Lifestyle – Brightside Nomads

Adventure

Revisiting My Life in the Mountains – Two Decades, A Beautiful Wife and Three Kids Later.

By PapaWanderer August 10, 2018

A Sweet Homecoming

I can’t explain the feeling of crossing the border into Colorado with my family in tow. I was so excited to show them a part of my life that so profoundly shaped the person I am today. As the landscape changed from desert to high mountain the anticipation only grew. Familiar landmarks started to jog in my mind and a feeling of coming home crept into my soul. Our destination for this leg of our journey was Crested Butte, CO. To get there you need to drive deep into the heart of the Rockies, past Blue Mesa reservoir, through the town of Gunnison (home to my college Western State Colorado University) and on to the 12 to 14 thousand foot peaks rising in the distance. Crested Butte is nestled at the foot of its namesake peak and surrounded by some of the most pristine mountain wilderness in America. This town just happens to be the wildflower capital of the state and we hit it at its peak. To make the trip all the sweeter I got to reconnect with a great college friend whom I hadn’t seen in 20 years. As we drove into town, we were greeted by locals and families walking the streets, townie bikes swirling around through the meandering traffic, and the sweet smell of mountain air. We found our home for the week and unloaded our car under the sunset kissed peak of Mt. Crested Butte looming serenely above us.

Mill Creek Adventures

One of my favorite hikes, when I was going to school at WSU, was Mill Creek. I really wanted to take the fam on this hike so we packed up the truck and drove out. Mill Creek is a nice hike that winds through Aspen groves and crosses a mountain stream. Canyon walls rise up hundreds of feet on both sides, with some cool hoodoo rock formations at the peaks. The valley was a nice contrast of vivid green down the center against dark rock walls to the left and right. We had a nice picnic by the stream and on the way back ran into a small herd of cattle, complete with Bull. We thought it was going to charge us but it just snorted and we survived. A great hike with the glorious sunny weather. I like taking the family to places I used to frequent when I was a slightly younger man.

Almost Paradise…

One place we loved to go in college was Paradise Divide. This was a pass high in the mountains overlooking Crested Butte. The dirt roads up to the divide were good but narrow and a small section had you driving along a steep sloping drop off that feels at least a thousand feet to the valley floor below. Knowing some in my family are a bit afraid of high places, we took the back road up. We got stopped a couple miles from the spot I wanted to go because the snow was still blocking the road on this side! It’s very common for snow to be present deep into summer in the high country. I was kind of bummed we couldn’t get all the way to the spot but we had a nice hike just the same that took us to Emerald Lake. This is an incredibly beautiful lake in the high mountains with a deep green color. We saw dozens of beautiful wildflowers on our hike and had a great time, again blessed by blue sunny skies.

Katie and I Reach the Peak

Mount Crested Butte offers a super cool day camp experience called Mountain Adventures. This camp offers rock climbing, ropes course, zip lining, archery, and other assorted outdoor activities. This camp is for the older kids 7+. For Lennox’s age, they offered the less strenuous Camp CB. He loved it! He would go to a climbing wall, bungee trampoline and even jump from 30 feet onto a huge airbag. The kids did a few days at the camps and loved every second. This also gave Katie and I the chance to do some activities on our own. One such activity was hiking to the peak of Mt Crested Butte at 12,162 ft. Though not an overly technical hike it was still a tough one for us due to the high drops and altitude. After hiking some well-traveled trails the path disappears and you are left to your own scrambling devices for the last 150 ft or so. The views from the top well outweighed any of the challenges to getting there. It felt exhilarating to be on top of the world. So many peaks can be seen from the top, it almost seems like you can see all of the Rockies from this vantage point. This a nice final accomplishment for us on our journey around the United States. It seemed there was a sort of spiritual parallel to climbing this peak and coming to the finish our journey that started almost a year ago. We highly recommend the hike, but make sure you’re ready for a mental and physical challenge. Especially if you’re not used to high exertion in the mountains.

Small Town 4th of July, Mountain Style!

Having lived in a small town for some years, we are used to the fun folksy vibe they give off during celebrations. Crested Butte was no different. The day was blue skies and sunshine and everyone was in a great mode. The highlight of the day was the parade. Most ski towns are full of unique individuals, characters if you will, and CB is no exception. A great mix of irreverent style, rebellious individualism, and patriotic spirit. I would imagine that the first Americans to celebrate independence day did not look much different. Everyone had a blast. The kids scampered around trying to get candy while locals threw water balloons at the floats and parade participants. It’s probably the only time I got to see and avocado and a cross-dressed Dorothy from the wizard of OZ take a water balloon to the face! Speaking of water, the parade culminated in an incredible water fight at the end of the main street. This fight is an epic mix of combatants including, kids with an assortment of squirt guns, adults with buckets and water balloons, and the local fire department armed with full-on water hoses. Such fun was had by the girls as they ran to and fro trying at the same to avoid and inflict watery attacks. Lennox was a bit overwhelmed by the spectacle and hung back on the fringes. Twenty minutes later it was over. The only remnants were small muddy streams flowing lazily away from the street and fragments of colorful rubber strewn across the street like some sort of birthday confetti. The rest of the day was spent shopping and seeing friends. We ended the day catching some music mountainside with our friends, an alternative to fireworks due to the stage 2 fire ban which was in effect. All in all a great way to spend the fourth in a home away from home.

