2017 Year In Review

It is the end of another year.  Time flies when you are not looking... Let’s be honest and say that 2017 was an interesting year.  It was filled with marches, tweeting, volunteering.  It was a year of change.  But passions helped to keep me grounded and things in perspective.  In that regard, it was an amazing year.  It began on an epic cruise ship through so many islands now wiped out by hurricanes, and concludes with my first trip to Central America snorkeling on the second largest coral reef in the world.  I took time planning trips to exotic locales and quick getaways around DC.  And while I still did not get to my final state, I did, truly, see some breath-taking views.

 

 Water and weather played a huge role in my 2017.  So many trips involved islands, coastlines, oceans, seas, rivers, bays and straits.  I was able to drip my toes in cold and warm waters – in the Pacific NW and the Caribbean.  I explored areas on both coasts and was able to see marine mammals, birds, aquatic life of all kinds in various environments I got to see the 2 different kinds of rainforest in one year, tropical and temperate, in the Pacific NW and Belize.  We got to small towns and big cities on the water.  And then there was the rain…oh the rain!

 

 

 

Year End Summary

• States/Territories Visited: VA, MD, WV, DE, NJ, NY, TN, FL, NV, CA, WA

• Countries: USA, Belize, Mexico, Canada (technically)

• Key Cities: Orlando, San Jose, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Las Vegas, Anaheim, Redding, Seattle, Nashville, Cancun, Reno, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Belize City, New York
• Art Towns – St Michaels, Maryland; Friday Harbor, Washington

 

• (new) Parks & Park Units: Lassen Volcanic National Park; Whiskeytown National Recreation Area; Point Reyes National Seashore; Stones River National Battlefield; San Juan Island NHP; George Washington's Birthplace NM; Fredrick Douglass NHS; Belmont-Paul Women's Equality NM; Tulum National Park, Mexico; Blue Hole National Park, Belize; Lake Tahoe State Park, NV; McArthur Burney Falls Memorial State Park, CA; Swallow Falls State Park, MD; Lime Kiln State Park, WA

• Concerts:  Cher, Neil Diamond, Dianne Krall, 3 Cellos, Rod Stewart & Cyndi Lauper, Chicago, Guns & Roses, New Kids On the Block, Paula Abdul, Boyz II Men, Megan Hilty, Richard Marx & Rick Springfield, Queen, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga

• Theater: War Paint, Puffs, The King & I, Bandstand, A Bronx Tale, Groundhog Day, In Transit, The Little Mermaid, Mamma Mia, Fun Home, Cagney, Midwestern Gothic, Mean Girls

• Aquariums: Cancun Aquarium

• Ghost Tours: Winchester Mystery House, Nashville

• Iconic or Plain Ole’ Amazing Sites: Chichen Itza, Tulum, Xunantunich, MesoAmerican Reef, Harry Potter World, Disney, Nashville's Parthenon,  Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sun Dial Bridge, 500,000 plus people marching in DC for the Women's March, THE ECLIPSE

Not Just Another Pretty Lake

The last time I was in Reno was about 15 years ago.  I didn't see much outside of the "biggest small city" mostly because I was speaking at a conference and did not have a car; I was dependent on others.  Someone promised me a trip to Lake Tahoe and it never happened.  I have remained bitter all these years ... finally that unfulfilled trip is checked off! 

A girlfriend was on detail in Reno and asked me if I wanted to visit... YES, absolutely!  Sign me up! How perfect was this opportunity? - I was going to see a friend, stay at her place, she would have a car AND I would get out of the casino zone.  And the biggest surprise?  The weather was gorgeous!  For 2 straight days, it was clear skies and no freak storms to ruin the trip.  Maybe Zeus, Hera (and the Theoi Meteoroi) are taking pity on me, finally. 

My trip to Reno marked the start of a crazy fall season.  I have 4 weekends in a row planned - Reno, Denver/Golden, Fort Lauderdale and New Jersey.  I did do this on purpose, it just all fell on top of each other - see friends, a concert, a baby shower.  Reno started me out just right.

