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.

One Day in Vegas

I nicknamed last year my Texas year since I visited the Lone Star State more than ever before.  This year, while only 2 1/2 months in, might turn out to be my Nevada year, or better yet, a Vegas year.  Yes, I have been to Vegas before - a few times over the years - for my 33rd birthday, for a wedding, and to celebrate a divorce.  This year, I have already visited 2x; once for a quick weekend date/spa trip and now for a quick girls' night out.

Ever been to Vegas for 1 day?  Well, I can say yes to that now.  Not sure I recommend the endeavor, but, I definitely had fun, and it was a needed break.

So what does a day in Vegas look like?  Well...

I flew in on Sunday evening/Monday morning - arriving to airport traffic and a hellish taxi line.  Finally making it to my hotel (the Westin) after midnight.  Starving after all that travel, I check in and grabbed a light bite at their restaurant that thankfully had fresh fruit and a grilled chicken sandwich for my late night meal.  While not on the Strip, the Westin is close enough for me and, most importantly, smoke-free!  Plus, the sweet sleeper beds usually mean better sleep than anywhere else.  Just lovely!

A few hours sleep and I had some time to kill before meeting up with my friend for dinner and a show... in Vegas that means shopping.  Of course it is raining in Vegas; it does that maybe 3x a year, so of course when I need to walk around it rains.  Good thing I don't melt and it was warm outside; I can handle some raindrops falling on my head.  I bounced between a few casinos, looking for inspiration for a birthday gift for a friend I was seeing in Denver the next evening.  I was hoping I could find something here and not resort to the mall in Denver.  And in a city where you can find almost anything, I knew I just needed some time.  After visiting the shops at Caesars, the shops of Paris, and the shops of Planet Hollywood, I found what I wanted.  With some more time to spare, I wandered back to the Mirage (home of Terry Fador, whom I saw in January) and visited a boutique that caught my eye.  Glad I did, I found a few things that were too cute.

Headed back to the Westin to head to my friend's hotel... what a step down.  There is no comparison between the Westin and the Rivera; just the smoke smell alone was enough to stop me in my tracks.  I was only staying there for a few hours, but wow!  I will admit, the rooms were nowhere near as bad as the casino floor; the smell was not as bad and they were clean.

Getting Ready for the Next Trip

Headed on for a work trip to Denver on Sunday... well, that is almost true - what I am doing is flying to Denver for work, but taking a quick side trip to Vegas to visit a friend for one day and then going back to Denver.  Yep, you read that right, I am headed to Vegas again and I am going for a WHOLE DAY! 

A girlfriend will be in Vegas for work and asked for me to join in on the fun.  I could not go the whole time, but I was able to squeeze in one day.  Luckily, flights from Denver are cheap enough to justify this insanity.

I know I was just there for a quick weekend in January, but this time is with a different friend.  Scheduling doesn't afford us much time to goof-off together.  And, let's face it, work has not been kind to either of us.

I plan to window shop on Monday - looking at all the expensive things.  I actually like window shopping at super expensive boutiques and galleries; there is no chance I can be temped to buy anything that I see.   I just collect business cards and note what I like.  I can't justify some of those price-tags on a federal salary... but it is still fun. (maybe when I hit the lotto.)  That evening, we have tickets to see the Jabbawockees. Dinner and a show and maybe something else.   It will be a quick girl's trip before I have to get down to seriousness in Denver.

I know I am going to be exhausted (have a 6 am flight from Vegas to Denver).  I will sleep on the plane and hopefully my hotel in Denver will let me check in early to get cleaned up.

Adventures at Home

Sometimes I can forget just how much fun living in and around Washington DC can be... there is a lot to do.  It is nice to remind yourself of those benefits once and awhile - especially since most of them are closed once you get off work... YES, to take advantage of many of the glorious things to do around this city, you have to have a day off; museums, galleries and buildings do close.  Then when you do have off, you have to run errands and take care of all those house-keeping things that you miss during the week, and next thing you know, the weekend is over, and you miss an opportunity again.  So, you have to plan if you want to get out and visit some of these great features.

This past weekend, was one of those weekends.  The National Zoo celebrated the birth of 7 lion cubs this fall... and finally, the adorable cubs were strong and independent enough to be shown to the public.

