tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50260255747189738722024-02-18T21:40:56.476-05:00Day DrunkAdventure and Travel BlogZyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.comBlogger110125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-57672246501588700062015-04-27T14:00:00.000-04:002015-04-27T14:00:04.289-04:00Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn931PRTSOg8dfDxq6C3GlgUnBN3tKVkpXEPhyphenhypheneMBQIiIJop1Bj_ahAoGyiSWFV9mDYx4w1a-DqAUeX5cR2rYBjtpMZ55wXNUT1ZOPYaSqnM9sj5GYfNPFSGHTWvVE5SOnnrzuZnBHEkA/s1600/chiricahua_1.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn931PRTSOg8dfDxq6C3GlgUnBN3tKVkpXEPhyphenhypheneMBQIiIJop1Bj_ahAoGyiSWFV9mDYx4w1a-DqAUeX5cR2rYBjtpMZ55wXNUT1ZOPYaSqnM9sj5GYfNPFSGHTWvVE5SOnnrzuZnBHEkA/s1600/chiricahua_1.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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In my humble, yet well-informed opinion<i>: drop everything and go to southeast Arizona's stunning National Monument, Chiricahua</i>. This isolated "sky island" mountain is surrounded by an ocean of desert grasslands that protect the wonderland of rocky sentinels that call Chiricahua home. Forget the <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/go-south-dakota.html">Badlands</a>*, forget <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/morning-over-mono-poem.html">Mono Lake</a>**; if you are in the market for several thousand acres of pinnacles, hoodoos, and precariously balanced spires secreted away at 9,000 feet above sea level, Chiricahua is the national monument for you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMGlB_oeNeLE89S-mk74YGdtIFbwZtzirNho8bsGPiqdG1Kbh6gDv4uaSCZXDPi-Cb-om8QdO36XJvv9i5ll0Vm8WtBfkLIHKE0MSgNd1oyqf6g1IPHiL4yPiGVcbHd5Z3tFzgcdTHR4/s1600/both.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMGlB_oeNeLE89S-mk74YGdtIFbwZtzirNho8bsGPiqdG1Kbh6gDv4uaSCZXDPi-Cb-om8QdO36XJvv9i5ll0Vm8WtBfkLIHKE0MSgNd1oyqf6g1IPHiL4yPiGVcbHd5Z3tFzgcdTHR4/s1600/both.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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The moment I traced our path from Silver City, New Mexico, towards our next destination in Tucson, Arizona, and noticed the attractive swath of green on our atlas that represented the monument, I knew it was fated. Even more so as we felt the predictable lull of road trip weariness settle on our shoulders as we careened down I-10 after the setting sun, trying to put <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/04/how-to-deal-with-car-troubles-on-road.html">car troubles</a> and <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/omg-olt-hot-springs.html">freezing temperatures</a> behind us. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>A hike will do us good</i></span>, </div>
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I thought. <span style="font-size: x-large;"><i> </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Some rocks will cure us.</i></span></div>
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<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQruQ7OqilwMjnLL9DYKQ_aAz2-vx2yJxfdVUNnGXxc5eIxmdO5eyPPgj-6AN5Rj7jrv-DKmQ5V0Czv_lRe9g1qthC1rffuTe9m52ifVbHuuIrC2Pqj9dU9AQ_SbbEPCGsF5qL6nB1dw/s1600/chiricahua_3.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQruQ7OqilwMjnLL9DYKQ_aAz2-vx2yJxfdVUNnGXxc5eIxmdO5eyPPgj-6AN5Rj7jrv-DKmQ5V0Czv_lRe9g1qthC1rffuTe9m52ifVbHuuIrC2Pqj9dU9AQ_SbbEPCGsF5qL6nB1dw/s1600/chiricahua_3.png" width="425" /></a> </i></div>
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We drove the long and lonesome road through cresting waves of grass towards the looming mountain as the sky dimmed, anticipating a hopefully mild night in our tent. Forty solitary miles later and we were enveloped in the comforting familiarity of a National Park campground, whose completely average yet consistent facilities are among my favorite lodgings in the country. </div>
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A warm morning welcomed us with the delight of choosing our hiking trail for the day. We decided on something long and hopefully epic, making sure the Mushroom Rock Trail, Big Balanced Rock Trail, and Heart of Rocks would not be missed. In the end, we chose a 7 mile hike out of the possible 17 to explore.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01FkxqqmMSeV_IidrOx7bDq6aBmrfUPnDgA66Zzojrta6_QgH3NBTNDRHQhi0GNjN4fuv9C01cV3V51yXoDtVmEt2KJUp3A-m6BGioDekHWDv0Qo-znxy9ChLP_a-tAE5wKBuud7Wpnc/s1600/big-balanced-rock-chiricahua.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg01FkxqqmMSeV_IidrOx7bDq6aBmrfUPnDgA66Zzojrta6_QgH3NBTNDRHQhi0GNjN4fuv9C01cV3V51yXoDtVmEt2KJUp3A-m6BGioDekHWDv0Qo-znxy9ChLP_a-tAE5wKBuud7Wpnc/s1600/big-balanced-rock-chiricahua.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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From the campground and the Welcome Center, there were no interesting rock formations to be seen, but as soon as we boarded the bus to Massai Point - climbing ever higher into the sky - the tantalizing blanket of unique geology began to unfold before us.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW9g8g9aXagTXb6flaHyCntlEEdks0Oq-m1p3cjjS0wKGImoNCcxIZgh3WPR386FJZ9lQSgTaaMi1v9iod2WIr4NeuqMKUlOGe2D2aM3BEgK4jX7bVpd9kWmLnR_euvvRbwULWS_Fmv0/s1600/chiricahua_2.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKW9g8g9aXagTXb6flaHyCntlEEdks0Oq-m1p3cjjS0wKGImoNCcxIZgh3WPR386FJZ9lQSgTaaMi1v9iod2WIr4NeuqMKUlOGe2D2aM3BEgK4jX7bVpd9kWmLnR_euvvRbwULWS_Fmv0/s1600/chiricahua_2.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Twenty seven million years ago, the nearby Turkey Creek Caldera laid down 2,000 feet of volcanic ash that fused into rhyolite tuff, an event similar to the recently visited <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/exploring-jemez-mountains-of-new-mexico.html">Bandolier National Monument</a>. Over time, additional uplift paired with erosion caused by wind and water wore cracks into the tuff, leaving behind the carefully sculpted masterpieces that make up Chiricahua today. </div>
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As an added bonus, Chiricahua is one of the only places in the US where you can see a native coati... and we did!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpaXDrCI85agsYzgzBkRXRNUcnNdOjcvGnkiVYeoyI5NTj9yBaFgeu4FkIGNNggayXUfM2fChnf4WF34siaal4sbaPwQP0BmHOR0C1tOizn9AZE2GEcIPIE-DY2H1H6m37nUr1bdBDvY/s1600/chiricahua_coati.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRpaXDrCI85agsYzgzBkRXRNUcnNdOjcvGnkiVYeoyI5NTj9yBaFgeu4FkIGNNggayXUfM2fChnf4WF34siaal4sbaPwQP0BmHOR0C1tOizn9AZE2GEcIPIE-DY2H1H6m37nUr1bdBDvY/s1600/chiricahua_coati.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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And as I expected, walking beneath the towering spires, under an overcast sky was just the balm we needed to sooth our traveling bones and ready us for what's next: Tucson in the rain.</div>
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*<i>NEVER </i>forget the Badlands</div>
