a little adventure on the ride as you pursue poachers through the park. Fortunately, we chased them away!

All in all, it was a neat park. I know it's considered a "half day" park (like California Adventure is at Disneyland), but I think I could come back time and time again if I lived closer. The rides were great and the atmosphere was amazing (if humid!). I highly recommend it.

Also - make sure to go over to the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is the high-end Disney hotel themed with this park. It's amazing! I saw on a TV show that they even brought in workers from Africa to thatch the roof and the effect is stunning. Inside there are artifacts from Africa, including this ceremonial mask that several people get inside to perform a dance. You can go out on a balcony and see animals roaming right up to the hotel (there are strategically located feeding stations there to encourage them to come that close). And we had dinner at the restaurant "Jiko". Ohhh.... I'm drooling just thinking about it! The food is based on the cuisine of Africa and everything we had was unbelievably good. They also have the largest selection of South African wines that can be found outside of Africa. We tried a couple and I can say I'm a fan :-) (But I'd swear they are stronger than our California wines because I had a nice buzz off my one glass for a couple of hours!) I think I'd fly back to Florida just to eat at that restaurant again. It's definitely a "must try" in my book!

Gnomad in Space!

2008-12-03T14:56:00.001-08:00

Well, this might be as close as I ever get to actually going into space myself (although - never say never!!)

My brother Terry signed me up to have my name travel aboard the Dawn Spacecraft into space!! How cool is that?

You can read all about the mission here

Local Stuff - August 2007

2008-12-03T14:39:00.000-08:00

Aunt Lena & Uncle Ole came for a visit again in August. I always enjoy it when they come.

This year we got to go to a Dodger game!

How exciting to be there in person!!! It was a great game too - and the Dodgers won!! And I had my first Dodger Dog... YUM!!! And of course, Cracker Jacks......

We also went to the Napa Rose restaurant at the Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland. This is the fanciest restaurant you'll find at the resort. The food is AMAZING, service is impeccable. But guess what? They're not at all stuffy. In fact, our waitress took me, Ole, & Lena back to meet the chef and he took pictures with us!!

Lena, Ole, and me with Chef Andrew Sutton

I was really happy he didn't put us in that big oven!

Road Trip to Oregon! May 2007

2008-12-03T14:06:00.000-08:00

It's been awhile since I've been on the road, so it was great to finally get out on a road trip with Annora and her husband Scott!

We were heading to Oregon, and we took scenic roads all the way up. We had a fun stop at the Charles M. Schultz Museum in Santa Rosa, CA.

And Snoopy & Woodstock:

Even the bathrooms here have comic strips!

As we headed up the Redwood Highway, we stopped at a rest stop and saw a herd of elk!

Elk!

We finally got to our destination - Bandon, Oregon. It was such a pretty spot, and check out the view from our balcony!

We were not far from "Face Rock"

And finally - we enjoyed our beautiful Oregon sunsets.....

Ireland - September 2006

2008-12-03T13:20:00.001-08:00

In September, I got to go to Ireland with Mel's cousin Karen and her friend Kerry.....

Here I am at Trinity College in Dublin. I'm feeling very collegiate. It's beautiful here! We saw the Book of Kells - an elaborately decorated copy of the four gospels which was painstakingly transcribed by monks.

Here I am at the beautiful St. Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin. It is an amazing cathedral. What they don't tell you - there are St. Patrick's Cathedrals all over Ireland!

This is the view from atop the Rock of Cashel. The Rock of Cashel was originally the home to royalty and was handed over to the church in 1100. What stands today is a collection of religious buildings, once the home to both Protestant and Catholic Bishops. It was a hike to get to the top, but the view was worth it!

Yummy! With all this touring, it's important to start off with a hearty breakfast. I was a big fan of the full Irish breakfast. It's a good thing Gnomads don't have to watch their cholesterol! My only suggestion - stay away from the Black Pudding - IT'S NOT PUDDING!

Blech! I just kissed the Blarney Stone. Karen would have gotten a picture of me actually kissing the stone, but the line was moving too fast. Some people just don't understand us Gnomads...

I did get a cool certificate though, showing that I was there!

It was a long hike up a spiral staircase to reach the top of the Blarney Castle - here is the view from the top:

And this is Blarney Castle in the background:

What a view! Here I am on the Ring of Kerry. The weather was uncharacteristically warm and dry - perfect for all the pictures we were taking. It was an adventure driving on the narrow roads on the "wrong side."

