A Tuna Christmas

Did anyone go to this show when it came to Seattle and Portland? I've seen it live a few times, and we used to watch the VHS tape (!!)  every Christmas Eve. Two actors play 20 some parts surrounding a Christmas yard display contest in the tiny town of Tuna. One of our favorite lines is from Petey Fisk, animal lover, who says, after adopting a coyote "You just give nature some space and it won't try to kill you!" He's all bandaged up from said coyote, so it's particularly funny. And appropriate for today, as our adventuring took us to Stingray City in Grand Cayman. 

Originally we had planned to go snorkeling, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't be able to get myself back on a catamaran (I LOVE catamarans), and so we sort of begrudgingly booked this excursion. Honestly, it seemed so...obnoxious - the pictures showed so many people in the water... Cruising at its worst?  But we went! I will happily be wrong often when the results are such a great day!

Stingray City is in the North Sound off Grand Cayman Island. It's in a natural channel between two barrier reefs. Because of the reef, the water is relatively shallow. At Stingray City it is 3-5 feet deep; elsewhere in the area it's only as deep as 25 feet. Stingray City is only accessible by licensed charters, but there are plenty of them! There were around 20 boats of varying size in our circle. So many people!

But look at the water! Doesn't it look like a pool? It was beautiful and clear, and pretty warm. Not to mention that the sun was shining!!

Yes, there were stingrays. And you could hold them, feed them, take a picture with them... They come to the area because they are fed, and apparently don't mind being celebrities for awhile. One of them wrapped its loooooong tail around my ankle in the first several minutes, and I was pretty much done after that! I kept one eye peeled for their shadows, and then we just bobbed around the ocean for the rest of the time. I didn't want to hold one, or touch the squid mixture that was available, but it was pretty cool that they were just swimming around; some of the females were truly huge! We love the ocean, in almost any form. But we don't bob around in our ocean, we just appreciate it. Being in this water was pretty magical! Oh! You know what else was magical? I got out of the water largely without incident. ;) 

Then we went to a shopping center before heading back to the boat. We stopped at the first restaurant we came to and had an amazing lunch. Truly, this was  the best food I have eaten in a very long while. We both had a shrimp dumpling appetizer and the shrimp ravioli. I can't imagine the situation where one of you is at the Camana Bay Shopping Center, but stop at Abacus if you are there!

And now we are Aruba bound! :) 

Have Crutch, Will Travel

When's the good time to say I'm on crutches? Now-ish? It was a ROUGH week physically, and Monday night I ended up using crutches to get around the house. Lanny is not a fan, and Winnie knocked them over and broke part of their food bowl within the first 5 minutes of usage. Perfect.  I mentally prepared to take them to school with me on Tuesday, and then of course got pig headed and refused to do it. But once you whip the crutches out, if your mom is the travel manager, you can't go back. It's like putting toothpaste back in the tube. She had a good point -- it's 8 miles at PDX from checking your baggage to the Alaska terminal (lol), and a cruise ship is no better. So here we are. 

And I'm so glad she made be bring them, because....dang! I'm falling apart! If you're playing catch-up, I don't have a new and interesting injury, I'm still limping along on my left knee. Recently my right knee, hip, and calf have thrown in the towel. There was a brief point on Tuesday when I was wearing two knee braces.  Thank goodness for long dresses! In summary, let's not all point and gawk at pictures with crutches. I'm hoping after a few days of chilling out and not walking incessantly around my classroom that everything will just relax. :)

We are on another marathon day here in March to get to a cruise! Thelma has been up for roughly 36 hours. Louise slept for a hot minute on the plane, but basically we're exhausted! Our flight was delayed out of PDX and we didn't ending up leaving until almost 11:30pm. In the rain, obvi. 

We got dinner at Hank's or Henry's or whatever the pub-like restaurant is at the airport. Mom was in the bathroom when I got an alert saying our flight was over an hour delayed. The woman next to me looked at her phone at the same time and audibly said, "damn." I looked over, and said, "Fort Lauderdale?" She nodded, I ordered a real drink (an exotic mojito, don't you know), and from there we found out that we were both educators on spring break headed for the Caribbean. Small world! We swapped war stories,  laughed a lot, and were genuinely glad for said delay. 💓

We lucked out again on the plane and had an empty seat in our row so we could spread out. And then there were just many MANY hours of hanging out. I actually think the delay made our flight a little smoother as a storm had rolled through the Gulf. I didn't sleep much, but watched a movie and checked my watch obsessively. Sunrise over the Gulf of Mexico was alright. 

