Portland

With a predawn start out of San Fran, we drove a long 13 hours to Portland Oregon Monday August 20th- greeted by Dion’s close college friends: Brian, Graham, and Graham’s 9 month pregnant wife Courtney. We grabbed dinner and local microbrews within walking distance from Graham’s house. The menu at Ale House defines the pub as: Local & organic; Reasonably priced; Made from scatch, and Environmentally friendly; descriptions that could just a well apply to the city and neighborhoods of Portland as a whole.

Christy’s first experience in Portland was done the best way possible… on a Cruiser. We rode into downtown, through the tree lined neighborhood pockets and across the river that so comfortably splits the city in two. “Subaru, Subaru, Subaru, look another Subaru” pointing to the fourth parked car in just one block. They are as ubiquitous here as mapped bike lanes, unique McMennamin brewery pubs/theaters, classic bookshops and- as we found out once we reached downtown- great Happy Hour deals.

By the end of the relatively brief time there, Christy had become quiet enamored with the city picturing the brisk fall days, where you kick aside the colorful leaves on the way to a favorite neighborhood coffee shop. With great friends there (and a possible friends’ wedding- Hills?) future visits will likely let her see just how true to reality that vision is of this model NW city.

Biking through the neighborhood streets of Portland

After an afternoon spent at Powell's bookstore downtown and 2 different Happy Hours, we biked back to Graham and Courtney's house along the river. Tuesday night's dinner at Graham and Courtney's house, with Brian Hillier and his girlfriend Katen (our hosts).
Graham, Dion and Hillier- fraternity brothers from University of Washington

Big Sur

We both know better than to call any particular place our “favorite”. On a trip like this, that distinction is always shifting- there are simply so many unique, memorable places with so many great people to see. For the 3 days of our visit, as far as we were concerned, Big Sur- actually most of the drive from Santa Barbara to Carmel by the Sea, was the most beautiful stretch of coastline on the planet.

We were lucky to catch the coast on a sunny warm weekend, to find a campsite overlooking the Pacific (thanks for the Kirk Creek suggestion Sveny) and have the time to enjoy the craggy, windblown coast at a fairly leisurely pace. Plenty of it was spent perched on cliffs, just watching and listening to the ocean. You can do that for hours here.

Beyond this brief description, we’ll leave it for the pictures to try and capture the serene, feral beauty of this area.

A stairway to a 1/2 mile of sandy beach and rolling surf waves. Too bad it was too freezing to reach them without a wet suit.

Classic view of the Big Sur coastline- streching approx 90 miles between San Simeon & Monterey

Looks as inviting a beaches come, although you'd have to leap a cliff to get there and would freeze after a few minutes in the water. Look close (double click) at the shawdowed cliff and you'll see a waterfall dropping into the sand.

You can't help but become a bird watcher here as the pelicans & gulls glide over the ocean and play in the wind currents.

C, still going strong with her 50 push-ups per day. This set during a memorable coastal hike.

One of the hearty coastal trees

The restaurant we enjoyed our finally night in the area. Located in the quaint, luxury cottaged, any girlfriend will love it , it helps to be a multi-billionaire to live there, village of Carmel by the Sea.

A Carmel by the Sea Sunset

The tiny town of LA

Our two days/three nights in LA were centered on spending time with friends/family. Several of Christy’s friends from home live there. Priya, Christy’s oldest childhood friend from age 6, hosted us in Marina Del Ray for two nights. It felt good to go for a jog around the waterfront and Venice Beach, near her place. Marissa, Christy’s friend from home, and her husband Kevin cooked up a feast for us Wednesday night when we stayed with them. Their spread, which included a decadent cheese plate, paired with California wines and a tilapia dinner stemming from Marissa’s trip to the farmer’s market, was the perfect backdrop for the night. Katie and Julie, other friends from Christy’s high school joined as well. It was a fun reunion and opportunity to finally introduce Dion and C’s friends to one another.

Thursday afternoon was another “reunion” of sorts- with family. Dion’s Aunt Claudine and Uncle Juan had us over for lunch in West Covina, in eastern LA. Dion’s mom is one of 9 children and 3 of her other siblings were able to make it to Aunt Claudine’s that afternoon: Aunt Doreen, Aunt Virginia, and Uncle Larry, and cousins Steve, Eddie, Sierra, Robert and Noah. Dion, who hadn’t seen some of these relatives in over 10 years, was very appreciative they set aside quality time to see us on while we were in LA.

Driving out of the city that Friday, we jumped in the ocean near Malibu, and scanned the roadside for In-N-Out Burgers (the freshest fast food burger joint) and Pinkberrys (amazing frozen yogurt), knowing they would be hard, if not impossible, to enjoy again the rest of our trip.

Not our typical camp fare...