My friend picked me up at the airport at midnight Friday, west coast time.  Already it was 3am on my clock BUT this was after a week of working the 4am shift at the hurricane desk, so I was drowning in exhaustion.  She drove me to a store to buy a toothbrush ...I was convinced I forgot one - (I did not).  We got to her cute temporary home and I crashed.  I don't remember much beyond her doggies smelling my sneaks (that I was sure smelled heinous). 

 

The next day, we headed out to a legendary Reno/Sparks breakfast at the Squeeze In.  Tessa had been name dropping this place since I planned the visit. This was the quirky "it" place to go.  And judging by the line we waited in, she was not wrong.  She put us on the waiting list before we even got there... but it did not matter, the line was HUGE.  After being locked away for work for weeks, I soaked up the sun and chuckled at the abundance of aliens all around (I now need to look up Reno's alien history because they obviously have one).  After waiting in a lengthy line, I was salivating for some yummy food.  The menu was overwhelming, but made the choices work for us.  We tried the famous pancakes, I had twice baked eggs and she had some benedict concoction, we shared fresh fruit, and we split a slice of the chocolate covered bacon.  I wasn't in love with the bacon, but the pancakes had me.  I would order more of those in a heart-beat.  Perfectly fluffy and full of sour dough flavor  Yum-Yum!

 

With full tummies, off we went through the mountains to see THE LAKE.  I was so excited.  And as we rounded a mountain road switchback and crested a hill, there it was... sparkling.  And HUGE!  I seriously did not have any idea what I was going to see.  Of course I have seen pictures, but pictures never do grandeur justice.  This was  one of those instances.  The lake is massive.  And it is BLUE.  Not kinda blue. Not a soft shade.  But Crayola Box Blue.  They need to name a color after it.  Tahoe Blue.  Make it a thing people!  We pulled off at a scenic overlook to take some pictures and to get the bird's eye view... and that is when I realized my camera's memory card was filled.  AGH! Photography 101 failed.  I was no stuck taking these grand pics on my iphone (until I realized I had plenty of room on the card if I deleted some duplicate or bad pics). So while my first overview shots of the lake were with a phone, I had plenty of time at this treasure with my camera. 

Lake Tahoe State Park - Nevada

First stop on our lake tour was the Lake Tahoe Visitor's Center  in Incline Village.  There we grabbed a bunch of pamphlets on hiking trails and boat tours, and I got my postcards (I swear I help keep the post office in business).  We then headed to Tahoe State Park.  There I was gobsmacked with the similarity to The Baths at the British Virgin Islands.  I swear, they look similar - the water, the boulders, the greenery.  It was awesome.  One BIG, I mean HUGE, difference was the water temperature.  I was able to stick my feet in Lake Tahoe.  I promise you, it is cold.  Frigid is more like it.  They say that it is about 70 degrees on the surface in the summer.  Below the thermal line, it is in the 40's. 

British Virgin Islands

The Baths National Park

Caribbean

I am not sure what it was when I stuck my feet in, but they were numb for a while.  I marveled once again at the young kids playing in the cold water with their purple lips... but I remember growing up in North Jersey taking swimming lessons in our lakes.  I swear kids just run hotter. 

British Virgin Islands

The Baths National Park

Caribbean

Tessa and I hung out at Sand Lake Beach for a while.  I walked through the water, playing with angles to with the camera.  I wanted to really get that blue.  But it wasn't just the blue, it was the crispness of the water.  It is so clear.  Incredibly clear.  Perfectly clear.  I wanted to understand why, so we headed to the state park science center to learn about the water.  We learned the water clarity does over 70 feet deep!  That the scale used to measure clarity was made because of Lake Tahoe - the Secchi Scale, a simple black and white disc lowered into the water until you can't see it.  Simple! 

After soaking up some sun, we wanted to walk a trail along the shore... And it was on this trail that you got to really see the clarity of the water.  Boulders sitting underneath the surface were perfectly visible.  The water's color changed slightly from the rocks.  And with the blue mountains in the background, the scenery was picture perfect.  So perfect that a wedding was out along the trail taking pictures.  They weren't bouldering along rock crevices, mind you, but I am sure that they will have an amazing photo album. 

We hopped back in the car and headed over to the California side of the Lake, to grab some food and check out King's Beach.  Word on the Street was that the leaves were changing right on the lake.  So, off we went to the long pier.  We watched a black lab beg for a Frisbee to be thrown into the water over and over.  We laughed at another pooch that was a fan of the lab as well - he had his own cheering section.  This dog could swim!  