An Afternoon on Irwin Lake

Heading Out

It was bittersweet to have to leave CB. On one hand, we are making our way back to our home in Michigan which we are all excited for, but on the other, we had such a great time we didn’t want to leave. I get a little emotional at being able to share the area where some of my most formative growth happened with my family and watch them all love it as much as I do. I think this place will be a special memory for all of us. The kids already want to come back every year and I think Katie has a new found understanding of what makes me tick. On our way out of the area, we stopped at my college, Western State, to snap some photos and show the kiddos some of my old haunts. We weren’t leaving Colorado yet though. We planned a couple days in Boulder before heading out for our final eastward trek home.

Random Access Memories

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Western State Colorado University

Hanging Out On a Boulder Near the Flat Irons

We only had a few days in Boulder, and we mainly planned to do some light hiking and shopping. We just wanted to have a little taste of urban life before heading out. We shopped and explored the Pearl Street Mall area. We found an awesome Acai bowl place and bought some gifts for friends and family. One day I snuck off the beaten path just a bit to see the house featured in Mork and Mindy. Now any of you who know that show, consider yourself old, but also feel lucky you saw some of the raw genius of Robin Williams. We took a nice hike in Chautauqua Park to the base of the Flatirons and took in the beauty of mountains giving way to the plains. We took off the final day and did some much-needed school shopping for the kids. Heading out of Boulder and Colorado we waved a sad farewell, but we all know we’ll be back many times to visit.

Adventure

Detour – East Coast Adventure

By mamawanderer August 3, 2018

School’s out and we are all ready to enjoy the added freedom that brings. The start of our summer vacation happened to coincide with the McLeod family get together so this was the perfect vacation to kick off summer fun. We were retracing our steps all the way back to the East Coast and Kiawah Island, South Carolina was our destination but first, we had some work to do. After arriving in Las Vegas we decided the safest bet would be to unload our entire car and all our belongings into a storage unit for safekeeping while we were away. Off we went unpacking in scorching desert heat. The good thing is by now we are pros at packing and unpacking so it was pretty speedy and left us time to enjoy some Vegas fun before heading out.

Our flight was smooth as we left the low hundred degrees desert heat and landed in the dripping humidity of South Carolina. Matt and his family vacationed on Kiawah Island when he was a child so it was fun to watch them relive memories and introduce this special place to the next generation of McLeod’s. It was a big clan with Mom and Dad, our 5, and Pete and Laura and their six kids. The more the merrier as we ran from the house to the rolling waves and sandy beach. The water was warm, the sun was hot and laughter was loud on this island paradise. There was sand castle building, body boarding, wave chasing, crab catching, cold drinks, great food and even better company. The kids are already making plans for next year as there is nothing like spending morning until night with your cousins by your side. We will see where that adventure takes us.

Adventure

Brian Head, Hurricane, St. George & Dinosaur Tracks… it’s sounding weird

By mamawanderer July 30, 2018

Welcome to Utah

We drove out of Yellowstone and made it to Salt Lake City where we spent a night to break up the drive. We have found the kids do better if we don’t have super long drives and it’s probably the same for the parents. We were also planning on camping for the next 4 days and with it being summer we wanted to find a campsite early. Our camping plans were quickly kiboshed after Lennox got sick. We decided to find an Airbnb rather than stay in a tent with a puking child. The temperatures were also dropping into the low 40’s at night in the area and although we could do it, that is pretty chilly for the kids. Our last minute search lead us to a place we had never heard of, Brian Head, Utah, for a few nights. It’s always good to be flexible while traveling and also can be fun to discover places you may never find otherwise. Brian Head is a super small town/ski resort sitting at an elevation of 10,000 ft. It is way up there and you can feel it. It is about an hour from Bryce Canyon National Park and we discovered 10 minutes away was Cedar Breaks National Monument. Being at a ski resort in summer meant we had the whole place to ourselves and it ended up being a perfect spot to relax and recover our sick little guy and then explore some spectacular parks.

Brian Head and Cedar Break National Monument

The drive up the mountain to Brian Head opened our eyes to the destruction a forest fire can cause. There were stretches of trees charred black for miles. In 2017 a wildfire burned 71,000 acres of the land here, the aftermath is very sad to view. Cedar Break National Monument is an enormous amphitheater of beautifully colored sedimentary rock that has been carved away into beautiful formations. We viewed this park from above and it was a spectacular site. It is part of the Grand Staircase, a geological formation which begins at the floor of the Grand Canyon and steps up across the Western US. Seeing these natural wonders and learning about the geology behind their formation makes you realize just how fluid the earth’s surface is and gives you perspective on time and the mere blink of an eye we stand on this earth.

Bryce Canyon National Park

Bryce Canyon is out of this world. From your drive into the park the red-hued rock formations are spectacular and as you explore further it becomes even more impressive. Looking out from above the park offers amazing views of the hoodoos balancing below and as you walk into the canyon your perspective changes and you begin to appreciate the enormity of the formations surrounding you. We started our day here early to beat the heat and it is a good thing we did because it gets smoking hot at the bottom of the canyon. We took the Navajo Loop/Queens Garden trail which starts at the rim of the canyon and quickly descends in elevation while you walk along a windy path with steep drops. This always makes me a little nervous with the kids but they did great and the path was quite wide and well traveled. As we dropped down it was evident how difficult the steep hike up was and we knew we would have some work on the other side getting out. We enjoyed our time and our surroundings, many of the rock formations have names, like Thors Hammer, the Queens Garden, Wall Street, so it is fun to look at these and make up your own. Being at Bryce is like walking through a fairyland, each hoodoo formation is unique and unbelievable. I’m not going to lie our hike was tough, it was 3 miles and 600 ft of elevation but the heat was a factor, and the kids aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. They did realize in order to get back to our car we needed to climb out of this canyon so with many breaks and some snacks they pushed on. We were playing leapfrog with another family with small children so this added some excitement. I was happy when I saw the mom carrying her little one up the steep hills that Lennox was only pulling on my arm and still able to walk. There were definitely some big cheers as we reached the top of the canyon and cold drinks needed, it was a great accomplishment and well worth the trek to the bottom.