Brrr! It was overcast and a little rainy today as we toured the Dingle Peninsula. The wind nearly blew me over the edge! The Dingle Peninsula is the western-most point in Ireland. The views were amazing!

Hello from the Cliffs of Moher! This was my favorite site in Ireland. The cliffs were magnificent - it was like something you only see in a postcard. They stretch along the coast for 5 miles. For most of the walk, there is nothing holding you back from a sheer drop to the ocean.

If you look closely, you can see me in the window of these old ruins. The ruins were on the grounds of Dromoland Castle (where we stayed on the last night). The castle is a five star resort - this is how Gnomads should travel!!

Thanks Karen & Kerry - it was a GREAT trip!

Hershey, PA - May 2006

2008-12-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

After a few days in Amish country, we headed over to Hershey, where we had rented a small house, met up with my other brother Georgie, and spent a few days in Chocolate Country!

Now, if you're turning 40 and looking for a great way to celebrate - I definitely recommend this! Practically everything in Hershey has to do with chocolate!

We started out at Hershey Park....

Hershey Park is an amusement park, built by the Hershey company, originally for their employees. Naturally it's grown over the years and now it's got some great roller coasters. It was a lot of fun. Of course, I LOVE roller coasters!

Later that evening, we had dinner at the Circular Dining Room at the Hotel Hershey. What a MAGNIFICENT dinner that was!!!

Of course, it didn't hurt that we had a cutie-patootie waiter :-)

Most of the items on the menu had some kind of relationship to chocolate. We had seared scallops with a cocoa foam as an appetizer, which sounds odd, but was VERY good. Chocolate martinis, chocolate creme brulee, mmmm.... I'm drooling just thinking about it. If you're ever in the area - make reservations. It's WELL worth it!!

The next day, we rolled ourselves out of bed and headed over to Chocolate World! That's the visitor center for Hershey - they used to do factory tours, but I suspect the health department didn't love that, so they built Chocolate World. (Also known as "The Mother Ship")

Inside, there's a little ride that tells you all about how cocoa beans are turned into yummy chocolate candy (I'm sure there are other products too, but my attention span stopped at the candy and stayed there....). It's a cute little ride, and free :-)

The ride drops you off and on your way out, they give you a little teeny tiny candy sample - but that's just to whet your appetite because when you get down the ramp, you're in the biggest chocolate gift shop I've ever seen! They had just about everything you could imagine there!

Terry, Georgie, and I had some fun with the Hershey's Kisses!

I will admit that I pretty much wanted everything they had in that shop!! And of course, there were lots of good gift ideas to bring back to those who couldn't make the trip (wink wink)

After we had our fill of chocolate (is there such a thing?), we went out to the Hershey Botanical Gardens. These were originally planted by Milton Hershey's wife (her original rose garden) and they've been built up and expanded over the years. The gardens were sooooo lovely. We just loved all the tulips that were everywhere, but we were a little too early for the roses.

Does this picture look familiar?

It was taken just inside the entrance to the gardens.

There were tulips everywhere, and they were just amazing! All sorts of different colors and shapes. I had no idea there were so many varieties. And I enjoyed ALL of them!

There's also a really cute Children's garden section. There is a scavenger hunt for the kids that teaches them about the plants, and all sorts of fun kid-sized things to explore...

Oh and I almost forgot to tell you how cute the town of Hershey is!!

Here I am at the corner of Cocoa Ave & Chocolate Ave.....

And check out the street lights!

Even the pavement in the road in town was brown!!

On our last day, we went to the Spa at the Hotel Hershey. Oooooh what pampering we got there!!! This is a world-class spa, and boy did we enjoy it. I had a Whipped Cocoa bath, a Cocoa Massage, Sweet Feet (a chocolate pedicure!). I smelled so good!!!! It was sooo relaxing and even in the lounges between treatments, they had hot chocolate and coffee for us. We just loved it!!

After we were done, we walked around the hotel grounds, which are also lovely....

Hershey is a wonderful place - and not just because of the chocolate! All of the people we met were just so wonderfully nice. And of course, it was extra special that I got to spend the time with my brothers!

I really hope to go back there some day......

Amish Country - May 2006

2008-12-03T10:42:00.001-08:00

One place I've always wanted to visit is Amish Country, and I got the opportunity in May, 2006.