 

We returned to the Lake the next day for more fun... This time we headed to the Southern end of the Lake.  We booked a tour on the water.  It was officially the end of the season and all the boats were taking on last horah.  Because the weather was so gorgeous, almost everything was sold out.  We got so lucky and found a spot on a happy hour cruise.  2 hours on the water. It was glorious.  It was here that I finally understood the saying Keep Tahoe Blue.   The water is so perfect that the Sierra Nevada's look blue as well.  The whole area takes on a blue hue. 

I ask why this area is not a national park.  I get the politics.  I get the history, but I still have to ask.  Isn't there a concern that development will ruin this?  State parks just are not big enough.  And that water clarity will disappear in a heart beat if erosion  on the banks ticks up... Tahoe is gorgeous because it is unspoiled beauty.  It might be an issue worth revisiting down the road. 

 

 

 

Mid-Year - Time to Catch Up

We have hit the mid-year mark, and while my Instagram accurately reflects my travel and adventures, I have failed to write about a few of the most notable ones.  I need to review a few of them.


1) I took my first trip to Mexico and saw another Wonder of the World.  Back in April, my boyfriend and I took a chance on Groupon Travel, and booked a quick 4 night stay in Cancun Mexico.  The hotel was less than fantastic, but the trip itself was fantastic.  We visited two ancient ruins of the Mayans, and that alone made the trip incredible. 


2) I roadtripped from Vegas to Anaheim and back again with a friend.  We partied with Mickey Mouse, New Kids on the Block and friends from all over the country (and one from Canada).


3) My birthday trip was a surprise from my partner, we spent some time on the Chesapeake Bay in the adorable small town of St Michaels, Maryland. 


4) My best friend planned an epic adventure in the Pacific Northwest and in it, we explored the San Juan Islands.  Islands rich is interesting history, geology, geography and biology - our trip was rich in information.  From whale watching to hiking, farms to art, history to food, I am still recuperating.


I will be posting about these trips and some key trips I have coming up... my summer schedule is always packed, and this year is no different.  I have a schedule full of concerts, events and fun travel. 


Can't complain... life is rich, full of experiences and learning opportunities.

Happy 100th National Park Service

The National Park Service has turned 100 years old.  America's best idea has had a centennial.  They have inspired countless millions, as well as the entire world, showing why its important to preserve open space, and history and heritage for generations to come.  Today, the park service is over 413 pieces large; there are 59 parks (the biggest units), and hundreds of monuments, historic sites, memorials, lake/seashores, battlefields, wild/scenic rivers, trailways, etc.




As I explore the country, one of my priorities on my stops have always been seeking out and exploring our national heritage.  Some of my trips are planned specifically around some of the biggest parks, and other times, it is just a stop along the journey.  But no matter what, I know that I will walk away more aware for having visited.  It is always worth it. 




My love of natural parks began before I even knew what they were.  I remember my Nana and Pop-pop taking my sister and I to Sandy Hook to go crabbing.  We would swim out with the nets to help them bring the catch in, and then throw all the fish back before  they died while they gathered a few crabs.  I did not know we were in Gateway National Recreation Area... I just thought of it as the place we went swimming with our grandparents.  Likewise, growing up in Northern New Jersey, I lived just off the Delaware River... we used to swim in a tributary, and close by was a place with lots of amazing waterfalls and where the river cut through the mountains (Delaware Water Gap) ... we loved going there to enjoy the views.  And of course, to our east was the Statue of Liberty where we climbed into the crown before it was eventually closed many times... I was spoiled living so close to the city and pure nature. 




And that spoilage stays with me... I still want it all.  I find beauty in the city and in the country.  And when I travel, I like to find both.  National Parks are one way I do that.  They are everywhere - did you know there is at least one in everystate (as well as most territories).




I didn't start tracking my park visits via passport until recently.  Instead, I have my work cabinets

This is only one!

covered in magnets from parks I have been through since I started my "adult" life.  And my cameras have been very busy documents the beauty and splendor of the everything I have seen.  On this blog, I try keep my recent park visits listed... But I can't say I write about every one. 

