tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75729072338527096572024-03-19T04:29:24.566-07:00Quesadillas in GhettodiseAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-81290368939173336052013-08-05T08:40:00.001-07:002013-08-05T19:32:47.897-07:00July 21 - Tour de France<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I have mixed feelings about today. On the one hand I’m a little bit sad. This is our last day of what has been a fantastic adventure. Just the two of us with no agenda making our way around this beautiful country. Man, do I get the saying, “How you gonna keep ‘em on the farm...” On the other hand I’m completely stoked. Today is the raison d'etre. The climactic finale to the Tour de France!! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We strike out early on foot for the hotel lobby where we pick up our “invitations”, AKA our tickets for the grandstands. Custom Getaways was the company we went through to secure our seats. <a href="http://www.customgetaways.com/">http://www.customgetaways.com/</a></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Our area will not open until 5 pm so we head out for a hearty breakfast then return to the apartment & crash for most of the day. We decide to be in place at 4 since the seating is first come first served. Our invitations are necessary to even get in the area of the grandstands. I’m glad we splurged on this; there are people who have been lined up at the barriers up & down the Champs Élysées since this morning to hold a good spot. As we are waiting to enter we see BOB ROLL walk by!! I muster up some courage & ask if we can get some photos. He is obliging and we are thrilled! For those who don’t know; when we watch the TdF at home Bob is one of the main commentators. He was a teammate to Lance Armstrong in the early years. His goofy but knowledgeable personality makes him one of my favorites. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The excitement is building here as the announcer is practicing his English over the PA system to announce the winners. Soon the gate is opened and we are among the first in. We are greeted by beautiful young hostesses who present us with a gift, a commemorative candle and bracelets so we can move freely around the area. We find two seats in the shade & settle in for some pre-race entertainment. One thing they do that I think is great; hold youth races on the course. Not only must this be such a thrill for them, but it allows the coordinators the opportunity to test all of the equipment before the Tour arrives. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A big part of the Tour is what is known as the “caravan”. Sponsors have come up with elaborate vehicles to promote their businesses. Usually attractive young people are throwing out samples of product or in some way promoting the companies and it is a real carnival type atmosphere. When the caravan arrives you know the Tour isn’t far behind & the energy bumps up a notch. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We have followed as best we can on local TV as the riders have snaked their way around France. Mostly all I can make out in the French broadcasts is the names of the riders & the stages. Thanks to technology we’ve been able to find English transmissions online to pick up the details. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Today the riders will take it easy on their way to Paris from Versailles. They will pose for lots of photos & even drink a little champagne. One of the riders, Juaquim Rodriguez whose nickname is purito, or little cigar, hands out cigars to the leaders. It is an easy going party until they reach the Champs Élysées. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">One thing that is confusing to many; the winner of today’s stage won’t be the winner of the tour. The tour is a 21 day race and the overall winner and the one who earns the yellow jersey (the GC or General Classification) has the lowest cumulative time. The winner of the tour this year has already been decided and today’s stage is mostly symbolic. Christopher Froome has been in yellow since the 8th stage. It is hard not to suspect him of doping in the post-Lance era. He has grown weary of being bombarded with these types of questions each day. He was a favorite to win, last year he was second on the podium and many thought he would have won if he wasn’t riding to support his teammate, Bradly Wiggins who took yellow.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We had high hopes for Alberto Contador this year but he saw his chances slip away and now won’t even be on the podium.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> There are other prizes besides the yellow jersey. The Green Jersey is for the rider who has won the most sprint points. Throughout the race there have been flat out drag races at strategic points along the route. Today’s finish will be a sprint. Although Peter Sagan is so far ahead in the points, no one will take the green jersey from him, it is highly prestigious to win at the finish. Particularly since this is the 100th TdF. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By far the most exciting rider to watch this year has been Nairo Quintana. He has a wonderful rags to riches rise to stardom. He is from a very humble family from the Colombian Andes. His family scrimped to buy him a second hand bike so he could ride the 9 miles to school as a child. This is his first Tour de France and he has slowly built to a stellar finish. On yesterday’s stage he sealed his fate as the winner of the white jersey, best young rider (he’s 23) the polka-dot jersey, best climber and he is now in 2nd place overall. Yesterday he won the stage on Colombian Independence Day!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our seats are fantastic. We are just a few yards beyond the finish line. The Tour will make 10 loops on the Champs Élysées which means we will have 20 opportunities to see the riders whiz by. Once the helicopter is spotted overhead we know it won’t be long. We are able to watch the progress on the jumbotron right across from us so we know they are almost here. Soon the motorcycles fly by and with the crowd screaming at a fever pitch the peleton makes its first pass right in front of us. Some of the people in the stands have been complaining that they can’t see but there is no sitting down when the riders blast by. Soon we are down at the barriers, on our feet for the remainder of the stage. Thank god for the jumbotron. Try as I might, the riders are so fast (about 40 mph) I can’t make out individuals. They are one blurry, colorful mass. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">There are certain riders I’m hoping to spot; Alberto Contador, Nairo Quintana, Peter Sagan of course. Chris Froome is easy to pick out because of the yellow jersey (that’s how they came up with it in the first place, to help spot the race leader in the mass). Also, Mark Cavendish, the “Manx Missile” who’s hoping to make his 5th sprint win in Paris today. His main challengers are Sagan, Andre Greipel and Marcel Kittel. Some of them I think I recognize but I really can’t be sure. It doesn’t matter, it’s just so thrilling to witness this live. Soon they are down to the final lap and the pace intensifies. One wrong micro-adjustment at this pace and disaster could strike. No such drama today though and in the end it is Kittel who wins by half a wheel length. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I was videoing the finish & just continued to let the camera roll when this happened!! That is the Tour winner Chris Froome being bombarded by the press just as he rolls across the finish& stops just in front of us!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jens Voigt, the oldest rider on the Tour at 41, parks it right in front of us for an interview</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alberto Contador( I THINK!!)</td></tr>
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This is the first ever night-time finish for the Tour and there has been suspense building about what they will do. Fireworks maybe? Actually a lighting designer has put together a magnificent projection on the Arc de Triumphe to go along with the awards ceremony. <br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once again we are in a fantastic spot for viewing that as well! This day has more than lived up to its expectations. I am so glad we did this!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJlJxmBwqeojWmZ9j3MEapqY9aGJOEl7DR3UvXINp-RyLQRdZ9FKBfm443DwtP0fWju4EhVuSzlbMQ3MMtd5kFSsLS-5zSUC3_4elKgmbBYbCQ-8eVAsFFVTuUh14nKTHpQXYU2ebzJw/s1600/photo+4_2_2_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAJlJxmBwqeojWmZ9j3MEapqY9aGJOEl7DR3UvXINp-RyLQRdZ9FKBfm443DwtP0fWju4EhVuSzlbMQ3MMtd5kFSsLS-5zSUC3_4elKgmbBYbCQ-8eVAsFFVTuUh14nKTHpQXYU2ebzJw/s320/photo+4_2_2_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The podium</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All too soon it is time make our way home . Tomorrow we leave for home and this wonderful adventure comes to a close. This will surely go down as one of the best vacations of my life!! Thanks for following along. Now I just need to scrimp & save until next time!</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk2L1ehukitgjwFEuHgtUzwSyAcOs85LVVyBBxfMTA6uGlVCzwA9eJwsFQAiaI-fcGQVdoOsH77OPaD4SMf0ab_OojSWQzgL6MSY7oNKW0AXZ66IIqUAbnikTHKWcBKx4-ll9URDZgMM/s1600/photo+5_2_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQk2L1ehukitgjwFEuHgtUzwSyAcOs85LVVyBBxfMTA6uGlVCzwA9eJwsFQAiaI-fcGQVdoOsH77OPaD4SMf0ab_OojSWQzgL6MSY7oNKW0AXZ66IIqUAbnikTHKWcBKx4-ll9URDZgMM/s320/photo+5_2_2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last view from our apartment<br />
Au Revoir Paris!</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-82874608767648270602013-08-03T18:53:00.001-07:002013-08-03T19:14:58.373-07:00July 20 - Versailles<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When we left Oklahoma City for France 10 days ago we only had two things booked besides our lodging; our seats for the Tour de France tomorrow and a tour of the Versailles palace & grounds with Fat Tire Bike Tours today <a href="http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">http://fattirebiketours.com/paris/</span></a> Their offices are near the Eiffel Tower so we hop back o</span>n the Metro. By now we are really adept at figuring out the best routes. Plus we don’t hesitate to use the maps provided at each station to make sure we are (literally) on the right track.</div>
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Our tour begins at nine and we are in a group of English speakers so that makes it nice and easy on us. Pete, our guide, walks 36 of us down to the train station for the brief ride to the town of Versailles. Once there we make the short walk to pick up our bikes and begin the tour.<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span></div>
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</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>Our first stop is to the local market to pick up ingredients for the picnic that we will have later on the grounds. We have plenty of time to make our way through the four main buildings plus the street venders who have set up shop for the day here. We grab an assortment of cheeses, meats, olives. and pastries & a fresh baguette before rejoining our group.<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
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One of the selling points of the tour is that we will be able to cover the entire 2000 acres of grounds, something that wouldn’t be possible on foot. We enter & Pete makes several stops around the massive property to talk about the history of Versailles. Ernesto & I are asked to stand in for the ill-fated King Louis XIV & Marie Antoinette to illustrate Pete's story. We see the remains of Marie Antoinette’s peasant village, created for her entertainment, as well as the Grand & Petit Trianon Palaces as we ride leisurely around.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Our picnic is on the banks of the grand canal in the shade of the manicured allee of trees. Pete is a wonderful guide and makes the history of the French Revolution come alive for us.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">What is really exciting for us is that tomorrow the Tour de France begins its final stage here. We can see the yellow markers indicating the route the riders will take. And we are riding the same roads!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once the guided portion of the tour is finished we drop off our bikes at the office & return on foot to tour the palace and the adjoining formal gardens. By now we have made friends with Guy & Janet from Austin and we stick with them for the remainder of our time in Versailles.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The palace is super crowded & hot. I would like to spend more time inside but the crush of humanity is more than I can take. Still, it is quite grandiose and we would have been remiss to skip it. The Hall of Mirrors is spectacular.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">For me though the gardens are the big attraction. Today is Saturday so the fountains are on. We get outside just as they are shutting down for the day though, bummer! We walk around looking & trying to tuck into what ever shade we can find as we get to know Guy & Janet a little & make a promise to get together state-side & ride sometime. Soon the grounds are closing for the day & we head back to the train station for the ride back to Paris. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We say goodbye to our new friends and head home for the evening.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> And see this on the Metro; <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUnL-MlFSk4">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUnL-MlFSk4</a></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Dinner is just foraging in the fridge tonight as all the activity has really taken a toll, my feet are still killing me & I am wiped out!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-66422153144028842582013-08-02T07:51:00.000-07:002013-08-02T08:01:05.082-07:00July 19 - Quarante-huit!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I am in awe of Parisian women. How do they do it? For the last two days I’ve observed chic women moving briskly all over Paris in heels. I’m not talking about ridiculous, 6” stripper platforms a la the Real Housewives of fill-in-the-blank. Just sensible 1" - 2” kitten heels. But they are out day after day pounding the pavement & looking fabulous in the process. I tried my best. Yesterday I had on what should have been perfect; a low cushioned wedge. But after all those hours I feel like the bottoms of my feet have been pounded with baseball bats. Now I have no choice but to wear my orthopedic Bjorns today, oh the shame...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now that we have rested and returned to our senses, we realize we ought to be guillotined if we come all this way and skip the Louvre. We make the smart decision to ONLY go there. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We’ve always heard you can’t see the entire Louvre in a day, TRUE. I don’t imagine a week or even a month would be enough to truly process all that this repository for French art & treasure holds. We are so glad to have purchased the Museum Pass as we are skipping what looks to be an hour long wait in the regular line.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The suggestion is to pick an area or two to focus on. Today is my 48th birthday so I get to be the decider! I pick French Sculpture & Napoleon’s Apartments (not THAT Napoleon, but a distant nephew.)</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Sculpture is probably my favorite art form and this appears to be the best of the best. The central galleries flooded with natural light are a perfect space to show it off. There seems to be hundreds of satellite galleries that just go on & on filled with gorgeous work.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Then we make our way up the ornate staircase into the apartments, OMG!! Who lives (lived) like this? French royalty apparently as the building served as a palace before it became a museum. This is over-the-top opulence. I am craning my neck at every turn ogling the mouth-watering moldings and murals in each 20 foot ceiling. The furnishings, the fabrics, the chandeliers, too gorgeous!! Each room is more fabulous than the last.