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Hurricane, Utah

After leaving Brian Head we had a short drive to our next Airbnb in Hurricane, Utah. It is right next to St. George which we discovered is the fastest growing metropolis in the United States! There is construction on every corner of this place and it is pretty wild. You can see why people are coming here in droves, the weather is warm and it is surrounded by amazing rock formations. It is an outdoor playground with lots of mountain biking and a short two-hour drive from Las Vegas. We had a week here and our main goal besides exploring was finishing school. I appreciate what teachers endure at the end of the school year so much now. The last month was a struggle, we, however, promised (or bribed) the girls if they finished their books by the end of this week they would be able to buy guinea pigs upon our return. With lots of hard work, they both busted through their books and I was as excited as they were to be done with their homeschooling year!!!

Zion National Park

We heard Zion gets super crowded and in order to secure parking, you have to arrive early. Early isn’t too hard for us so we were fine with that. In addition, it was going to be another hot one so the morning hikes are best. We didn’t anticipate just how many people were swarming on Zion though. By the time we got in line for the bus into the park, the wait was already an hour! The hour passed as the kids chased lizards and frogs and did some Junior Ranger work. Not so bad. We opted for 3 shorter hikes and this gave us a perfect first taste of Zion.

Searching for Dino Tracks

We were full of excitement to find out we were staying in an area with evidence of dinosaurs nearby. We had to go investigate. The first site we went to was ok but a bit of a letdown. We found the marked tracks after hiking a short ways in scorching heat, they were small and hard to decipher. To the non-paleontologist I think they look like scratches in the rock but that’s ok, knowing this was a path actual dinos stepped foot was amazing and we were glad we went, the hunt was still on though. The next day we ventured out to the second site. This was an adventure, lots of dirt road driving through the desert with no cell signal and no cars in site. It’s amazing how remote so much of the land in the United States is. It felt like if our car broke down we may never get help but that didn’t happen and we always are prepared with lots of water just in case. When we arrived at the actual site there was great signage explaining the tracks and what dinos they belonged to. These tracks were huge and it was well worth the desolate drive to see them.

Adventure

Yellowstone – Part 2 Lightning crashing and Colors colliding

By mamawanderer July 10, 2018

Yellowstone continued….

Day 4 – Norris Geyser Basin – Caught in the storm

Today was our day to explore the Norris Geyser Basin. Although it was sprinkling when we set off, we all had our raincoats and were ready for anything. There is so much to see here and we were not going to let the weather get in the way of any of it. The reward of bad weather in nature is usually abundant beauty which was definitely the case here. The misty grey cloud filled air enveloped the geysers and brought their milky colors to light. It was a breathtaking scene.

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The most fascinating part of the hot springs to me are the colors they produce. Streams of color spill along the flowing water and both the colors and patterns are ever changing. It is mesmerizing.

After walking the short loop around the geysers we came to Steamboat Geyser. This geyser has been in the news as of late because, after being dormant for 4 years, in 2018 it’s already erupted 11 times. This is considered a big change and when you are located on a supervolcano any significant pattern shift is cause for exploration. Of course, we were hoping to see this geyser in action but weren’t that lucky. It did erupt the day we arrived and the day after we left and we saw some steam and bubbling action from it which was cool. At Steamboat, we took a family vote whether to continue our trek of the 1.5 mile lower loop or head back. Although the rain was picking up the vote was to take the hike. It wasn’t long before it started to downpour, but long enough that turning back wasn’t an option either. Soon above us it started roaring, thunder and flashes of lightning lit the sky. We knew being surrounded by a basin of water wasn’t the best place to be during a thunderstorm so we quickened the pace and as the storm intensified started running. Colette was terrified, as in so scared she thought she was going to die. Meanwhile Sienna was skipping along loving the rain. We made it back and between laughs and tears and extremely wet clothes we will never forget our hike around the Norris Geyser.

As we exited the park we drove out of the thunderstorm, into the sunshine and saw this giant bison walking along the road. We went to dinner and the meat eaters had some pig fired sausage. After dinner, we walked out to hail! The weather is crazy here, quick changes and you should be prepared for a little bit of everything.

Day 5 – Bubbling Mud Holes

These mud holes are so cool to watch. Depending on how much water there is makes them more or less thick. It is amazing to watch this thick liquid bubble and pop.

Day 6

Our last day in Yellowstone and my birthday. Such a great place to spend it. We decided to rise early in an attempt to catch the animals and with the cold temperatures, our first animal encounters were frosty bison. The light, fog, and crisp air made for a very picturesque morning. Our travels were even delayed by a herd of bison meandering in the road. When we arrived at the Hayden Valley where we anticipated seeing animals it was totally covered by a thick blanket of fog so we shifted plans and made our way to the falls.

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Upper Yellowstone Falls

The falls were beautiful on this frosty morning. We only stayed a few minutes as the kids were complaining about how cold they were so early in the morning. You can hike down to the lower falls which would be amazing but we saved that experience for next time. On a side note, Matt saw a huge grizzly run out into the road and then quickly scurry back into the woods. Unfortunately, I didn’t catch much except maybe a little bear booty.

Yellowstone Lake

We drove the entire lower loop which brought us by Yellowstone Lake, a magnificent site. The blue water was calm with still morning air and the snow-covered mountains stood majestically in the background.

Wildlife sightings…. a swan, blue heron, elk and ice faces

Grand Prismatic

This was the granddaddy of Yellowstone for me. We hiked to the overlook to start our exploration of this hot spring and looking down I was in awe of the size, many colors and sheer beauty of this hot spring. After our hike to the overlook, we traveled to eye level where you can view the beautiful intricacies of this spectacular natural work of art. Amazing.