Of course my "pie in the sky" goal is to visit all the units.  I just don't have the means to quit my job and do a cross country expedition like a few are documenting on Instagram, Twitter, and in the news.  Instead, I am doing what I can in pieces... and making progress.  According to my Passport app, I have been to 144 units thus far.  Not bad....if I do say so myself.

This year, I promised myself to make a dent in the list of "new".  And I started out strong - in January getting to the Outer Banks in NC to see the Wright Brothers and Fort Raleigh; there my boyfriend stayed in the visitor's center as I took to the trail in a pounding rain storm to see the art deco memorial, and once I returned soaked, we drove to the flight bronze sculpture.  I warmed my bones in February by returning to Southern Arizona to visit Saguaro National Park for sunset (I finally got to visit when I wasn't cooking my head); hiked to the southern border in Coronado National Memorial, and drove to the nearby historical mission Tumacacori.  Then I a cliff dwelling in Montezuma Castle and learned about endemic species at the Well.  Throughout the spring, I did a lot of local roadtrips to visit area parks - including Hopewell Furnace (once a thriving iron casting town) and Valley Forge in central Pennsylvania, Steamtown in Scranton PA marking the immense historical impact Steam engines had on shaping our country, discovered the Monocacy Battlefield and River in Maryland, tried to catch Kenilworth Gardens at peak bloom (missed it) and took some time for myself (and showing others around) the national mall! 

No DC summer is complete without Wolf Trap - the only National Park for the Performing Arts.  This is my favorite place in the summer.  As the Park Service asks us to #FindYourPark , I have taken that seriously.  I love going to our area gem Great Falls and hiking the river trail.  I love going on roadtrips and finding a new place to discover (its ridiculous that I still have not been to Prince William Forest Park yet).  And I love planning other excursions across the country to some huge gems.  But, if I was looking for THE PLACE to call my park, it just might be Wolf Trap!  It combines my love of the outdoors with my passion for the arts.  Where else could I see the National Symphony Orchestra one week, listen to the legend Tony Bennett another, soak in Kristen Chenoweth and her Broadway style belting, dance until my feet were tired with Ricky Martin and reminisce with Bryan Adams?  (and that is just who I saw this year) And the best part, Great Fall is right next door. So, if forced to pick, this might be it... but ask me again in a bit after I visit another park.

I have my wish list lined up. I have a few trips booked - a September long weekend at Mammoth Caves (and other areas sites) in Kentucky, a quick trip to Denver where I hope to make some time for a visit to Rocky Mountain (its been years since I was there), and Arkansas's Hot Springs in November.  My "very soon" list includes Lassen NP in California, Dry Tortugas NP in Florida (I still don't know how I keep missing that one), Patterson Falls - the new one in my home state of New Jersey, and of course, the parks in my last state, Hawaii (I will make it to Volcanoes very soon, I swear).  I have a few others, but my wallet is worried already...

Our National Parks are unique treasures.  And they are ours!  Get out there and explore.  Trust me, there is something for everyone.  You just need to find it!  If you need any recommendations, just ask!

Girls Weeked in Southern California

A New City. A New National Park. An Arts Festival. Disney. Sun and warmth. An awesome road trip with NKOTB music. A good friend. I seriously don’t know how much better a 3 day trip could be! So many of my favorite things packed into one weekend…

I flew into Vegas and met with a friend I have not seen in months… my cruise roomie! Time flies and it’s not easy to see your friends when you are scattered all over. You have to plan. And this was a “no plan” plan. I was flying into Vegas and we were driving to Southern California. Had an idea of where we wanted to go, but nothing concrete except hotel reservations and GPS!

Helius, the Greek god of the sun (Sol for the Roman inclined - yes, I have been reading Percy Jackson’s latest adventure), smiled brightly on us… we were blessed with gorgeous weather. Zeus (Jupiter) gave us gorgeous blues skies and Iris (same Roman name) even provided a few rainbows as we traveled through the desert. Armed with great forecasts, we moved ahead with our roadtrip through the Mojave Desert.