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Scattered throughout the museum is an exhibit by Michaelangelo Pistoletto. Interesting to see this contemprary work juxtaposed with the more classical Louvre collection. <a href="http://www.louvre.fr/en/exhibitions/pistoletto-year1-earthly-paradise"> http://www.louvre.fr/en/exhibitions/pistoletto-year1-earthly-paradise</a></span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We break for lunch then head into another wing to see the Mona Lisa, the most famous painting in the most visited museum in the world. We pass through Roman sculpture, some of which was on view at OKCMOA <a href="http://www.okcmoa.com/see/exhibitions/roman-art-from-the-louvre/"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.okcmoa.com/see/exhibitions/roman-art-from-the-louvre/</span></a> Winged Victory is here. Then down a corridor off to the right, there she is - or at least I’m guessing that’s what the mass of flesh has crowded around. I begin a slow push to insert myself for a few moments in her presence. I’ve heard for so long the, “she’s smaller than you think” that she’s actually bigger than what I was expecting. She is behind bullet proof glass after several incidents where she was stolen and vandalized. I hope the glass has some sort of light filtration too as the flash photography is going off like a strobe light. I get a few of my own shots before rejoining Ernesto who has opted to observe from a distance. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By now we have been here 5 hours & while the museum will be open well into the night our brains are saturated & we need a break. The Tuilleries Gardens are just across the street so we meander over there to cleanse our mental palates. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We return to the apartment to rest before our scheduled dinner cruise on the Seine. I am pretty worn out but feel like there is still so much to do & see and I feel a smidge of guilt at wasting any precious time here. Still my body can only take so much & I’m still on the tail end of this cold.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We head over to embark at 8:00. We have great seats up front in a window. Soon our 3 course meal begins and we begin gliding up the river taking in the beautiful sights. All along the shores Parisians have come out with their picnic dinners to enjoy the evening and sunset. We cruise up and down and as it gets dark we pass by a small version of the Statue of Liberty, given to Paris by American expatriates living here. The big highlight of the cruise is a light show at the Eiffel Tower that happens nightly. It’s spectacular but I can’t help but feel the tower’s elegance has been compromised with these tacky lights. The salsa music is an odd choice as well. I guess globalization has made it here as well, s</span>igh. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aQBbdCmSv0">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aQBbdCmSv0</a><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Soon we are returned to the dock to cap off this special day with one more bit of decadence, a taxi ride to our door!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-36483464892620685552013-07-31T20:39:00.002-07:002013-07-31T20:39:50.841-07:00July 18 - Vini, Vidi, Vici<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I think when people say live each day as if it were your last this is the kind of day they have in mind! Surely we didn’t do all this in ONE day?!?!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Whenever we are in a city that offers a hop on/hop off bus tour we take it. You get around to every worthwhile attraction and even if you don’t get off the bus you can at least say you saw them. Usually headphones are provided with English commentary. Paris has at least two companies. We purchase a two day pass & will use this as our daytime transportation & switch to the Metro for night or anytime we want to move in the opposite direction from the bus route. It is becoming apparent that Paris is vulgar in its over-the-top opulence. Even the humblest buildings have some measure of ornamentation. We climb up & take a seat to enjoy the sights. The soundtrack is cheesy but entertaining. There's lots of Edith Piaff & a song called Champs Élysées that is stuck in my head to this day. And then there are the knock-outs that we pass by; the Paris Opera, the Louvre, Tuilleries Garden, Place de la Concorde, up the Champs Élysées, the Eiffel Tower, where we decide to disembark. </span><br />
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Sometimes when you’ve seen reproductions of something the real thing doesn’t live up to the hype. Not the case with the Eiffel Tower. It’s big, bad ass & right now painted a beautiful shade of bronze. I mean...just...WOW is all I can say. And I’ve seen it before. I was in Paris about 22 years ago pushing 1 year old Miles around in a stroller. Still it is just breathtaking. We spend some time walking around underneath and taking photos but choose not to go up in it, it's pricey & the lines are crazy long. Instead we tuck into a cafe at the base for some lunch & to write some more post cards. The little tourist shop next to the cafe has official Tour de France ball caps for the outrageous sum of 26 Euros - we cave & purchase two. </div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>After lunch we stroll through the Parc Champ de Mars and aimlessly stumble onto the Musée Rodin. Mylene had recommended this and in the Rick Steves guide it was suggested to buy a museum pass at one of the smaller museums. They sell them here. This will not only get us in to many museums but also send us to the front of the line. Skipping the wait at the Louvre alone (where we plan to go at some point) makes it worth the price of the pass. We enter & move through the soulful permanent collection pieces displayed inside the 18th century former hotel Biron where Rodin used rooms as studio space. Eventually he donated his entire collection of sculptures (along with paintings by Van Gogh & Renoir) to the French State under the condition that they turn the buildings into a museum dedicated to his work. Many works are displayed in the beautiful gardens surrounding the museum.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">From here we thought we would try to see the catacombs but there was a detour on the bus & instead we got off & ambled through the gorgeous Luxembourg Gardens. Lots of people are out enjoying the nice weather and little children are racing toy sailboats in a massive pond. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We still have a shred of energy left, however the bus is no longer running. We look at our options on our museum pass & hop on the Metro for the Center Pompidou, the contemporary art museum. Our pass only allows us on two floors of the permanent collection. I’m kind of bummed because there’s a Lichtenstein show in the special exhibition gallery. I needn’t have worried though, we don’t even have time to make it through one floor of the compelling collection before they are closing. Crazy how two hours has flown by! Also, I am nearly crawling as we have been on the go for 11 hours by now & we still want to stop & have dinner before we get home. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We hop on the Metro to our neighborhood & have dinner at the St Augustin. We sit in an open window, enjoying the sunset & congratulating ourselves on a wildly successful day conquering the city. We realize we can’t keep this pace up for long & try to pick one thing to focus on tomorrow. As much as we would like to go to the Louvre, maybe it’s too overwhelming? Maybe we will go back to the Pompidou & spend more time with the kind of art we really prefer? Maybe we are just too tired & cranky & need to get a good night’s sleep before making a decision we might regret...</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh my aching dogs!!</td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-69906798570460188032013-07-30T08:15:00.000-07:002013-07-30T12:28:39.297-07:00July 17 - Paris!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We are up bright & early today for our transfer to Paris. I’m amazed I slept as well as I did . I have come down with a summer cold & had to sleep propped up, mouth breathing. I had one of those panicky moments in the middle of the night when I forgot where our check-in instructions were for Paris. I spent some time searching through old emails & finally found them. I found both of our rentals on VRBO. </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nathalie & Gerard, the owners of the Nice apartment have been very relaxed to deal with. We simply put down our deposit & paid the balance in cash on arrival. On the other hand, Joel & Valerie, the owners of the Paris apartment, have had us wade through a mountain of documents & contracts. And our balance was paid in full 6 weeks ago with no option for a refund, barring some catastrophe, for which we purchased travel insurance at their recommendation. I hope its worth it!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We clear out, head to the train station & board the TGV (high-speed train) for our 6 hour trip to Paris. I use this time to catch up in the journal I reference for writing this blog. Ernesto & I have packed a picnic lunch & the time flies by. The car isn’t crowded & we have lots of room to spread out.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We pull into Gare De Lyon in the heart of Paris. Everyone seems to explode off the train and shoot off in different directions with purpose. Everyone but us that is. We have a rough idea of where we’d like to end up but no point of reference yet. My French friend Mylene recommended we purchase a 10 pack of tickets for the Metro. Can I say we think taxis are for pussies? No, not really, but we do think it’s the easy (& expensive) way out. Especially when you are somewhere that has excellent public transportation. We spend a few flustered moments trying to purchase the 10 pack (a carnet) but instead wind up with 3 day passes,the attendant clearly saw us as an easy mark.. Now all we need to do is pick our line. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Some cities are laid out in a straightforward grid. Not Paris. Here it is more of a hub & spoke system & often the street changes its name when it moves through a round-about. Adding to this confusion is the fact that Ernesto won’t allow us to pull out a map lest we look like lost tourists. The fact that that is exactly what we are doesn’t enter in to his reasoning. So we pick a stop that seems to be in the general vicinity of our neighborhood. Ernesto finally compromises by pulling out his phone to use the GPS & after lots of circling back on ourselves we find our apartment. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">I’ve been wanting to come here & stay in this jewel box for three years. An earlier trip didn’t pan out but I saved the link to this place & we are finally here. It is even nicer in person than the photos on the web & feels way roomier than its advertised 750 square feet. I can now understand why the owners are so protective. We take about an hour to unpack & catch our breath before striking out to explore our neighborhood. The apartment is so well situated! It is down a small street but close to a busy one filled with cafes and shops. The president of France has a residence nearby & one of the nice features of the apartment is the round the clock security detail patrolling the neighborhood.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We are just a few blocks from the Champs Élysées so our first foray into the streets is to locate where we will be sitting for the end of the Tour De France in a few days. Just knowing the riders are making their way closer to us creates a current of excitement that is increasing day-by-day. It only takes a few minutes to find and preparations are clearly underway; grandstands have been set up, awnings are being installed, and if I am not mistaken out seats are RIGHT ON THE FINISH LINE!!! I have had the feeling each day that this vacation can’t get any better. And each day it does. That trend seems to be holding true here as well!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We take a right turn & make our way towards the Arc de Triumphe. Constructed at Napoleon’s order, beginning in 1806 it was completed well after his death in 1821. Built to honor the French Army which had conquered most of Europe at the time, the Arc de Triumphe is one of Paris’ most famous landmarks. This year the Tour will circle the Arc 10 times in the climactic criterium finish. We walk all the way around and under taking lots of photos. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Afterwards we stop in at the Mono Prix to pick up provisions and then tuck in to a homey brasserie for a lovely late dinner & impromptu French lesson from our waitress. It is growing dark as we make our way home ready to tackle a full day of sightseeing tomorrow.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-1706139377560853062013-07-29T08:47:00.000-07:002013-07-29T14:56:59.651-07:00July 16 - Èze, Monaco, Monte Carlo<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This morning Walter, our guide, is Johnny-on-the-spot to pick us up for our tour of Èze, Monaco & Monte Carlo. Already on board is a pair of Australian ladies & we make a stop to pick up another couple, also Aussis. Our first stop is the medieval village if Èze. It is perched high on a crag just a few clicks northeast from Nice. It has a Disneyesque feel & according to Wikipedia old Walt spent a lot of time here. The streets are impossibly narrow & windy, more like mountain trails. Walter points out the hotel where the Edge was married & says Bono has a home nearby. It seems like a romantic fun place to stay if you are sure-footed. We catch glimpses inside the luxury hotel; Chateau de la Chevre d’Or as we clamber around. Something is off though. Maybe it’s that they’ve wedged a touristy vender into every possible nook & cranny detracting from what would otherwise be totally charming & one-of-a-kind. We only have a few minutes then it's back in the van for Monaco.</span><br />
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The closer we get the more congested the traffic gets and Walter tries an alternate route. Still it’s crowded. At .78 square miles, & 36,371 residents Monaco is the second smallest (only the Vatican is smaller) and most densely populated country in the world. It enjoys French protection & we do not need the passports we brought. Dang, because I’d love a Monaco stamp! We make our way to the subterranean parking under Monaco-Ville, the mostly pedestrian area where we will view the changing of the guards in front of the palace. Walter drops us at the Maritime museum in front of Saint Nicholas Cathedral. We have just enough time before the changing of the guards to enter the cathedral where the remains of Princess Grace & her husband Prince Rainier III are interred. It is cool & quiet inside, lovely. Photos are allowed & we indulge. Over at the palace the guards are queueing up for their routine. I’m going to sound like an “ugly American’ here when I say the ceremony is better at Arlington National Cemetery in DC. Maybe because of what’s being guarded. No one lives in the palace, it is mostly used for welcoming dignitaries & houses royal offices. Also, as the guards move into position they are super casual and only snap to as the ceremony begins. Plus it is sweltering! Immediately after we hustle into a an air-conditioned shop for some post cards & souvenirs then settle into a cafe to have a cold drink & write our cards. We are hurrying to meet our deadline to rendezvous with the group but as we have discovered, in this part of the world, getting a waiter to bring the check is an art form we have not mastered. When we get back to the designated meeting point we are informed that Walter & the group have LEFT!!! Another guide from his company is there to look for us & helps us reunite in front of the Monte Carlo Casino.<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">So, Monte Carlo is a neighborhood within Monaco. I wasn't clear on that before. Talk about high rolling!! Monaco is a tax haven for anyone wealthy enough to afford some of the priciest real-estate on the planet. Ferraris & Lamborghinis are sardined in streets lined with every luxury brand imaginable. Painted in the traffic lanes are the starting blocks for the world famous Grand Prix that runs in the streets here. We hurriedly take a few photos be fore hopping back in the van for a turn around the course. Each May 200,000 people pack in to this tiny country to see the race. It sounds like a glamorous nightmare! There are tight turns, elevation changes, a tunnel and a swing by the yacht filled harbor.