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**Long live Mono Lake!!!!! </div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com2Chiricahua National Monument, 12856 East Rhyolite Creek Road, Willcox, AZ 85643, USA32.0022249 -109.342630631.8945164 -109.5039921 32.1099334 -109.18126910000001tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-59967799690067610582015-04-23T14:00:00.000-04:002015-04-23T14:00:05.421-04:00How to Deal with Car Troubles on the Road<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-JD4O5R1pAGTqfLTpO4-Jo1XPOOnGemlMe57FlushfWqwy3W3whCk3ImHKESnn5XM3ne0SyMhQtqhX3NInq4dUZ1o1tDr85tQn31ttaM07RvatlvbPZuox2fxN8j_pd9SEqCLVUURcU/s1600/car_on_the_road_sunburst.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc-JD4O5R1pAGTqfLTpO4-Jo1XPOOnGemlMe57FlushfWqwy3W3whCk3ImHKESnn5XM3ne0SyMhQtqhX3NInq4dUZ1o1tDr85tQn31ttaM07RvatlvbPZuox2fxN8j_pd9SEqCLVUURcU/s1600/car_on_the_road_sunburst.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Not everything goes perfectly on the road. While we may set off for the idealized adventure of picturesque road tripping - from the sun on our backs to confidences around a campfire - sometimes the road gets bumpy in between. Such was our case on the beautiful morning we wound through the breakneck elevations of the Gila Mountains in southeast New Mexico. Our Truth or Consequences hot springs and camping high was quickly dashed as our car welcomed the new day with a terribly pessimistic grinding noise.</div>
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Nothing quite raises the haunches of worry like car troubles - especially when you are 2,200 miles away from home - but these are the chances we take when we road trip. This isn't my first bout of car troubles while on a car-reliant vacation, and I doubt it will be my last. But the important thing about facing the potential loss of time and money on the road is to 1. be prepared and to 2. stay calm. These two maxims have always helped me turn my travel frowns upside down.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSO4l2ncD6_8j5pO5kphkQZu85E5AvBiLonJqicQR8o8pXel-UhnNvzgVHr4c91gMgnKC9wyTrMiTcXitiPljWENJm8asTexfNSLYWnC51TnbOMjJQWG9ofkLjqjzwBBYDcfS4JrT6yDM/s1600/silver_city_new_mexico_happy_clouds.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSO4l2ncD6_8j5pO5kphkQZu85E5AvBiLonJqicQR8o8pXel-UhnNvzgVHr4c91gMgnKC9wyTrMiTcXitiPljWENJm8asTexfNSLYWnC51TnbOMjJQWG9ofkLjqjzwBBYDcfS4JrT6yDM/s1600/silver_city_new_mexico_happy_clouds.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Be prepared for car troubles </span></div>
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Duh, right? Hopefully we are all prepared for car troubles on the daily with a reliable car, an active subscription to AAA, and a savings buffer that can cover repair costs. But when you are miles away from home, it's also important to have the necessary supplies in your car to help you survive your location comfortably and the extra time to play the waiting game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZyf6IkL3HkEeQrC2KmAdoL5oGf-0X2UUoleP3UrvaXXH8wX42Jv0Xkg_k5rGXxb7FnRW3B_d9JzNNc7GLIHf4ixkmpswsnw4uC1dgcbLRWI33ulV-RRJ-TT4JMDjEH-IA0V4BK7g8ao/s1600/route_90_new_mexico.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZZyf6IkL3HkEeQrC2KmAdoL5oGf-0X2UUoleP3UrvaXXH8wX42Jv0Xkg_k5rGXxb7FnRW3B_d9JzNNc7GLIHf4ixkmpswsnw4uC1dgcbLRWI33ulV-RRJ-TT4JMDjEH-IA0V4BK7g8ao/s1600/route_90_new_mexico.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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For example, the grinding noise in our car that morning intensified as we tried to take it over the Gila Mountains toward Silver City, where the promise of a "city-like atmosphere" would provide choices for auto repair. Up in the mountains, we found ourselves predictably without cell service on an isolated stretch of 75 hairpin miles. Luckily, we had all our camping gear, so spending a spontaneous night in the car while waiting for help wouldn't have been a big deal. However, we were running low on food and water. If you are heading off to extreme areas, always have enough supplies to support your party through a night or so of accidental isolation.</div>
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Don't forget that if you have to wait for repairs on your car, you will most likely have to find additional and last minute lodging in the area that can also run you a few extra and unplanned for bucks.</div>
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Which also leads me to the ever-so-important budget of time. I, for one, and hopelessly guilty of over scheduling my trips, which leads to the heartbreak of losing precious travel time and having to give up much anticipated activities. Even simple car repairs in remote regions can take up to three days, not including weekends.This is not good news for the busy traveler.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR0W51vKWlayOJpvkfhcaKcdriogLqtXAUjlCP-DbyANHjElxqf9wZ8C-s8ARlV2D27tq85cbjtwCTiQeXxiR-Q4RilUw64RhQ1CZNWDxHSL645QEv8QLzxNFRcOUEGsHvL2kigKECMo/s1600/silver_city_new_mexico.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixR0W51vKWlayOJpvkfhcaKcdriogLqtXAUjlCP-DbyANHjElxqf9wZ8C-s8ARlV2D27tq85cbjtwCTiQeXxiR-Q4RilUw64RhQ1CZNWDxHSL645QEv8QLzxNFRcOUEGsHvL2kigKECMo/s1600/silver_city_new_mexico.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. Stay calm</span></div>
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It's not always easy, right? Especially when faced with budget woes and time loss. And believe me, I am not always one to hold true to this little nugget of advice. I barely remember anything about the Gila's beauty because I was so focused on the grinding noise and all possible, terrible outcomes. Not fun. But I was lucky enough to have my boyfriend by my side who balanced out the yin of my over-the-top worries with the yang of his zen. He had to nicely keep reminding me that mechanics exist for a reason. </div>
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And never forget that unscheduled delays may be the most exciting things to happen to us on our trips. In Silver City, we had our lunch paid for us by a friendly patron who took sympathy on our car woes and then we ended up biking around the city on free rentals a friendly bicycle shop owner loaned out to us! When my <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2013/02/arkansas-travelers-part-two.html">car broke down in Arkansas</a>, where we ended up stranded for three days, I ended up meeting wonderful friends, hanging at a motorcycle club, and experiencing Hot Springs, Arkansas, in a way I never intended. I still consider that "layover" as one of the most fortuitous moments of traveling I have ever had!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NtE_x2XlmJDRbuH0nOpaeAjjvpfgsbWhlWRdl9L6GP-2W_fpkQsdpQZlOp60vf_r5qTUW3O8aPwf9QHCm3RcSfeTJKsJCVYvUEvMl2kQ_6LXEH-B1DEYYvSk5M6mg2sC5zXJG9aV4U4/s1600/silco_theater_silver_city.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9NtE_x2XlmJDRbuH0nOpaeAjjvpfgsbWhlWRdl9L6GP-2W_fpkQsdpQZlOp60vf_r5qTUW3O8aPwf9QHCm3RcSfeTJKsJCVYvUEvMl2kQ_6LXEH-B1DEYYvSk5M6mg2sC5zXJG9aV4U4/s1600/silco_theater_silver_city.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Truthfully, unless you are traveling in a beater who on its best day is