From above

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On the boardwalk – the Grand Prismatic, Excelsior Geyser, Turquoise Pool and Opal Pool

Overall, our Yellowstone experience was far more incredible than I think any of us anticipated. I would return in a heartbeat. There is unlimited exploring to do here, such a vast stretch of land filled with amazing natural wonders and wildlife. Truly a highlight of our National Parks in the United States.

Adventure

Yellowstone – Part 1 Birthday, Bison and Blasting Geysers

By mamawanderer July 2, 2018

Day 1 – Our first glimpse of Yellowstone

The vast land of the West makes for long drives, we try to keep a days drive between 3 and 5 hours but lately we’ve had some big ones. Spokane to West Yellowstone was a long haul, the good thing is the land is beyond beautiful. Skies that fill the earth and your eyes for infinity, mountains soaring, rivers rushing and we were even lucky enough to spot a moose wading through the waterlogged land. When we finally arrived in West Yellowstone our curiosity put us right back in the car to check out the park for a few hours. We spotted our first bison off in the distance and were trying to convince Matt to turn back to get a closer look. We weren’t successful but everyone began laughing when just up ahead we saw an entire herd in the field. It was beyond my expectation to come face to face with these larger than life creatures, it was astonishing. We were also lucky to see an elk and its baby nestled below the road in some trees which was really amazing, along with an Osprey perched on a branch staring directly at us. Our brief first day was enough to entice us to rise early on day 2 to head to the Lamar Valley where we heard there was potential to see wolves, bear, badgers, wolverines, bison, moose and elk.

Day 2 – Rise and Shine – to the Lamar Valley in search of animals

Bison in the early morning light gave us a spectacular start to our day. It was soon to get even better. After waiting for some road construction for 15 minutes we were anxious to continue our drive towards the Lamar Valley when suddenly we saw a gathering of people alongside the road. To our amazement, we came upon a mama grizzly bear with her two cubs grazing in the field. We watched the cubs wrestle and play and it was one of the most spectacular sites I have ever witnessed. I was also envious of all the people with their mega telephoto lenses capturing shots as our lens just couldn’t quite get as close as I wished. Hopefully, you can get a sense of this special moment and these incredible creatures.

The Lamar Valley greeted us with impossibly picturesque views, land stretching for miles shaded with every color of green until it meets the grey mountains and brilliant blue sky. The view alone is worth the visit but our search for wildlife was also a success. We saw elk, huge herds of bison roaming, and pronghorn. The cool thing about this time of year is seeing the baby bison. They are so sweet, walking alongside their mama’s with gangly legs learning the ways of the bison world. One thing about Yellowstone is it is vast, to get to the valley from West Yellowstone took us a good two hours. The park is actually 3,472 square miles! That is a lot of protected land to explore.

Mammoth Hot Springs

Our first views of hot springs did not disappoint. The thermal springs here average 170 degrees and have created the most amazing travertine terraces. The water is mesmerizing as the sun brings about various colors but even more so are the subtle shades of the stacked formations. The textures created by the mineral deposits are so beautiful its hard to believe nature’s design skills are this amazing. You could probably come each day and experience a new wonder among the flowing water and glowing rock. Incredible and a great contrast to our earlier animal encounters. We close out Day 2 in awe of our adventures and eager to discover more in this magnificent park.

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Day 3 – Celebrating Lennox’s birthday geyser style!

Today brought us a birthday boy, and the big 5 at that! For a long time, Lennox has stated his spirit animals are the buffalo and eagle so I think it was fortuitous his birthday fell while we were in Yellowstone. We woke up to a super excited boy, excited to open presents that is, and he went along with the idea of checking out the geysers. We started at Old Faithful which was scheduled to erupt around 9:30. After about 10 minutes of on and off spurting water and steam, each of which we and the rest of the crowd were sure was the start of the blast, Old Faithful finally showed us its power and there was no mistaking the real thing. It was spectacular to see all this water shooting up to the sky and hear the rushing sound and pressure exploding. I think the kids expected it to shoot all the way to the moon, their imagination can at times dampen the reality of mother nature. We did learn each eruption is different and they range from 130 to 180 feet which is pretty impressive.

5 years old!

Old Faithful

Geyser Loop Trail

After seeing Old Faithful I kind of expected everything on the Geyser Loop Trail to be less spectacular but I was so wrong. This thermal basin is full of geysers, hot springs and their colors, textures, bubbles and eruptions all are incredibly unique and amazing. We were lucky to catch some small geysers bubbling and erupting and super lucky to see the Beehive Geyser which shoots water 200 feet into the air and only erupts every 16 – 18 hours. We also saw the Grand Geyser erupt, you can see photos below of this spectacular geyser. If I could I would walk this loop 1000 times because it is everchanging and such a beautiful and rare piece of nature.

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Grand Geyser

We waited about 30 minutes for the Grand Geyser to erupt. Lennox was super impatient and repeatedly said, “But we already saw a geyser erupt!” I guess extra patience didn’t come with the number change to 5 but he does think he grew a few inches overnight. Anyway, the Grand Geyser was worth the wait and so different from Old Faithful. The eruption lasted a long time and it had a second side eruption at the end which was really cool.

Snow storm!

I don’t think this is unusual for Yellowstone but we have been in some pretty spectacular spring weather and our day was sunny enough to sunburn so coming across snow/hail as we exited the park was surprising. We first noticed cars approaching us with snow on them and were a bit perplexed. Then the traffic slowed as we ran into the snow. What followed was incredible, the bison began crossing a river with their babies, they were up to neck deep and the babies had to swim. It was quite a site and also fun to end Lennox’s birthday with some white stuff.