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Once back in the van Walter and the couple are giving us a hard time about being late. We notice a definite chill from the formerly friendly ladies. Actually I think they are absolutely pissed. We have apologized so I’m sot sure what else we can do to make it right. Our final stop is to the Fragonard perfume factory before returning to Nice. I’m sure this is the whole point of the tour. Fragonard ads are everywhere & I think they printed the brochures for this tour in exchange for a steady stream of captive clients. Every tour includes a stop here. That being said it is a fascinating process & I thoroughly enjoy it. We even purchase some fragrances & body oil before our return to Nice. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In summary, I’m glad we went but if I had it to do over I would either go on my own or try to arrange a private tour at our own pace. We no sooner would arrive somewhere then it was time to hop back in the van.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">This is our last night in Nice and for dinner we opt for a steak house we’ve seen on the pedestrian boulevard. Ernesto has the surf & turf & I have spaghetti with salmon. We are going to grow gills at this rate!! Nathalie had recommended lots of restaurants but I don’t know if we’ve hit any of them preferring instead to walk in the first place that looks appealing and we haven’t been disappointed. We ate every meal outside which has been heavenly, marred only by the incredible amount of smoking that is still being done by a huge amount of the population here.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We make our way home in time to do a little laundry & pack our bags for the next leg of this adventure; Paris! </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-63012455375969527492013-07-28T07:17:00.000-07:002013-07-28T07:17:00.963-07:00July 15 - Musée Matisse<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Immediately when the festivities ended last night the clean-up crews were out in force and today you’d never know anything happened. First on our agenda this morning is to purchase our train tickets to Paris for Wednesday. The station is only a ten minute walk from the apartment so this shouldn’t take too long. The best laid plans etc. etc...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We figure out which line to queue up in & select a mid-morning departure. We hand over our credit card and...DECLINED! I had called the company before we left & gave them our travel dates and I know the balance is paid so I can’t imagine what the problem is. We use the cell phone to call the international # on the back of the card for assistance. (and by-the-way, we neglected to get an international plan befor leaving so no telling what this is going to cost :( ) Apparently there has been a lot of fraud in this area & they were just making sure it was us using the card. I am assured that now there will be no problem. So we get back in the (now longer) line & inch our way up to the window and...DECLINED AGAIN! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now don’t get me wrong, we brought cash but you get a better exchange rate with the card. The unfavorable Dollar-Euro conversion combined with the cost of things here cuts you dollars by about a third in my estimation. For example: a Coke in a restaurant is about 3.50-4.00 Euro and one Euro is about $1.30 so...CRAZY RIGHT? Anyway we decide to cash in some dollars to pay for the tix. Just for shits & giggles we make one last attempt with the card first, no-go, before plunking down 220 Euro. I am now concerned. If we are operating on cash from here on out this vacation is now on an austerity plan. We call the credit card company once more from the apartment & again they assure us there is no problem?! So we decide to go out for an inexpensive lunch to see if it works. It does, yay!! Now I’m wondering if it was some issue with the train station rather than the card.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Now that that's settled we decide to head to the Musée Matisse and we hop on the appropriate bus. It’s pretty crowded and each time we stop more people cram on & none seem to get off. The locals start howling at the driver every time he opens the door. And still people squish themselves in. Each time we take on more passengers we get pushed further & further back. I am getting real irritated until I hit a spot where the a/c is blowing. Finally we reach our destination & the bus belches us out on the sidewalk.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Musée Matisse is in an area with many museums and a large shady park filled with men & women playing what we call Bocce & the French call Petanque. We stop for a moment to watch a group of men play who clearly are old buddies. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We make our way to the museum entrance & purchase our tickets (card still working, yay). The price covers admission to ten museums with in a week’s time but I don’t think we will have the chance to see others, unfortunately.</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The small museum has a wonderful permanent collection built on donations from the artist & his family. We have seen many posters around town celebrating L’Ete Matisse. I love some of the costumes for ballet & garments designed for the clergy. Also there is a recreation in tile of a painting Mssr. Matisse had done in his apartment. It is a swimming pool done in blue in his inimitable style. It surrounds the entire room just above eye level. He painted it to combat the winter blues so he would always have a summer scene to cheer him up.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We decide to walk back home rather than take the bus and we wind our way through beautiful neighborhoods. Before we get back we stop for a treat at a place specializing in Italian gellato creations on the pedestrian boulevard. </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Once back in the apartment we discuss what we’d like to do tomorrow, our last day in Nice. Nathalie has provided a little book with brochures for different attractions. We opt for a guided tour of Monaco, Monte Carlo & Eze. Monaco Is just a little further down the beach than Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, technically not to far to reach by bicycle but we’d be a sweaty mess once we got there. So a guided tour from an air-conditioned Mercedes van sound like just the thing, merci beaucoup!</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-64373306770264431892013-07-27T07:42:00.000-07:002013-07-27T08:03:19.595-07:00July 14 - Bastille Day!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>*NOTE Today's post will contain links to youtube videos. I hope you'll take time to check them out!!!</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Today is the French Independence Day. It is an annual blow-out (a la our 4th of July) commemorating events of 1789 that began the French Revolution. We lazily rouse ourselves with coffee & tune in the parade that’s happening live in Paris. Outside we can hear the testing of a giant PA system that has appeared overnight along with barriers along the Promenade Anglaise. When I was making arrangements for this apartment I asked if we would have a view of fireworks for today & Nathalie assured me that, “Mais oui, it will happen right in front of your window.” The preparations underway seem to confirm this & I am getting excited for tonight! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We are spending another day on the beach so we grab all our gear & head down. First stop is to one of the million stands selling souvenirs to pick up a raft & some “Jellys”, hard plastic shoes to navigate the rocks. The raft allows me to paddle way out near the boats & let the surf push me back in which I do endlessly. We settle back onto our chaises for the afternoon. Again we have lunch on the beach, I select pasta with seafood while Ernessto tackles a bucket o' mussels. So far I’m batting 100 as far as seafood for meals here. In this part of the world, pourquoi pas? </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">In the early afternoon the sky begins to cloud up so we head indoors to watch Le Tour. Once upstairs we can see activity in the streets, something is about to happen. Ernesto points up & I look just in time to see a formation of jets do a fly over signifying the start of the full military parade, thrilling! Every conceivable branch of the armed forces is represented, even police on Segways, </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> As the “official” parade winds down we hear drums off in the distance. We look to the West & a drum group is making its way toward us. They stop right under us & perform & we dance on the balcony. As they continue to the East they get just out of view behind a palm tree but I can hear roaring & smoke coming from that direction. I jokingly say to Ernesto, “Maybe it’s a dragon.” SWEAR TO GOD 5 minutes later I am proved correct as a two-story animatronic, smoke belching, illuminated DRAGON slowly creeps up from that direction. As it pulls to a stop (once again RIGHT UNDER OUR WINDOW!!!) a girl runs up, attaches a ring to the dragon’s jaw and begins a brief Cirque du Soliel style acrobatic performance dangling 15 feet in the air!! </span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">THEN as that winds down the drummers (ANFORA BUTACADA, they are on Facebook) make their way back. Well, this is more than I can stand & I race downstairs . My mom says I’m like a cobra in a basket when I catch a rhythm & today is no exception!</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">By now the sun is beginning to set & stages are being wheeled out into the streets all along the Promenade. We are treated to an excellent Latin group in front of our apartment. Now we are back on our balcony & we dance & enjoy from above as do our neighbors. The entire building is in the groove. As they finish their set a driver pops up from under the stage to drive them a little further down the beach and another band takes their place. As 10:00 rolls around the lights dim & music stops as the big show is about to commence. Subtly, unobtrusively two sturdy boats have appeared in the harbor. The beginning strains of Ravel’s Bolero, one of my FAVORITE pieces of classical music, drift from the speakers and an EPIC fireworks display begins. The whole thing is choreographed to the music & we move from Bolero to some Cirque du Soliel techno to the Gotan Project & back to a big crescendo finish of Bolero. All I can say is WOW!!! This is some of the most beautiful pyrotechnics I’ve ever seen. The reflection in the ocean is a huge plus & I love how the little boats are illuminated every time there’s a big bright display.</span><br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><br /></span><a href="http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFnCgFRDOI&feature=relmfu">http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VRFnCgFRDOI&feature=relmfu</a></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">When it is all over we go downstairs to enjoy late dinner & watch the revelers make their way to all of the parties happening in Nice tonight. What a night! If we had to go home tomorrow I would feel like we have had an action packed trip. But we still have a full week to go & we aren’t even in Paris Yet!!!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-82183510955579496182013-07-26T05:05:00.000-07:002013-07-26T17:07:57.854-07:00July 13 - Pride of the Cote D'Azur<div style="font: 16.0px Times; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Again we have slept past 10:00! Today we decide to rent bicycles & we head over to one of the Velo Bleu stations that dot the city. It turns out to be a pretty complicated system requiring several phone calls & ultimately we have to have a local help us. But once we get everything registered we are good to go. Originally we thought we might ride to the Musée Matisse but I just want to follow the coast & see where it takes us. Nathalie recommended we visit the Villa Ephrussi de Rothchild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, about 10 kilometers away. That seems pretty close so we start pedaling until we are on the Princess Grace Highway. It is pretty warm today & we stop often to cool off & take photos. Soon we arrive at the Villa, purchase tickets & enter into another world.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The villa was designed by the French architect Aaron Messiah, and constructed between 1905 and 1912 by Baroness Beatrice de Rothschild (1864-1934). A member of the Rothschild banking family and the wife of the banker Baron Maurice de Ephrussi, Beatrice de Rothschild built her rose-colored villa on a promontory on the isthmus of Cap Ferrat overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The Baroness filled the mansion with antique furniture, Old Master paintings, sculptures, objets d’art, and assembled an extensive collection of rare porcelain. The gardens are classified by the French Ministry of Culture as one of the Notable Gardens of France.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Villa is surrounded by nine gardens, each on a different theme: Florentine, Spanish, Garden a la française, exotic, a stone garden, a Japanese garden, a rose garden, Provençal and a garden de Sèvres. The garden was conceived in the form of a ship, to be viewed from the loggia of the house, which was like the bridge of a vessel, with the sea visible on all sides. It was inspired by a voyage she made on the liner Île de France, and the villa was given that name. The thirty gardeners who maintained it were dressed as sailors with berets with red pom poms.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We spend a good hour & a half touring both the villa and the extensive grounds. This is a delightful surprise. Although we plan to tour the ultimate chateau, Versailles, next week, I have a feeling I will prefer this one for its intimacy and the lack of crowds I’m sure we will encounter there. We stop for a cold drink in the Tea Garden before heading back to Nice.</span></div>
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Just as we enter town and get on our street I see and hear something familiar. Rainbow balloons, pumping disco music, floats, drag queens. This can only mean one thing. We have stumbled on to the Nice Pride Parade. We inch our bicycles into the fray & march with the revelers all the way home. What a fantastic day of surprises!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-75166985834849862392013-07-24T19:52:00.000-07:002013-08-05T08:41:04.902-07:00July 12 - La Plage!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">All I want to do today is hit the beach! We sleep until the decadent hour of 10:30. How's that for jet-lag? I woke up once around 11:00 & was afraid I’d never get back to sleep but I read for about an hour & drifted back off. Ernesto wasn’t so lucky. He was up a lot during the night. At some point we drew the curtain across the solid glass sliding door that opens onto our balcony and the street below. It is a little noisier here than what we are used to with traffic and people going all night long. We enjoy coffee, croissants and pain au chocolate before lathering up with sunscreen & heading to Ruhl Plage where we rented chaises, umbrellas and towels. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The “beach” here is pure rocks due to an underground river that continually pushes them up on the shore. Walking barefoot is an excruciating form of self-reflexology. I keep my flip-flops on until the last minute before plunging in. The water is refreshing and I stay in long enough to cool down then flop on my chaise to read & people watch. We are next to a lovely Italian couple and their young daughter. Lots of languages floating around; German, Spanish, English, Asian languages and of course, French. I was terrible in French in High School but amazingly I’m able to get by here. This has more to do with The French’s command of English than mine of French. I often hear people say that French people are rude & they won’t speak English even if they know how. I have NEVER experienced this. Once they hear me butcher their language they are more than happy to speak mine, LOL! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Waiters are mingling through the crowd and we can order food & drink. I opt for a genuine Nicoise Salad and a virgin mojito. We spend most of the day dipping in & out of the water. Ernesto really likes to get out and SWIM while I am more of a floater. I make a mental note to pick up a raft next time we are out. There are all kinds of boats from ocean kayaks on up to cruise ships in the harbor. I am really enthralled by the luxury yachts & sailboats we see gathered out in the distance. That looks like a really fun way to see the world!