on its last legs, car repairs should not be too surprising. Some repairs are just the predictable maintenance and responsibilities of car ownsership. When we
finally got my car checked out in Silver City, the problem was a simple broken pulley
that took no more than three hours to repair. Anderson was completely
right to stay calm. Some cases may require more due alarm, but we
shouldn't let a little bump in the road prevent us from being aware of
our surroundings.</div>
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There is magic in traveling; some of the best experiences lurk in the unscheduled ether. Embrace travel interruptions and let the road guide you! Besides, there isn't much a car rental agency can't fix!</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-46563937486011906032015-04-21T14:00:00.000-04:002015-04-21T14:00:01.798-04:00A Yurt in the Enchanted Forest<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvCKNhV-4BcEZ577fVny3GmGZnL6Q3MzZSa-f32WBdozx3wJOknuVDoB1qCpDtZJL4iePtbNszKw1glrB7gmEQ3l0UldjvNceH51bMB9djqEvxvUI8j69mCHrCfs8848BXUKIM9rYoI0/s1600/little-john-yurt-lead.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWvCKNhV-4BcEZ577fVny3GmGZnL6Q3MzZSa-f32WBdozx3wJOknuVDoB1qCpDtZJL4iePtbNszKw1glrB7gmEQ3l0UldjvNceH51bMB9djqEvxvUI8j69mCHrCfs8848BXUKIM9rYoI0/s1600/little-john-yurt-lead.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Yes, it's actually called the Enchanted Forest and I can vouch for its bewitchery.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygQv0y03BkOwEUFmbht5V6sE_SUxuwE1K65-K20YK6DCba0H2SHggOfhYrqyiHOnv6vnwvBGiTmWa0jC0u2ywBEnMEszQNharECbVuP0nB9i4WR9Chc3SVvkn6eUUzyNOa4n1UwMK_dk/s1600/enchanted-birch-trees-draw.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiygQv0y03BkOwEUFmbht5V6sE_SUxuwE1K65-K20YK6DCba0H2SHggOfhYrqyiHOnv6vnwvBGiTmWa0jC0u2ywBEnMEszQNharECbVuP0nB9i4WR9Chc3SVvkn6eUUzyNOa4n1UwMK_dk/s1600/enchanted-birch-trees-draw.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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For those of you keeping score, we are still in New Mexico. Actually, we decided to take a detour to northeastern New Mexico to visit the artist enclave of Taos, where we were lured by the promise of yurts and cross country skiing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QZDEN_kflWylcrcxkPHg8Sv-dLEsqxHDNRYEoQngECmXtQS-FtK9I8N7Tg_Z5-iRxz4jQiLnkOBhLProUWV9HabLKMRmtTfSFIpnODScgThVB-f721hfek3R3VIHaMSGmxWXW6op7ig/s1600/cross-country-skiing-draw.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_QZDEN_kflWylcrcxkPHg8Sv-dLEsqxHDNRYEoQngECmXtQS-FtK9I8N7Tg_Z5-iRxz4jQiLnkOBhLProUWV9HabLKMRmtTfSFIpnODScgThVB-f721hfek3R3VIHaMSGmxWXW6op7ig/s1600/cross-country-skiing-draw.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Just a little beyond Taos, located 10,000 feet into the Carson National Forest, is the <a href="http://www.enchantedforestxc.com/">Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area</a>, replete with <a href="http://www.enchantedforestxc.com/images/10_11_map.pdf">30k of skiing trails</a> that wind through towering and lichen filled pines to stunning views.</div>
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Inside the winding trails are two yurts that are available to rent throughout the year, the only catch being that you have to ski yourself and your belongings there. That's cool - if you are a good skier, which I am not. Actually, I had only been x-country skiing once before and downhill skiing never before this.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFJ26-LDEoBEdNBX0sLun_eUUX9hrtScehxS4dj9k_XGLI5YM_7Bk3_5BsHpyawGXgEBzFGtA1UOclDKXKSDHImUicASSX7ARFuXUINB9uxFOdZtUlGoVQuga_Rq_GU0YIYGleJW87oU/s1600/enchanted-forest-cross-country-ski-triangles.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCFJ26-LDEoBEdNBX0sLun_eUUX9hrtScehxS4dj9k_XGLI5YM_7Bk3_5BsHpyawGXgEBzFGtA1UOclDKXKSDHImUicASSX7ARFuXUINB9uxFOdZtUlGoVQuga_Rq_GU0YIYGleJW87oU/s1600/enchanted-forest-cross-country-ski-triangles.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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But it was an impossibly beautiful day and the allure of a yurt hidden in the woods was too good to pass up, so we loaded up our pulk sled (a sled that hooks around your waist and you town behind you) and headed up the slopes.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAckDTByAM95UCqI-2rKfuRVz15tlgIINfvOXBGxyfJyE98gsI6sDnUFVrA6SLi0fOEGYmLgRsT73M8GABPKaxgX-uT-YuZCbeyOQStldCt4Li2M9w7Ovp80dfjUMR0r8ab449joKMuo/s1600/pulk-sled.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipAckDTByAM95UCqI-2rKfuRVz15tlgIINfvOXBGxyfJyE98gsI6sDnUFVrA6SLi0fOEGYmLgRsT73M8GABPKaxgX-uT-YuZCbeyOQStldCt4Li2M9w7Ovp80dfjUMR0r8ab449joKMuo/s1600/pulk-sled.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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It was the beginning of a freeze/thaw cycle, so the trails were a bit icy, but since we were there at close to the end of the season, we had the whole course to ourselves - so we could fall down without feeling embarrassed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreHAFNEgj8Z3MVDaRIbf6fR6B5h4C74D3dxxvLs-bql5a3QmeYL8uYwjePsbFfUYSyvHGgLEqeKuQFs0syZGahvcxnvF0nfiv7pvirKTzL5i1p_NXneqTLWh7ybFlLuOKbrCk5FA0-Wc/s1600/woohoo-enchanted-forest-yurt-draw.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgreHAFNEgj8Z3MVDaRIbf6fR6B5h4C74D3dxxvLs-bql5a3QmeYL8uYwjePsbFfUYSyvHGgLEqeKuQFs0syZGahvcxnvF0nfiv7pvirKTzL5i1p_NXneqTLWh7ybFlLuOKbrCk5FA0-Wc/s1600/woohoo-enchanted-forest-yurt-draw.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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After a good mile of uphill skiing, we finally found our little yurt, quickly unpacked and then headed further up the trails to the spectacular birch trees that lead to one of the most breathtaking views of the trip. If only we had been skiing (and falling!) with our nice camera, we might have been able to share the love a bit better!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd08RleiLcjbOR9mALCWwwQ-bx0fPGc6qyUPIMuR4CldqgULDX9rwBtfdi_76XZyclB1HeW29CEjg1kN8eKQz-kDyOObhYcuL7RTlHGmtPSKzIlG34lg_WJsk03P1H0Ok72JxcU0wU4Tc/s1600/carson-national-forest-view.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd08RleiLcjbOR9mALCWwwQ-bx0fPGc6qyUPIMuR4CldqgULDX9rwBtfdi_76XZyclB1HeW29CEjg1kN8eKQz-kDyOObhYcuL7RTlHGmtPSKzIlG34lg_WJsk03P1H0Ok72JxcU0wU4Tc/s1600/carson-national-forest-view.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Eventually we had to stop skiing for the day as the temperatures dropped because the trails became too icy to navigate safely and dusk fell on our little hideaway. In fact, we ended up having the whole forest to ourselves! Since the Enchanted Forest trails close at 4:30pm, we enjoyed the haunting calls of owls and a very cold night with a little bit of whiskey, campfires, and a lot of solitude.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOoIAT1ll7k5_FpJXn3jb1DYlGyVIhJZz-JsZOFyCbufTuShYtp0WkUJ4cjkH3cQR7poPpFuTWhbYRiw-kLWxBziayNhyM9bbBZoAtcdEDljgLAjNcqVtx1RU5wco3YH0zBJ1mJon0qc/s1600/enchanted-forest-yurt-at-night-lights.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKOoIAT1ll7k5_FpJXn3jb1DYlGyVIhJZz-JsZOFyCbufTuShYtp0WkUJ4cjkH3cQR7poPpFuTWhbYRiw-kLWxBziayNhyM9bbBZoAtcdEDljgLAjNcqVtx1RU5wco3YH0zBJ1mJon0qc/s1600/enchanted-forest-yurt-at-night-lights.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Enchantment, indeed. </span></div>