First stop – Joshua Tree National Park. The Park is a convergence of 2 desert ecosystems in the southwest, the Mojave and the Colorado (part of the Sonoran) deserts – so here you can see a mixture of plant life. It has Joshua Trees, sure. A few other trees thrive in the park – we spotted mesquite, ironwood and California juniper easily while out walking. It also has a huge grove of teddy bear cholla cactus! We saw beaver tail, pineapple cactus, California Barrel, pencil cholla… lots of sharp and painful things in the desert. You shouldn’t have to be reminded -“Don’t touch,” they are sharp and they stick. And with keeping up with my personal tradition of seeing stupid people do stupid things in national parks, I have 2 candidates for the Darwin Awards: (1) A woman hiking along a trail filled with teddy bear branches, in the desert, in sandals. These weren’t even Tivas, these were strappy, open toe disasters waiting to happen, and she thought the cactus wasn’t bad (holding an aged piece to prove her point – HA). (2) But she was not to be outdone by the teenage girl that picked up a branch and proceeded to get stuck to it. Her mom tried the fork method, the girl tried the shaking method and the moaning method “it hurts”… well duh it hurts. They have tiny barbs on their needles. They are sharp and they are designed to stick to anything that brushes against yet… and you picked it up to hold it certain it wasn’t a big deal!

Joshua Trees and cacti were not the only wonders in the park. It was filled with amazing rock structures, and I swear that faces are in those rocks. The most infamous is Skull Rock; this face is so obvious even the park service acknowledges it. But, my friend and I found other interesting faces in the rocks. While I typically see things out on the trail, I must admit I found it comforting to share my visions with a friend. It was validating to hear her say that she saw them too. If only lichen could grown under a nose or two – it would be a rockface with a lichen mustache! Hey, you are hiking in a desert, you need some kind of entertainment. While out and about, we saw only a few critters – a desert wren, a few lizards, crows…


Day 2 was our Disney day! Sure, we saw the news on the alarming measles outbreak centered in Disneyland, but our parents believed in vaccination. In fact, I remember taking that very MMR vaccine (again) when I had serious pneumonia as a young child. I knew I was covered.

I had my heart set on the California Adventure park. It is the only one of the US based Disney parks I had yet to see. I am quite familiar with the Florida Four, but had only been to Disneyland once. Off we went to ride roller coasters, swinging ferris wheels, shoot virtual carnival games, race some “Cars’” cars, watch parades and take in the cheeky Disney street shows. Growing up as a dancer and performer, I used to dream about working as a cast member at the park. I know that behind the scenes it’s not glamorous, but to bring all those smiles to people’s faces, what a privilege! I still kick myself (hard) for not going forward with my opportunity to be a dancer at the Polynesian … that was another time, and another fated thread of life. You have to smile and appreciate the talents of the performers at the … Newsies sang, green army men played drums, a 20’s style zoot band put on a show and the Pixar characters paraded down the main street. I can’t help picking up the choreography and dancing along to some of the moves these guys throw down – I really can’t, dancing is in my DNA!

I got to be a kid at Disney. I would say that I dragged my friend along, but she is just as much, if not more of a Disney lover as me! We posed for pictures at every opportunity. We have pictures with Donald, Goofy, Minnie, Chip and Dale, Oswald, and I got one with Mickey too! We got photobombed (kind of) by Mr Potato Head. We cheesed it up in front of Disney scenery. And we really worked those Disney workers. After losing picture cards, those poor souls in the photo stores helped up recover all our images!

Have you ever seen a Golden Ticket at Disney? I can say I have now. Seriously, this put that “I got a golden ticket” song from Willy Wonka in my head for hours. Bestowed upon us by Martin at the Ice Cream shoppe/Starbucks, we were speechless. In all of our years in Disney, this was a first. I really don’t know why we got one, but it magically put us at the front of any ride we wanted. And because we did both parks in one day, we hopped on over to the Indiana Jones ride to be almost squashed by the big huge boulder from the Raiders of the Lost Arc. While stuffing our Disleyland time, we shot more stuff on another Toy Story ride, watched some fireworks, rode more rollercoasters, had our fortunes read by a shrunken head and visited with Abe Lincoln (cuz I don’t get that enough in DC). AND of course we shopped everywhere!!! All we can really say is THANK YOU to Martin for our special privilege and the buttons. We were princesses for a day! And I got a “first time visitor” badge – strange as that seems.


