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

Of Reefs and Jungles - My Trip to Belize

Belize has been a bucket list trip since college. I had classes that spoke of its conservation efforts, others that spoke of the reef, and others that used it as an example of successful ecotourism that balanced the needs of nature with the needs of the economy.  On travel lists, I often see the Blue Hole listed.  In reading about our endangered global rainforests, Belize is called out as a safer place to see them.  And let's face it, my eco-loving heart wanted to get up close and personal to some amazing sites.  Belize was a must see!

Enter Groupon teasers.  After our ride through Groupon false advertising this spring, I was a bit more cautious ... but I this time I did not just jump at a good deal, I looked up offers on many sites,  looked for commentary, and relied on 3rd party pictures.  You can't trust the reviews on Groupon itself, but after seeing outside reviews, we were ready to try again... with that, I purchased a deal for a type of vacation I have never taken before... we were to stay on a small island off the coast.  Wow, are we soooo glad we took advantage of this opportunity.

We stayed at the Yok Ha Resort, 25 miles of the coast of central Belize and Dangriga.  This meant we needed 2 planes, a shuttle and a boat... and about 8 hours of travel.  But once we got off that boat on Waterfoot Caye, all our worries washed away - the resort was adorable.  Bright Caribbean colors, conch shells accents, hibiscus flowers growing in the garden, individual bungalows, sea birds, sea stars right off the dock...  and the staff... wow, as soon as we pulled up - the drinks, the food, the service... it really was "Welcome to Paradise."  And to prove the point, that first night's dinner was lobster freshly caught from the reef!

 

 Our trip was 4 nights on the Caye and 1 night in Belize City.  I really wanted to see what Belize had to offer so I booked tours!  All different kinds of tours.  For a small country, there was a lot to see! 

On our first full day on the island, we hit the water. This was the day I was finally getting out on the Meso-American Reef.  We were going to island hop a few cayes to see the Tobacco Range and then we were snorkeling.    Our first stop was Bird Caye - and hundreds of birds.  We saw Frigates, Bobbies, Cormorants, and Pelicans.  It is Frigate mating season, so we actually got to see males all puffed out for display.  In the bird world, I like to say that the males wear the make-up, and with these guys, that red throat is better than rouge.  But getting the girl isn't enough, because once a egg is hatched, that male must guard the nest because the bobbies will steal the chick for food.  Nature can be cruel and Frigates pick on Cormorants in the air and steal their food.  It seemed that the only ones out of this cycle were the pelicans.  Brown Pelicans to be more exact.  They stayed on the outside of the island, overlooking the water, seemingly not concerned with the antics of the Frigates... honestly, what does a pelican want with a bird that can't get wet!  Pelicans are the dive-bombers of the sea!

After some quality birding, we headed into the water.  And I am still gobsmacked by the sights I saw.  I have never seen that amount of coral alive and well - Purple Fan (and regular), Elk Horn, Staghorn, Brain, Boulder, Tubes, LeafPlates,  sponges, and, yes, Fire Coral.  That is not to say that the whole reef is healthy... I have read plenty that warns those that care about what is happening to our underwater gardens...

Nurse Shark

 but in the areas I was, I did not see evidence of coral bleaching.  I also so a healthy diversity of sea life.  As I swam around, I got to hear the crunch of the Parrotfish, and watched them scatter around the reef, we saw schools of wrasse, grunts and Sargent Majors. I followed a squirrelfish or 2 trying to get a picture.  I was patient with the French Angelfish as they moved their thin bodies through the branch coral.  I saw puffers, blue tangs and triggerfish.  We spotted a ray. 

Parrotfish munching

 And then, there was the lionfish...  so many damn lionfish.  These guys may be pretty but they don't belong here.  They have no predators, and they are eating their way through the ecosystem... so while we were snorkeling, 2 others from the resort were spearfishing for lobsters (dinner), and they put the spears to good use taking a few out.  Just not enough... (please don't release your aquarium fish in the water).

Quick Weekend in the Mile High City

For years I traveled regularly to Denver.  The area holds a special place in my travel loving heart.  It is gorgeous country.  So many national parks are nestled into that area, to say nothing about the stunning national forests, the cute mountain towns, the sweeping majesty of the Rockies.  It is a nature lover's dream.  The area is also filled with friends.  Friends, so close that I consider them family, call the area home.  A weekend is never enough to see everyone. Sadly, it was all that I cold fit in the schedule this year.