My extended DC family and I watched their antics for a long while... the cubs did not disappoint.  I have mot seen crowds surrounding one area in the Zoo since the debut of the panda baby...  people, ohhed and ahhed, laughed and shreaked... the lions were vocal and mobile.  Cubs ran and tackled, jumped and climbed; the dad growled and the cubs mimicked... the sister moms watched and tried to keep them out of trouble.  It was adorable entertainment.  Not a bad way to spend a nice day.

Smooth Jazz in the City of Roses

Traveling for work means that you miss a lot a local has to offer; by the time you get off work, most galleries, stores and boutiques are closed.  Often you are left trolling the malls if you want to shop, and let's face it, you can get the most of the stuff in the mall in other namesake stores across the country.  I want the fun and unique - places that you can only find in that city/region.

Mel Brown Quartet at Jimmy Mack's

In Portland, friends and I gathered for our last night together and sought out something relaxing... we were looking for music.  We walked through the Pearl District to find some jazz and we found Jimmy Mack's (apparently one of the top 100 places to hear to jazz.)  There we were treated to the smooth stylings of Mel Brown's Quartet.  The master percussion beats were a fabulous way to roll off the exhaustion of the week.  The familiar face of Mel Brown really struck a chord with our group; googling him, we found the rich storybook history of his music career... we were truly being treated by a jazz great.  Exhausted as we all were, we stayed until we could not push it anymore... happy and relaxed.

That close to the Pearl District, I needed time to wander a few boutiques... and I squeezed it in before I left the next afternoon.  Wandering the streets looking for familiar places, I stumbled upon a "new-to-me" gallery, right next to the home decor favorite Bella Casa, The Dapper Frog.  Full of fun, color and glass, this lifestyle gallery calls for a lot of time to soak it all in.  Yes, there were plenty of frogs (and I love frogs)... fun, colorful frogs.  I was able to pick out a pink fella for a niece that plays with my bronze frogs every visit.    The gallery had plenty to offer beyond the webbed amphibians - fish, birds, pottery and sculpture.  I fell in love with a $10,000 chandelier.  Too big for my room, and too much for my pocketbook.  Doesn't matter, I still loved it.  In fact, I loved much in this place.  If I get back to Portland again, I will definitely make this a  stop.

Kissed by an Octopus for Valentine's Day

A visit to the Oregon Coast is not complete without a trip to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, and for someone like me that loves to visit aquariums, this visit could not have been more special.  I don't know what it is about a good aquarium that makes me so happy; sure there are colorful fish, there are the silly antics of marine mammals and there is always something to learn, but the great aquariums, like Monterey, Baltimore, offer something extra special... and that is what I found here at the Aquarium in Newport, Oregon.

The volunteer staff surprised my friend and I with a few unique experiences.  It began as soon as we arrived, when we meandered to the "touch-me-tank".  Feeding time, and I finally got to see those creatures in motion.  Better yet, I was allowed to feed an abalone; the ribbony black lips reached out,  grasped a piece of kelp and pulled it inside its half shell.  It was too cute!  The lips were soft, slightly sticky but surprisingly strong.  Another danced for us by rotating 180 degrees on its foot.  Yet another abalone was eating while stationed on a glass wall; this afforded us an opportunity to watch and we even got to see its tongue.



It was at this tank where we spoke with the volunteers about the aquarium, my mission to visit, and the plan for the weekend and some knowledge about the facility and its creatures.  The volunteers provided us guidance on where to head next, and we ventured off to find the shark tunnels and the scuba divers cleaning the tanks.  Along the way we stumbled upon the art exhibit showcasing plastic pollution recovered from the oregon coast.  The artist created coral reefs, sea creatures and mosaics (as well as showcasing some work from children), and while the creations were fun and full of storybook whimsy, the point was made - the ocean is not a garbage can ... that trash ends up somewhere.


It was here in the tunnels that the volunteers found us.  They offered us the experience to beat all other aquarium experiences... because we traveled so far, were so excited about the aquarium and interested in the exhibits, they wanted to do something special.  We were shocked... and it was then I noticed that my camera was missing.  YEP, here I am being offered an unique aquarium experience and my camera decided to take a walk.  Volunteer and friends scoured the area, but it was not to be found.  (And I knew that I just had it).  The volunteer promised to keep looking and assured me that they recovered most lost and found items.  So off we went to this special experience without my camera.

We were taken into a room with floor to ceiling windows with a view into the shark tank.  Here we received a quick lesson in shark biology (pointing out the male shark graspers).  I was loving every minute... but this was not THE experience... they had more planned.  We were headed to the octopus exhibit for a hands-on experience, and I was without my camera.  =-(  Thankfully my friend had a droid camera phone and snapped a few shots.