Yellowstone to be continued…..

Adventure

Coming back home…our 2nd home that is… Portland, Oregon

By PapaWanderer June 7, 2018

Driving up the Coast

For Katie and I, Oregon holds a special place in our hearts. We met in Portland, fell in love, bought our first home and started our family here. Portland is also where we both started our work life after college. We spent the better part of a decade exploring the state, watching the little big town grow and making some great friends. As we crossed the border from Cali in Oregon, we both felt the exhilaration that one can only get when coming back to something they have missed greatly.

The Oregon coast is one of the most rugged and beautiful sites you will ever behold. High craggy cliffs give way to sandy beaches in a beautiful dance as you go from looking at the beach out your window to looking down at the ocean from 100’s of feet up. The water can range in color from seafoam grey to almost jade green depending on the day. The landscape is lush green with moss covered rocks and towering old growth trees rising to the sky. It’s really breathtaking and we highly recommend to anyone a drive up the Oregon coast on highway 101.

We spent a few days on the Oregon coast, stopping in Newport for a night and some delicious Rogue beer and ending up in Cannon Beach. One last stop before Cannon Beach took us to Tillamook, OR. For those who don’t know, this is the home of the Tillamook Dairy company, and possibly the best cheesemongers in the US. We love the cheese and ice cream and used to come visit the factory when we lived here. We stopped for a short visit and were amazed how much the “little” cheese factory had grown in the decades since we left. They still make awesome dairy products and are worth the trip down to see them.

Cannon Beach

When we lived in Portland we would take day and overnight trips to Cannon Beach. The town is very art focused but still keeps an easy beach vibe. There are miles of flat sandy beaches to walk and relax on. The real treat of this beach is that you can get up close and personal with one of the 100’s of Oregon rock islands. These rocks tower from the surf and awesome to behold as waves crash against their bases. They are also home to many migratory birds, including the rare Puffin. The big rock in Cannon Beach is called “Haystack Rock” and when the tide is out you can walk right up to the base and see all the abundant sealife contained in its tidepools. We also had a great visit during this part of our trip from Fred and Barb! (Katie’s parents) The kids loved this stop. They got to hang with Grandma and Grandpa, run free on the beach, frolick in the icy cold Pacific and search for strange creatures in the tide pools. There was also some kite flying, which is a cultural rite of passage in Cannon Beach. We knew we were in for a special trip after our amazing stay.

The Rose City Adventures

After a short hour or so drive from the coast, we landed at our home for the week. We rented a nice home on the west slope of Portland which was a perfect location for us to explore the city from. This time of year in Portland is amazing! There are countless numbers of flowering trees, shrubs, and bushes and they were all in full bloom. Colors ranged from soft pastels to vivid oranges and all the spectrum in between. This made driving around town a delight. Grandma and grandpa gave us a nice gift on the first day we were there and took the kids to the zoo. The kids had a blast but more importantly, Katie and I got some much needed alone time to explore the city unencumbered by small clingy humans. We drove by our first home and many of the other haunts we used to frequent. It was a really nice homecoming. The rest of the week was spent seeing sites and enjoying many of the things that are uniquely Portland. We went to OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), shopped downtown, visited the famous Rose Test Garden, and had a seafood feast to commemorate Mother’s Day and grandma’s birthday. We had an awesome time with Katie’s parents and we couldn’t be happier that they joined us on our trip.

Japanese Garden

One of Portland’s most incredible sites is the Japenese Gardens. They are located near the top of what’s called the West Hills which sits hundreds of feet above Portland. So the views are amazing. But the gardens themselves almost defy explanation. They are peaceful, serene works of living art that immediately relax the soul and bring joy to the heart. We hope the pics do a little justice to this great space and please put this on your list if you ever make it to Portland. As an added bonus this time we got to see a collection of Bonsai trees, some were over 200 years old! Just amazing!

Bonsai Garden

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Old Friends

Katie’s parents left late in the week and we still had a handful of days left in our old home. One thing we looked forward to most was reconnecting with our old friends. We invited our friends Marissa and Kevin over to the house for a nice home grilled meal. They brought their two great boys over which was awesome for our kids. Colette, Sienna, and Lennox have not had many opportunities to play with kids so this was a treat and they enjoyed it to the fullest. The adults had a wonderful time catching up and sharing stories of the past decades that have gone by. It was really nice to see some friends from the past and felt as though no time had gone by at all.

One of Katie’s hometown friends who she grew up with in East Jordan lives out near Hood River. Hood River is about an hour east of Portland and sits along the banks of the mighty Columbia River. It’s a beautiful drive along the Columbia River Gorge. The gorge walls rise hundreds of feet up either side of the river and are covered with green pines and rocky cliff faces. The river is about a half-mile wide and provides a beautiful juxtaposition with the rugged landscape on either side. There are also many waterfalls along the way. The most famous is Multnomah Falls. We have stopped there many times in the past and thought it would be great to show the kids this cool landmark as well. While still beautiful, the falls were a bit sad because of some massive wildfires in 2017 burning much of the landscape around the falls which caused the park service to close many of the trails that were once available. We met Cathleen at the Full Sail brewery in downtown Hood River and she surprised us by bringing her husband Mike whom we thought would be working. We only had an hour with this great couple but it was filled with lively conversation and lots of laughs. Cathleen and her family will be coming back to East Jordan in the summer so we’ll get to see them and their children back home.