Mel decided to celebrate her 40th birthday by drowning herself in chocolate in Hershey PA. When we realized how close that is to Amish country, we tacked on a few days to the trip and spent 3 wonderful days exploring back roads, farms, family run shops. I loved it!

On our first day, we found a really neat tour. The funny thing is, we found it in a Target parking lot! It's the Amish House and Farm tour, and it turned out to be one of our favorite activities.

This is a big old stone barn that is still in use today housing all sorts of animals. The windmill in the background operates the pump that delivers water to the house.

We learned a lot about Amish life. The really cool thing was that on the tour they listed off the core beliefs of the Amish religion, and they are perfectly aligned with "mainstream" Christianity. They do take the idea of being "separate" to an extreme, but their core beliefs are very Biblical. That was pretty cool.

We got to see how they live and work. Interestingly, they have modern appliances like stoves and refrigerators, but instead of being hooked up to the public electricity, they run their appliances off of generators fueled by kerosene or diesel.

The amish dress very simply, and their clothes are all handmade. Women's clothing has no buttons or zippers - instead they use straight pins for closures. Can you imagine???? I'd get poked to DEATH! They even secure their head coverings with straight pins. Yikes!

While we were there, we got to see this baby goat. She was just 4 days old. Her name was Heidi. Isn't she adorable?

Did I mention that my brother Terry got to join me on this trip?? He lives in Wisconsin with Mel's friend Julie. Julie met us in Pennsylvania and toured both Amish Country & Hershey with us. It was so nice spending time with them!

Another fun place where we stopped was the hex sign store. You see these signs all over buildings, especially barns, in the area. They are beautifully painted. What I learned there was that they're not actually "hexes" (as in, spells), but the name comes from the German word for Six, (describing the six pointed star on most of the signs) and that word sounds like the English word for hex, so that's how that name came about. Most of the symbols on these signs are actually blessings - like for happy marriage, long life, good crops....

Another neat opportunity we had was to take a tour in a real Amish buggy, driven by a real Amish guy named Menno. Now when you are in Amish country, it's very important to be respectful. The Amish do not want their pictures taken, so without express permission, it is rude to take pictures of them. But they were open and friendly and very interesting to talk to. We enjoyed riding in the buggy, through a working Amish farm, and learning about their lives.

We also spent a lot of time in quilt shops, marveling at the gorgeous, handmade quilts. And bakeshops, enjoying all sorts of homemade goodies!

Then, the last thing we did, and by far the coolest......

We took a hot-air balloon ride over Amish Country!!!

We got to watch while the balloon was unfolded (and boy did that look like a big tangle of cloth and lines!), and inflated - Julie & Mel even got to stand inside the balloon while it was being inflated! And then we all got in the basket (8 of us plus the driver) and up, up, and away we went!

We went as high as a mile up in the air! It was really cool - there'd be a moment when I'd realize I was a mile up in the air with 8 other people in a wicker basket and I'd panic, then I'd look around at the sights and forget all about that!

Things we saw:

The house from the movie "Witness" with Harrison Ford & Kelly McGillis
Amish farmers
A barn raising in progress
An Amish couple out for a walk, possibly courting....
An Amish lady working in her garden
A railroad yard round-about
Lots of farmland

We landed in a field. The spotters on the ground, who followed us in a van, had to go ask the owners if we could land in their field. They were excited - they've seen the balloons go overhead, but never had one land in their field! And a bunch of Amish kids ran out and helped the crew get the basket down and fold up/put away the balloon!

Thanksgiving in Yosemite - 2005

2008-11-23T20:00:00.000-08:00

I happen to be very lucky.... My Aunt Lena & Uncle Ole live in a town called Oakhurst, which is just outside Yosemite National Park. Have you been there? It's spectacular. I get to go there almost every year.

This year, on the Friday after Thanksgiving, Aunt Lena, Uncle Ole, & I went into the Park. We had a lovely breakfast at the Wawona Hotel.

The Wawona was one of the first hotels in the Yosemite area (way before it was a National Park). In fact, there's been a hotel in this area since the 1860s, although the current structure was built in 1879. It's just a beautiful building, inside and out. And such a cozy place to have a nice brunch before starting a day in the park. This time of year, it's COLD - well, at least for this Southern California girl! I didn't get too far into the park before I wanted to be back by that big cozy fire...

Every year on the Friday after Thanksgiving, the Wawona schoolhouse holds a fundraiser to raise money for the school (yes, there's still a one-room schoolhouse operating right there in Wawona!). It's a little craft fair, featuring local artisans. I bought a quilt there that I just love. It's backed with flannel, so it's soooo cozy for lounging on my couch on a cold winter day.