My final day of the girl’s weekend was a shortened one because we had a 4 hour trip back to the airport. Still, not to worry, we packed plenty in. We headed back to Palm Springs. We hadn’t seen it when we stopped at the Blue Coyote for dinner after Joshua Tree. The Desert Art Festival was in full swing, so instead of meandering shops on Palm Canyon Blvd, we wandered around some white tented festival booths to look at some fine baubles, textiles and works of art. As with every festival I go to, temptation ran high. I love finding pieces that “speak” to you. And find them we did. Here, I got my piece of jewelry that will represent with girls weekend – a gorgeous long silver necklace with raw fluorite chunks designed by Shari Miller. And we both fell in love with dried flower art by Michelle (Michelle Rassp??). We picked up smaller things here and there … art festivals are always a dangerous place to be but they are always filled with such creativity and beauty. And speaking of beauty, we both decided that we need lots more time in Palm Springs. It’s stunning. There are shops calling for us to visit. We already know, next girls get-together will be there!


So thanks cruise roomie for making my MLK weekend absolutely amazing. Thanks to Disney, the amazing cast and especially Martin for the gifts. Thanks to the helpful park rangers at Joshua Tree, it’s always good to learn more from the experts. I would thank the artists at the festival for their gorgeous items, and they should thank us for our patronage. And thanks Zeus, Helios and Iris for bestowing perfect weather on us! (couldn’t help myself)

2014 Year in Review (and a New Years Resolution)

What a year!!! Its hard to believe that 2014 is already over. I guess I missed it because upon looking back, I was busy. So busy in fact, I feel horribly behind writing about it. Heck, I have trips where I have not even gone through pictures I took with my “real” camera. Admission – I got an iPhone this year, and it seems to suck up my creative juices. Instead of writing for myself and posting on this blog, I have taken to Twitter and Instagram (@DCJerseyGirl) to document my travels, communicate with electronic friends and post pictures. Sadly, most of those pictures are the quick shots from my phone and NOT the ones I take with my cameras. So – new year’s resolution time, I will get back into this blog – the one I resolved to start a few years ago, and I will start reviewing my real pictures! As you will see, I have a lot to catch up on.


Starting with a quick review – I had some huge travel firsts this year! New state, new national parks, new countries!!! I made my first trip to Europe. I survived the Bermuda triangle. I went on my first New Kids on the Block cruise (yes, you read that correctly). I saw some legends in concert (and another legend cancelled on me (Cher)). I went to some games. I tried new sports (curling). And of course, I visited some favorite places! So that summary:

Year of the concerts:
• Billy Joel
• Sting/Paul Simon
• NKOTB
• Lionel Richie
• Michael McDonald/Toto
• Nick & Knight
• Trans Siberian Orchestra
• Music of the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo


New National Parks:
• Death Valley
• Franklin D Roosevelt (and Vanderbilt) Historic Site
• Craters of the Moon
• City of Rocks
• Fort McHenry
• Minidoka
• Hagerman Fossil Beds
• Horseshoe Bay Beach in Bermuda

New US Cities/Art Towns:
• Roanoke, VA
• Charleston, WV
• Steamboat Springs, CO
• Boise & Twin Falls, Idaho
• Matlacha &Cape Coral, Florida

States Visited: NV, CA, OK, LA, CO, ID, FL, NY, NJ, DE, PA, CT, MD, VA, WV

New Countries/Cities:
• Hamilton, Bermuda
• Venice, Italy
• Rome, Italy
• Milan, Italy
• Florence, Italy
• Sorrento, Italy
• Lugano, Switzerland
• (plus quick stops in Como, Pisa, Sienna, Sirmione, Pompeii, Capri, Naples, and some other place where we only stopped for a Cathedral with a tongue)

Failure to Post

Dear 6 followers of my adventures -

I know I have failed to post new and exciting stories from my recent trips... my problem is that I have not stopped to breath in a few months.  Since I last visited my site, I have been keeping busy visiting:

• San Francisco - for a whopping 2 days
• Albuquerque - for a whopping 2 days
• Petrified Forest National Park
• New Jersey
• Annapolis, MD
• New Orleans
• Lafayette
• Houma
• Lake Jackson/Clute Texas
• Galveston, TX
• Lake Charles, LA
• Houston, TX
• Big Thicket National Preserve
• Shanksville, PA
• Pittsburgh

And now, I am off to Flagstff (for 2 days) before I return to New Orleans.