I have grand plans for visits to Denver and the surrounding area.  I have a list of things I want to see and do even after living there for half a year on a work detail (and traveling there a lot for work). My plan has been to knock something out each time I visited... but it doesn't always work out.  Shame really because I have some goodies on there, and some places that have been on my list for almost a decade (Dinosaur National Monument, Devils Tower, Aspen & Vail, another visit to Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and more).  This trip was not that kind of trip.  This was to visit two amazing friends on incredible journeys; two friends that are a testament to strength and courage (and health insurance).  Longer trips can wait.   I had priorities.  I needed to check in with my mentor/Denver-mom, cancer ass-kicking Wonder Woman Sue and my amazing strongly, athletic, snarky, fun loving, cancer ass-kicking friend, Megan. 


So less than a week after I returned from my Lake Tahoe trip, I was back on a plane.  If you fly into or out of the Rockies, you know that you are in for some turbulence.... and this trip did not disappoint.  Our 3.5 hour flight was extended by over an hour since the plane tried to fly around an epic thunderstorm.  A storm so big I swear I watched lightening dance across the sky for a half hour.  Zeus was fighting with someone up there because huge bolts streaked across the clouds with a vicious frequency that it was almost hypnotic.  We skirted around most of the storm but flew into the edges as we made our approach into Denver and bounced around so much your stomach entered your throat (and no, I don't get motion sick).



After a good night's sleep, I was ready to hit the ground running.  First up - Sue.

Sue and I have a pattern.  We walk through Cherry Creek, the Botanical Gardens, the Art Museum.  She shook things up this time and surprised me with tickets to the Ballet!  Sue and I share a passion for the arts, and she is an active supporter of the Denver Arts community, but heading downtown is not what we typically do... but she is full of surprises. The Colorado Ballet was staging a production of Dracula - perfect for that time of year.  I have yet to see it performed.  This was a treat to say the least. It had been a year since I have seen a proper ballet and even longer since I patronized the Colorado Ballet Company. 

Before the big event, we headed into the LODO district to share some food and catch up.  Being a beautiful day, we sat outside... and we treated to sound checks for the Beer Festival.  We could barely head each other most of the time.  We rushed through stories in between instruments and laughed because what else could be do.  It is always a memorable date with Sue. 

After a wonderful time watching a sensual, sexy, hauntingly beautiful performance of Dracula, we wandered a bit to find a place for a drink and conversation!  This time, no sound checks!  And when she was ready, I brought her home and headed out to Golden to Megan.

I arrived in time for dinner with the family and some more catch up conversation.  We spent the next day together outside.  We went for a walk down along the river, we took pictures of butterflies, and soaked in the sun.  Our imaginary game of baseball with her son was parlayed into a true game of 1-on-1 whiffle ball that evening. 

The family took me to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, not for a show, but just to appreciate its beauty... Red Rocks has been on my list for a long while, I think since I got that Dave Mathews CD - Live at Red Rocks.  The sound was amazing.  And I do love an outdoor concert.  And while there was no concert there, we were treated to a woman playing her cello.  It was heavenly. 

After hoofing the endless stairs, enjoying the music and wandering the museum, I was surprised with a trip to the famed Morison buffalo herd.  They were close to the viewing area, so I got to soak up some prime American West scenery!  I really wanted to capture that perfect shot of the fall leaves with the mountains and bison... I tried!  I was happy with this sweeping vista.

Back home, the family cooked for me while I got to act like a kid with the kid!  We danced to Ricky Martin while we played with Legos.  Can I get paid to do this all the time?

Gorgeous weather did the gold ole' Denver twist and turned on me though.  After 2 days of beautiful 70 degree days, a blizzard rolled into town that evening and by the next morning it was a sea of white.  Crazy storms coming and going .... that is Denver. 

And that was a weekend visiting 2 very important people.  They kicked cancer's ass and are living their lives to the fullest.  I love them both!  Until next year... I swear I will stay longer!  I swear! 

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. 

 

 

 

Two days In the Maryland Panhandle

When you think of states with panhandles, you can easily name Florida, Oklahoma, Texas, Idaho, but there is one much closer to home... Maryland.  I have never been into the Maryland panhandle - it is close, but not too close...a 3.5 hour drive.  It warrants some planning.  And after my best friend suggested I check out Deep Creek Lake, on the western edge of the panhandle months ago, its been on my list. 