Where are we headed, you ask? Aruba, Jamaica, oooooooh I want to take you. Bermuda, Bahama...  You know those aren't all together, right? We are going to Grand Cayman, Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire. It's going to be fabulous! Tomorrow is an at sea day. On tap? A whole lot of whatever we want to do! 😃

Country Road, Take Me Home

Sundial Bridge, Redding

Our final run up the freeway was truly a sprint (though it felt like more of a slog); we were heading for Portland for the start of the Broadway in Portland season opener. The first day we saw 19 accidents/stalled vehicles, the second day 12, and crossing into Oregon, only six. I get it -- the law of averages. Things cleared out around Lake Shasta, and we both took a deep breath. And then stopped for ice cream at Udders in Grants Pass. Love that place!

We did make it in time for Six at Keller, but it was close! We are magnets for traffic, we are! I know the show has already come and gone in Seattle and Portland, but if you get a chance to see it somewhere else, do it! It's the story of Henry VIII's wives, told by the wives themselves. It's hilarious, and sometimes poignant, with a really great soundtrack. Loved it! If you hear me say (or sing!) something saucy in a British accent in the coming weeks, it's probably from Six. Probably. ;)

This was a GREAT trip. Although we are glad to be home in Oregon, and still have a little PTSD from the traffic/speed of California freeways, we love a road trip and had so much fun. Here are our favorites, or at least some of our favorite memories:

Favorite Hotel:

A: Probably the Residence Inn at Dana Point.

E: Um, the one with THE TRAINS????

A: Well, yes... But we had two rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen. We were there for several days and got to unpack. Plus we watched all that soccer. And...I had gobs of personal time while you were at your class. lol.

E: Mine was the Sundial Sheraton in Redding. Those fluffy pillows!! Honorable mention to the truck stop with the Ritz Carlton interior. That was a happy surprise! 

Favorite Restaurant:

A: Mosaic; I had that flight of margaritas!

E: How about a place where you ate food too! (I crack myself up!)

A: Delmenico's on the Wharf in Monterey. The ambiance on the pier was great, and I felt like we were part of their family. 

E: This is too hard! We had so much great food. I loved Delmenico's too. I don't know what made me order the Alfredo (I'm not really pasta people), but it was like nothing else I've ever eaten. I did really like Carmelita's in Laguna Beach too, and La Casita Azul in Yucca Valley. We had such delicious food, made and served by incredibly lovely people. That was a trip highlight for sure. 

Mosaic Restaurant in Redding

Favorite Drink:

A: The lavender and jalapeño margarita from my flight at Mosaic. 

E: I only put this question in so I could talk about the drink I had at Mosaic. It was the best drink I've ever had! I know that doesn't mean much since I drink so little, but I swear it was delicious! It was made with "coconut fat washed gin". I can only say that that process has something to do with the density of liquids - there was also pineapple juice, something about taro root and caramelized banana syrup too. Whatever -- loved it!

Favorite Freeway:

E: I asked this just to see the look on my mom's face. It was good! Have you ever seen the movie Galaxy Quest? If not, you have to see it. I think it's funny on its own, but it's bonus funny if you're a Star Trek fan. In the movie, Sigourney Weaver's character repeats the things the ship computer says, right after it is said. Obviously that wears on the rest of the crew after awhile, and she says one of my favorite lines:

 This is how we road trip. Mom drives, British Siri tells us where to go, and I repeat it. Ha!

Also, Siri basically uses Zones of Regulation for traffic warnings. Lots of "red zones"!! 

Place You'd Go Back To:

A: The Stout Grove in the Redwoods.

E: Me too -- actually anywhere in the Redwoods. It is peaceful and calming in a way that is hard to describe. The Stout Grove loop was pretty awesome. 