We had a nice day in the park, then headed home for some yummy Thanksgiving leftovers. On Saturday morning, before Mel & I had to head back south, we went for breakfast at the Tenaya Lodge. This is just outside the park gate - a really cool hotel up in the mountains. There's often snow there, even this time of year! The Christmas decorations are great. I love the big fireplace in the lobby. It's a great place to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate. Ole, Lena, & I had a little bit of fun playing around the Christmas decorations....

England & France - November 10-11, 2005

2008-11-19T19:53:00.000-08:00

Mel's cousin Karen brought me to London and Paris! It was a long plane ride and I was cooped up in a camera bag, but when I got out - what a sight!! My first view of the famous Eiffel Tower! It's soooooo tall! I even got to go all the way to the top. That was quite a hike for these short legs. (Now if only Karen had remembered to take a picture of me... Oh well, maybe next time).

Next stop - the Champs Elysee and the Arc de Triomphe. It was really cool to see them at night time - all lit up. It's a beautiful sight. I was really glad we weren't driving in that traffic though!

And now for a little culture.... Karen brought me to the Louvre - the famous museum. Here I am with some really big, old statues. There's so much art in this museum, it's overwhelming. But I was glad to see it.

Here I am among the big rocks at Stonehenge.

These stones have been here for a long, long time, but no one knows why they were put here. They're very orderly, so there was definitely a reason.

I've been to England before, but this was my first trip out to Stonehenge. Thanks Karen for taking me!!!

Upland Fire Rocks! September 23, 2005

2008-11-19T19:27:00.001-08:00

Note: In California, we have horrendous annual firestorms that destroy thousands of acres of land and often hundreds of homes. Our Firefighters work tirelessly to put the fires out and keep our homes safe. They are amazing and deserve all of the respect in the world. The day I spent with Upland Fire Department was more than memorable, it was an honor.

Mel’s brother Dave took me to his fire station and showed me around. It was sooo cool! I got to ride in the truck – I even went on a call!

Code 3 – Yee Haw!

I like these firehouse guys – they even do their own cooking! They’ve got a nice kitchen with everything you need to make a healthy dinner – although I think Dave didn’t pay attention to my likes & dislikes – here I am with all his mushrooms – Yuck!!

Cooking my favorite(?) food with the firemen

I got to hang out in the fire truck while the guys handled the call. It’s a nice cozy place to check everything out.

I got to do some training with the other fire dudes. Here I am with Craig Warren (Paramedic-Engineer), Bill Rozinka (Engineer), Jeff Schneider (Firefighter- Paramedic), and Ryan Gardy (Firefighter-Paramedic). They’re showing me how to use the Jaws of Life. I like hanging out with all these cuties. I could get used to this….

Well, it’s been a long, exciting day, and I’m all tuckered out. Better get my rest so I can be ready for tomorrow’s duties…..

Thanks Dave!!! What a great day!

Mom's Week - 2005

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Mel's mom comes out every year for a visit. I love it, because we do all sorts of neat and interesting things that can be found right here in town and close by.

This year, we went first to the King Tut Exhibit at the LA County Museum of Art.

It was exciting to see all of those artifacts, but a little strange too. Most of the items had been taken out of pyramids (graves) to protect them, and it felt like grave robbing to see them on display. It was a very dark exhibit also - this was very much a culture of death and it seems to me that it would be hard living your life always planning for your death. It definitely lacked the hope that we followers of Jesus Christ have.

After the exhibit, we went to lunch in Pasadena and enjoyed wonderful Argentinian cuisine at the Gaucho Grill.

Mel, Me, Ole, Lena, Mom & Rog

Can you tell Ole is an accountant?

We walked around some fun shops in Pasadena and even saw some mugs that we just had to have! I think the picture looks just like Uncle Ole!

When Aunt Lena & Uncle Ole come to visit, we always eat well. There aren't many good places to eat where Ole & Lena live, so they love to go out when they come here....

Here we are with Mom & Mel at King's Fish House in Calabasas

And with Claudette & Kermaine at Buca Di Bepo in Encino

We also had a fun day at Knott's Berry Farm!

Going to Knott's Berry Farm is just like taking a step back into the old west. The park has several "lands," but the best part is the old Ghost Town. We even got robbed by train bandits!

Fortunately, Uncle Ole came to the rescue and scared them off!