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We call it a day around 6:00 & go in to try to see the results for today’s Tour de France stage. We are not able to figure out how the TV works so I write the owners & we pull up what information we can on our tablets. Chris Froome seems to have the yellow jersey all locked up. We are fans of Alberto Contador who is more than 3 minutes behind at this point. Each day Froome is bombarded by reporters with questions about doping. The fact that he so easily dominates his competitors, yet still seems so fresh at the end of the day doesn't exactly help his case.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">The Nice Jazz Festival is happening & George Benson is playing tonight. We purchase tickets & stroll around looking for a place to eat before the concert. Every place has seafood & I have a kilo of mussels, delicious! George puts on a great show closing with “On Broadway” and we walk home after midnight hoping for a good night’s sleep. Meanwhile the city shows no signs of shutting down anytime soon. </span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-49588463326375436442013-07-23T05:34:00.000-07:002013-07-24T19:54:39.389-07:00Vive La France!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmgYDihkGNkyK8sQG-NzkaCxt25HV4dFZvkkwvafZHtudMSRPGymM9amZEMOMxS06_lad5QfiDXsiSJzeA2VIkvs6BwyjbSCJJx7KEz0ii38TNMJWRUFvJxy6kJlzw0TCS158plaOuyU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPmgYDihkGNkyK8sQG-NzkaCxt25HV4dFZvkkwvafZHtudMSRPGymM9amZEMOMxS06_lad5QfiDXsiSJzeA2VIkvs6BwyjbSCJJx7KEz0ii38TNMJWRUFvJxy6kJlzw0TCS158plaOuyU/s320/photo+2.JPG" width="239" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ok Friends, you know how this works. We go on vacay but don't like to advertise that we're not in residence. When we return I blog it as if it’s happing now. This trip took place July 10 - 22. I spent about 6 months planning our itinerary. We scheduled around the 100th edition of the Tour de France and made arrangements to catch the finish live in Paris on the 21st. Everything else scheduled around that. We decided to spend some time on the beach in the south before heading to the capitol city. Nice was selected for its size and proximity to many smaller communities on the Cote d’Azur. Come away with us!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">July 10</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We leave OkC comfortably mid-day. This allows for a nice lunch @ Cacao, one of our local favorites specializing in Guatemalan food. Mom gives us a lift to the airport, we say our goodbyes & we are off!! We make quick transfer at Minneapolis/St. Paul onto Air France bound for Paris. I’ve never flown A/F before but I’ve heard the food is better so we give it a shot. The food, while an improvement, is little compensation for the tiny seats. It is one of the most uncomfortable crossings ever. They serve lots of free alcohol so maybe if you partake in that you don’t mind being sandwiched with the head of your neighbor in front of you in your lap? </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Anyway, we arrive safely & transfer to the gate for our local flight to Nice. We have a little time to people watch & there is a super interesting couple on our flight. If she isn’t an aging porn star/sex worker then she sure has spent a lot of money at the plastic surgeon to look that way. She has on a skin tight pink lycra dress with a plunging V neckline exposing melon sized breasts nearly to the nipple. With the classic trout mouth, over-blown juicy booty </span>that won't quit, and sky high platform heels she is a complete package!! Her companion is a 40ish mafioso looking dude in a black leather jacket who never removes his sunglasses or acknowledges her except to give her visual cues and hand signals; “sit over here”, “get in line”, etc. They are endlessly facinating, I wish I could be sneaky with my camera & grab a photo but no such luck.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">We arrive & hop in a cab to our beachfront apartment that will be our home for the next week. <a href="http://www.vrbo.com/410045"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px color: #000099; text-decoration: underline;">http://www.vrbo.com/410045</span></a> Nathalie, the owner is there to meet us and while Ernesto goes to exchange dollars for Euros to pay the balance for our rent I have a tour of the apartment and building. Nathalie recommends some local attractions we might enjoy and soon E is back and we settle up. We’ve been up nearly 24 hours by now so we think we should get out & stay active as long as possible to try to reset our clocks. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Nathalie has suggested the little train tour ride through the old part of the city so we purchase tickets & hop on for the 45 minute tour. The soft pretty accent of the English commentary combined with the balmy air, sea breezes & the rocking of the train make staying awake a real struggle. It is worth the effort once we get to the top of the hill where there are remains of an old chateau and garden with a birds-eye view of the coast and town. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Back down on the beach there are many restaurants & we pick the one right downstairs from the apartment; Sarao for our first meal of local fresh seafood.</span></div>
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A great beginning to our time here and now it’s time to get some sleep!</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-14353070735216150002013-03-20T12:27:00.000-07:002013-03-20T12:27:34.288-07:00Actually, it kinda IS about the destination...<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Happy Spring!!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Ernesto & I are just home from a fabulous spring break...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Thursday the plan was to be on the road by 6:00 am for our 12+ hour road trip to Breckenridge, CO. Of course we overslept so it was more like 8:30. But, oh well it was vacation after all. We decided to take the scenic route rather than the more direct but crowded & boring Interstates. This led us through lots of pretty scenery particularly as we got in to the Rockies. Coming in from the south we passed through miles of farms tucked in to gorgeous mountain vistas.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Scenic Route"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Ernesto's coworker, Jennifer, has a connection in Breckenridge for lodging. So we were hooked up with a sweet one bedroom ski in/ski out condo. We arrived in town @ dusk & once we picked up our keys we headed out on foot to find something to eat. This was spring break week after all, so the town was bustling. Lots of places looked good but seemed full. One place, Relish, was on Jennifer's recommended list but couldn't seat us for over an hour. Instead we made a reservation for Saturday night & continued on until we found what turned out to be an excellent BBQ joint. They had a special platter with several kinds of delicious meat specialties (sorry, vegan friends) plus a beet salad that was plenty filling for both of us to split. Especially once we added in a blonde brownie sundae concoction!!! After that we hopped back in the car & drove the few blocks to our condo. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our comfy home away from home</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The unit turned out to be perfection. We were on the 4th floor so had a great view of the mountains. Everything we needed was efficiently tucked into the space. The king size Temperpedic mattress in the bedroom had us rethinking our set up at home! And we had a full kitchen which was great even though we didn't plan on making much more than coffee. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Friday morning we got up & hit the slopes early. Breckenridge is part of the Vail group of ski areas & we have a pass through them that rewards you so it turned out we got one free day of skiing!! We each loaded our passes for three days. Even though we were there for four full days we knew we might want to snowshoe one of those days. The weather was gorgeous. It got up in the mid 40's & we actually got hot. The mountain was huge! Breckenridge is composed of 4 peaks & a 5th is being developed this summer. I was skiing great even though I hadn't been very physically active through the winter. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We broke for lunch on the mountain. It was delish but EXPENSIVE! </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's what $32 gets you </td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> After this first day we figured out the true beauty of ski in/ski out. The rest of the week we would go out at night for big dinners, bring home left-overs & ski in for lunch @ home. LOVED LOVED LOVED this!!! Also, we were able to come in & leave off some of our warmer gear & finish the day out in lighter weight clothing. The condos also had two hot tubs, one indoor, one out. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> So we took advantage of this every day!!! The only thing that could have made it better is if we'd had our dogs. (Only owners can have animals @ the condo).</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This crepe place always had a line out to the sidewalk</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The next day was COLD & snowy. We bundled back up in our heavy gear & headed out to do a mountain tour w/one of the volunteer guides. I had done one similar in Beaver Creek a few years back. If you are ever skiing somewhere that offers this it is a great way to get a lay of the land. Friday I wound up in an ocean of moguls, which I suck at & had to remove my skis to get down (Oh the shame!! If my best ski buddy, Jantha had seen this she would have been so embarrassed for me!!) So my hope was (correctly) once I'd had the tour that wouldn't happen again. The majority of Breckenridge is expert (black) runs. Although many of them were more of what I consider blue (intermediate). Every place is different. Taos' blue runs seem more like blacks. I am most comfortable on a wide open "groomer" & that is what Breckenridge had LOTS of! So it was great skiing all week. There is an entire upper mountain that we never got to because I wanted to go up when we had better visibility & that never really happened again the rest of the week. The lifts closed @ 4 & the weather really seemed to whip up around three. One day it was pelting tiny ice needles in our faces & you couldn't see the terrain you were skiing at all. The light was really flat & you just had to go by "feel".</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Our last day we decided to snowshoe. Breckenridge also has a Nordic Center so we drove over to check out their trails. Incidentally, this was the only time we used our car. Not only were the slopes just out the back door, but the rest of town was walking distance from the front. The Nordic Center caters to cross country skiing & snowshoeing. We could see the gorgeous drawing and actual construction of the new & improved center that's being built. The current facility is in a funky old building. I've never tried cross country but it's next on my list. It's also quite a bit more affordable that alpine. A lift ticket runs an average of $100 a day while a trail pass is only $20. So skipping that last day on the slopes helped keep our trip on budget :)</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drawing of the new Nordic Center</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Nordic Center in Progress</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Snowshoeing is basically hiking in the snow. The shoes help keep your feet from sinking under the snow. I found some for cheap on Overstock. A little too cheap maybe. They just didn't feel as substantial as those we have rented in the past. They did the job though & we will keep them until they wear out & then invest is more solid equipment.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the more primitive "Huts"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The forest was a breathtaking winter wonderland. We only saw two other groups of people all day. We followed a trail to one of the "huts" for a picnic. The one we went to had been relocated & was over 100 years old. It was a one room log cabin with a little stove available if you wanted. There was a table covered with candles presumably if you were there at night. Although there weren't any beds I guess you could sleep there if you wanted & had a sleeping bag. I don't think anyone would show up to tell you to leave. Although passes are required we never saw anyone to show them to. I guess we could have just gone up on our own & maybe paid a fine if we were caught? Anyway, I like supporting the trails & $20 hardly seemed like we were being gouged.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the "Hallelujah Hut"</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> So that was our week. It was a grueling 13 hour drive home. In this instance it was definitely about the destination rather than the journey. And spring was waiting @ for us at OUR destination! :D</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-68395780321869459242013-02-12T12:06:00.000-08:002013-02-12T12:06:30.785-08:00Holiday Recap<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">A summary of the last couple of months;</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span> October-Haloween, the kick off of the holidays.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 16px;"> </span> I had seen some cool images online of great day-of-the-dead make-up. Wal-Mart of all places, had some make-up that is basically water color. It dries & isn't messy like the old grease paint. We had a couple of nights of activities so we got to trot this look out more than once :)</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> November- The plan was to go to Los Angeles this year to see Morrissey w/Iggy Pop over Thanksgiving. Visions of punk-rock nirvana and a Disneyland excursion danced in my head. The universe had other plans. Morrissey's mom was hospitalized & the show rescheduled. So we decided to stay home & be w/family. For the first time we delivered meals for Other Options, a local food pantry that provides meals for those dealing w/HIV/AIDS. Sooooo gratifying!! Because of the last minute change of plans we were a small group at Mom's for the meal but it was a lovely day nonetheless.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom & Brad delivering meals</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> December-I don't know why but I just wasn't as fired up as I normally get to deck the halls this year. But we drug out the "Christmess" & over the course of a few days the house was ready for the holidays. One neat new bit of inspiration, Ernesto painted a Christmas mural over the mantle. He designed it so that we could remove the painting that normally lives there but leave the frame so it gives the illusion of a framed painting. Then when the holidays were over the painting could go back in & the mural would be hidden until next year. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernesto's X-Mas Mural</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We rented our same casita as last year in Santa Fe for the week of Christmas. I love the idea of insuring snow for the big day by heading to the mountains of New Mexico. This allows for Christmas day skiing!! As it got closer we began feverishly scanning the mountain weather reports in vain. No snow in sight. Sadly Miles' work schedule prevented him from joining us this year. Our big gift to him, new ski jacket, pants & a helmet began to look like the gift of the magi. Oh well. There would be other ski trips...</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> So off we went December 22. Snow was forecast for Christmas Eve so that was welcome news! We decided since the slopes weren't in great shape yet we'd try snowshoeing. We rented the shoes & dropped our skis off for a wax @ the ski shop. The 23rd we drove up to one of the trail heads & spent a beautiful crisp clear winter day traipsing up & down the mountain. You don't see near as many people when you get off the beaten path. We could see the trails of others but didn't see another soul the entire day. We could see the tracks of animals too; deer, rabbits. And the bare aspen soaring up to the bluest skies was breathtaking. We carried some snacks & had a picnic on a downed tree trunk. I had a little mishap with a "nature break" as I tried to cantilever my backside down the mountain. I narrowly avoided frostbitten privates, LOL!