Favorite Thing You Saw:

A: Sensorio for sure! 

E: Wouldn't it be so fun to see another installation by the artist somewhere else? It was so creative and beautiful. I think the thing that I keep thinking about is the Cholla Garden at Joshua Tree. I don't know why I liked the chollas so much, but I did! 

Weirdest Thing You Saw:

A: I was going to say the freeway shut down (police cars lined up perpendicularly on the freeway), but now I have to go with the wolf. 

E: Oh, the wolf. Y'all we saw someone walking a gray wolf in Redding. And yes, we Googled it, and yes we're sure. It was GIGANTIC, had a bit of mange about it, and was on some sort of homemade rope/leash. On the topic of the animal kingdom, we also saw parakeets in a carrier out at Sensorio, and a cat on a leash at the Starbucks in Coalinga. 😳 As my dad would say: You can't make this stuff up!

Favorite Redwood Experience:

A: I really liked Bolling Grove where we had the picnic that last day. 

E: Me too. I also really liked driving through the Jedidiah Smith State Park. Whatever that road to Crescent City is, I'd drive that again! 

Favorite Siri U-Turn:

A: Going back for Ivy, the Support Otter.

E: I promised not to talk about the time we went the wrong way out of Starbucks... More coffee was needed that morning! I blame the trains.

Favorite Soccer Game:

Disclaimer: So much soccer has happened since we wrote this...

A & E: Of course we loved Horan's header against Netherlands, but we were team Morocco all the way. Seeing them win against South Korea was everything! And since then, seeing them win over Columbia, and then qualify for the Round of 16 minutes later was pretty special!

Favorite Food Network Show:

Food Network is our late night traveling tv go to.

A: I really like Beat Bobby Flay. 

E: I had never seen Supermarket Stakeout before. That's a clever concept! I mean, I liked the show, but I also wouldn't hate it if someone tried to buy my groceries off me like that.  Probably doesn't happen in Seaside. ;)

Your Favorite Sunglasses that I Brought:

A: Really? I guess the mirror ones?

E: I may or may not have brought three different pairs of sunglasses. More if you count the ones I didn't know were already in my car. Accessories are life! Ha!

Most Surprising Thing of the Trip:

A: That the parking and trolley in Monterey worked out as advertised! 

E: Okay, the trolley thing was slick.  And that day was pretty perfect with the aquarium and dinner on the pier. Mine would be when the instant cold pack for my knee exploded. The little white beads inside went EVERYWHERE, and then melted or dried out or whatever. My car is trashed!! 

That's a wrap y'all! Summer is not over, but this awesome summer adventure is. We can't wait for our next trip! 💕

Joshua Tree

When you go to the mountains, or to National Parks in the forest, you can't get away from John Muir. In the desert it's Edward Abbey.  I read Desert Solitaire while visiting Arches Nat'l Park in middle school. That fact is one among many that makes me wonder if I was the weird kid in school.  Feel free NOT to answer that pondering, or at least commit to lying about it. 😉

About the desert Abbey said:

"There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount, a perfect ratio of water to rock, water to sand, insuring that wide free open, generous spacing among plants and animals, homes and towns and cities, which makes the arid West so different from any other part of the nation."

What we learned at Joshua Tree is that there are organisms that thrive in the desert, but humanoids from the North Coast are not amongst them. 

Erica at 90 degrees. I put this picture first, only because it shows up on the FB preview, and I'm almost liquified in the next one. HA! But the below picture is how this adventure started. 

Erica at 100 degrees: My face is burning off!!!!!

I created this humorous picture from the comfort of the Jeep. I firmly believe that our ride has the best AC in the state. 

Joshua Tree National Park is located at the confluence of the Mojave Desert and the Colorado Desert. Several days ago, we probably could not tell you the difference, but we feel pretty well versed in it now! For starters both of them are H O T. Even so, each desert has specific plant life and geologic formations. 

Our first look at the park was an hour or so before dusk, and it was still 100 degrees! If you're from a place where it easily can rain 100 inches in a year, this is too hot! And if you happen to run air conditioning in that place so that your space is a brisk 68, the air conditioners in this part of the world aren't cutting it! Our hotel room was almost 30 degrees cooler than it was outside, but it was still a sweaty sleep. 