We needed it, because once taken into the back of the exhibit we washed our hands and arms in salt water, and the octopus was called up.  Yep, you read that right - she, aka Peanut, came right up when the volunteer took her spot.  With clear instructions on the do's and don'ts of tentacle interaction, my friend and I were allowed to touch and be touched.

Have you ever felt an octopus???  Well, I can tell you that they are cold, a little slimy and very fleshy.  The suction cups do not hurt.  They don't even pull.  But, when they are pulled off skin, they sound like bubble wrap popping.  They whole experience was surreal.  We learned lots of cool octopus facts and experienced first hand out inquisitive the creatures are... Since they can smell with their suckers, the tentacles roamed our hands and arms, and even found their way up my coat.  I was amazed with the amount of control each cup had; while sliding over my fingers cups would wrap around the tips - kinka like holding hands.

After the octopus experience, the volunteer guided us around a few unique smaller exhibits, such as the wolf eel and the hagfish (nasty - think vultures of the deep).  While walking around with the expert, we were notified that my camera was found.

JUST AMAZING!  Loved this place... if you visit Oregon, this is a must see.

All other aspects of the central coast trip were cancelled.  A major storm was hitting the coast as we left the facility.  Driving rains and winds topping out over 70+ miles/hour does not make for great sightseeing weather.  We tried a few coastal viewpoints and state park points of interest, but it was impossible to do anything but look at the views through the window wipers.  I would jump out of the car, snap a shot or two and run back to safety... it really was too much wind.

No Volcano, No Big Foot - Just Rain and Fog (and an earthquake)

Last Sunday I caught the early flight and headed to Portland.  I had some lofty goals of for the early weekend arrival.  My friend and I had ideas of things we wanted to see; too bad the weather conspired against us.

By the time we drove the hour plus north, the rain had rolled in.  We learned from a ranger that if we would have made it that morning we would have saw the legendary crater... instead, we were treated to a fog covered picture on the computer monitor.  The rangers also provided us some advice on scenery that was visible.  We walked some of the marsh plank trail - until the rain steady increased in intensity... besides the views were not as spectacular without the foliage.  Moss grows thick and soft in that region - in fact, it is pet-able and grows everywhere. I was fascinated with trees that grew in knots... but since the visitors center was closed by the time we walked the planks, I could not ask for information about them...

Still, I did learn some interesting tidbits from them before they closed up shop - The whole preserved area is not part of the US Forest Service.  In fact, it is not always part of the state park system.  They shift between county and state park land depending on funding levels!  (ouch, that has to be stressful to not only not know your funding levels, but where you are getting paid.)  In fact only one unit of the Mount St Helens site is part of the federal system... the part closest to the crater.  In that area you find the observatory named for the USGS scientist that died getting the last warning out - Dave Johnson.

Mount St Helens has a series of visitor centers that focus on different aspects of the environment surrounding the mountain, highlighting the eruption effects.  Due to the season, many areas were closed, so we went to the areas available and recommended; after the marsh we headed east and continued to the  -  Toutle River Valley.  Rangers promised the area would be open for Valentines Day Dinner at the lodge; views were to be spectacular, because from this center you could see the mountain/valley regrowth developing after the volcano eruption mudslides.

As promised, the views from the valley, even with the fog were spectacular.  What added to the scene were the couples in love, taking in the evening, while the fog rolled in, while dining in a lodge that chronicled the horrible deaths and amazing survival stories of locals during the eruption.  Not exactly the most romantic place... but then again, the long drive up to the valley was a far way from any major town or city.

The lodge/visitor's center's gift shop embraced a different side of the area.  Beyond the information on plants and trails, the center provided a whole section on the hunt for the the Sasquatch.  Yes, there were  the easy reads for the casual interests, but they also carried books by regional university professors on the area lore and the myths surrounding the search for the giants as well as others by journalists promising "never before written about encounters."  So, for everyone that knows me, yes, I picked up a book because I am curious.  But no, there was no encounter.  But then again, with the fog and rain, I would not have seen anything if it was there.

I learned the following day that earthquakes were recorded at Mt St Helens.  The USGS announced that it was a 4.3 with 30 aftershocks... guess that is life on the mountain.  I just can't comprehend why people still live there.  Sure, it is beautiful, private and remote... but from everything that is chronicled from the past, that is not something that I would want to experience 2x.  Not my choice, but I still ponder...