Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Adventures. Show all posts

11/18/13

Veterans Days -- Adventuring with the Gals

For your listening pleasure (keep reading, I explain) 


On Veterans day me and some friends decided to do a little bit of Washington adventuring. We started the day with breakfast at the Maltby Cafe. Best breakfast in Washington and it's right down the street from me. Score! 

  It's nice to go out with gals that just want to try everything on the menu, so they were okay with order several plates and eating family style. 

 They are so lovely 

 Big Cinnamon Roll! Best shared with friends unless you want to be sick.  

We forgot to take a picture of the before, but I think it does the food more justice to show plates cleared. Everything was good but I have to say the winner for me was the Country Style Eggs Benedict.  Try it if you get the pleasure. 

Everyone was quiet for a the next half hour while we were all digesting. I was driving so in efforts to keep things lively I introduced the gals to my new favorite album. Yes, that would be the Rick Astley's "Whenever You Need Somebody" album that I scored at value village. It's a toe tapper and I can't listen to it without laughing out loud (and not the cop out "lol" people use to be polite in text messages). 

This dude is the package ladies. Here is a little list of why. 


  1. Deep Voice
  2. Gangling and Red-headed (both of which he works with the help of heavily padded blazers and mousse, respectfully) 
  3. Swoon inducing dance moves
  4. He's Gonna fix all my problems. This is more than just a feeling. I know he will because every song he sings, reassures this fact to me. 
  5. If he's singing from the heart than he's the doormat that every girl has dreamed of 



This song is a favorite song of mine and became a kind of the anthem of our trip. I'm glad the other gals could dig it with me. They shared my love for the way he sings "Maybe" at min 0:19. It's absolutely jarring. The first time I heard it, I had this montage run in my head of being serenaded by Rick at point blank range, all the while trying to keep a flattered composure as my ear drums bust and my hair blows in bursts at every time he sings "Maybe" 

Next stop was Deception Pass on Whidbey Island. 






 I'd like to dedicate this photo to my sister and our really good friend. It reminded me of all our outings to Point Reyes which usually involved crawling on the beach for cool rocks.   


We found a little bitty tide pool. 




We continued to make our way down the Island stopping in Oak Harbor for some thrifting and hot chocolate. Between the sugar and driving I was a bit tired so at my request when we got to Fort Casey we took a little rest before exploring. 


This is a view from the fort over looking the sound toward Port Townsend. After we were done at the fort we stopped in Langley for some pizza and then rushed off to the ferry bound for home. It was a really stellar day. Good sites, Great weather (for this time of year) and Wonderful company. Thanks ladies!

7/29/13

Celebration of Lights Vancouver, BC 2013


Grabbing some lunch and taking in the sights at Granville Island (the pikes place market of Van) 


Working the Pier :) 


Trek down to the water for the Fireworks show



Waiting for the sun to set so the fireworks could get started

Water fountain at Queen Elizabeth Park 


Vancouver!




4/6/13

Arizona Trip summed up : Dam, Hot, Wedding.... Grand Canyon!!!


First trip to Grand Canyon. Highly recommend being there at sunset. 


In March one of my college roommates got married in Phoenix. The original plan was for me to drive down to AZ from UT with one of my other ol' roomies. During the planning stages, I had called up one of my cousins living in Utah and invited her (and her car :) on this road trip, as my ol' roomie would be very close to her due date and might not be able to go. Turned out to be a good call since as the wedding drew closer, my ol' roomie felt to stick close to home and not go down for the wedding. A hard call for her to make because she really wanted to go but completely rational one.

So that's how I ended up on "crazy cousin road trip, 2013". We started the day out around 4am and hauled down to St. George where we stopped for some breakfast at the grocery store. We took our chow up to Pioneer park and ate it overlooking St. George as the sun was cresting.


Then we got the blood pumping by taking a quick squeeze through crack in the rocks that last a few hundred feet. 


From there we got back on the road and drove on down through Vegas, making a quick stop at the Hoover Dam. It was a first time for both of us. It's pretty big but the pictures just don't do it justice. 


We got to Phoenix in the afternoon where the temp had peaked at 93 deegrees. We met up with yet another ol' roomate at our hotel, who found us tired and stinky, so we laid around watched "The Help" (first time seeing it, very good) and got destinkiefied. 


We found out there was a BJ's Pizza (one of my favorite places to eat when I lived in Long Beach) close by so set out from our hotel room. As we were walking out to the car, we witnessed one of the most amazing sunsets ever! The desert has a way of making you feel that every sunset is the "most amazing ever" though.  


Look, how grown up me and my ol' roomie are now!


The day of my ol' roomies wedding I ran into some old family friends on the temple grounds. I didn't even know they were living in Arizona. Turns out one of their family members was getting married on the same day as my roomie.  Its a Small world, but being LDS makes it smaller! (when I say they were old friends I mean that she was practically like a cousin to my mom and I grew up addressing them both aunt and uncle) 


Mr and Mrs Newlyweds 


Killing time by taking in some downtown Tempe art


Looking at Fish! Killing more time at Bass Pro Shop! (Yup, we were the only ones in dresses) 


This is just one reason why me and this roomie are friends. She had Erlenmeyer and Florence flasks instead of vases at her wedding.  


It was a pretty fancy reception so we did our best to blend in


When we were leaving the reception, the valet brings the car around and comments on Nickelback playing on the stereo...Why Radio, Why?!






On the Drive home we made a detour to the Grand Canyon. We snapped this shot while getting some lunch in Flag Staff, AZ. Super cool town, hard not to be when you've got route 66, lots of history and hippies.  


Here is my thing with the Grand Canyon. I've never not wanted to go, but it wasn't high on my priority list since it seemed like one of those touristy things "everyone" does. Well "everyone" does things either for hype I agree with or disagree with... 


 ...Well I here by endorse the hype of the Grand Canyon! Lives up to the name. 

We made our visit to the Southeastern part. We didn't have time for hikes and pretty much just stopped and check out the views from the road. If I'm ever in the area I'd like to see more



 We had a late night of driving back up north but after the views we saw, completely worth it!!!
 


6/13/12

The Mud Run!

 A few weeks ago I did a 5k Mud Run with my friends.  This is the before shot....

....and this is the after