- Posted by Sara from my iPad
Location:On the road
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Our Noble Steed
Here is the noble steed that will convey us on our adventure. It is a Dodge Nitro that we are calling Neo for the trip.
- Posted by Sara from my iPad
- Posted by Sara from my iPad
Number 42
After an uneventful flight, intermittently punctuated by 10 second power naps, I glanced out the plane window and saw a large mountain staring back at me. I was briefly taken back to a fly-by of Mt. Fuji I experienced about ten years ago. It is at the same time inexplicably fascinating and utterly disconcerting to look out a plane window and see a huge hunk of rock and ice at the same altitude
Seconds later the plane bounced down the runway as we decelerated and turned toward the terminal of the Jackson Hole Airport. After descending the stairs onto the tarmac, I looked up and was awe-struck at the bigger than life vista of the Tetons. They are far by no means the tallest mountains I have ever seen, but to understand the true reason this group of mountains are so famous you have to understand that Jackson Hole itself is a very unique place. Technically a valley, really its more like a very flat plain from which the Grand Tetons rise without warning to straight up to heights exceeding 13,000 feet.
This moment also marked my first in Wyoming, the 42nd state I have visited and which would, by the next morning, be the 33rd state in which I have spent a night. After letting a noble steed to convey us upon our journey (more details to come). We grabbed our bags and hit Jackson for lunch at a sports bar called Sidewinders. I had a green chile smothered burger with sweet potato fries (yum), while Sara enjoyed a country fried steak. We stocked up on snack foods at the Jackson Whole Grocer (nice name), including a curious creation called chocolate tortilla chips, and headed off to spend the remaining few hours of daylight checking out the Grand Tetons National Park.
We squeezed a lot into a few hours: checking out Jenny Lake (which reminded us of our friend MJ), driving to the top of SIgnal Mountain (where we watched a couple of deer wander across a nearby ridge), crossing the Jackson Lake dam (where a pair of Sandhill Cranes stood in a nearby marsh), and getting some great views of the Tetons from the eastern shore of Jackson Lake. Exhausted, we wrapped up our day by checking in at our home for the next two nights, the Togwotee Mountain Lodge within Teton-Bridger National Forest. And enjoyed incredible meals (chicken etouffee and pork tenderloin) at the lodge's Grizzly Steakhouse. A very full day, but an excellent start to our vacation!
~Shawn
- Posted by Shawn from our iPad
Seconds later the plane bounced down the runway as we decelerated and turned toward the terminal of the Jackson Hole Airport. After descending the stairs onto the tarmac, I looked up and was awe-struck at the bigger than life vista of the Tetons. They are far by no means the tallest mountains I have ever seen, but to understand the true reason this group of mountains are so famous you have to understand that Jackson Hole itself is a very unique place. Technically a valley, really its more like a very flat plain from which the Grand Tetons rise without warning to straight up to heights exceeding 13,000 feet.
This moment also marked my first in Wyoming, the 42nd state I have visited and which would, by the next morning, be the 33rd state in which I have spent a night. After letting a noble steed to convey us upon our journey (more details to come). We grabbed our bags and hit Jackson for lunch at a sports bar called Sidewinders. I had a green chile smothered burger with sweet potato fries (yum), while Sara enjoyed a country fried steak. We stocked up on snack foods at the Jackson Whole Grocer (nice name), including a curious creation called chocolate tortilla chips, and headed off to spend the remaining few hours of daylight checking out the Grand Tetons National Park.
We squeezed a lot into a few hours: checking out Jenny Lake (which reminded us of our friend MJ), driving to the top of SIgnal Mountain (where we watched a couple of deer wander across a nearby ridge), crossing the Jackson Lake dam (where a pair of Sandhill Cranes stood in a nearby marsh), and getting some great views of the Tetons from the eastern shore of Jackson Lake. Exhausted, we wrapped up our day by checking in at our home for the next two nights, the Togwotee Mountain Lodge within Teton-Bridger National Forest. And enjoyed incredible meals (chicken etouffee and pork tenderloin) at the lodge's Grizzly Steakhouse. A very full day, but an excellent start to our vacation!
~Shawn
- Posted by Shawn from our iPad
Location:16 miles east of Moran, WY
Yellowstone Adventure!!
I feel like the title of this post should be in a bold, colorful font with the text moving upward at a slight angle. Like a 'B' movie title such as "Swamp Thing!" or the vintage billboards when you leave small towns saying "Come Again!". But, yes, we are once again setting off and once again will try to bring you along for the ride.
And if the title of this post isn't clue enough here is where we are off to first...
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
And if the title of this post isn't clue enough here is where we are off to first...