I have lots to share.  I have some fantastic pictures from my trips.  I have some fun stories.  I will get to them.  Until then, please sleep for me!

2011 - Year in Review

Looking back on 2011 I can honestly say that it has been a busy travel year.  I went on at least one trip every month - some for work, some for fun, some to visit friends and some as social calls... no matter how I look at it, it simply was an exhausting year.  All told, I visited 20 states and almost as many major cities.  In fact, I went on at least 2 trips each month* (I can't keep that pace up).   I hiked in several "new to me" national parks; meandered through art museums; took in several Broadway shows; cheered at  sporting events; danced, sang and shopped at several festivals, and learned about sea life at several "new" aquariums.  It was a year of unique experiences, beautiful vistas, new learnings ... and yes, a few new states.

• New States - I finished the "O" States by visiting Cleveland, Ohio and several places in Oklahoma (and I revisited Oregon this year too).
• New Cities - Fairbanks Alaska (the 2nd biggest city in Alaska, yet the smallest I will list); Tulsa and Oklahoma City; Cleveland; Pittsburgh
• Art Towns - NONE =-(  but I did get to quite a few arts festivals- West Palm Beach, Boulder, Alexandria
• New Aquariums - Pacific Coast Aquarium in Newport, Oregon offered me (and a friend) the most incredible one on one octopus experience; Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois was so big that I spent over 6 hours exploring its nooks; Oklahoma Aquarium in Tulsa offered fishing tips!
• New Parks - Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Canyon - South Rim (finally), Cedar Breaks NM, Chickasaw NRA, Cuyahoga Valley; Valley of Fire (Nevada State Park)
• Funky Features - Whalebone Arch in Barrow; the official Arctic Circle line; Oklahoma Rt 66 Sites (POPS, Red Round Barn, Braums Ice Cream sign); Santa Claus's House in North Pole, AK; the Christmas Story House and Free Stamp in Ohio; Lincoln's Head looking south of I-80 in WY
• Iconic Structures - Grand Canyon, The Vegas Strip was visited several times in 2011, NYC Times Square and Yankee Stadium for the holidays; Rock & Roll Hall of Fame; Oklahoma City Memorial; Disney; Willis Tower (aka Sears Tower); Mount St Helens

Even some of my old favorites offered me new experiences.  I took my mom to New Orleans for her first visit and we danced and shopped our way through the French Quarter Festival.  I have always heard great things French Quarter Fest and I can tell you that they are all true.  It brings all the fun of the larger parties, but the ease of it being all in once location... there is endless music, art, parades, hundreds of booths of local food.  The streets are filled, the shops are open, and city pride is out in full force.

My sister got married in NYC this year - in Central Park.  Now, I have been there plenty of times, but never for a wedding.  In a city where you see everything and anything - groups walking around all dressed up in the park while people are sunbathing in bathing suits was quite the sight.  And contrary to popular belief, everyone was perfectly nice when asked to shift out of pictures.

Rough Seas to the Islands

The week after the crazy week that took me from Vegas to Denver, I returned to the Pacific time zone for a week in Ventura County California.  The week took me from the the sun in the lower 70s to snow in Denver, to the 60's (in Denver - gotta love the weather there) to the 40s and rain, now brought me back to warmth and the 70's sun in California.  All LA traffic aside, it is not a bad gig to be sent to southern California.

After a full day of travel and a battle on the 101, I ate a very late lunch at Ventura Harbor, stopped by the National Park Visitor Center to buy postcards and check out island maps, then headed to the beach.  Instead of checking in and hanging out in a hotel room, I sat on the beach, listened to my favorite sound (waves rolling), and read my Kindle.  What a great way to decompress from a long day's travel and relax for a week of training and outreach.