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> That night about 8" of fresh powder fell & they were able to open up more of the terrain on the mountain so we were able to ski Christmas Eve day. We opted for a half day so we could grocery shop for our Christmas Eve dinner. Mom & our friends Kay & Becky were also in Santa Fe and our other friend Ron came down from Taos to share the feast. Our casita is real cozy & has a kiva fireplace. More snow began falling so it was a picture perfect night. Mom fixed her incredible roast with all the trimmings and I surprised her by bringing our Christmas china from home. It actually turned out to be one of my favorite Christmases! I had an epiphany that I was probably the one with the most regrets about Miles not being with us. He was fine at home with his friends.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cozy!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom feverishly preparing our feast</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Christmas day we got on the road at dawn to drive up to Taos to ski with Ron. I've always been intimidated by the mountain. I know so many people who have gotten hurt. & I'm what's known as a cruiser. I like big wide open groomed runs. Taos claims to have lots of those but I found it to be a very steep, rough mountain. I did have a great day & only fell a few times with no injury. Ernesto was in heaven with Ron. After lunch I skied on my own so they could go all out. The sun had moved to the other side of the mountain & it became frigid so I called it a day.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We decided to check out a place I'd heard of for ages but had never been; Ojo Caliente. It's about half way between Taos & Santa Fe to the west. It's a low-slung adobe spa with many outdoor pools piping in mineral water containing various properties for health benefits. We got there after dark & it was mysterious and gorgeous at night. They had crackling fires laid in several outdoor fire pits. We spent as long as we dared in the pools before heading to their excellent restaurant for Christmas Dinner. It was a prix fixe, 4 course affair & Ernesto ordered a sangria to go with. When our tab came & it was only $70 I was floored. Ojo Caliente is a hidden treasure. They have lodging and massage options so this place definitely warrants further exploration!!</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We had one more day of skiing at Santa Fe & then more spaing (is that a verb?) at Ten Thousand Waves. Another perfect trip to one of my favorite places on earth!! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> January-We went to a super fun dinner/drag show New Year's Eve @ the Boom. We've shared seversl holidays @ this neighborhood caberet & it's always super fun. Then we were up & at 'em early the next day for our annual brunch. My mom has hosted this gathering for more years than I can remember. At some point it outgrew her condo & we moved it over here. I think we had a turn out of about 45 good friends who look forward to kicking off their year with us. Mom's got the menu down to a science; ham, jalapeno cheese grits, hot curried fruit & black-eyed peas for good luck. </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This lady knows how to have a good time!</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> So here we are on the eve of Valentine's & I've caught up you up with our goings on. Usually I like to keep my blog breezy & happy. Sadly we are not in that kind of a mood as we have lost someone near & dear to our hearts; my former husband & father of Miles, Basile Kolliopoulos. Back in the fall he began having some health concerns that proved to be fatal & mercifully for him, quick. We are still reeling with his passing. Thank you to everyone who has asked for Miles. Our hearts are broken but the love & support of our friends is carrying us through this sad time.</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RIP Basile Kolliopoulos <br />11/1/53-1/28/13</td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-4038845847497850212012-10-29T07:58:00.000-07:002012-10-29T07:58:47.678-07:00Thank God It's Monday!Hey Friends,<br />
I thought weekends were about R & R. Not THIS weekend apparently! Here's how it went;<br />
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Saturday morning was the 4th annual OkC Mah Jongg Tournament. Mah Jongg is a game of skill & luck originally from China & imported to the US in the early part of the last century. You can read about it here; <a href="http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/">http://www.nationalmahjonggleague.org/</a> I've been playing with a group here for a little over ten years now. This was my year to host the tournament along with my co-host Trent. Up to Saturday that just meant securing the space, purchasing prizes & sending some emails. Trent is "techie" so he took care of graphic design & talking me down off the roof when I would get panicked about the details :). Our players provided an amazing pot-luck lunch. We held the event @ the IAO Gallery <a href="http://iaogallery.org/wordpress/">http://iaogallery.org/wordpress/</a> <br />
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So, early Saturday Trent, Rod (the original organizer of the event & local Mah Jong GURU!!!) & I arrived at 8:30 to set up. At 10:00 our players began trickling in for check in & to bring their yummy dishes. Most of the entrants came out of two of the groups I play in on Mondays. A few I had only communicated with via email or phone so it was nice to have a face to go with a name. Ernesto was on hand to substitute in the event we needed an extra player. You should have seen the look on his face when he was told he wasn't playing. It was the same look I've seen when he gets hooked on a slot machine in Vegas! <br />
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Play began at 10:30 and there were two rounds then we broke for lunch. After lunch, one more round then it was time for the awards; beautiful hand made glass plates designed by Tracey Bewley, a local artist. <a href="http://www.artfusionstudio.com/">http://www.artfusionstudio.com/</a> So a big shout out to our winners (for those who value their privacy I use first names only) Norma from Edmond took first place, our own Marcy (who is coincidentally remodeling her kitchen so won't that plate look nice in her new space?) won second & Norma's daughter Debbie got third. An honorable mention goes out to Bryan who actually tied for third & the winner was decided by a roll of the dice. Laura got the coveted "golf award" for the lowest score & won a handy new Mah Jongg bag in which to store her winnings.</div>
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It was a fun day & we walked out the door about 4:30.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ernesto & some of the cutthroat competition!<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
I then went home to lie down for about an hour before getting in costume to march in the Gazette's Halloween Parade. This is also an annual event locally & one of my favorites!! This was our second year to march & we were with the Dead Center Film Festival group this year. Their theme was Fairy Tales gone wrong & we went with a Mexican themed Day of the Dead Catrina look. I didn't carry a phone or camera :( so here's our only image. (Thank You Bryan!)</div>
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We were running late so just had time to find a parking space, locate the parade route & hop in place. Everyone looked so great both in the parade & the spectators. Everyone out in their spooky best!! The most gratifying thing was the look of recognition & appreciative comments from the many Latinos in the crowd. Afterwards we tucked in the Iguana Lounge for some food to match our costumes. We actually made it home by 10:30 but it was the end of a LONG DAY.</div>
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But our weekend wasn't over yet! Sunday evening we invited a group of friends for what is ALSO an annual event; Pumpkin Carving in The Wayback. This is usually our last harrah of the year. Once it gets cold we aren't back out there again until Spring. We fixed a big ole vat of soup, some cider then let the creativity begin... </div>
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So here it is Monday & I for one am ready for the rest!!!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-18418334700190629662012-10-21T17:52:00.000-07:002012-10-21T18:41:45.141-07:00Tour de Trees, A Win/Win Weekend!!<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">Hey Friends,</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> This weekend has been on my calendar for a bit. Two of my FAVORITE activities combined for Tour de Trees, the bicycling/camping weekend put on by the Oklahoma Bicycling Society. I met some of the lovely OBS members this summer on Freewheel & have been on some weekend rides here in OkC. Most notably the Donut and Pre-Donut Rides from Will Rogers Park. I've loved getting to know people & finding riders who go my pace. Ernesto is kind enough to scale it back to ride with me but I know it has to kill him as my comfortable pace is about 14 mph. Ernesto rides anywhere from 18-22 comfortably so it is a testament to his chivalry that he"ll hang with me. </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Anyhoo, once I joined the group I read about Tour de Trees & knew it was right up our alley. About 60 or so riders from all over the state gathered at Lake Eufaula State Park for the event. We loaded up the T@B and Lucy Friday evening & headed out. It was past dark when we arrived but we had no trouble finding a great spot under a canopy of Oak trees that had full hook-ups & the bonus of being just a few steps from the bathroom. We got situated in no time & had a hearty dinner of sausages, rice, salad & of course.......QUESADILLAS!!! </span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We turned in & I read some out of "Wild-From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail" by Cheryl Strayed. The book details her coming to terms with her life after her mother's death from cancer, a failed marriage & a relationship that led to heroin use. She sets off on an 1100 mile solo hike to regroup. <a href="http://www.cherylstrayed.com/wild_108676.htm">http://www.cherylstrayed.com/wild_108676.htm</a> Soon I couldn't hold my eyes open. It was pretty chilly but we don't really like to use the heater in the T@B, it gets too stuffy. The perfect solution has been a dual zoned electric blanket. My side was set on High & Ernesto's Low. Perfect until I was roasting @ about 4 AM. But there's nothing like it for taking the chill off!! I re-set to Low & drifted back off.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Saturday morning we woke up around 7 & did the coffee routine plus some instant oatmeal. Then we readied ourselves & the bikes for a 42 mile tour of the area. We got a baby cart & modified it for Lucy to ride in & to say she is not a fan is putting it mildly. If you were to come up on Ernesto while he's pulling her you might think he had a wheel in need of some WD-40. Lucy has a unique squeaky whine that doesn't let up until she is out of the stroller & in your arms. We keep hoping she'll adapt... One benefit (at least that's how I see it, Ernesto may feel differently) is the cart plus Lucy adds at least 20 pounds to Ernesto's bike. This levels the field, so-to-speak in terms of him keeping his pace at my speed :D</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> The day turned out gorgeous. We had a little bit of wind but the ride was lovely. We made a big loop & wound up in Checotah (hometown of Carrie Underwood) for lunch @ the Katy Cafe. I had the BLT & Ernesto got a chicken sandwich with some YUMMY sweet potato fries. We sat on a bench out front w/Lucy & chatted with our fellow riders as they came & went. The thing I love so much about bike trips is all the interesting folks you meet. Some of these people were on Freewheel with us & some we were meeting for the first time. After lunch we hopped on the bikes for the 15 mile ride back to camp.</span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> We arrived at our site around 1:30 & spent the rest of the afternoon chillaxing & chatting with everyone who stopped by to see the T@B. In addition to Lucy it is a real magnet for conversation!! </span>Our neighbors were a retirement age couple who live full time in their RV & travel around state parks designing the park brochures with advertising for area businesses. I'm going to guess they are in their 70s. And I was super impressed with their technical skills. They meet with their contacts & upload everything to the internet & even have a mobile office in their RV. The brochures are produced annually & they spend about 3 weeks in each area. Their stay is free as part of their fee. Pretty sweet way to spend retirement!! They have been "full timers since 2003.</div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> In the evening a pot-luck dinner was planned for 6:00. I had prepared a white chicken chili at home & had it ready to heat in the crock-pot. The amount of food was obscene!! Everything looked so good, it was hard to pick just a few things but I get full really quick so I tried to be conservative. Ernesto zeroed in on some j</span>alapeno/venison sausage. And the desserts....OMG!!!!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pot-Luck Smogasbord</td></tr>
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After dinner a group loaded up in a truck to head to the "Haunted Barn" that is open on weekends in October. I HATE the idea of people jumping out to scare me so I passed. Ernesto & I returned to our campsite & built a fire. It was pitch black & the stars were magnificent. Ernesto looked at me & said, "It's only 7:30." I could have died!! I was sure it was at least 9:00 & I was ready to turn in, LOL!! So we fought the urge & sat & enjoyed the fire. A little later some of the brave souls who went to the Haunted Barn returned to tell us of their adventure. We visited some more & were able to hold out until 9:30 before turning in.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can We Go To Bed Yet?</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"> Sunday morning there was a 32 mile ride planned. When we woke up I just couldn't motivate myself to leave our comfy set-up. If you followed us this summer on our adventure in the Grand Canyon you know my favorite part of the day is coffee in the morning. We decided to just hang around camp leisurely & enjoy the weather that was absolute perfection!! I'm going to guess low 70s & a slightly overcast sky. We had the windows open & there was a heavenly breeze. We lingered as long as we wanted then loaded up to head for home. What a delightful weekend!!!</span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looks Like We Won't Be Riding Today.</td></tr>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;">For more info on Tour De Trees visit <a href="http://oklahomabicyclesociety.com/annual-tours/tour-de-trees/">http://oklahomabicyclesociety.com/annual-tours/tour-de-trees/</a></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-13251253714041872612012-09-24T07:55:00.000-07:002012-09-24T07:57:17.431-07:00One Step Closer to Living the Dream<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DKKd7RpFzPrVTRgsfGg5D6-zQ4rjeo2Hhh_HHSO1xTxwtqi3JCTIVkgobYJgTudCAKLfMc5BAyubw2lwdSNWOb_UR62JnxyUHPlFEZn6MalwqfdMfduRTzx6t3kqWBMot23q4YB_Nn0/s1600/photo_10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3DKKd7RpFzPrVTRgsfGg5D6-zQ4rjeo2Hhh_HHSO1xTxwtqi3JCTIVkgobYJgTudCAKLfMc5BAyubw2lwdSNWOb_UR62JnxyUHPlFEZn6MalwqfdMfduRTzx6t3kqWBMot23q4YB_Nn0/s320/photo_10.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It began with a sketch (not to scale!!!) We made some changes on site but this is basically what we built. & when I say "we" I mean Ernesto!!!</td></tr>