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
Location:PHL Airport Marriott
Sunday, June 27, 2010
New (again) Mexico
I am in Santa Fe, sitting outside a tearoom off of Canyon Rd. I'm here briefly, a pit stop on a business trip, taking advantage of the hospitality of a good friend. I grew up in New Mexico, so everything is familiar, but it has been awhile since I have been here. My fabulous host has been my tour guide today which has been fun. It is like going back to the house you grew up in and having the new owners show you all the improvements they have made. I'm impressed by the number of new restaurants but am disappointed they chose to put the casino along that particular road... Overall, I have decided that I have a love/hate relationship with New Mexico. I love it, I do, there is no place like it! But it brings back so many memories...many good...but the not so good ones always tag along. So today feels a tad bittersweet...with the emphasis on the sweet.
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
Location:Santa Fe,United States
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Curling!
The big hour finally arrived! We stepped off of the new Vancouver Sky Train at King Edward Station and followed the crowds for several blocks. We passed houses and a school and then suddenly in the middle of this unlikely residential setting peaked our first glimpse of the Vancouver Olympic Center, home of the curling events.
After a short line through security we excitedly entered the venue, spent way too much on souvenirs and made our way to our seats. As we entered, the first practice had just started and we were instantly plunged into the excitement.
I know it's not the most popular sport, but ever since I first saw it on TV during the Calgary Olympics I have been fascinated. It's a game of strategy, but these guys are in really good shape, too: it's non-stop action. I knew this coming in, but I was really surprised at how fast paced it really is, you miss out on this watching on TV. There are actually four simultaneous games going on and each team has only a limited amount of time to play their moves or they risk forfeiting the match. Its self policing too, the entire time we watched the officials were only involved once and this was to pull out the measuring device on a close call. It's really fascinating to watch all the action.
In our session we had:
Germany vs Switzerland
Canada vs Denmark
US vs France
Norway vs China
The crowd was whole heartedly behind their home team and the Canadian team is really amazing to watch. They are undefeated so far and deservingly so; such precise feats performed wearing flat bottomed shoes on a sheet of ice. The Norwegians and their now famous pants were also a favorite. And a pretty large number of Americans also turned out to support our team.
Canada fairly quickly pulled way ahead and the Danes conceded, but the other 3 matches all went 10 ends. The US match was close and the last one to finish. In the end most of the crowd got behind the US and the final shots were made amidst raucous stmping and chants of USA...very unexpected.
After the match we reluctantly left and made our way to the Olympic flame for some pictures and then off to meet my former labmate Danielle and her husband Jason who now live in Vancouver. They took us to an awesome Ethiopian Restaurant and shared some of their tasty home brewed beer before chaufering us back to the ferry terminal to make our midnight ride back to Victoria.
As we boarded the ferry we were plenty tired, but still exciting from such a great day of Olympics and visiting friends. :)
-- Post From Shawn's iPhone
After a short line through security we excitedly entered the venue, spent way too much on souvenirs and made our way to our seats. As we entered, the first practice had just started and we were instantly plunged into the excitement.
I know it's not the most popular sport, but ever since I first saw it on TV during the Calgary Olympics I have been fascinated. It's a game of strategy, but these guys are in really good shape, too: it's non-stop action. I knew this coming in, but I was really surprised at how fast paced it really is, you miss out on this watching on TV. There are actually four simultaneous games going on and each team has only a limited amount of time to play their moves or they risk forfeiting the match. Its self policing too, the entire time we watched the officials were only involved once and this was to pull out the measuring device on a close call. It's really fascinating to watch all the action.
In our session we had:
Germany vs Switzerland
Canada vs Denmark
US vs France
Norway vs China
The crowd was whole heartedly behind their home team and the Canadian team is really amazing to watch. They are undefeated so far and deservingly so; such precise feats performed wearing flat bottomed shoes on a sheet of ice. The Norwegians and their now famous pants were also a favorite. And a pretty large number of Americans also turned out to support our team.
Canada fairly quickly pulled way ahead and the Danes conceded, but the other 3 matches all went 10 ends. The US match was close and the last one to finish. In the end most of the crowd got behind the US and the final shots were made amidst raucous stmping and chants of USA...very unexpected.
After the match we reluctantly left and made our way to the Olympic flame for some pictures and then off to meet my former labmate Danielle and her husband Jason who now live in Vancouver. They took us to an awesome Ethiopian Restaurant and shared some of their tasty home brewed beer before chaufering us back to the ferry terminal to make our midnight ride back to Victoria.
As we boarded the ferry we were plenty tired, but still exciting from such a great day of Olympics and visiting friends. :)
-- Post From Shawn's iPhone
Location:Vancouver, BC
Friday, February 19, 2010
Oh Canada!
We were up before dawn this morning to make the ferry to Vancouver. Today is game day! Ok it is actually the 8th day of the 2010 Olympics, but it is THE day we are going to be there. Apparently, so were lots of other people. It was fun to be a part of the en mass excitement as young and old decked out in Olympic gear and wearing Canada red lined up for their game day too.
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
-- Post From Sara's iPhone
Location:Vancouver 2010
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