Enter a Labor Day that happened upon us way too quickly and I did not have anything planned.  The weather was cold and stormy on Saturday but it was supposed to clear up.  We did not want to let that last bit of summer slip by.  We had to do something.  After some quick googling, I found a last minute room for a great rate in Deep Creek for Sunday night... our short road trip was planned.  We would figure things out along the way, and knew there was bound to be enough to keep us occupied for a 2 days... and we were right.


I texted my best friend Lesley to tell her I was finally going and she got back to me immediately with ideas from a friend.  She may run a successful website on the Pacific NW but she has contacts everywhere.  Her friend gave us ideas for all kinds of food & drink and many activities.  We were only going to be there for 2 days and I wanted to make the most of our time.  A local is always a great resource - ones you know, or ones you befriend along the way! 


Deep Creek Lake is not the kind of lake community I grew up visiting in northern New Jersey.  What we saw as soon as we got there looked more akin many fancy shore communities with houses on the water trying desperately to be bigger and grander than the next.  There was development all over the lake.  In fact the only public access to the water is through the state park - Deep Creek Lake State Park.  We drove past homes with secondary homes (the mother-in-law house) and found out way through winding roads to get to the lake.  Outside on the water, my stubborn streak prevailed as we walked on the beach and jetties, dipped toes in the cold waters and braved the winds on this day in the mid 50's!  Summer was obviously lost (Persephone must have went back to Hades early)... but the sun was out.  We stayed for a few hours to enjoy the reflections and pretend we went to the beach over labor day.  After we had enough, we headed indoors to the Nature Center to learn about the lake's ecology (I learned a new term for the lake's water cycle - the thermocline is the barrier between the upper and lower water layers that facilitates turnover)!


After giving up we headed to a late lunch/early dinner at Mountain State Brewery... on my list of places to check out from my friend's friend, we were optimistic.  Driving away from the lake and into the rolling fills of farms, we found the small, and incredibly busy, brewery wafting smells of food into the parking area.  This rustic local favorite was practically full at 4pm - a great sign.  Our waitress helped up pick out an unique pizza of Thai chicken and John got himself a flight of their specialties.  We chowed down on a gigantic medium pizza and decided dinner was not needed (damn was that a big pie).  Everything was yummy (and warm) in this joint and we defrosted enough to venture out again.


Where did we go now... well to the ski resort, of course.  The Wisp was bustling with people, and we know something was going on!  That something was FUN.  They had an adventure course set up for kids and other for adults.  There was a toboggan ride down the slopes and you could ride the ski lift up to come down the mountain yourself (leg-power).  We settled on tickets for the toboggan cuz, hello, it was a roller coaster you could control yourself.  Yep!  You were put in a toboggan, and pulled up the mountain... and then when you were released on the tracks, you had the ability to control your own speed!  WOOHOO.  I hooted and hollered like a kid and let my yellow ride fly... well I did until I saw signs asking us to break around some turns.  When we both disembarked, we were ready to go again! 


After we left the Wisp, we checked into our hotel (there was a reason we got a room so late in the game - ick) and headed out for a rematch on the miniature golf course.  What happens when 2 competitive people play a silly game of mini-golf.... well, putts are taken seriously and I get to say I WIN!  HA!  A hole in one baby!  The course was a blast with truly unique water features you had to play through and some serious usage of hills.  Afterwards, we headed to the arcade for a wall sized version of Space Invaders (with different rules from my Atari version).  We bounced from air hockey to ski-ball to silly guessing games and gifted random kids in the arcade our tickets won... we did not need an eraser, and we made some people smile.  Who says you have to grow up?  (I am still a Toys R Us kid at heart).


After this mad-Karate Kid styled date, we headed to the Deep Creek Creamery - the hottest ticket in town.  Because even though the temperatures never got above 55 degrees, the line for ice cream was literally down the street.  We stood in line, talked to locals and got some creamy goodness that we ate while overlooking a full moon over the lake.  It was a beautiful scene. 