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The next day we skied out and began the drive towards more desert regions.</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">REVIEW:</span></span></div>
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My review of the Enchanted Forest Cross Country Ski Area is a <b>6.5/10</b>. However, this has nothing to do with the quality of the trails, the pristine beauty of the forest, or the awesomeness of the location. </div>
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For a small building that is serviced easily by snow mobile and is only one of two rentals on site, the yurt was actually a tad under-stocked and uncared for. The under-stocking wasn't too much of a problem since we had all our camping gear in the car, but we were in no way informed of this by the two people who were running HQ that day, so we had to waste time skiing back down to get more stuff even though the website tells a different story of its amenities. </div>
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I was disappointed to find that the mantles on the propane lanterns were all broken with no replacements even at the store (we had to use our own or be stuck in darkness), the wood stove was a bitch to use with no instructions (and we are wood stove users at home), and that the two port-o-potties (that we were asked nicely to use instead of the nature potty) were filled <i>above </i>the brim with poo. For the price ($85/night), I would have expected a bit more upkeep - and a bit more information from the people in the shop, one especially who giggled when we tried to explain we were beginner skiers instead of offering us advice, tried to charge us for an additional day of skiing even though it is included in the rental price, and who didn't offer us the free for use pulk sled until our second time back down though she watched us shakily ski off with overstuffed backpacks the first time. </div>
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But aside from that very unhelpful person, the excitement of sleeping in a yurt under the stars surrounded by the melody of owls and the thrill of skiing in tee shirts is enough to make me go back for more. Plus, I'm a better skier now.</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0Red River, NM, USA36.7080849 -105.4061159000000336.657161900000006 -105.48679690000003 36.7590079 -105.32543490000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-13527659281421938182015-04-17T14:00:00.000-04:002015-04-17T14:00:03.414-04:00SPRING!! Crocuses + Tussilago<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTSI_IUXySuexMv-4QrxVhwR-R7IsHOCdS8QpRS7uOezVj4kTedtMTocFogZxUVt8YDm95RiPQpwsMjUqVmS5j0zxlK4BY_WvN-wc7kW7n2FxKLuXloEDNM2jI_ZGfjMY_wjBlmeFokc/s1600/spring_crocus_lead.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkTSI_IUXySuexMv-4QrxVhwR-R7IsHOCdS8QpRS7uOezVj4kTedtMTocFogZxUVt8YDm95RiPQpwsMjUqVmS5j0zxlK4BY_WvN-wc7kW7n2FxKLuXloEDNM2jI_ZGfjMY_wjBlmeFokc/s1600/spring_crocus_lead.png" /></a> </div>
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Spring is life. And spring is FINALLY HERE! </div>
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Spring comes late to my part of Vermont. Especially this year since we've received the <a href="http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/local/vermont/2015/04/13/vermont-leads-nation-snow/25722359/">most snowfall in the country</a>. Especially when you live in a valley inside a valley like I do. You know, where all the cold air goes to linger. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpfKlUpD9vsE0xdKtWHjb6DzvjR_oJXOcHttntolBgy7HYcNi3DVB_4i7FyM9DRM9XBQYCSsIleTaNnFWGxXqy82yV-h-rQHvV6RQ4ANfzmWHQg86v1CY9W-IFsplhqOGsrqHgU0Q0Vo/s1600/crocus_1.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpfKlUpD9vsE0xdKtWHjb6DzvjR_oJXOcHttntolBgy7HYcNi3DVB_4i7FyM9DRM9XBQYCSsIleTaNnFWGxXqy82yV-h-rQHvV6RQ4ANfzmWHQg86v1CY9W-IFsplhqOGsrqHgU0Q0Vo/s1600/crocus_1.png" /></a> </div>
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But, at last, the snow is <i>just beginning</i> to recede from the yard and like a beacon of hope for many happy spring days to come, my crocuses have bloomed! Crocuses are my favorite spring flower. They are just such a cheerful spot of color in the groggy moments of a landscape awakening. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxasHhVs-LGAWAsIIjoBasW7grx_drxEnn8JlL4FVBf49cPp-VJRmtmK1St9Kcoyahmi4WxwbBlV0aDcQJ8fCb8ioy_RzNmeXv744CWw-BuRjyk27N254AXSKcx-sP5BkOsaUXW6fqoEA/s1600/crocus_2.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxasHhVs-LGAWAsIIjoBasW7grx_drxEnn8JlL4FVBf49cPp-VJRmtmK1St9Kcoyahmi4WxwbBlV0aDcQJ8fCb8ioy_RzNmeXv744CWw-BuRjyk27N254AXSKcx-sP5BkOsaUXW6fqoEA/s1600/crocus_2.png" /></a> </div>
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I planted these crocus blubs last fall and it's awesome to see them popping up! I can't wait to plant more this year. </div>
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Another sure sign of spring in Vermont is the emergence of tussilago, a wildflower also known as coltsfoot. I'll admit, I might have done a little happy dance when I first spotted these babies. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTC1z2vN-oRHcmRupEab-4zEDrsuezpd-j3YxfozgymDEqXyc6cgKeGWsMSoaMNBX0aIlSDphPsr4Add2DajEWlSWeAdcbQW5oaNLmxW03m6rTFaUxxhrPChIoBRIjxarrYtDP_8BEac/s1600/tussilago_coltsfoot_2.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipTC1z2vN-oRHcmRupEab-4zEDrsuezpd-j3YxfozgymDEqXyc6cgKeGWsMSoaMNBX0aIlSDphPsr4Add2DajEWlSWeAdcbQW5oaNLmxW03m6rTFaUxxhrPChIoBRIjxarrYtDP_8BEac/s1600/tussilago_coltsfoot_2.png" /></a></div>
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Like spring, Day Drunk is coming back with more travel stories, spring adventures, and other exciting tales!</div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-22679174890058627132015-03-18T14:00:00.000-04:002015-03-18T14:00:01.927-04:00Exploring the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico<div style="text-align: justify;">
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Still shaking sand all the way out of Colorado, we were pretty excited to finally get to New Mexico and find some (hopefully) warmer weather. Our first stop was Santa Fe, where we checked into our base camp, the <a href="http://hostelsantafe.com/">Santa Fe International Hostel</a>. The hostel is a really friendly place where you can stay in same-sex dorms or rent private rooms with up to five beds inside! We chose the private room route so we didn't have to split up for a very reasonable price.</div>