I got to reconnect with some of my best friends from the college days. Portland sits very close to the Columbia River and on the other side of the river is Washington state. I met Frank and Todd Limberg during my undergrad at the Western State University of Colorado. We were close friends all through college and I lived with Todd when I first moved to Portland back in the late 90’s. It had been at least 10 years since I last saw these two hooligans and their lovely wives. Both Katie and I we super psyched to spend some quality time with all of them. This time came in the form of a Mother’s Day bbq at Todd’s house. Todd is married to Becky and they have a son named Riley. Frank is married to Maria and they have two kids Cash and Ella. As an added treat we got to see their parents, who we became friends with, Donna and Mike. It may have been over a decade since our last visit but it felt as though a day hadn’t passed. We ate, drank and laughed the night away. And even though their kids are quite a bit older than ours, they all played and had an awesome time. When it came time to leave we didn’t want it to end. I think we will all try a little harder to make sure another decade doesn’t pass with us not getting together. This was our last hurrah in Portland. The next day we headed north…way north to about the farthest north and west you can go and still be in the United States. Orcas Island here we come.

Adventure

Roaring Ocean and Giant Trees – Northern California

By mamawanderer June 4, 2018

Redwood National Park

California is a huge state and we had a long drive North after leaving San Francisco to our next stop in Northern Cali. The drive was beautiful, through mountains and valleys, and amongst ocean views and giant trees. We arrived at our Airbnb nestled on top of a little mountain with the steepest driveway I have ever seen. From the house, we could look down on the tiny town of 350 people, Orick, California. It was perfect! For the next few days, we explored some of the most beautiful forests in existence. We hiked amongst the largest trees in the world, the Coastal Redwoods. The forests here breath life straight into your soul while making you feel like a mere pebble on the surface of the earth. Your eyes can wander up to space typically filled with clouds and see deep red veined bark and green boughs gently swaying. Walking among these monsters is so unexplainable and unearthly you must experience it for yourself but here are some photos to try to give some perspective on the wonders of the forest.

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Fern Canyon

We ventured off to Fern Canyon for a hike and getting there was half the adventure. I’m not a very experienced off-road traveler and although there was a “road” it was a good thing we had our big vehicle to navigate through the rough terrain. There has been lots of rain here so we had to drive through a fair amount of water, bump over potholes, through a river, and rumble along the gravel road. The ocean’s foam tipped wavey surface stretched off into the horizon on one side and Elk grazed casually on the other, both were pretty spectacular. We started our hike at Fern Canyon tiptoeing around trying to avoid the water but soon realized we were all in and the only navigable path was to jump in the water. The kids were soon knee-deep and having a blast. The vegetation around us was almost a glowing green as the sunlight illuminated the canyon. It felt like you were in Jurassic Park, and in fact, one of the movies was filmed here. This hike ranks high on the list for beauty and adventure and the rush of spring water made it even more exhilarating.

Agate Beach

We started looking for agates even though we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. The ocean was spectacular on this spring day and we enjoyed searching for stones and sea creatures. We still don’t know if we found any agates, most likely not, but we had a great walk on the sandy shore.

Elk

It was amazing to see elk grazing in the grass so close to the road. Each day they seemed to wander to a new spot, sometimes right by a local house. There are many road signs showing elk attacking humans and the bodily harm they can cause which, although serious, was so absurd it made us laugh.

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Paul Bunyan and the Trees of Mystery

When Paul Bunyan and Big Blue are 50 feet tall you must stop for the photo op. Of course, we checked out the Trees of Mystery which had some interesting things to see and the best part was the sky ride to a beautiful overlook. Well, that was the best part for everyone except for Sienna. She is a bit afraid of heights and once at the top decide she would hike down the “extreme trail” instead of board the sky ride again. Thankfully Matt volunteered to join her on the hike which ended up being super steep and hardcore. They were troopers for sure. After we stopped at the drive-through tree which was a bit tight for my comfort in our oversized car but we made it!

Ocean Power

The ocean in this part of California is no joke. The wind whips, waves roar and it would eat you up if you let it. It gives you perspective on all those who brave these waters and the elements. What an amazing land to walk along.

Final hike and scenic drive through the most magnificent grove of Coastal Redwoods

The kids completed another Junior Ranger Program and we bid farewell to these majestic trees. It still blows my mind some of these trees are thousands of years old. Imagine what has walked among them and the earth’s changes they have experienced, resilient creatures they are. It is also sad to note that 95 out of every 100 of these magnificent trees were logged in the past. We are lucky to have the National Parks to preserve and protect these wonders so our future generations can experience their grandeur.

Adventure

Visiting San Francisco without actually visiting San Francisco…. What?!?!

By mamawanderer May 25, 2018

Truly Golden

Our “San Francisco” trip didn’t even take us to San Francisco. The closest we got was crossing over this beauty on our way to our Airbnb. Sometimes we choose to leave out things because we can’t do it all and our life on the road is just that life, not a vacation. We will come back for this sweet city another time but had an amazing time circling its surroundings.

Pleasant Hill

We drove from Yosemite to Pleasant Hill and we were so excited to see our friends Robin, Ryan, Lacey, and Josie. I went to college with Robin and time available to see great friends when you live states apart is never enough. We were happy to relax at their house after many nights in a cozy hotel eating at restaurants. The kids ran around and were wild as usually but adored Lacey and Josie. When we left the house they immediately asked for another play date. The one thing about traveling is the kids are really solo, they have their siblings but no buddies to play with. I think sometimes this is hard for them so it was great to see them making new friends on the road.