The next morning, Demeter (ye, I do love throwing in the Greek Gods) decided that we could have some warmer weather... and we were able to get on the water... finally.  We booked a lake tour on a pontoon.  And I was stuck singing that Little Big  Town song all day because of it.  With an afternoon tour planned, we headed out for a downhome local breakfast.... and according to our list, Sandy's was where we wanted to be.  So we drove past the sprawling lake looking for the local dive... eventually we found the rehabbed gas station, that was home to this local fav.  We ate at the counter and marveled with the crowds. Everyone ordered a cinnamon bun, so who were we to say no- splitting it was almost not fair - warm and gooey.  For our meals, we discovered the blueberry pancakes were the way to go.  Full, we headed back to the lake. 


After lollygagging for almost 2 hours (we were early and there is not much to do in the area) we finally made our way onto the Pontoon.  And on the water for almost an hour and a half was the highlight of the trip.  The day was warm, the sun was out and our guide was a local whom was relocating the next day... he waxed nostalgic as he toured the lake.  We explored some of his favorite spots, visiting secluded arms of this amoebous lake and insanely elaborate mansions. The tour gave us a better appreciation of the grandeur of the lake.  It is large!  In fact , the lake covers 3900 acres - making it the largest lake in Maryland .  It is called Deep Creek Lake, not for being the deepest in Maryland ( it's deepest point is only 75 feet near the dam), but for the name of one of its feeding sources.  The lake gets its water from a series of creeks in the area - no major river, no underground water source.  Deep Creek can get cold - ice goes 18 inches down in the right conditions.  The lake was created in 1925 by the Youghiogheny Electric Company, bought by Pennsylvania Electric in 1942 and is now owned by Maryland!

After our tour, our guide gave us a great recommendation for a deli - we grabbed sandwiches and headed out to Swallow Falls State Park.   Another of my friend friend's great recommendations.  Swallow Falls is said to be one of the prettiest state parks in Maryland. Just about every person we spoke to told us not to miss it, so we knew we were in for a treat.  Once in the park, we sat in the giant gazebo to eat our delicious sandwiches and fuel up... camera at the ready, I was hopping for adventure.  The trail loop to 4 falls was under 2 miles.  You could add to the mileage by taking arms off the main line to get closer or different perspectives.  My camera was busy photographing the  water falling over bridal veils, cascades, and horsetail falls.  I pointed out basic geology to John - each time we go out he gets science lessons - this time in erosion and stratification.  (I need to whip out the old college texts soon and brush up on some lessons myself).  The forest around the falls is hemlock... I am familiar with Hemlock forests, as I grew up near large ones in NJ... The forest was badly damaged by Superstorm Sandy, and it provided a great way to point out forest regeneration. Hemlock forests are unique in that they create their own mini-climates... they can lower the standing temperatures up to 10 degrees - so often you see flora in the area unlike any other.  Hemlocks and their shallow roots also help to keep the air moist... the area is ripe for fungus, mushrooms, lichens and mosses.  And all over we spotted some amazing shrooms.  They had plenty to do, breaking down trees felled by the storm.   Plenty of locals on the trail told us that the falls were low, but it didn't matter - the hike and the forest were wonderful.  Nature can take your breathe away if your let her!

After the hike and science lessons it was time to head back to DC.  On the way home, we took the scenic route through West Virginia (we were so close), and were treated to a sherbet colored sunset over the valleys between the Appalachian Mountains and views of wind farms stirring in the steady winds persistent through the area. 

With a trip full of beauty and fun, we will be sure to keep this place on our list for local get-aways when I need to see something more than traffic jams. 

Finally Made It to Mexico

Groupon Travel is the most tempting thing out there.  I look at the listings and just itch to click. On the site, I see everything from opportunities stateside, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe and even dream trips on African Safaris, Australia... it's crazy.  And sometimes I think it's unrealistic... If you have ever been on Groupon, you know that some trips offer extraordinary discounts. Some of the deals seem almost too good to pass up.  And then there is that count down clock! It is all designed for temptation.  I wanted to test it out... but, I did not want to be completely at the mercy of the discount gods if it turned into a nightmare. I figured my best bet was somewhere outside where I could work around the system easily if it didn't work out - somewhere like the Caribbean or our neighbor to the South, Mexico.  I have never been to Mexico and a trip was long over due.  In Groupon, I did not want anything that included airfare because those deals scare me - I know I would be stuck in a middle seat, in the back of the plane, on some ridiculous low cost carrier that charges for air.  Instead, we found a "too good to be true" deal on an all inclusive hotel in Cancun for just under $200/night!  Not knowing what to expect, I did not want to stay too long, but wanted to be there long enough to take in a new area, so I settled on 4 nights.  Woohoo, my first trip to Cancun - only 25 years late for high school spring break!