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We had two main goals in Santa Fe: eat chile relleños everyday and check out the Jemez Mountain region. You might remember <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/adventure-in-jemez-mountains.html">the story about how Nessa and I nearly got stranded</a> in the woods here at night while looking for hot springs a few Septembers ago. Despite the brush with disaster, I just had to give it another chance! (Spoiler alert: We found them this time!)</div>
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On a sunny and moderately warm day in January, we headed off into the mountains to first check out Bandelier National Monument, an Ancestral Pueblo archeological site protecting the impressive canyon homes of the native peoples of the land. If you are thinking "cliff dwellings", than you are on the right page.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa8GTAhNCNQv_yFb2D4o7WQieDBt3ODgr_zNiTZeRGL2o03G7LiP9JFML_hX3EJ_aD92Jsbe-jbHHPlky5CCKH2yAYkpRxE3MZojKn8PfLMsGrRpOHfptvXZtpgqxZAwJt9mWbwsQMs8/s1600/bandelier-national-monument-2.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCa8GTAhNCNQv_yFb2D4o7WQieDBt3ODgr_zNiTZeRGL2o03G7LiP9JFML_hX3EJ_aD92Jsbe-jbHHPlky5CCKH2yAYkpRxE3MZojKn8PfLMsGrRpOHfptvXZtpgqxZAwJt9mWbwsQMs8/s1600/bandelier-national-monument-2.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Once we took the windy, pine and snow speckled road into the Cañon De Los Frijoles, we grabbed a guide book for a buck and hit the trails along the canyon walls towards the noteworthy Alcove House. The trail, albeit leisurely, is an awesome way to explore the dwellings, sometimes reaching three stories high and accessible by ladders. There are also a lot of friendly rangers walking about to make sure you didn't pass by any petroglyphs without noticing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoDXHsLtF_XeH0LeTi0Otjsw8MmyHuupcv1DWhGfxrPyO0UgROA7KhGQTorVKg55nXiGG8C5Wqde-8PHa6-lXlGuWwMkLQoNRPYylkDfe5azLMrHhvROMK2L0R1Pc_lgeYPRu8OODzM8/s1600/bandelier-cavate-and-ladder.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoDXHsLtF_XeH0LeTi0Otjsw8MmyHuupcv1DWhGfxrPyO0UgROA7KhGQTorVKg55nXiGG8C5Wqde-8PHa6-lXlGuWwMkLQoNRPYylkDfe5azLMrHhvROMK2L0R1Pc_lgeYPRu8OODzM8/s1600/bandelier-cavate-and-ladder.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yjEeMATkjPRUWlkY9rIta0R7WLv5JendvyaXW7uThRkVdJj_8WJoxat7EwODeexghXxSqOPBtQCIifvxMEiMx4hHFrUdhWyuJH_p0_3Gm1LoRhrRe0kkgh1sLYydtBg0r2k25ACLnxM/s1600/bandelier-national-monument.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0yjEeMATkjPRUWlkY9rIta0R7WLv5JendvyaXW7uThRkVdJj_8WJoxat7EwODeexghXxSqOPBtQCIifvxMEiMx4hHFrUdhWyuJH_p0_3Gm1LoRhrRe0kkgh1sLYydtBg0r2k25ACLnxM/s1600/bandelier-national-monument.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQoDXHsLtF_XeH0LeTi0Otjsw8MmyHuupcv1DWhGfxrPyO0UgROA7KhGQTorVKg55nXiGG8C5Wqde-8PHa6-lXlGuWwMkLQoNRPYylkDfe5azLMrHhvROMK2L0R1Pc_lgeYPRu8OODzM8/s1600/bandelier-cavate-and-ladder.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;" width="425"></a> </div>
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The pinkish canyon walls of the Frijole Canyon are made of a volcanic ash called tuff that was deposited from the eruption of the adjacent Valles Caldera over one million years ago. The Ancestral Pueblo people were able to carve homes into the soft tuff and use the harder pieces as bricks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Ac4cT1OFSkrJrV9uBhCf_vyfhOo8SR2LsTSW9Ca3B1xhWzDrjBegqbGhew6YTgd0L85QSJ42L-8O92iu7LtfIu_rNP-ciA0Wjm_sgXXbBXH6AEBjHcF2qJos5fZG2UuWxcyFj01p2w/s1600/tuff-cavates-and-beam-holes-bendelier.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX9Ac4cT1OFSkrJrV9uBhCf_vyfhOo8SR2LsTSW9Ca3B1xhWzDrjBegqbGhew6YTgd0L85QSJ42L-8O92iu7LtfIu_rNP-ciA0Wjm_sgXXbBXH6AEBjHcF2qJos5fZG2UuWxcyFj01p2w/s1600/tuff-cavates-and-beam-holes-bendelier.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fA77lGUGlB21BUMMkJKdzixKZJDfjf-xeY7eBbIBcufKimsv66TR38xzVoYVd4hmf9-CJwgba88ZANYn1gQ9lQKBJizqekc8SgxOBs19ZDJyCBPIfdErYf1QDw0j5GYeTblAwvqTt1A/s1600/bandelier-tuff-walls-beam-holes-petroglyphs.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2fA77lGUGlB21BUMMkJKdzixKZJDfjf-xeY7eBbIBcufKimsv66TR38xzVoYVd4hmf9-CJwgba88ZANYn1gQ9lQKBJizqekc8SgxOBs19ZDJyCBPIfdErYf1QDw0j5GYeTblAwvqTt1A/s1600/bandelier-tuff-walls-beam-holes-petroglyphs.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8TRYPfo5j3sUGXt1wniCAVozneJ59l2yGwWKxi_l_TLS3kgXjgFWa_iLS6ebFcHVGcoEOErDkPLTLXKqHEMTxFgqi480pXgJq4e7d21QV-lMXuUMDxodXpBjPDkHlPIYBGeYmKazPCc/s1600/bandelier-turkey-petroglyph.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin8TRYPfo5j3sUGXt1wniCAVozneJ59l2yGwWKxi_l_TLS3kgXjgFWa_iLS6ebFcHVGcoEOErDkPLTLXKqHEMTxFgqi480pXgJq4e7d21QV-lMXuUMDxodXpBjPDkHlPIYBGeYmKazPCc/s1600/bandelier-turkey-petroglyph.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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See the turkey?</div>
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At the end of the trail is the Alcove House, which you can reach by climbing 140 feet into the air on a few narrow ladders. The ladders are very sturdy and I wouldn't hurry to say that the climb was all that scary, but then again, I definitely didn't look down - a steady hand over hand was the perfect method for me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzhM3HOMcQcS_j7Sphce2-Jq5t4ZIlqB272JewwmRLY_SFEyqH3tlFiwJ-s9BCT_wSx_Q1IXmQCj12Bc0pI2oxnyeclepz_0oHdpyYKdxfFo2CbbHuZ-3fBYX2TrfNnoG36Cg53tkCl0/s1600/bandelier-ladder-to-alcove-house.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwzhM3HOMcQcS_j7Sphce2-Jq5t4ZIlqB272JewwmRLY_SFEyqH3tlFiwJ-s9BCT_wSx_Q1IXmQCj12Bc0pI2oxnyeclepz_0oHdpyYKdxfFo2CbbHuZ-3fBYX2TrfNnoG36Cg53tkCl0/s1600/bandelier-ladder-to-alcove-house.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrS_biv3ayvv53oWymFZxLYAmZsRQCGdK8UPrxryhoIA0JZNSbgPhZAfPI0TRlmbHi7PxLOmyqSkRnQufTZQGgzr9u0r0Uw3-4Psrg1sOcfLFHHt8MZwuUJPqQYZuZXGrfLgv0b5rjjc/s1600/bandelier-alcove-house-kiva.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZrS_biv3ayvv53oWymFZxLYAmZsRQCGdK8UPrxryhoIA0JZNSbgPhZAfPI0TRlmbHi7PxLOmyqSkRnQufTZQGgzr9u0r0Uw3-4Psrg1sOcfLFHHt8MZwuUJPqQYZuZXGrfLgv0b5rjjc/s1600/bandelier-alcove-house-kiva.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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The whole Jemez Mountain region was formed from volcanic activity triggered by an intracontinental rift (not associated with any fault lines) which also affords the area its many hot and warm springs. And I wasn't just about to give up on those elusive Spence Hot Springs!</div>