The beauty of self-timers. Around the table is Kevin, Marissa, Katie, Julie and Julie's boyfriend

Dion's Family Reunion

Priya and Christy, after a few margaritas out on the town

Santa Cruz

Sunday, following "Wine Weekend", we drove a scenic 1 1/2 hour drive along the coast down to Santa Cruz- to visit Dion's college friend Johnny Little, wife Andrea, and their precious daughters: Isa (Isabelle) and Anna (Annalie). Lucky for us, a meteor shower was lighting the sky that night. We viewed the spectacle on one of the many acres of park land, not far from their house, with one of his friends setting up a high powered 80x telescope. Not only did we witness a couple vivid streaks that arched half the sky, but we stumbled upon an astronomy lesson- viewing Pluto, a few notable stars and even a galaxy.

In true "Johnny" style, the next day, we experienced the gorgeous area and Monterey bay on bike. After the guys did a bit touring on their own- riding miles of trails through Redwoods on and around the Santa Cruz campus, Christy joined to ride along the jagged coastline. We saw up close, for the first time, the sparkling blue bays nestled in the rocky coast, and found how cold and intimidating the Pacific waves can be relative to the gentle Miami-Atlantic.

In less than two days, we were able to catch up with a great friend and his family. Through pedalling around town and the coast, driving through the heavily forested Santa Cruz campus and of course through the local food, we also got a glimpse of the "quintessential California beach town". We couldn't help but frequent the little Tacqueria Johnny introduced us too more than once on the short visit! Their soft tacos, white cream covered tamales and homemade nachos were so good and reminded us what a melting pot of cultures our USA really is.

Johnny, with his two darlings, Isa (pigtails) and Anna

Monday night, we took a walk down the main street in Santa Cruz, stopping for some Ice Cream.

John and Dion riding Monday morning, through Santa Cruz Campus and a park overlooking the ocean.

Biking along the Pacific coast

Johnny is getting psyched for the next big wave, while Christy is getting out of there.

This water is cold!

Wine Weekend

California wine country has been a weekend we've look forward to for awhile. It was scheduled before we'd created the master plan of quitting our jobs to travel- with or without the road trip, it was a weekend to meet up with friends in great surroundings.

Early Friday morning we picked up Jen & Spencer (Dion’s friend from high school & his wife) from the Oakland airport and started the casual drive to Healdsburg, an increasingly popular wine town slightly north of Sonoma. Driving through Sonoma can encourage sidetracking so we selected country roads vs the highway, stopping at few wineries and enjoying the blue sky day with sun roof open & music playing.

Later that evening, we settled into our house overlooking the Russian river, kayaked the river and then grilled salmon & steak as Steve, Kellie, Jodi, Brad & Marissa (friends from college/highschool) arrived from San Francisco, Seattle & LA. Saturday our car arrived before noon for a full day of wine tasting. The consensus favorite was Dutcher Crossing, which was the most homegrown of the wineries visited- only 2 years old. We were given a private tasting outside, back dropped by Cabernet vineyards. While none of us had known of Dutcher Crossing before that day (only 400 cases of each vintage are made), we agreed their Sauvignon Blanc and Zinfandel were outstanding... and made great accompaniments to our picnic lunch at the vineyard.

That night, instead of a restaurant in town, we opted for more time on the kayaks & our deck overlooking the river. We cooked up pasta, passed around a few more bottles of wine, wishing Sunday could just be another day shared in wine country.

Tasting at Landmark Winery, first day in Sonoma

Jodi, Spencer & Jen, Kayaking outside our place along the Russian River.

Dinner on the deck

Saturdays Ride.
The first saturday winery stop: D, C, Spencer, Jen, Steve, Kelly, Marissa & Brad

Our tasting at Dutcher Crossing

Dutcher Crossing Lunch- w/ Spencer, Steve, Jodi, and our driver- Rodney.

Welcome to California- Sierras & Yosemite

We left Idaho early Monday morning the 6th, and arrived in California that evening –greeted by the stunning Sierra Nevada Mountains, which run down much of the eastern border of California. Neither of us had visited the Sierra retreat of Lake Tahoe and enjoyed our short time there immensely. Driving along the windy western shore, the giant sparkling lake sat to our left, while ski lifts, hills and forest rose to our right. Inviting restaurants and cafes speckled the coastline along with gorgeous lodge homes. After only a few minutes of driving along the wooded, built shoreline, we were drawn to the alpine getaway and made an “unscheduled” overnight stay.

The next day we reached Yosemite in a few hours, driving along the east side of the mountain range. Yosemite’s granite rock faces, especially the climbing meccas: Half Dome & El Capitan dominate most photos and postcards from the park. Outside the dramatic Yosemite Valley (where some rock faces rise nearly a mile above the valley) we visited High Mountain passes, meadows, cold mountain lakes, and waterfalls. Hiking among the ancient Giant Sequoia trees, in the Southern part of the park, was a highlight as well. In fact, it was these magnificent ancient trees (many 3000 years old) and the infamous rock faces in Yosemite Valley that convinced Lincoln to sign the Yosemite Grant in 1864, paving the way for it to become a National Park. It’s upon visiting the park though that you realize there is so much more to be seen than just what’s most popularly photographed. Yosemite is roughly the size of Rhode Island, with only a handful of roads within, it would take much more time and many more hikes to really "see" Yosemite.

Lake Tahoe

Emerald Bay in Lake Tahoe.

The Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias. Look close enough and you can see Dion standing by the "Clothespin" Tree. His miniature size helps give a frame of reference and show how tall these nearly 3000 year old trees stand!
Christy hiking with El Capitan in the background
Sun setting over Half Dome

Vernan Falls, which we hiked by on our way up to Nevada Falls. This was a favorite hike for the both of us. Literally climbing into the mountains 2000 ft, step by step (Christy was grateful for her 5th flook apt walkup training in NYC) provided gorgeous and rewarding views! A real live black bear... right by our parking lot! Given the thousands of tourists (and their food) that pass through Yosemite every day, they are running rampant this season! Nearly every night bears walk through the campsites (one walked around our tent our last night!) and cars broken into, when food is left inside!

Sun Valley, Idaho

After nearly a week at the Tetons and Yellowstone, we headed to Sun Valley for three quality days/4 nights with Dion's good friends Chad and Becky, and their adorable 7 month old son Whit. The 5 hour drive from Yellowstone's exit to the popular ski haven was unlike any drive all trip. This part of Idaho is barren. No farming, no grass, nothing. Boulders of rock and torn up Earth blanketed all but the road. Slowly we started seeing some life, rolling massive hills spotted with trees came into view and we were out of what felt like Mars and into the gorgeous outdoor mecca of Sun Valley- the town of Hailey ID to be specific. We arrived just in time for Chad's birthday AND the weekend which set the tone for our time there. They showed us a fun time and spoiled us with amenities like a bed, shower, cold drinks... simple things you learn to live without, while camping...

Whit was a trooper going on his longest hike ever with us Saturday morning up to a stellar viewpoint over Ketchum, the heart of Sun Valley and where the ski mountain bases lay. The Folk Festival was going on in Hailey, so that night we rode our bikes a few blocks down to the park, coolers and picnic dinner thrown over our shoulders, and threw back on the lawn with all the others from town. What a fun night and glimpse into life outside the big cities we both came from... with great live music playing, our picnic spread out, microbrews in hand, and friends all around. Everyone seemed to know everyone which added to the laid back spirit of the whole night.

Sunday was a leisurely relaxed day at home..topped off with a visit to the natural Hot Springs just out of town. Small jacuzzi sized pools are shaped in the river by rocks and hot water flows from above making what feels like the perfect bath which just doesn't cool off on you. So unbelievably relaxing. We saw many towns from the Rockies- west who tout "Hot Springs" yet what we saw were commercialized swimming pools with kids playing Marco Polo and splashing. The Hot Springs they took us to on Sunday however, were precisely what we envisioned Hot Springs should be, if not better..

Our hike to the viewpoint over Ketchum with the ski mountains in the background.
View from lookout
The Hailey Folk Festival- pre nighttime and dancing
Lounging in the Hot Springs

Cooling off from our hike

Happy 1st birthday as a Dad, Chad!

Yellowstone

After 3 nights in the Tetons we drove 30 Miles north into Yellowstone, the first and probably most renown of the National Parks. A fair portion of the park sits on an active caldera, which feeds some of its note worthy sights- Old Faithful, and many of the colorful geysers, springs & pools. What impressed us was how dynamic and geothermally active the area is. Watching several of the geysers erupt and reading about ones that have formed in the past 50 years instilled the feeling we happen to live in the relatively small window where the landscape will actually be tourist worthy.

These unique features are only a slice of the attraction, with 3500 square miles of parkland- the canyons, rivers, forest and grasslands make it easy to escape the crowds and step into a very wild, pristine environment. Wildlife is abound; the Bison caused several traffic hold ups while we were there, bear precautionary signs highlight their presence throughout the park, and we camped to coyotes howls each night (a favorite occurrence for Christy).

A picture of a Bison resting near Yellowstone river in Hayden Valley. This area was once part of a much expanded Yellowstone lake and is now open grassland that serves for some of the best roadside wildlife viewing in the Park.

Walking in the Old Faithful Area, surrounded by the steam of the multiple pools & geysers.

The Black Pool, named for a bacteria that inhabited a cooler version of the pool 15 years ago. One of the many examples of the ongoing changes in the area.

Yellowstone traffic jams

Ole Faithful

The lower falls of the Yellowstone river (300 ft) carving the walls of Yellowstone canyon.

Grand Teton National Park

After driving all day from Moab, Utah to Wyoming, we spent two full and amazing days in Grand Teton National Park. While similar in beauty to the mountains we saw in CO, the jaggedness of the Teton range sets them apart hugely. We enjoyed a day long hike which brought us up to Inspiration Point for great views of Jenny Lake, and then continued up through a canyon that cut two of the peaks. There were several lakes near our campsite that not only made for great photos but a fun bout of canoeing and even a showering hole!

This moose, and two of his friends, welcomed us to the Grand Tetons. They grazed right up to our campsite the first night while we ate dinner.

Christy invaluably learning how to put up a tent!


View from Cascade Canyon, where we hiked, and the Grand Teton Mountains!

Taken at "Inspiration Point" along our hike, overlooking Jenny Lake.