So, excited for our trip, I researched options for tours and fun.  As enticing as sitting for days on a sugar white beach sounds, I did not think that was the best use of my money... I wanted to explore... I could sit on a beach at home.  Much to the chagrin of my boyfriend, I planned stuff everyday (all 3 full days there). Of course I wanted to relax too, so the days were not full days.  The activities picked gave us at least a half day at the hotel beach.  We were going to make the most of this trip. 

Days 2&3 - Art, Alpacas, Lavendar, Parks, Orcas & Yachts in the San Juan Islands - Art, Alpacas, Lavendar, Orcas and Yachts



Historical Society
Topographical Interactive Map
San Juan Island

(Continuing my San Juan Island Trip in July 2017)

We hit the ground running Monday, starting with an interview with  town/island leader, Barbara Marrett, over an amazing Breakfast. (Seriously, I am going to have to try and recreate the baked eggs in tomato we ate at  Cynthia’s Bistro).  We talked about island life, the tight knit community, and their ties to the orcas and the Salish Sea.  It's hard to deny the beauty of the area that just draws you in, and her story reflected that pull.  I have always been curious about small town island living and what brings people there, and she let us pepper her with questions about Friday Harbor's growth and laid back nature, the (sometimes) hassle of being cut off from the mainland, and her history that brought her to the island.

After our breakfast education we were handed off to another amazing town leader - the executive Director of the Whale Museum, Jenny Atkinson.  She spoke to us for hours about the orcas and other whales that visit the Sound. Adding to what we learned the evening before from Maya's Legacy (whale watching tour), we were getting a crash course in the local ecosystem.  She spoke passionately about the resident orca pod and how connected people on the island are to it. The reason the whale museum started naming the orca's was the fact that locals are able to identify so many since the people and orcas grow up together and these orcas are often found near the island coast line. Islanders are able to pinpoint births and deaths in the pod since they are such a regular site around the San Juans.  Sadly, they numbers have plummeted.  The Whale Museum  mission is education everyone they can on the majesty of these mammals. After our talk, we were given a tour of the museum, and next thing we knew we were well past noon and well past the schedule that Lesley had made for us to maximize our time.  So, after some purchases (I had to adopt a whale to support their mission), we headed out.

Before we left Friday Harbor and drove into the heart of the island, we wanted to stop by the Art Museum.  Although we had planned for the Art Museum on Monday before our ferry, we found out it would be closed... quick schedule tweak and we made it.  The museum is small!  Really 2 main rooms.  It was hosting an exhibit on native masks  - masks from private collectors.  Much of this stuff was never seen in public.  And it was glorious.  These pieces tell stories but the museum let them speak for themselves - you had to pull up piece information on your smart phone using your scanner!  It was a smart way to show these pieces.

 

The Beginning of An Epic Adventure in the Pacific NW

My annual trip out the Pacific Northwest was a bit early this year.  If you plan on visiting the San Juan Islands with your best friend, you have to make the summer venture.  Who wants to visit an island in the northern most corner of the Pacific Northwest when the temperatures start to drop – not I!

We started talking about this venture on the way home from last year’s girls trip to Victoria… and, again, I left the planning to her.  Lesley runs an amazing website for information on NW events, locales, and general fun.  WhatsupNW.com has really exploded and places we go are excited for her to visit and to be featured on the site.  That means, she has all in the “ins”.  I am just along for the ride – I get to help her interview amazing people in various fields, and we have a blast together.  Honestly, her moving sucked, but we make our visits count.  She travels like I do on solo trips – packing in much in as possible… so together, we power-tour and document for her site, take tons of pictures and soak in as much as humanly possible.

For once the weather was going to be perfect.  There was minimal rain in the forecast.  I was itching for a vacation.  And then I got sick.  I am not talking a little summer cold either.  By the time I landed at SeaTac, I felt like I wanted to crawl into a ball and sleep for a week.  I had no energy, I spike a fever 2 nights before, my nose would not stop leaking, and I was a sneezing mess.  I looked and felt great to see my gorgeous best friend (Jersey sarcasm).    She picked me up; I took some Nyquil and had to apologize to her doggies that are used to me rolling around to play with them on visits.  She let me sleep the first day before she and her husband took me to the small town of Leavenworth.  This place is in the south-central Cascades and completely Bavarian themed.  We walked the streets, and I stopped at a few adorable shops looking at things that caught my eye.  Outside town we stopped at the river dam to walk the salmon ladder and watch some fish jump their way through the waters (and a kayaker navigate the falls) and then headed to a state park to take in a gorgeous lake and mountain views.