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Finding the Spence Hot Springs this time was a breeze and not at all as challenging as it should have been for me and Nessa last time! And yes, there is even a sign to the springs on the path and a bridge!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc0lUY3-BuTRvkOePppakkHRB_e141wnyGdzgRXst551mSFA18IHPYgfDsLi-EXbCtVo6DUkBp9LxqhgQtYTAR2sDEJ4T4cAy77JLqtiEEASNVH8c1ZYmSXFFlkbnrkYcUVwsIgd0-Jc/s1600/spence-hot-springs-bridge.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOc0lUY3-BuTRvkOePppakkHRB_e141wnyGdzgRXst551mSFA18IHPYgfDsLi-EXbCtVo6DUkBp9LxqhgQtYTAR2sDEJ4T4cAy77JLqtiEEASNVH8c1ZYmSXFFlkbnrkYcUVwsIgd0-Jc/s1600/spence-hot-springs-bridge.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHi6Izi1LAjsArjOja8MX88KU9d5J2kFXRlGNxcBMU9vVoKyP-3CVlF3N_zqItMXpkq6cxD569aLoraZYyt50yhBi8bj_GHhnjBfsVrqhm-NS8mK7jLKBvQQVCMncEvnzuYGSbULt_gF0/s1600/spence-hot-springs-sign.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHi6Izi1LAjsArjOja8MX88KU9d5J2kFXRlGNxcBMU9vVoKyP-3CVlF3N_zqItMXpkq6cxD569aLoraZYyt50yhBi8bj_GHhnjBfsVrqhm-NS8mK7jLKBvQQVCMncEvnzuYGSbULt_gF0/s1600/spence-hot-springs-sign.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Now I wish I could rave about what a thermal paradise the pools are, but fresh from a few days at the paradisaical <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/omg-olt-hot-springs.html">Orient Land Trust Hot Springs</a>, these heavily used yet poorly respected pools didn't have the same spark that the might have had if I had found them during an adventure with Nessa.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVta5pRTzIPyQ3VeOWYkRA_8GAOWW0h3R-l48fdG3-qGorac6x7R2fnxOvu444sMg92wp1YUpwEpgh2fC59IYj-F6sCfCuPHlVdTTRZvj_zxB1maYdK6_ROBZSEkTJzIhM_eLIAxpFQ4/s1600/spence-hot-springs-view.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNVta5pRTzIPyQ3VeOWYkRA_8GAOWW0h3R-l48fdG3-qGorac6x7R2fnxOvu444sMg92wp1YUpwEpgh2fC59IYj-F6sCfCuPHlVdTTRZvj_zxB1maYdK6_ROBZSEkTJzIhM_eLIAxpFQ4/s1600/spence-hot-springs-view.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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The best thing about the pools is the spectacular view and the fact that the warm spring is fed from the mouth of a small cave - just the right size to squeeze into and maximize the warmth. Otherwise, the layers of soggy trash that surrounds the whole area kind of kills the vibe. Considering how easy it is to reach from the main road, that is not totally surprising, but still a bummer for someone trying to enjoy nature. Although I certainly was able to get a little relaxing in!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmAq52XTV6ZACVqIqdH-WDwmgf03EjXJRyjOfJhKHHc-os8JGx41anY_Q8nHeiJsknElJhbJ17Kp13n8rTbBZ2Rja6rFqAX3WKaaKMD77-dfPZApAAwvyhVYfLlJeMMpLdWb-F-Y3TJ4/s1600/spence-hot-springs-cave.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmAq52XTV6ZACVqIqdH-WDwmgf03EjXJRyjOfJhKHHc-os8JGx41anY_Q8nHeiJsknElJhbJ17Kp13n8rTbBZ2Rja6rFqAX3WKaaKMD77-dfPZApAAwvyhVYfLlJeMMpLdWb-F-Y3TJ4/s1600/spence-hot-springs-cave.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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We looped around south of the mountains and back into Santa Fe in time for chile relleños and a little bit of dancing before resting up for more New Mexican adventures. </div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-13302722085956508512015-03-16T14:00:00.000-04:002015-03-16T14:00:05.011-04:00Great Sand Dunes National Park<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BNljwcg3CNlKlxNJtHgiG6V0byGhxWK0v29sN6p0oOucbvLorHwr5ntiDikrh4izE1EGeehz2aylvUkhdf7e4jiF-YwQzbtJKTRyE8UPfKIQKYYghLpZT03krHtJuET1wh0vzNBX_Ao/s1600/looking-out-over-the-great-sand-dunes.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BNljwcg3CNlKlxNJtHgiG6V0byGhxWK0v29sN6p0oOucbvLorHwr5ntiDikrh4izE1EGeehz2aylvUkhdf7e4jiF-YwQzbtJKTRyE8UPfKIQKYYghLpZT03krHtJuET1wh0vzNBX_Ao/s1600/looking-out-over-the-great-sand-dunes.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Southern Colorado had a two for one special - <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/omg-olt-hot-springs.html">Orient Land Trust Hot Springs</a> <i>and</i> Great Sand Dunes National Park!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWbTXPh-GhPlklrzpgPumF4M27gLCiOM94XFxHSEi0xI5SRpMq7UNv7HqElwxGNnOhe0IEp4myaLggl_d3NANAIwrscrqtL8yzm6Va2mFNRTaDuOzQLPW4k6N7YgKbp_qce_XzPd2tmo/s1600/great-sand-dunes-mountains.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWbTXPh-GhPlklrzpgPumF4M27gLCiOM94XFxHSEi0xI5SRpMq7UNv7HqElwxGNnOhe0IEp4myaLggl_d3NANAIwrscrqtL8yzm6Va2mFNRTaDuOzQLPW4k6N7YgKbp_qce_XzPd2tmo/s1600/great-sand-dunes-mountains.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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You know anything with the suffix "national park" will pique my interest, but I had also read a few interesting things about the Dunes like that you could ride a sled down them so we made sure to budget a good day to explore the area.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcUCnLQLFQNDMlXy1UmdMFS0ZPQgiC2s0c95FT5a9elEtICX7N9BOVHjraEVAtM7OnOKk5lEuG_OADB6YnjPPk_bs3-kk46XdwykHTEUS4D6ZwLTmYhaxD2aorq7gfUoSzl2KVunZxts/s1600/the-great-sand-dunes-national-park.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDcUCnLQLFQNDMlXy1UmdMFS0ZPQgiC2s0c95FT5a9elEtICX7N9BOVHjraEVAtM7OnOKk5lEuG_OADB6YnjPPk_bs3-kk46XdwykHTEUS4D6ZwLTmYhaxD2aorq7gfUoSzl2KVunZxts/s1600/the-great-sand-dunes-national-park.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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And wow - it wasn't until I actually laid eyes on the dunes that I realized that I had never seen anything like it before. If it weren't for the abutting Sangre De Cristo Mountains pocked with friendly evergreens, one might think they were in the middle of a desert, which I guess once you are standing atop a 700 foot pile of sand overlooking 19,000 acres of dunefield, you pretty much are.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkSPgBGZ0jQQ5btt01UUBeKLIvC9KXX8IPV4kZ_EFetgc3GnmxKE8biCesfM03rLMHqYe51m07XWYAgm5RN_YvRCVUZLmJJ0ZjDsZtTTvdx2OIW2snpsHFJn8ypcWj12ePl90uBySh0A/s1600/great-sand-dunes-contours.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFkSPgBGZ0jQQ5btt01UUBeKLIvC9KXX8IPV4kZ_EFetgc3GnmxKE8biCesfM03rLMHqYe51m07XWYAgm5RN_YvRCVUZLmJJ0ZjDsZtTTvdx2OIW2snpsHFJn8ypcWj12ePl90uBySh0A/s1600/great-sand-dunes-contours.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_O3xJGTUzZ_aud0ZZtthb2vG8FLzAiHCx76Fzz2Vr0tST1iU9Fw0honFJKUBcBGpUDcX6tOR54wGyMNDvup4T3V3ApWd7sOJbmXJPmyDRGRoN6WF5vmSTEpniK5D5Yv2LD6Nf1LSwgg/s1600/great-sand-dunes-and-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_O3xJGTUzZ_aud0ZZtthb2vG8FLzAiHCx76Fzz2Vr0tST1iU9Fw0honFJKUBcBGpUDcX6tOR54wGyMNDvup4T3V3ApWd7sOJbmXJPmyDRGRoN6WF5vmSTEpniK5D5Yv2LD6Nf1LSwgg/s1600/great-sand-dunes-and-snow.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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The dunes here are the largest in North America, rising about 750 feet from the floor of the San Luis Valley. The wind is the architect in this special case; after the glaciers that formed the valley melted, westerly winds picked up loose particles and began piling them up against the wall of the mountain. This process continues today. Sand is still moved across the valley floor to the dunes, making them bigger, and changing their shape daily.</div>
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We arrived at the dunes on a clear and chilly day, still warm and pliable from two days in the hot springs. With our intentions set on sledding, we were immediately disappointed to learn that, despite several internet resources telling me otherwise, sleds were not for rent at the Visitors Center within the park and that we would have to drive 40 miles out of the way to a satellite Visitors Center in Alamosa to get them - and then drive back. <i>Nah</i>. So we hiked.</div>