The next day we met up at Mt. Diablo State Park. Wow! I decided to drive that day and the road was insane, s-curves, blind corners, steep cliffs, and more curves, winding up Mt. Diablo, no guardrails and lots of bikers! The views were amazing, it seemed like you could see all the way to the ocean. Once on top, we found “Rock City,” trails and rock formations which the kids had a blast climbing on. The day was sunny and beautiful and we hiked to Sentinal Rock. Ryan quickly ascended the steep steps with Josie the adventurer but it was a little much with the steep drop-offs for my comfort zone for our kids. I made it to the top with some encouragement but didn’t stay long! Robin and Lacey braved the climb as well, impressive.

It was great to see our friends and sad to say goodbye but I’m so happy to have these moments and to see our kids become friends as well. From here we headed to Cupertino, a slight detour before getting to our next stay at Muir Beach.

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Cupertino – Apple HQ

You could call us Apple fanatics, especially Matt, but we both LOVE Apple. The HQ made us fall in love even more. When you first enter there is a 3-D model of the entire facility and you are given an iPad which transforms the model into an interactive virtual space. You can enter the buildings and get a feeling of what it is like without moving. Pretty amazing technology. The kids were mesmerized by the computers, iPads, and phones and the employees were very knowledgeable showering us with interesting facts. 100% of all Apple facilities in the US and abroad are powered by renewal energy, an incredible dedication to more than just the products they produce. Seeing an enormous company substantially reduce their carbon footprint and approach sustainability with creativity and innovation makes me want to strive to do better as an individual.

Muir Beach

We arrived at our Airbnb after winding down the mountain. The curves almost make me car sick but at the same time, it is such a beautiful place I enjoy the swirling road and mountain views as well. Our Airbnb was the perfect place to enjoy a quieter side of the San Francisco area. We crossed over the Golden Gate Bridge but that’s about as close as we made it to the city. Sometimes its good to settle in and live the local life. We enjoyed the ocean every day even in chilly weather, tide pooling and sea glass searching. We visited friends and family, the kids reconnected with their cousin Lily while searching for anemones and we had a great dinner with our cousins Daryl, Cassidy, Lily and Aunt Beth. It is great to connect with family we don’t see very often. We also spent time catching up on school, playing games, relaxing and enjoying our little beach house.

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Muir Woods

We just came from seeing some Sequoias in Yosemite but this place has so many enormous trees it gives you an entirely different feeling. Large ferns are coming to life again with spring and everything is green and lush. Looking up is as incredible and the trees reach so far it almost makes you dizzy. We had a great hike through the towering trees, and it is amazing to see this natural wonder preserved on the edge of an enormous city.

A double dose of Pizza with the Pisaturo’s

I met Sabine and Mimmo while studying in Italy and although that was a long time ago everytime we see each other its as if not a moment has passed. A few more kids, and laugh lines but all the love is always there. We were lucky to have the World Famous Pizza Napolitano made by the Pisaturos, they should probably open a restaurant so you can try it. Soooo yummy! The kids made new friends and we enjoyed a few nights laughing together. We’re hoping next time we meet up is sooner than later!

Stinson Beach

We ventured over to Stinson Beach to visit Aunt Beth and her dog Gracy. It was much colder than we anticipated but this didn’t stop the kids from getting wet. The beach is beautiful, a gorgeous sandy beach which stretches for what seems miles. The cool thing is we found quite a few sand dollars. I’ve always looked for sand dollars but generally only come across pieces. I think we either had a lucky day or this is the beach to come for sand dollars. We will remember this beautiful, flat sandy beach and hopefully come back when it’s a bit warmer someday.

Bay Area Discovery Museum

The kids always have a blast at museums and this is a great one with so many hands-on activities. They built 3-D objects with cardboard. (no photos unfortunately) Made safety gear headbands and built a pod racer of some sort. It was also a gorgeous day which made the open air museum and playground extra enjoyable.

Cool Places

The Mighty Yosemite Valley

By PapaWanderer May 9, 2018

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in a while, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” – John Muir

Five Days in the Yosemite Valley

Much like in Joshua Tree, words fail me when trying to describe our experience here in Yosemite. Yosemite National Park is an incredible place. We came into the park through the South entrance, which is a beautiful drive. The road in is very curvy and slow but somehow driving high in the mountains at sunset makes it all worthwhile. The most spectacular part of this drive is exiting the tunnel into the Yosemite Valley. You are greeted by a humbling vista of the whole valley, El Capitan standing regally, guarding over the valley floor, Bridalveil falls flowing unending into the forest below and the Merced River winding like a silver snake towards the towering edifice of Half Dome in the distance. The might Yosemite Falls showering the valley floor from thousands of feet above. And this was just what we could see from the very first pull out after the tunnel exit. We spent the next week learning about the history of this park, hiking into nature to get up close and personal with these majestic landmarks, and just being happy to be alive and able to enjoy this paradise on earth. Sienna got to spend her birthday in Yosemite. (Lucky for anyone let alone an 8 year old!) She is so full of life and has no fear. The raw beauty of Yosemite matched her soul’s intensity perfectly. Lennox, Sienna, and Colette got to be sworn in as Junior Rangers and Katie and I both hope a little of the magic of this place carries with them as they grow. We hope that the images we captured share a tiny bit of the majesty of the Yosemite Valley and serve to inspire any who see them continue to support and steward these national treasures.

Winter in the Valley

Yosemite Falls and Bobcats!

From the Valley Floor with a Birthday Girl

Mirror Lake

Ranger Hike, Junior Ranger, and More Bobcat!

Bridalveil Falls

Sunsetting on our Trip to the Valley

Adventure

Santa Monica to Carona Del Mar…and Everything in Between

By mamawanderer May 7, 2018

Griffith Observatory

Cool place with great views. It was super windy when we went up and Colette is pretty sure she almost blew away. We had a picnic on the lawn, enjoyed the sunshine, views, and were mesmerized by the Foucault Pendulum which we watched until we saw a peg knocked over.