The next day, we had a girl’s day with some of her friends (and mine) in Seattle.  Lesley was invited to the VIP rooftop lounge at the Hard Rock.  I rallied and we headed towards Pike’s Market.  The lounge over looked the market!  Incredible space!  We had a blast, eating lunch, grooving to music and playing with beach balls… and it’s all fun before someone gets hurt.  And our story ended not with someone getting hurt, but someone’s expensive bag getting doused in beer.  She was fantastically nice about the whole thing and the staff moved quickly to clean everything up.  We took our own ball away and went back to couch dancing.

After a few hours at the Hard Rock, we walked through Pike’s Market.  I love the market – the colors, the venders, the hassle and the flying fish.  So much to see… more so after the latest expansion.  From the market we played the largest game of Pac-Man ever… it was seriously wall-sized.  And wandered into Gum Wall alley.  Ewwww is the right word here.  It is colorful and uniquely Seattle, and as long as you don’t overthink it, it can be amazingly neat to look at.  Some people just stick some gum on the wall, others make something with it… me?  Andrea and I pooled our gum and made a peace sign… we can all use more of that sentiment today with the situation in North Korea looming out there.

We had an early evening because the real trip was kicking in (and man was I still sick).  We hit the road by 5:30am to make the drive to the port.  This was Lesley’s first trip on an auto-ferry and she was not messing around.  So, we made it to port by 7:30 and were on the water by 9am.  The ride over was seriously cold (this is the northern Pacific NW) and stunningly gorgeous.  The waters were calm, since they are protected by Vancouver Island.  Smooth sailing, clear skies and fantastic scenery meant we were docking in Friday Harbor in no time.   Bucket List trip… here I come.

12 days at Sea, 5 Islands and Some Big Apple Fun

This was it, my last trip of the year and it was a HUGE one... it was going to be my longest cruise ever and it was taking me to a bunch of new places.  To say I was excited would be putting it mildly.  Things seemed to be lining up nicely; I planned a great evening out with my city friend to see the limited run of Sweet Charity, I was coming in early to squeeze in another show that day, I had a great room not too far from the train station, my train was on time and the weather was holding out... I was all set for my cruise out of New York... ummmm, cruise out of Brooklyn.  (Note to Cunard:  you should differentiate these boroughs... they are not the same place and it can take an hour to get from Manhattan to Brooklyn, just saying).

After I rolled my bags through the streets of New York for a few blocks, I quickly checked into the Element, grateful I didn't stay deeper into midtown... I was weighed down in luggage (I was going away for 2 weeks on a fancy boat and need everything), so my arms and back were relieved to find the hotel. I looked worse than Millie moving into the city, just ready for a room and the Element checked me right hours early!  Woohoo for SPG status!  After resting up and re-bundling up, I headed for TKTS not really worrying about scoring tickets to my intended show target, Holiday Inn... I had no idea the city would be this packed on a weekday ... but there I was at the booth, getting the last ticket to the show.  Phew!  I was lucky.  So, off to Studio 54 I went, to the most uncomfortable seats in all of the theatre district for anyone over 5'2".  The theater itself is gorgeous, and even had a tree in the lobby, but those seats leave no space for longer legs... I am sure the people in front of me don't appreciate my knee in their back anymore than I appreciate the tension either.  I ended up shifting and squirming through act one, hoping for intermission to stretch.  The seats even made it difficult for me to toe-tap my way through the climatic dance numbers (the whole reason I went)... if you saw the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, you know I was waiting for the jump rope garland routine... it just is not as much fun watching people dance their hearts out when your knees are killing you.  But I might just have to rewatch that routine a few dozen times to see all the tricks on each rope - there was a LOT going on! 

I had no such issues in the small Pershing Square Signature Theatre, off Broadway to see the 50th Anniversary production of Sweet Charity!  These tickets were hard to come by, and you understood why when you stepped into the tiny theatre.  We were 3rd row - you could see spit flying from the casts' mouths, you could step on the stage and dance with them... (temptation was killing me).  I make no secret that I love Sutton Foster... I think she is the greatest thing to come off Broadway in my generation.  A triple threat and she doesn't just dance, but she owns the stage. 