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Hey Friends, it's been a while. Thank you for following us on our odyssey out West. As much as I love to get away, it seems like when we return it takes a bit to get back up to speed at home. We returned to 110 plus degree temps so it was a huge effort just to keep things alive in the garden til the cool down. About a month ago we decided to undertake the first of a couple of structures we are planning for the Wayback. I give you Papi's Cantina;<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkIrrj6ev989nwnbo8wU8xn1AOn7LgeAu67Mrjz9iKT34hZrU-rXGQ-W5a4v4Da2yrr3uZ0X570dkLwSANMkbDo7pg4CmB8ukGwh0FZcWaYkIcUgZY7vZk4sRGeT72FjbtWK57YQdIvM/s1600/photo_8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUkIrrj6ev989nwnbo8wU8xn1AOn7LgeAu67Mrjz9iKT34hZrU-rXGQ-W5a4v4Da2yrr3uZ0X570dkLwSANMkbDo7pg4CmB8ukGwh0FZcWaYkIcUgZY7vZk4sRGeT72FjbtWK57YQdIvM/s320/photo_8.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is what we started with, our storage unit with a big blank spot beside it & adjacent to the pool.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting posts</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posts set</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Site inspector</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-B5zVLNVzaK2Q86SQJ0ICthnxpP0X-PmbxP-7X53EChn2pO9YZ5hwBhchiCvTOIu0SZocuwLV9nLRnVR_wID-RsO0-Z0NTmm9D6GKve4Ge-OIz8zriNxEvBXutTHHdJjDF_elYKwjwlQ/s1600/photo_4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-B5zVLNVzaK2Q86SQJ0ICthnxpP0X-PmbxP-7X53EChn2pO9YZ5hwBhchiCvTOIu0SZocuwLV9nLRnVR_wID-RsO0-Z0NTmm9D6GKve4Ge-OIz8zriNxEvBXutTHHdJjDF_elYKwjwlQ/s320/photo_4.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roof going on<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rafters</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Corrogated metal roof & we clad the storage unit to match</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A little bit of heaven!!!</td></tr>
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We still have much to do but I can already tell Papi's Cantina is going to be one of our favorite hang-outs. When we remodelled our kitchen a few years ago we saved our old cabinets & countertops. Our good friend Alain @ La Baguette is redoing some cabinets there & passed on a countertop too. So when that's all installed I'll post an update.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-59884956122336202352012-08-14T06:09:00.001-07:002012-08-14T06:11:00.361-07:00Day 9 - Home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Well, our little journey has come to an end. Today's drive is gruelling! Every hour we travel East the temperature rises about 5 degrees. We cross into Oklahoma & the car registers 114. The engine struggles against the load & the heat. We vow here & now to start looking for a truck for future trips. At the end of the road it's good to be home!! Thanks for following along and I appreciate all the positive feedback. Until next time.....</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-1582577296929595712012-08-11T11:29:00.000-07:002012-08-14T06:14:36.903-07:00Day 8 - Santa Fe Shopping - Tosca<br />
Last night the sky was amazing. There is no other light in the campground & the moon is getting fuller by the minute. I didn't even need a flashlight to go to the bathroom. This morning the temp is the lowest it's been this entire trip, probably low 60s. Thank God for my Grand Canyon blankie!! We meet some of the neighbors. Next door is a family traveling cross-country with their two young children in a Travel-Lite trailer. It's bigger than ours but still on the small side as RVs go. They are pulling it with their SUV same as us & had similar trouble getting up here yesterday. They took a wrong turn, got stuck & had to have a ranger pull them out. Pretty embarrassing the guy said. They are moving from North Carolina to Portland & are taking about 6 weeks to get there, nice!<br />
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Also, there is a mad woman roaming the grounds. She seems normal enough at first, striking up a friendly conversation, but then she wanders off mid-rant to the next campers & I suspect she may just move from campground to campground. We decide to take extra precautions & really lock everything up tight before heading to town this morning.<br />
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We get to town about 10:30 & our first stop is to the French Pastry Shop @ La Fonda Hotel. I order my favorite; the Croque Monsieur. We run into Mom & Suzy & agree on a time & place to meet later. After breakfast we checked out a jewelry place across the street; Long John Silver's. They have old & new pieces & I settle on a beautiful turquoise & silver cuff made in the 20s. LJS is a mom & son operated establishment & we learn that the patriarch of the family has just passed away this month. I really admire how they are soldiering on. We also pick up a few trinkets for the folks back home taking care of business. Bryon & our friends Chris & Julia stop by to say, "Hi."<br />
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From there we head up to Canyon Road to spend the next couple of hours wandering in & out of the galleries. Santa Fe is the third largest art market in the country after New York & Los Angeles so the variety & quality is outstanding. A day really isn't enough time to devote but we get here a couple of times a year so mainly we get a feel for what's new. And I get the sense things have really picked up since December. As we head back to the town center we stop in at an Italian place for a cold drink & notice that they rent Vespas by the hour. That sounds like a lot of fun for a future trip.<br />
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Soon it's time to meet up with Mom & Suzy to prepare for tonight's outing; Tosca @ the Santa Fe Opera. There is a tradition of tailgating for this so we make another Whole Foods run for grilled salmon, chicken, cold salads, olive bread & strawberry shortcakes. At the Italian place earlier I have discovered Pamplemo San Pellegrino (delicious!!!) sodas and I grab a bunch of these to chill. We make the short drive to the Opera parking lot which is situated in the hills on the outskirts of town. We luckily find a spot that is beginning to be in the shade & set up our al fresco "dining room." We have allowed about an hour & a half so we have plenty of time to relax, enjoy conversation & dine before it's time to enter. Just as we are finishing Chris & Bryon stop by on their way in to the show. Once it gets a little closer to curtain we pack up & head in.<br />
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We have excellent seats & as the sun begins to set Tosca begins. I don't consider myself to be any kind of opera expert but I have definitely enjoyed the few that I've attended. And it just so happens that this is the one I've seen the most (this will be my third production.) The sets are a kind of cubist version of a cupola & cathedral jutting out at weird angles, almost giving a sense of vertigo. The lighting is subtly highlighting different architectural features onstage but it pales in comparison to the serene beauty of the surrounding landscape. SFO is open air & you can see the gorgeous colors of the fading light in the desert & mountains beyond the stage. I've been here when thunderstorms were approaching, man you talk about dramatic!!<br />
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It's really hot. I guess the same factors that contribute to the excellent acoustics also prevent the air from moving. I have a fan in my purse but I don't want to distract my neighbors by flapping so I slip my shoes off & put my feet on the the cold concrete floor. If I get any hotter I'm going to hike my skirt up!! I wish I could understand the Italian. The libretto is conveniently displayed on the seat back in front of me but I find it distracting. However it's impossible to resist reading along to follow the story to its tragic conclusion.<br />
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As we are filing out afterward, we run into our friend Chris & his son Blake from OkC. We are happy to learn of our mutual appreciation for opera & agree to get together in OkC. Chris has an apartment in New York & regularly attends productions at the Metropolitan Opera. We talk about coordinating taking in a production there!!<br />
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It's late & time to take the girls back to their hotel & for us to head up for our last night on the mountain. I wish I could say I am ready to go home. What I'm really ready for is to grab our dogs, turn around & come right back here!! But, I think this is the best way to end a vacation...wanting more!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-30629804647369606922012-08-10T07:05:00.000-07:002012-08-14T06:15:00.075-07:00 Day 7 - The Petrified Forest - 10,000 Waves - Santa Fe, NM<br />
This morning we make our hasty getaway from Meteor Crater. Less than an hour down the road is the Petrified Forest, a national park on our route into Santa Fe. I've been here a couple of times & although I wouldn't consider it a destination in & of itself, it's a great place to stop on a long haul. Our first stop is in the visitor's center to collect another stamp for our passports! <br />
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Then Bryon & I walk on one of the trails as Ernesto checks out something mechanical on the T@B. In case you are wondering why we are so antsy about our trailer, in October we had to have it towed in Arkansas due to broken wheel bearings. Anyway he gets everything fixed how he wants it & we roll on through the park.<br />
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Petrified Forest is primarily a drive through experience. 225 million years ago it was a steamy, swampy equatorial climate. Giant Redwoods fell into the silty soil and fast forward millions of years & now this is one of the largest petrified wood deposits in the world. We pass through pretty quickly, stopping occasionally & I think we may have missed some of the more dramatic turnouts. Anyway our final destination today is Santa Fe so we head on down the road.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View through the telescope of Newspaper Rock</td></tr>
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This is an unexpectedly grueling drive today. Everything just takes so much longer to get to than I think it will. We finally arrive in the Santa Fe city limit & decide to make a stop @ Whole Foods before heading up to our campsite in the Hyde Park Memorial Campground. I grab a light snack for us. We don't want to eat too much because this evening we have appointments @ Ten Thousand Waves, the world renowned Japanese style spa on the mountain. (www.tenthousandwaves.com)<br />
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As we make our way up, the Volvo is really struggling with the 8% incline & begins making a "throbbing" noise we've never heard before. We need to pull over frequently to allow impatient drivers to go around us. There are many camping areas to tuck into here but we have a reservation in the area with hook-ups. We find our space, back in, turn off the car & open the hood to allow the engine to cool. The fan is blowing with an alarming ferocity. We set up camp in what is our last home before home :(<br />
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Sometimes when I am on a vacation that's more than a long weekend I'll start counting the days until I can go back home. This isn't one of those times. Everywhere we've been I've wished we could've stayed longer. And Santa Fe is one of the places in the world I would own a vacation home if I had the money. Actually, having the camper is the next best thing!! Now we just need to figure out how to be here from about July 5 through some time in September when things cool off at home! This week the OkC temps are the highest they've been since record keeping began. Here it is a delicious 72 degrees.<br />
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I love this mountain. Five miles up is the Santa Fe ski area where Ernesto learned to ski just a few years ago. In a few more weeks the aspen will start blanketing the mountain in brilliant, shimmering gold. We love the hiking here in the summer. Five miles in the other direction is the spa where we have a reservation in about 30 minutes so it's time to head back down.<br />
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My mother & aunt arrived in Santa Fe yesterday. They have played a round of golf today & are joining us. No trip to Santa Fe is complete without coming here. This is where I came in lieu of a bachelorette party when Ernesto & I married in Santa Fe 10 years ago. Sadly, this is also where my original wedding ring was lifted off the bathroom counter a few years later. As a result I now remove all jewelry & lock it in the glove box before entering.<br />
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Mom & Aunt Suzy are there to meet us in the lobby & we hug & kiss. We are given kimonos & ushered to the locker room to shower befor our sessions begin. First we have an hour in the Waterfall Tub. There are a series of hot tubs scattered all over the property behind Shoji screens. There are public (clothing optional in daytime) & private tubs available. The Waterfall Tub (our favorite) is more of a small pool surrounded with rocks that has a lovely view of the scrubby hillside. There is also a cold plunge (although after the Colorado River the 85 degree water feels anything but cold) & a sauna. We have an hour here before going off to our massages. It is great to catch up. We visit & take pictures & enjoy the yummy spa water provided.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom & Suzy enjoying a foot soak</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I hate that this is so blurry but it's the only shot of E @ the Waves</td></tr>
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Pretty soon a voice comes over the intercom to tell us it's time to come in for our services. We say good-bye to Bryon who is meeting up with some other OkC friends here & going to finish out his stay with them. <br />
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We girls have all signed up for Nose to Toes, an hour & 20 minutes of pure heaven. Christina leads me to a private room that is the perfect temperature. Soothing "chillax" music drifts through the space. The massage begins face down. Christina applies firm, slow pressure to different parts of my neck & back to get an idea of any areas of tension. Then my back is exfoliated with a scrubby textured mitt. This is followed with an excellent full body massage and stretching. Then I'm turned over for more of the same on my front side. Warm oil is drizzled on my scalp followed by concentrated attention there & on my neck & shoulders. Finally my feet are thoroughly worked over. I am wrapped up in a sheet & helped to a sitting position then dressed in a fresh dry kimono. I stagger back upstairs in a daze to join my family. <br />
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The shopping is good here too. They have incense, spa products (we love the Hinoke & stock up), books, tee shirts & some lovely vintage kimonos. They also have a small assortment of food options. We pick up some sandwiches & hummus to eat back @ camp. We say goodnight & head home for a blissful night's sleep.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-14811658558642383672012-08-08T15:37:00.000-07:002012-08-08T15:37:02.658-07:00Day 6 - Grand Canyon - Meteor Crator. AZ Sadly, this is our last morning @ the GC. As he has every morning, Ernesto goes for a run on the canyon rim. Bryon & I enjoy coffee & company & do last minute packing up to get ready to hit the road. I snap a few more pictures, we all have a final shower then it's time to hit the road. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Deer wandering through camp this morning</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMGT1qjGgFdx2TxUI8j1W2mDSianETBe7KlwU-ydyDxRexEyn2v8V_muk0Ahv6NRKpi4RSilFmrAx27_6CnnaDI0hInkTbihyphenhyphenTmzwvAob4QsBI8uy9HQc6gvIiBaSPdjBHs2sJgSiA6U/s1600/IMG_0220.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMGT1qjGgFdx2TxUI8j1W2mDSianETBe7KlwU-ydyDxRexEyn2v8V_muk0Ahv6NRKpi4RSilFmrAx27_6CnnaDI0hInkTbihyphenhyphenTmzwvAob4QsBI8uy9HQc6gvIiBaSPdjBHs2sJgSiA6U/s320/IMG_0220.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taken from inside the camper as we are having our morning coffee</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cf0NoslUSfg99cQT_c5Eefr8pThbxBEzwRU41jA8ulmhRsX1OzPvXx0BpIJiMG3TuHGfLejk4FFATKgr0WqIjn038f-f-IsVzLWLHYRSTIiCA5Woaeldk0zwurZZdybrXCpWukG71O8/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Cf0NoslUSfg99cQT_c5Eefr8pThbxBEzwRU41jA8ulmhRsX1OzPvXx0BpIJiMG3TuHGfLejk4FFATKgr0WqIjn038f-f-IsVzLWLHYRSTIiCA5Woaeldk0zwurZZdybrXCpWukG71O8/s320/IMG_0221.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Do we REALLY have to leave?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscrVxrE0nCenVVBu2YIVknxIY0ef7TZoqo2rYZ5Pxk_AHDpStpUfr2yXM-RKicaPpFi_z6qoGUVY_eaPEsKwDkQZhvr5Z7cjVnsX9jvsaBqk2t7B1VYVuHr_XOVBhyuQZJ0GusZ-q7PY/s1600/IMG_0226.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscrVxrE0nCenVVBu2YIVknxIY0ef7TZoqo2rYZ5Pxk_AHDpStpUfr2yXM-RKicaPpFi_z6qoGUVY_eaPEsKwDkQZhvr5Z7cjVnsX9jvsaBqk2t7B1VYVuHr_XOVBhyuQZJ0GusZ-q7PY/s320/IMG_0226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elk relaxing in the campground</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT2o3P_YAbQ_P8d5SFQp5SmBbp6h7nxoCnBfHkfMyIuiyli7zsrO0bPslZlLeqR3Bl5tPMKbCJWvP8EL5YvSZ5p-quJ1oEIDqLvE0RL0OEqKFgNExwCKGnavxuGJWqsM1L4EoVUD4eYI/s1600/IMG_0225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimT2o3P_YAbQ_P8d5SFQp5SmBbp6h7nxoCnBfHkfMyIuiyli7zsrO0bPslZlLeqR3Bl5tPMKbCJWvP8EL5YvSZ5p-quJ1oEIDqLvE0RL0OEqKFgNExwCKGnavxuGJWqsM1L4EoVUD4eYI/s320/IMG_0225.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the least bit interested in the campers</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This space is used for ranger talks each night which we never manage to attend...next time!! <br />Also, for interdenominational worship services on Sundays.<br /> I'll bet that is something to behold!!</td></tr>