And of course, we had to have lunch at Mrs. Knott's famous Chicken Dinner Restaurant!

Boothill Cemetery was creepy - we even posed in a coffin!

If you placed your foot on one of the graves, you could feel a heart beating!

There was a big old wagon on display too. It was soooo big, we could barely climb up to the top of the wheel!

Bartender! We'll have a Sarsaparilla please!

Oh! And we had a celebrity sighting!

And finally - whenever Mel's mom is here, we always do lots of shopping.....

I've got to talk to Mel about focusing on what's really important......

Mediterranean Cruise - Last Days - August 5 & 6, 2005

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Some pictures from Sorrento, Capri, and Pompeii

I hope you enjoyed the highlights of my summer 2005 Mediterranean adventure. After arriving at the Civitavecchia port, we traveled by bus to the airport in Rome and flew back to Los Angeles. I had so much fun visiting Italy, Croatia, Greece & Turkey... I would love to go back. I explored lots of fabulous places, enjoyed a wonderful ship, made new friends, and have memories that I'll always treasure.

Mediterranean Cruise - Santorini Greece - August 3, 2005

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In Santorini, I enjoyed the Kamari black sand beach...

And ran into my friend Roscoe! We took a wonderful tour of the area with a great guide named Manolis.

AUGUST 4, 2005 -

Finally, a day at sea! Who knew cruising could be so exhausting? I think I'll relax by the pool....

Mediterranean Cruise - Rhodes, Greece - August 2, 2005

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Being exhausted from all the hiking and climbing of the past few days, in Rhodes I decided to take it easy.

I took a panoramic bus tour of the island and we stopped in the city of Lindos. Rhodes has beautiful beaches and gets an average of over 3,000 hours of sun each year... It's a popular vacation destination, even among Greeks!

Mediterranean Cruise - Kusadasi Turkey - August 1, 2005

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In Kusadasi (koo-SHA-dacy), I visited the ruins of the stadium at Ephesus... where the Apostle Paul preached his letter to the Ephesians. This is a place of major significance to Christians around the world.

Mediterranean Cruise - Mykonos Greece - July 31, 2005

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The Greek island of Mykonos is very rocky, with beautiful blue seas and very strong winds.

See how it almost blew me off my feet near the windmill??

One of the most well known and often photographed landmarks it the blue domed church. A simple image which boldly proclaims "Mykonos!"

Mediterranean Cruise - Athens Greece - July 30, 2005

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Here I am at the restored 1896 Olympic Stadium

Mediterranean Cruise - Katakolon Olympia, Greece - July 29, 2005

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These are the remains of the ancient stadium where the original Olympic Games were celebrated from 776 B.C. to 393 A.D., when Roman emperor Theodosius I banned all pagan festivals.

To this day, the Olympic torch is lit form the same cauldron that was first used in the original games in ancient times.

Mediterranean Cruise - Corfu Greece - July 28, 2005

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Hey, that's me... at the Ionian Sea! (we wont talk about that other guy though....)

I met a new friend, Roscoe, and we enjoyed a champagne breakfast before venturing out to explore the next port, Corfu Greece.

Mediterranean Cruise - Dubrovnik, Croatia - July 27, 2005

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Our first stop on the cruise was in Dubrovnik, Croatia

Mediterranean Cruise - July 23 - August 6, 2005

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On July 23, 2005 I flew on US Airways from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to Venice, Italy. What a LONG flight! Once I arrived in Venice, I boarded the Grand Princess and spent 12 days cruising around the Mediterranean with Marlena & Jay.

Now here's just what a girl needs.....

....A Sail & Sign card!!

In Venice, Italy, I took a gondola ride and enjoyed a nice lunch at a pleasant cafe....

We spent the first night on the ship, docked in Venice, so I had time to explore...

The Grand Princess has a very nice casino and the slot machines are a lot of fun...

They didn't have my size.... but I still participated in the life-boat drill

I definitely enjoyed cocktail hour!!

Ummm... Maybe a little too much?

Stay tuned for more of this trip......

Seattle - July 15 - 19, 2006

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I went to Seattle with Melanie and her friend Sin. Lots of people have asked me, "Why Seattle?" and I say "Why not?" I've heard so many good things about that place and have always wanted to see it, so off we went....

Our first stop was to the Chilhuly Bridge of Glass. Dale Chilhuly is my favorite glass artist and this bridge in Tacoma, WA showcases his work.