This production allowed us to see her charisma, mannerisms, charm, wit and flash up close. 

This small production stripped down and laid bare the hurt and humiliation Charity faces and you watched it all play across Sutton's face... you just wanted to give her a hug.  You wanted to tell her it would be okay, but you knew it wouldn't because even though "If My Friend's Could See Me Now" is funny and playful, even silliest number in the show, it showed just how desperate and sad, lonely and vulnerable Charity is.. this production just plain broke my heart in a million pieces (and ignited feminist ire as her last suitor talked about how she wasn't pure enough for him.) 

What a treat to share this intimate theater experience with a good friend and that amazing cast.    We headed off to dinner and raved to Oovina's staff about our amazing evening.  we were the only ones eating out that late on a Wednesday - we had the place to ourselves. The place was lit up to create an almost theatrical setting, with silver grape vines above our heads, purple floor lights and sleek settings.  And the food was scrumptious - we tried a little of a lot! Amazing food, amazing company, amazing last day on land! 

Cruise Day!  I scrambled to pull myself together and headed off to Brooklyn.  I was meeting friends at the terminal, so I was on my own for a while... I worked my way through the endless lines, waiting rooms and finally into the boat... when you have 2 weeks worth of clothes and 4 formal gowns (told you it was a fancy boat), you have a lot to unpack.  I wanted to settle in and get things up and out of the way before my friend and their "almost" 2 year old made it into the room.  It's a good thing I got things somewhat organized because it went crazy almost immediately.

I will say it, this was a cursed cruise.  I truly felt for the captain and crew... for the families... for my friends.  Before I get to my good stuff - let me just say that a cruise that starts with a likely death (woman overboard on night 1), a couple's so savage breakup that they defy customs and leave the ship at port never to return on 2 different islands, a fire, racist and ignorant comments, and a gang of unruly teens stealing stuff and playing pranks just might be cursed... I don't think that this is what anyway wanted on the Queen Mary 2's holiday voyage (if ever).  It was truly a horror story at times. Me, I let my Jersey Girl flag wave boldly, I was not having any of this craziness... I called out horrible people that made comments about kids, ethnicities, and classist behavior.  I was not going to tolerate being told to move because someone thought I was loud, the kid was loud or whatever else bothered their sensibilities.  It was nauseating how nasty some people could be... so I kept myself busy.  On days that we spent at sea, my friends and I played trivia, lots of trivia. We visited the planetarium (yeah, they had one on the boat).  Attended lectures from the college professors brought aboard (Caribbean history, pirates and Broadway).  I tried my hand at Bingo 3 times!  Went to almost every entertainment performance - seeing the boat performers, and special guests (including London stage star Ruthie Henshall).  We hung out on deck/at the pools where the little munchkin liked getting into the water.  (I am not mentioning the food because it was horrible).  It was a lot of relaxing time... And I was ready for the islands. 

Five Islands.  Lots to see.  And I had plans for each of them.  The first day I hit the ground running - St Maarten!  I was off on a hike, up the highest peak to see some views and a hike down.  And it rained... oh yes, it rained.  They warned us the trail was muddy and slippery... and it was.  The walking sticks provided (that I wanted to turn down),

were, in fact, handy.  I made my way to the back of the pack so I could hang back and snap some pictures... our guide could not identify many of the features we were seeing and my eyes needed time to scan.  Otherwise, I would have missed sights like the snail, the spiders and the incredible trees!  I was so busy taking pictures I did not notice that my lens cap fell off my camera's attachment, so by the time I made it down the island, I was capless and had no idea where to look.  Good thing the tour dropped me off in Phillipsburg where I was able to replace it in one of the camera shops in town. Turns out that Philipsburg was the largest Caribbean city we were visiting (until St Thomas, and even then I think its bigger than Charlotte Amalie).  There were endless stores peddling diamonds; in fact almost every island we visited peddled diamonds (it was horrible).  In  Philipsburg there was at least some diversity of shops filled with textiles, local crafts, boutiques, and liquor.  I was able to find some Larimer, my lens cap, get some food, take some pics of colorful island bungalows and the beach - a great way to cap off a wonderful hike.  This was a great start.