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We are on the road by about 10;30 We drive back down to Flagstaff & use our trusty Urban Spoon, this time to locate "Diabolo Burgers" - a cool establisment that prides itself on locally raised beef & man is it delish. We meet some young hip locals & their dog (dogs welcome @ Diabolo Burgers!!) & share a table with them. They give us what sounds like a great dessert tip but we are stuffed & there's no way we can eat one more bite. We grab some gas, groceries & head to our destination, Meteor Crater, AZ.<br />
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We are in another RV park & it's everything I don't like about these kinds of places. Sometimes you just have to stay @ point B on your way from A to Z, I guess. It's nice enough, I suppose. It's gated & a security car circulates frequently so we feel safe. And they've planted trees so that's nice too. I guess it's unfair to judge this place in comparison to where we've just been. I let the attendant talk me into a Good Sam membership. This entitles us to discounts in RV parks, for gas at certain locations & @ Camper's World so I'm thinking it could pay for itself in pretty short order.<br />
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The crater that gives this place its name is just down the road but they want $16 a pop to see it & we are just not into it. The day is pretty blustery & bleak too which doesn't help the mood. We just set up for the night & don't even bother to unhitch. <br />
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This does give me the opportunity to read some of my library book that I've been too busy to pull out all week. I'm reading A sense of Direction by Gideon Lewis-Kraus; a documentation of his time hiking the Camino de Santiago de Compostela (yet another bucket list quest.)<br />
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We also have WI-FI again so we catch up on email & facebook. Tonight's feast is tilapia, grilled corn, rice and wait for it......quesadillas!!'' We call it a night so we we can get on the road early to see the Petrified Forest before heading in to Santa Fe tomorrow.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-38632984688373631762012-08-07T13:19:00.000-07:002012-08-07T13:22:12.593-07:00Day 5 - Hiking on Bright Angel Trail & Picnic @ Moran Point Today we've slept until the decadent hour of 6:30! We are having an easy morning with no hurry to be anywhere. The plan for today is to hike the Bright Angel Trail down into the Canyon. So out come the maps & the GPS. We pack, then unpack then edit & re-pack our backpacks. We decide to drive to the trail head so we can carry the coolers to get an ice refill. Camping really makes you think about two steps ahead on everything you do. <br />
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We have selected Bright Angel even though it is the most popular & therefore most crowded because it is also the only trail with regular water & bathroom facilities. Since we dilly-dallied at camp so long this morning it is pretty warm when we start. I have devised my own nerdy version of a sun hat; a baseball hat with a bandanna tucked underneath to protect my neck. It actually works pretty well & I can wet the bandanna down to cool off. We decide to hike down to the first rest stop & have a picnic. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTrTxFk3snYXpeh6873Nle60yAAJ1TDcP7FI3fj3DCgG9IC7bE717_3Ol0iRZvRJ5k6clEQePN1YjkZr3l_q_Z2WZNO3mfUq9IWBuM18TaWa8gq6sDuaFEO5HLDQJeV9ywkeasPFqa_s/s1600/IMG_0183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuTrTxFk3snYXpeh6873Nle60yAAJ1TDcP7FI3fj3DCgG9IC7bE717_3Ol0iRZvRJ5k6clEQePN1YjkZr3l_q_Z2WZNO3mfUq9IWBuM18TaWa8gq6sDuaFEO5HLDQJeV9ywkeasPFqa_s/s320/IMG_0183.JPG" width="320" /></a> It's pretty easy going at first but after 20 minutes or so it gets a little hard on the old knees. And we have to keep in mind, "what goes down must come up!" Ernesto & Bryon have a much faster pace than me but I don't mind being slow. It affords me some "alone time" to process the experience. I would hardly call the trail crowded although we do see quite a few others on our way. I think it would make me a little nervous to be alone down here. The trail winds around the canyon walls, down through some arches & descends down to the first comfort station. We tuck in to a shady spot & pull out snack bags of fruit, nuts & individual tuna salad cups. It feels good to rest & cool down. I decide to start back first since it will take me the longest to get back up. Just as I thought, about 15 minutes later Ernesto rounded the bend @ a slow jog.<br />
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As predicted it is more challenging going up than down & I need to stop often to catch my breath. This affords some beautiful views & gives me lots of photo ops. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a deer I saw grazing just off the path</td></tr>
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The moment I pop my head back out of the rim an afternoon monsoon comes up & we rush to tuck in the Kolb Studio. Kolb Studio clings to the edge of Grand Canyon. It was the home and photographic studio of pioneers Emery and Ellsworth Kolb. Begun in 1904, the building has evolved through two major additions and countless minor changes during its century of existence at Grand Canyon. The Grand Canyon Association operates an art gallery, bookstore and information inside the building. The bookstore's proceeds go to support the building, and the store features a tribute to the Kolbs’ photographs of mule riders at Grand Canyon. We buy postcards & books & Bryon & I stumble on to the National Parks Passports. In all my years of traveling in national parks I've never seen these. Each park has a special stamp that you use to "cancel" a page of your passport. Well, here's another bucket list task; getting all the park stamps!!<br />
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The rain was coming in waves so we inched our way towards El Tovar Hotel, the premier lodging facility at the Grand Canyon. It opened its doors in 1905 and was most recently renovated in 2005.<br />
In the past, the hotel has hosted such luminaries as Theodore Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, Western author Zane Grey, and many others. Today, El Tovar retains its elegant charm. Located on the Canyon rim, it features a fine dining room (open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), lounge and curio shop with newsstand. El Tovar is a Registered National Historic Landmark. I had stayed here many years ago on the trip with my parents. We thought we'd see about a dinner reservation. Looking over the menu the prices seem decadently high. It's funny how I wouldn't think twice about a splurge like this at home but camping really puts me in a different & simpler frame of mind. It's also packed here & they can't even seat us for a snack. We push through the throngs of people to the exit & walk back to the car. Wow this makes me appreciate our little camper & the wide open campground more than ever!!!<br />
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We have a little bit of time to kill & much as I would love to have a nap we could also use some clean clothes. I pack up a few bags of our laundry as well as all the dead electronics & go to the facility to wash & charge. Ernesto joins me & has a shower before helping me with the chore. I don't know how I missed this but Ernesto said there was a French lady right next to us doing her laundry. She stripped down to her underwear as she fed her clothes in the machine. Completely topless until her companion handed her a towel & she headed for the shower. LOL!!! I guess b/c there was a TV on & I haven't seen one all week I was distracted & missed the REAL show.<br />
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We decide to pack another picnic & go to Moran Point for the sunset. This area of the park gets its name from the landscape painter Thomas Moran who came here for the first time in 1873 and helped popularize the canyon, leading eventually to its incorporation as a national monument in 1908 (and a national park in 1919.) We make a quick stop in the grocery store to grab ingredients for my favorite simple meal; toasted baguette rubbed with a slice of garlic, drizzled with olive oil & topped with freshly sliced tomatoes & proscuitto. As I was paying I noticed some beautiful Grand Canyon Pendleton blankets at the exit. I handed off the groceries & grabbed one as a fabulous souvenir of our time here.<br />
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I hastily prepare the meal & it's off on the Desert View Drive again. We arrive @ our destination about 30 minutes before sunset. We dive in to the sandwiches & cold drinks & wait for the show to begin. This afternoon's rain has left a double rainbow in the eastern sky which we try to capture. One thing about Grand Canyon sunsets (to me) is it's more about the canyon & less about the sun. It is actually prettier to put your back to the sun & look at the shadows & light on the canyon walls to the east than to try & stare through the glare. There is a soft haze that settles below. Bryon & Ernesto hop the wall & scramble around the edge snapping photos. This makes me too nervous & I sit happily on the wall, a safe distance from disaster!! My vocabulary is insufficient to describe what we are seeing, experiencing. I am just so grateful to be here. God is really showing off in this part of the world!!! Soon the sun is down & it's time to head back for our last night in camp :(<br />
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The sky is crystal clear & we can see stars like I haven't since I was a child. This is what ilife is all about!! We lit a fire & had one last round of s'mores & off to bed.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-52529506370366442662012-08-05T15:01:00.001-07:002012-08-05T15:01:05.480-07:00Day 4 - Rafting the Colorado River Another 5:00 am wake up. This is quickly becoming my favorite part of the day. Sitting around, visiting, drinking hot coffee. Something, a coyote maybe, has been calling off in the distance all through the night. There are ravens that explore recently vacated campsites scavenging for morsels. Far from being creepy they are comical to watch as they hop/flap around. This morning we finish up the answers from last night's survey. Bryon walks it to the park headquarters while I make the 10 minute stroll to the showers. <br />
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On my way I see a lone doe grazing. She looks at me totally unafraid & seems to be saying, "I know you're not supposed to feed me, but I won't tell if you wont..." I resist. It costs $2 for 8 minutes of deliciously hot water. I would think that wouldn't be near enough but it's actually plenty of time. I feel pounds lighter as I return to camp. Once there we begin preparing a hearty breakfast of migas, fruit & of course more coffee.<br />
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Soon it is time to hit the road again. Today we are driving to Page, AZ to raft the Colorado River. Even though it means more driving we all agree it would be a shame to come this far & not experience some level of rafting. I found this outfitter in the Grand Canyon guide I downloaded. Most tours are from 3-18 days & involve camping at night on the river banks. While this sounds amazing, we are only here a few days. Colorado River Discovery provides 1/2 to full day float trips from the Glen Canyon Dam to Lee's Ferry. (888-522-6644, www.raftthecanyon.com )<br />
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We leave with plenty of time to get there for our 1:00 p.m. departure (plus some extra getting lost time, which was a good thing!) This time we leave the canyon on the Desert View Drive seeing many breathtaking vistas along the way. Once we are out of the park we begin descending down several thousand feet & it is crazy hot, 103. We are seeing a mix of colors that don't even seem real & then it hits us, "Oh yeah, we're in the painted desert!!!"<br />
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We arrive just in time to hear our instructions before boarding busses to take us to the base of the Glen Canyon Dam - a marvel of engineering. We descend through two miles of tunnel 500 feet down all the while we are in a designated Homeland Security area. This outfitter and their clients are the only ones besides government workers allowed to be here. Our bags were searched before we boarded the busses & we were instructed if we had guns to leave them in our cars. When we get to the base of the dam we are all given hard hats to wear until we get to the rafts.<br />
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We board the giant rubber pontoons to begin our 4 hour, 16 river miles float down the Colorado. It is about 110 in Page but once we get underway it's not too bad. The water temperature is a frosty 46 degrees & every once in a while a zephyr of breeze comes wafting through the canyon creating drastic hot/cold sensations. As we gently float (the white water trips are the longer versions beginning at Lee's Ferry, our disembarkation point) the 1000 - 1400 foot sandstone walls soar up to clear blue skies. Our guide, Chris really seems to love his job & is full of lots of interesting knowledge of what we are seeing. He keeps referring to the "desert varnish" on the cliffs, a process that takes millions of years to develop & thus indicates the age of this canyon. <br />
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At about the halfway point Chris banks the raft on a sandy beach & we are allowed to get out & use the restroom that has been installed. A short trail leads right up to the base of the canyon wall where ancient petroglyphs have been carved. Another of the guides explains the symbols. I'm thinking, some of it sounds like a bit of a stretch but they are pretty cool. She tells the story of one prankster who carved his name on the wall. He was quickly identified, fined HEAVILY & had to perform countless hours of community service. Lesson learned!!<br />
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Back on the beach many rafters are plunging in to the literally bone-chilling water. We look at each other & say, "well, you never know when we will get a chance like this again." And in we go. I can only stand it for a few seconds & I'm right back on the beach. As hot & arid as it is though, I am dry in seconds & don't need a towel. We all go in & out for the next half hour. One lady, "of a certain age" is just standing thigh-deep in the water gasping, "this is heaven." She stays in that spot the entire time we are there.<br />
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We get back on board & down the river we go. I am just trying to hold the memory of this beauty in my mind's eye. Sadly, we didn't realize just how placid this trip would be & brought no cameras :( We did however bring a sack lunch & cold drinks were provided so we picnicked as we floated. Chris would occasionally scoop a bucket of the icy water on board & we could dunk our hats & bandannas in to cool off with. A little further on down we saw some horses on the river bank. Kind of amazing given the harsh environment. Chris said they had wandered into the canyon & were essentially living wild.<br />
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All too soon we reached Lee's Ferry & hopped on the busses for the hour ride back to Page. All I can say is it was totally worth it & now I want to go back & do one of the multi day floats!! That's how it seems to go with a bucket list. You cross one thing off & two more go back in its place.<br />
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Another drive through gorgeous desert landscape to get backto camp. It was after dark when we arrived so we immediately built a fire to heat up some quiche I had brought from home, black beans & our staple, quesadillas. I was so tired I couldn't even talk myself into a s'more before I collapsed into bed, exhausted & happy.<br />