Anyway, the first night, we drove through the big loop that most parks have, and saw about half of it in the beautiful light before nightfall. The first half of the park, and the pictures below, are from the Mojave portion of the park. We thought we might see some creatures creep out as the temperatures cooled, but mostly we just saw ants. So many ants. The light was beautiful, and there are a few pics in the fading light. I firmly believe that black and white photos convey heat much better than color. 

Joshua Tree Park is obviously know for its Joshua Trees. They are odd trees that bear some resemblance to saguaros in that they have arms sticking out at odd angles and are a bit comical. 

What was a whole surprise were the cholla cactus. They are so cute! From afar they look like fluffy little clouds, but of course, they are super prickly. There were a few in the Mojave Desert, but an entire "garden" in the Colorado Desert. 

It was here in the Cholla Garden that we learned that two and a half minutes is how long we can last in the desert if the desert is 110 degrees. It was hotter in the Colorado Desert by about ten degrees, and those ten were very impactful. Never thought 98 degrees could feel so good!

After the garden, we made one last stop, which was an overlook of the valley. I don't even know if that's the right terminology, but we could see out over to Palm Springs, and the San Jacinto Mountains. 

In addition to the plant life, there is amazing, and varied geology. I didn't retain most of it, but if you're rock people, I'm sure it's easy to look up! ;) We had two take aways from this park: 

One: How does anything survive here? Even observing the evidence of survival, it's hard to understand. What is knowable is how dangerous the heat is. I won't forget being that hot again, and feeling the slight panic of my body overheating. Don't get excited, it was 2.5 minutes, we were with other people, had water, and right near our car. We are adventurers, but the smart kind. But still.

And the second take away: Travel is an amazing gift. Without being here, without feeling the heat and observing the landscape, there is no way to understand this place. I still don't understand much of it, especially how people traveled through this area hundreds of years ago without all our modern conveniences. Why do people settle here now?   And how blessed are we to be able to choose where we live? It's an amazing privilege. 

I don't imagine we will pass this way again, and that makes this experience all the more special. National Parks always hold a surprise, always show you something that makes you stand in awe of nature. 

#findyourpark

Field of Lights

After a delightful day on the coast, we headed inland. You know, just to see if these coasties would melt or not! Last week one of my classmates from high school posted a beautiful photograph on FB. I looked it up, and sent the link to my mom, who then made us this delightful detour to Paso Robles. Though it was hot, and though we rolled into town during the state fair (or mid-state fair), it was well worth the trip. 

Before we headed to Sensorio, we had a delightful dinner at Taste. We're restaurant people, so it's hard to completely surprise us. But this -- we needed directions! You order a duo, trio, or quartet, meaning you choose that number of items off the menu. We had sliders and Brussels sprouts. Oh my -- the Brussels sprouts -yum! I had "summer sprouts" with peaches, goat cheese and pistachios. Mom had the "savory sprouts" with mushrooms, caramelized onions and balsamic. We loooove fancy sprouts. And let's be honest, the garlic fries were on point too!

Okay, on to the main event. Sensorio is an artist installation by Bruce Munro. The first installation is called Field of Lights. It all comes alive at dusk, so we got there just before. Even before dark, it was beautiful!

As it got darker, it just got more magical. There are paths winding through the lights, as well as benches to sit and enjoy. The lights do change color, but they do so very slowly, and almost so subtly that you miss it. 

Through the Field of Lights were the Light Towers. As a nod to the surrounding wine community, there are towers of bottles with lights within. The towers are different colors, and music plays as you walk through. Experiencing this part was far more powerful than it probably is reading about it!

Through the towers were two more installations. One, Gone Fishing, is made of repurposed fishing poles, set over a dry creek to represent standing next to a stream. The other is apparently called Fireflies, though we enjoyed them as jellyfish. :) Art is a little bit about interpretation, right?

And then, we wound back through the Field of Lights, and up to the car. We spent several hours here and loved all of it. If you're close, or can catch one of his installations elsewhere, do it!

Photo creds to the amazing, OG T&L photographer. 💚