Glasses and Earrings at Fashion Mall

We had a little snafu which left Colette with broken glasses. The great thing is we weren’t in Joshua Tree or somewhere remote, we were in LA. (at least the LA area) It was a blessing in disguise as her prescription had changed. We ended up with same day glasses and she loves them! Killing two birds with one stone is our style so while getting the glasses we stopped by Claires and Sienna had her ears pierced. We told her she could get them when she turned 8 so she was pretty excited. After the first hole, she almost forfeited the second but she was a trooper and the earrings look beautiful on our not so little, little girl.

Crystal Cove State Park

Crystal Cove is a beautiful place which has been preserved from the housing takeover along the oceanside in this area of California. What an amazing place to protect, its natural beauty is spectacular. It is a little hike down to the ocean from the parking lot and the ranger told us a rattler snake lives along the way. This was true excitement for the kids even though we didn’t end up seeing it which I was pretty happy about. The ocean is always a peaceful place for Matt and I and a place of discovery for the kids. Sienna and Lennox especially love finding creatures among the rocks. Their little eyes seem to be able to spot even the most disguised creatures which is amazing, ocean time is always our favorite.

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Sienna’s Birthday Bash!!! – Knottsberry Farm

Sienna’s birthday was April 17th and we knew we were going to be in Yosemite. We told the kids this year for their birthday they can choose a big day of their choosing. Sienna had lots of options, Disney, 6 Flags, Universal Studios, but she landed on Knottsberry Farm. The day we went it was 85 degrees and I won’t say the park was empty but there were virtually no waits which pretty much never happens nowadays. The park turned out to be the perfect mix for our family, lots of fun rides for smaller kids along with some giant rollercoasters for the more adventurous. I think the overall favorite was Camp Snoopy. I ventured on the Silver Bullet with Colette, the only kid who was tall enough to ride, she almost backed out at the top, which I was encouraging her to do, but we went through with the dangle feet style, multi-loop winding coaster. It was super crazy and fun but I also was so dizzy after I’m not sure I’ll be able to go on many more of those. Matt went solo and we enjoyed watching him on the crazy ride doing loop-de-doos. Sienna enjoyed her special birthday at Knottsberry Farm and there was more celebrating to come at dinner.

Closing out Sienna’s Birthday Bash at Medieval Times

I remember going here as a kid and I thought it was the coolest place ever. Eating with your hands while watching Medieval Knights battle! My dad ended up being called from the audience to play horseshoes with a toilet seat so that in itself was pretty spectacular. While driving to Knottsberry Farm we happened to pass by the castle and quickly decided to see if we could spend Sienna’s birthday dinner here. It all worked out and I don’t think we could’ve found a more perfect place for our 8-year-old horse lover’s birthday. There were beautiful horses, knights jousting, a queen and messing eating which is Sienna’s forte. It was a great end to a fantastic day.

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Santa Monica to Redondo Beach – the only place it takes 1.5 hours to go 16 miles!!!

Santa Monica, the pier, the beach, the people…. quintessential “California,” so we joined the tourist crowd for the experience. The kids ate ice cream as we walked the pier and they tried to talk us into the boardwalk games but we passed. We took advantage of a quick trip to the REI store to replace Sienna’s backpack which had been eaten by a squirrel! haha… This is a totally different world from our camping stop a few weeks ago in Joshua Tree that’s for sure. The best part of the day was meeting up with our cousins Hannah and Michael for a wonderful dinner. We saw a “quieter” side of the LA area and enjoyed seeing family we don’t get a chance to spend time with very often.

The Hollywood Stars

The Hollywood stars! When in LA you must see the stars so we did. It is cool to walk down the street and read all the names, Sienna wanted lots of photos and was willing to lay down on for them. Colette was after the Harry Potter crew and Lennox found Star Wars. Following this we also experienced the full effect of LA traffic which is completely insane, I’m lucky Matt drove or I’m pretty sure I would’ve given up on getting back to our house. While driving in LA style we saw all lanes of the opposing traffic stopped, and an animal catcher chasing a small dog around in the middle of the highway, Crazy in California!

The Magic Castle

Entering The Magic Castle takes some magic in and of itself and we were lucky enough to have luck on our side and STB (soon to be) Aunt Taylor who hooked us up with a magician wielding tickets! This is a club for magicians and requires a magician’s invite to enter. We attended the brunch which is a bit more casual than typical suit coat attire. I won’t say too much but the experience was indeed magical. I have no clue how magicians practice their trade but I tell the kids I guarantee they spend most of their lives practicing to be that good. The slight of hand is the most amazing to me and we really enjoyed the shows and atmosphere. Thanks, Taylor for that special treat!

California Science Center

The California Science Center is an amazing place and entry is free which makes it even better. We only scratched the surface here but did see the Space Shuttle Endeavour and the King Tut exhibits which were phenomenal. We also timed the blossoming to the rose garden perfectly as you can see from the beautiful pictures taken in the park.

Space Shuttle Endeavour

We have officially seen the three remaining space shuttles on our trip! All three were displayed in their unique way, and all were spectacular. We love space exploration and teaching the kids about the history of space travel, very inspirational. At the California Science Center, they have the solid rocket booster which is absolutely enormous. A really cool site to see and not easy to get a picture of since it is so large.

King Tut – Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh

We were lucky to visit the California Science Center while they have the exhibit on King Tut. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen objects this old and the intricate beauty and details of each piece are awe-inspiring. 100 years ago they discovered King Tuts tomb and the history they uncovered at this time is amazing. It is hard to believe he was only 18 when he died in 1323bc and had ruled since the age of 9.

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