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From the first step into the soft, shifting sands, we knew we were in for a challenge. Climbing nearly 750 feet in elevation in sand that forever sank away from us took nearly two hours. And it certainly didn't help that because the dunes shapes are flexible and constantly changing there are no obvious trails. We were advised to stay on the ridge lines to make walking easier, but we didn't always follow that advice and would more often than not end up scrambling (hopelessly) up sheer, crumbling dune faces and cursing ourselves for making the journey harder on ourselves that necessary!</div>
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After busting our glutes into smithereens, we eventually made it to the top of a tall dune ridge, but the chilly winds whipping stinging sand all around us quickly inspired us to turn around.</div>
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The best part? After the slow, painful climb up, the reckless running, tumbling, and jumping our way back down the soft, pliable sands almost made up for the fact that we never got to try it on a sled!</div>
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And I was no doubt shaking sand out of my hair for days!</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com1Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve, Colorado, USA37.7915959 -105.5943275999999937.5907499 -105.91705109999998 37.992441899999996 -105.27160409999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-44972464004544426282015-03-10T14:30:00.000-04:002015-03-10T14:30:01.950-04:00Sunset at the OLT Hot Springs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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At the <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/03/omg-olt-hot-springs.html">Orient Land Trust Hot Springs</a> on our second night, we headed up to the Top Ponds to watch the sunset. Although, when you combine freezing temperatures with the slanting of an orange sun over steaming hot springs - well,as you can see, it kind of turns into a brilliant, billowing, enveloping haze. </div>
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Not that I'm complaining.</div>
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Because the walk to the top ponds is a bit over 1/4 mile on an icy slope, we headed towards more level ponds before losing all of the light. And of course we were treated to another dimming of the day in true Colorado splendor as we raced our rapidly freezing clothes to a warmer destination. We spent the rest of the night watching the scimitar moon sail over head and getting pruny in our natural bath.</div>
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In the morning we head to sandier reaches, the Great Sand Dunes National Park!</div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0Valley View Hot Springs, 64393 E County Road Gg, Villa Grove, CO 8115538.1919134 -105.8153649000000212.669878899999997 -147.12395890000002 63.713947899999994 -64.506770900000021tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-91398843615496840352015-03-02T13:00:00.000-05:002015-03-02T13:00:07.817-05:00OMG! OLT Hot Springs<div style="text-align: justify;">
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As soon as we escaped from the freezing air into the steamy hot spring, we began scheming on how we could stay here forever. We began listing people who <i>needed</i> to drop everything and come here <i>right now</i>. Imagine this: a thermal paradise at 9,000 feet elevation, perched against the piercing Sangre De Cristo Mountains lording over valley below and the distant San Juans. Yup, such is life in the <a href="http://www.olt.org/vvhs">Valley View Hot Springs</a> at the <a href="http://www.olt.com/">Orient Land Trust</a> in south central Colorado!</div>
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Wait, back up! First, our mad dash from Denver, <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/01/celebrating-kansas-all-50-states.html">tired from nights bent over arcade games and schmoozing at speakeasies</a>, in the sudden onset snow storm, of course. The challenges of a winter road trip keep unfolding like an onion - and so do the perks!</div>
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Like a blizzard through Bighorn Canyon flecked with its namesake sheep spewing us into the San Luis Valley as the sun breaks through the clouds to greet us. We maneuver the car to a hasty stop to soak it all in. Somewhere, 60 miles along the chasm awaits our destination - and a private cabin booked for two nights! - but as we stand between the veils of two monstrous ranges being impaled with frozen wind, we don't quite know what to expect at this proclaimed "naturist community".</div>
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So headfirst into the snow we went, the setting sun throwing us into the shade of the squall before we took a left turn up into the mountains, dreaming of raising our core temps above freezing. Before long we had climbed up above the weather and were stopped at a boom gate next to the check in building. We find our cabin with just enough time to take in the beautiful sunset. This place already feels close enough to heaven and we haven't even seen any of the pools yet!</div>
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Okay, okay, no need to hold you in suspense. We quickly stripped (naturism here means "clothing optional", if you catch my drift), bundled our nakedness up in something that passed for pool cover and skipped into the steaming night with excitement. Although the short walk through the 0 degree temperatures was a bit rough, we eagerly entered the sauna (which had a spring inside!) before racing off to the pools.</div>
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For the next 36 hours, we soaked in the myriad pools throughout the area like happy, plump chia seeds. From the cascading "top ponds", to the breathtaking views at the "meadow pond", and of course the very impressive heated swimming pool, we basked in the steamy glow of 96 degree water in ten degree days! Pure bliss. </div>
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Have you soaked it all in?! </div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com3Valley View Hot Springs, 64393 E County Road Gg, Villa Grove, CO 8115538.1919134 -105.8153649000000224.928385399999996 -126.46966190000002 51.4554414 -85.16106790000002tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-8332201235706308932015-02-23T19:00:00.000-05:002015-02-23T19:28:53.989-05:00Honey, I'm Home!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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After 50 straight hours of driving - I'm HOME! The astute among us may realize that the photo above is of our <i>departure</i>, not of our <i>arrival</i>, but I'm sure none of you would be interested in seeing my haggard, tear-streaked face crowded by a tangle of limp, oily hair that hadn't been washed since Sacramento, California. And yes, I said <i>tear-streaked</i>, because even the most intrepid travelers are entitled an emotional breakdown every now and then, especially when that breakdown coincides with a very intense daybreak dash through snow, ice, and windshield wiper fluid that froze solid. And, of course, the overwhelming relief of finally being off the road!</div>