As you walk across the bridge, first you'll come across the "Venetians"....

They look kind of like flower vases from outer space (sorry about the picture - Melanie didn't notice that her camera was on a night setting, so everything came out really blue for the first few shots). When you get up close to the vases, they're quite stunning in all their detail:

Next on the bridge, you see the Glass Towers, which remind me of gigantic rock candy. Each piece of glass looked kind of like a blue ice cube

And then finally, you get to my favorite part - the Seaform Pavillion. The Seaforms are installed in the ceiling and you walk underneath them. It felt a little like being under the sea. (Hmm... I feel a song coming on.... I feel just like Ariel!)

I love all the shapes and colors as you walk underneath these displays - sooooo cool!

Next we were on to the Duck Tour. The "Ducks" are these old WWII era amphibious vehicles - they can drive on land AND float on water!

We went through downtown Seattle and across the lock into (and onto) Lake Union. It was a really neat tour. It gave us a good orientation for the city (it was the first tour we did) and seeing life on the houseboats on Lake Union was really neat.

And we even saw the houseboat that was used in the movie "Sleepless in Seattle"

And one of the boats from the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch":

As you can tell, I really liked this tour. I highly recommend it!

Next we went out to the Alki Point Lighthouse, which extends out into the Puget Sound, but unfortunately it was closed. So we climbed up the stairs of an apartment complex so I could take a picture in front of the lighthouse:

And then we went out for fish & chips :-)

The next day, we headed out to Pike Place Market - I couldn't wait to see that! I had heard so many things about it - from flying fish to flower markets to souvenirs and restaurants! And I was NOT disappointed!

I could have hung out here every day! They have everything! Fruits & veggies, seafood, flowers, clothing, souvenirs.....

We even saw the fish-tossing guys that you see on every travel show about Seattle - and of course, in the book "Fish!" which is about improving morale at work:

This is one of my favorite pictures from the trip - here I am with a bunch of new friends:

This pig is the symbol of the market. She has a name (I can't think of what it is, but I'll look it up). People put money in her and it goes to charity.

Did you know the very first Starbucks was at the Pike Place market? And can you further believe we didn't go there????

We went to a fun dinner show at the Tillicum Village. It included a boat ride across the sound. It gave us a really good view of Mt. Rainier (hiding behind some haze - but really, it was there!):

And of the Seattle skyline:

I have to admit, the dinner at this dinner show (a salmon bake, it promised), wasn't that great, but we really enjoyed the native dancing!

We also went on the Seattle Underground tour. This was a really interesting walk through Seattle's history. Did you know that because the city flooded so much in the early days, they essentially buried the first floor of every building and moved the street level up to the second floor? There are still tunnels below ground where the original sidewalks were. It was interesting, but kind of hot and smelly :-)

And of course, we went all the way to the top of the Space Needle - I mean, you can't go to Seattle and not do that, right?

Of course, this was right about the time that I discovered that Sin is afraid of heights....

The view from the Space Needle was AMAZING! We could see all of Seattle!

On our last full day, we went to the Chittenden Locks. I've never seen Locks before. I had heard about them - how they allow you to change the water level in a canal so boats can get through between two bodies of water that are at different elevations. I've never seen them in action before though - in fact, I've never actually seen them before:It was a pretty interesting process - the boats would come into the lock and tie off. They'd have to wait there while the water level rose (or fell) - adjusting the line they were tied off to in the meantime. When the water was at the right level, the gates behind me would swing open and the boats could go through to the next level.

Now, this is Seattle, right? So what happens to the poor salmon trying to get upstream to lay their eggs? Well, they have that all figured out - they've built a salmon ladder right next to the locks so that the salmon can swim freely up the waterway to their mating grounds without getting trapped. There's even a viewing area where you can go down below the water line and watch the salmon go by.

Finally.... Well, one of the many many wonderful things about Seattle is the food! We had friends who used to live there or visit there frequently tell us about all sorts of wonderful places to visit - and I think we ate our way from one end of the city to the other! So I'll leave you with pictures from some of the great places we ate to leave you salivating.....

This last dessert was from Ray's Boathouse - it's a Banana Foster Trifle - TO DIE FOR. We all highly recommend it.

I really enjoyed traveling with Mel's friend Sin. She's a lot of fun and game to try any new thing. She did threaten to glue my feet to a stick to make it easier to hold me for pictures, which I didn't appreciate, but I think I can forgive her for that :-)