Looking Back on 2010

While 2010 was a tough year... on the travel front, I must admit that I was able to do a few things off my lists:

• My new state for the year - South Dakota
• New cities - Santa Barbara, Amarillo, TX (stretching "city" a little), Pensacola
• Art Towns - Bisbee and Tombstone AZ
• New national park areas - Badlands, Wind Cave, Gulf Shores National Seashore, in addition Columbia River Gorge & Multnomah Falls (national scenic area in OR)
• New Aquarium - World Aquarium in Dallas
• Funky Feature - Wall Drug in SD
• Iconic Sites - Mt Rushmore, inside the Rose Bowl (soccer game) [and by comparison but no where near as iconic - the Cotton Bowl]

Keeping up with my Birthday tradition of doing something new, I took a bit of time in June to head east from New Orleans and visit Pensacola for the first time.  Timing wise it could not have been more  iffy.  Oil from the Deepwater Horizon spill was headed that way.  When I arrived the water had started to hit sections of the Gulf Shore Islands, but the Pensacola beach was clear - crystal clear.  I was lucky - oil was reported to the east and west of the area; so for that day I enjoyed the last of the gulf shores beauty.  For anyone that has not been to the Gulf Coast - the water is warm and and blueish green, the sand is crystal white.   I wanted to see what was happening in the area, so on my way back to Louisiana, I took time to stop by Orange Beach, Alabama; there you could see the oil coming in.  There the water was closed, and yet I saw people going in anyway (people never cease to amaze me).  Forever I will remember this quick trip for the young child running to his parents with a black ball in his hand, screaming, "Mommy, Daddy, I found a tar ball!"  It just was heart breaking.

Making it to Santa Barbara was a big deal.  Home of the TV show Psych, this city has been ohhhh-so-close yet so far away for years.  Through work, I have spent time in Ventura County and have never made the time to drive the 30 minutes north.  I have instead spent time taking the boat to Channel Islands or visited with friends in LA.  So, this year I had an opportunity to visit this sleepy city and the timing could not have been better - I was able to make it for the Old Spanish Days Fiesta.  I had no idea that smashing eggs on people's heads was a welcome greeting... but I guess it is okay if they are filled with confetti. 

After years of staring at a map and hearing how close South Dakota really was, I finally took the plunge and drove from Denver to the Black Hills.  Of course I was planning on visiting Mt Rushmore... that is what everyone does when they get to the Black Hills, but there is so much more to stuff into a trip.  I took the guided tours in the most interesting caves I have ever seen, awestruck at the beauty of Jewel Cave.  The whole area was nothing like what I pictured for SD; it was serene and soft.  That beauty was contrasted greatly with the stark bleakness of the Badlands about an hour and half away.  The greenery, rolling hills and meandering streams were gone - they were replaced with the complex formations of the eroding landscape.  This quick get-away was all about power touring... and if I recommend anything from that trip beyond the parks, it would be the Prairie Berry Winery and their Red Ass Rhubarb wine - it tastes like pie! Well the pie and a quick stop in Hill City to visit Teddy Bear town - you have not lived until you see thousands of bears stuffed into a tiny home.

2010 also seemed to be a Texas year for me...  I spent some quality time in Houston - finally able to see more that just the office, I was able to explore the museums and city sites. I saw my first shrunken head at the Science Museum (at the cannibals special exhibit) and I honestly will not be upset if I never see one again. That same trip included a road trip to Galveston; got there too late to tour the historic homes, but did get to the shoreline and ate some gulf shrimp from an east coast transplant.   I spent some time in Dallas, actually getting there 3x last year,  I  finally got to see the World Aquarium which is more of a rainforest than aquarium; still, it was beautiful.  Then there was Amarillo - can't say that I spent a lot of time there, but I have seen it, slept there, ate at a local hole-in-the-wall breakfast cafe... Yep, definitely a year to see Texas.

I was also able to visit some of my favorite places, while still managing to do something new in each:

• New Orleans - St Patrick's Day and the Italian-Irish parades
• New York City  - took in a game at the new Yankee Stadium
• Philadelphia - took my niece for her first trip to the Franklin Institute

And there were trips to other places - the weekend getaways to the beach, the repeated trips to Denver and the road trips through the Rocky Mountains, a short trips to Portland, Baltimore, Jacksonville, St Augustine and Tucson/Phoenix and return trips to a few great national parks, like Rocky Mountain and Saguaro.

Honestly, looking back, I can reflect on some fun road trips, relaxing weekends with friends and exciting new discoveries.  Guess that is why reflection is so important - sure there were challenges, but there was love and discovery, education and relaxation in there too.  Not a bad year after all.