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Really sorry about no pictures but if you visit the website www.raftthecanyon.com they have a slideshow that is spot on.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-69589426793289307332012-08-04T20:26:00.000-07:002012-08-04T20:26:45.678-07:00Day 3 - Flagstaff, AZ - Mather Campground, Grand Canyon Dim morning light begins to fill the T@B. We are up before 6:00 beginning the coffee ritual. We want to get on the road as early as possible to address the mechanical issue. But is has rained lightly during the night & we need to allow the tent room to dry before packing. That's good b/c we enjoy the morning cool of the campground. Everyone around us is stirring and most seem to be preparing for days filled with outdoor activities; biking, hiking, fishing.<br />
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Soon we are off. Our first stop is to a Camping World a few miles down the road. They seem to be the Wal-Mart of camping equipment but the one in Flagstaff has only been open a few months & doesn't have their tire & brakes service department up & running yet. They send us to Flagstaff RV. The mechanic there is VERY helpful. He takes a look @ our wheels & declares us road-worthy. Bryon & I chest bump over this bit of good news!! However, they don't carry the European sized lug bolt we need & he refers us to O'Reilly's. Bryon makes the call and we locate one that has about 12 of the size we need so we head over there & buy extra. As I am looking in our T@B owners manual I notice a big sticker placed inside the cover saying to check your lug nuts every 500 miles & when you are embarking on a trip. There's also one on the hitch. I guess that means they think it's important, huh? I SWEAR this is the first time we've seen this!! <br />
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We use Urban Spoon to locate Satchmo's a BBQ joint that is excellent & they play great blues music too. Our waitress goes to GC all the time & had some great recommends for us. We are really getting excited now, almost there. One last thing before we go, a re-stock of groceries. Even though we have been having fun, it has been a gruelling two days on the road. So we decide to have a FEAST our first night. So it's steaks all around. And fresh corn, a salad, quesadillas (of course!!) and s'mores for desert. A few other items & we are ready to head north.<br />
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The Grand Canyon is only about an hour & a half drive from Flagstaff and the moment you leave the city limit you are right back in the high desert again. Just before you get to the park you pass through a small village, Tusayan, that seems is only there b/c of the canyon. There's a tiny airport & hotels & motels line the street. We move through a roundabout & next thing you know we are at the entrance gate to the Grand Canyon National Park. It is $25 for our vehicle to have access here for one week. We are given a map & we begin navigating our way to the Mather Campground. As we meander around the park roads we catch fleeting glimpses of the magnificent canyon.<br />
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I have always heard the sites fill up quickly. So I literally sat my alarm for 6 months to the day that we wanted to be here. I was even able to look at different sites online to make our selection. I chose something in close proximity to a bathroom :) Once we located the campground I went up to the window to register. This is the moment I've been so anxious about. Will our 31 feet be allowed or will we be turned away. We did see some signs that there were available sites at some of the other campgrounds but they are miles away from here & I for one want to get settled. Well, I needn't have worried. They didn't even look twice at us. We had already paid online for the site; a whopping $54 for three nights!! We pulled in easy breezy & once again were fully functional in under 15 minutes. <br />
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Our first order of business, once we'd had a moment to just relax & enjoy that we are here, is to take the mile walk over to the south rim to get our first true canyon view. My limited vocabulary can't even BEGIN to describe the Grand Canyon. To quote the park guide it is "one of Earth's most powerful landscapes- it overwhelms our senses." That's putting it mildly. The first time I came here with my parents & Miles it brought tears to my eyes. I can't wait for Bryon to see it for his first time. And Ernesto - we came here on a helicopter ride out of Las Vegas a couple of years ago but we only had about 30 minutes to experience it. What kind of inspiration will he take from here? That's what this is. It's more than a place, it's an experience. And a pretty profound & spiritual one for sure. <br />
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We take a stroll through the beautiful landscape over to the Trail of Time, a 1.2 mile walk along the South Rim. This is an educational trail designed to help your mind grasp that what you are seeing is 184 billion years old!!! Every few feet in the path a penny is embedded. The distance between pennies represents a million years. Every 10 feet or so a rock representing a layer in the canyon is presented with some information about the era. At the bottom of it all the mighty Colorado River is continuing to carve through the layers. It has "only" taken it 6 million years to reveal what we see today.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heh heh</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gratuitous vacay photos...</td></tr>
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We are able to scramble of the path & go as close to the edge as we dare. Some of us dare more than others!! I was terrified Ernesto would fall in. They have a special sign of a guy falling with sliding rocks warning us to stay at least 6 feet from the edge. It's wild here and very few areas have railings preventing a fall. Enter at your own risk!! We follow the trail to its conclusion where the time increments become less until it gets to individual years. We each take a photo on the year that represents our age. There is a geologic museum on Yavapai Point with some scale models of the canyon and lots of neat books & souvenirs. One book is about an inch & a half thick is all about people who have died in the canyon. I point at the cover & glare at Ernesto. We spend a delightful 2 plus hours meandering, exploring before heading back to camp to prepare our celebratory feast.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one's for you James Harden</td></tr>
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The sun is beginning to set & we get our campfire going. All around us people are returning to their sites. We have noticed that English seems to be a minority language here. We are hearing a lot of French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese and every so often English. The night sky is beginning to glow with millions of stars. Which reminds us; just as we set up camp a young girl, a graduate student, came over & asked if we would like to participate in a survey about the night sky. We said, "sure" so we pulled it out & began answering questions. It had to do with light pollution & what kind of light would we like to see in the park. Our responses were that we wanted it to remain as natural as possible. Even at the expense of safety features. If I'm going to be walking around a campground at night I expect to need to use a flashlight!! That's part of why we come to wild places; to experience wilderness! <br />
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Soon all is ready & we sit at our picnic table & enjoy the best meal I've had in I don't know when!! All the stress, worry & planning have been worth it. We are in our heavenly home for the next three nights.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-56012407608174652752012-08-03T08:30:00.001-07:002012-08-03T08:30:16.471-07:00Day 2 - Albuquerque, NM - Flagstaff, AZ7/24<br />
3:00 am<br />
I was asleep before my head hit the pillow last night. So why am I up now? I'm worried about Lucy, our newest and tiny dog. I think it is going to overwhelm our house sitter to be available to let her in & out enough. And she is not used to long days in a crate. The older dogs sleep all the time so I know they are fine. How can this be resolved? My first thought is to drive back to OkC & retrieve her... Okay, that's extreme, is there a better idea? I toss & turn & drift in & out of fitful sleep until Ernesto wakes around 5:00. Arizona doesn't observe daylight savings so 5:00 is like 7:00 at home. We put our heads together & cal Shelly, Lucy's foster mom who is able to pick her up & keep her for the week!!! The feeling of relief floods my body!!!<br />
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6:00 am<br />
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Bryon is up now too. We begin the morning coffee ritual. The T@B is equipped with a tiny kitchen & as long as we have hook-ups I can use the electric kettle to boil water for the French press, My favorite way to brew. We take our time, enjoying the morning & each other's company. <br />
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The T@B is a real conversation starter wherever we camp. Most people look & a few stop by to ask questions. An older couple travelling the West stops by & it turns out the lady is researching her family tree back hundreds of years & guess what?? She's got some Sanchez in her history. Oh boy right up Ernesto's alley!! She goes of to her camper & returns with a laminated scroll which she unfurls across our picnic table as she & Ernesto discuss the details.<br />
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Soon we showered and hopped in the car to check out old Albuquerque before heading out to Flagstaff. We got to town in a few minutes, found a spot to park & struck out on foot to see the sights. The area we tucked into feels very much like Santa Fe. We pass by many shops selling jewelry, too many it seems for a town this size to support but I guess they have a lot of tourism. Albuquerque is famous for its balloon festival held each October. Once we unknowingly tried to stop here on our way to California during the event & there was not one hotel room to be had for miles!! </div>
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There is an old cathedral which we toured.</div>
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We then, stopped & had lunch @ the Red Feather Cafe, I had a delicious bowl of the famous New Mexican green chile stew, delish!! We had an 11:00 check out @ Enchanted Trails so after luch we headed back to pack up & move down the road.</div>
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5:00</div>
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Change of plans!! As we are heading to Flagstaff we drive through Holbrook, AZ. Our plan was to stay here on our way back through to Santa Fe. It sets us up to drive through the Petrified Forest. But Lord, Holbrook looks bleak!! I can see the campground where we are supposed to be staying & it just looks like a parking lot. Thank God for iPhones!! I pull up a place in nearby Meteor Crator that looks a lot better. A few phone calls & we are set. </div>
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6:30</div>
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Another long day's drive!! We find the Woody Mountain RV Park w/a little bit of getting turned around. I go in the rustic office to register & the manager follows me out to show us to our site. In the mean time Ernesto has discovered we have thrown a lug bolt somewhere along the road today & is looking really nervous. I say, "Let's just get settled for the night & we will deal with it in the morning. Nothing is still open anyway." </div>
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Flagstaff is an anomaly in this region. It is more like mountainy Colorado plunked down in the middle of the desert. There are soaring pine trees that give this park its name. We are tucked in to the end of a row of big campers. We look like a dwarf among giants. Although it is beautiful here I feel closed in, I wish they had laid the spots out with more space between. Maybe I'm just fretting about mechanical trouble this far from home & it's making me unable to appreciate the beauty here...</div>
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It has rained earlier in the day & I need to put on long sleeves!!</div>
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I had rented a documentary on my iPad so we watched it but Bryon called it a night about 20 minutes in & I dozed through the whole thing. It is nice to have such a comfortable place to call home each night & I sleep like a baby. </div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7572907233852709657.post-70477015947739876782012-08-01T20:09:00.000-07:002012-08-01T20:09:03.177-07:00Day 1 - The Enchanted Trails RV Park, Alburqueque, New Mexico7/23<br />
8:48 am<br />
On the road, FINALLY!! We've been planning this trip for so long. I can't believe it's finally here. I'm a little nervous, do we have everything we need? Will the dogs be okay? Is our trailer/car combined length too long? (There is a 30 foot limit @ the Grand Canyon & we are about a foot too long if they want to be nit picky about it.) I'm trying to remember that everything in the universe happens as it is supposed to and to let go & RELAX!!! So it's on to Albuqueque.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the Road</td></tr>
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12:30<br />
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We stopped for lunch in Amarillo, basically the halfway point. Had the baked potato special @ the Cracker Barrel. Say what you will about them politically, it's nice to be able to have veggies on the road. Our waitress was pretty happy about her job there too. She said she is able to work around her children's schedule & is grateful. As I wait for the food to arrive I play the game where you try to jump & remove golf tees from a triangle until there is one left. They have one on every table & sell them in the massive gift shop adjacent to the restaurant. I can only get to 4 before I have no more moves. We finish, have a look around at all the useless crap for sale before moving on to the rockers (also for sale) that line the front porch.</div>
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5:00</div>
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STILL on the road - pulling the T@B takes a <u>lot</u> longer & we stop <u>often</u> for gas b/c we don't like to get under a half tank. On a positive note the temperature has dropped over 30 degrees as we enter New Mexico. There is an afternoon squall & the thermometer on the car shows 59 degrees before leveling out in the mid-70s.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryon in front of one of the restored campers</td></tr>
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6:00 </div>
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LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Enchanted Trails!!! The owner has fully restored vintage campers on site, many available for rent. Our site is up front near the bathroom. Once we get parked we set up camp for the night. This is a process we have down to a science. It takes about 15 minutes to get from parked to fully set up! We have a tent room that zips on that more than doubles our square footage. This gives Bryon his own room as well as a place to store things that would otherwise have to live in the car. Once we are set we tour the grounds. We were able to borrow a key to take a look inside one of the trailers.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pure Kitch!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This one actually drives around</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Yellowstone" is the one we toured</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How cute is this camper?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wpnGbrd2RaLmzP9ywej2sEG0ESxad_CYj4ebLwO8cjWdxkQF5ye3OzzIiOIKOqb06JiQ7R_sdZXebFLkKk-LimYEeFHWFqT-IOZLzw5ktqkqVyqfo5YB9J-3t9tgmOPZXy8WPupT3Dg/s1600/IMG_0127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3wpnGbrd2RaLmzP9ywej2sEG0ESxad_CYj4ebLwO8cjWdxkQF5ye3OzzIiOIKOqb06JiQ7R_sdZXebFLkKk-LimYEeFHWFqT-IOZLzw5ktqkqVyqfo5YB9J-3t9tgmOPZXy8WPupT3Dg/s320/IMG_0127.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Imagine trying to haul this monster around!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After we settled in Ernesto & Bryon made a beer run while I enjoyed the pool & spa.</td></tr>
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We had a dinner of beans & rice & quesadillas & turned in for our first night.</div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10224015401426029454noreply@blogger.com0