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Looking at my recent post history, you might be remonstrating me from my lack of posts about my trip - <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/01/road-trip-resolutions.html">the posts I promised</a> you would cover my journey on a live basis - but I guess that just wasn't in the cards this time around. I blame technology failures and horrible time management. Had I a lesser constitution for remoteness, I may have lapsed into catatonic schizophrenia with the amount of time I spent in areas with no service at all. Have no fear, I will recap the adventures like a champ in the weeks to come.</div>
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Some adventures to whet your taste buds:</div>
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<li>Completed my life goal of <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2015/01/celebrating-kansas-all-50-states.html">visiting all 50 states</a>!</li>
<li>Hung out at a nudist colony in Colorado</li>
<li>Attended a PhD level astrophysics course at UC Riverside</li>
<li>Saw a wild sea otter up close and personal</li>
<li>Cross-country skied to a back country yurt for the night</li>
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I can't wait to tell you all about it. Expect an abundance of sunset photos. <b><i>What have you all been up to? </i></b></div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-23451252955443328322015-01-30T15:00:00.000-05:002015-01-30T15:00:02.491-05:00Rock City, Kansas<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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File this one under awesome roadside attractions! </div>
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After spending the previous day exploring the prairie by foot, we were ready to cover some miles in our car, but first we just had to check out nearby Rock City Park in Minneapolis, Kansas. Touted more as a roadside attraction than a geologic park, we were delightfully surprised to find that it was actually more like a roadside playground! This was particularly exciting because it being the middle of winter on a Wednesday, we were the only ones there.</div>
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So on the two acre spread overlooking patchwork fields of ranch land and winter wheat, we began climbing all over the 200 round sandstone concretions, formed by calcite from Kansas' prehistoric inland sea and differential erosion, that littered the park. And yes, it was just as cool as the pictures make it look! All around us were rock formations, varying from 3 feet high to 12 feet high and easily climable. In fact, the park encourages climbing!</div>
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We spent about an hour exploring and climbing until it was time to hit the road with our sights sent on Colorado. It may seem crazy to say, but if you are ever in the area, I highly suggest stopping by the park for some geology-themed excitement.</div>
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(Ps, <span style="line-height: 1.428571em;">I may be writing this to you in Tucson, Arizona after a million adventures, but my heart is still in Kansas!)</span></div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com8Rock City Park, Minneapolis, KS 67467, USA39.0858159 -97.730128139.0734909 -97.7502981 39.0981409 -97.709958100000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-69811967330518616002015-01-30T13:00:00.000-05:002015-02-23T11:56:05.822-05:00Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">"You must not be in the prairie; but the prairie must be in you... He who tells the prairie mystery must wear the prairie in his heart." William A. Quayle, <i>The Prairie and the Sea </i>(1905)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Some of my most favorite times have been in Kansas, and that is not because my excitement about arriving colored it in anyway - but because it was totally awesome! Kansas gets a bad reputation from pretty much everyone. The only things I hear about the sunflower state is that it is flat, monotonous, boring, or something about the Wizard of Oz. I rarely hear anybody p<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif;">raising</span> grasses singing in the wind or the overwhelming feelings of isolation you can get standing under a sky with no end and how those feelings are like nothing else in the world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Good thing I am here to tell you about those things!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Driving through Kansas caused quite a spiritual stir in us - every mile we exalted the Lord above: <i>Oh, my God.</i> The plains they never ended. From careful rows of corn and sunflower stubble, to gently undulating ranch land, to the vast scorched earth of the Tallgrass Prairie National Park and Preserve, as far as the eye could see was as far as the eye could see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">We made a beeline to the Tallgrass Prairie in the Flint Hills, first and foremost, on a very chilly yet calm day. Bundled in our hiking layers and eager to stretch our legs after three days on the road, we set off on a seven mile hike through the winter worlds of some of the last tallgrass prairie in America. The natural prairie remaining here is only 4% of the original 170 million acres that didn't fall under cultivation or development just within the last generation. Wow.</span>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">And what should appear on the horizon less than a mile in? A herd of bison, plodding staidly along like a glimpse back in time. The majority of the prairie we walked through had recently undergone a controlled burn, so we didn't really get a good idea of what it would have been like to be standing under prairie grasses upwards of eight feet high, but we did get an amazing sense of isolation - with the winds at an atypical hush, the silence of the winter prairie was nearly deafening with not a tree, hou</span><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">se, or power line to break the line of sight.</span></div>
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Watch out for the occasional bison poop!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, Droid Sans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">"Native tallgrass prairie is the rarest of all North American biomes... [It] is a singular system defined by climate, weather, size, and the interactions of fire and grazing bison. Because those factors are no longer functioning in a balanced whole anywhere in North America, true tallgrass prairie can be considered to be extinct as a natural functioning ecosystem." John Madson, <i>On the Osage</i> (1990)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">With our legs aching and the sun setting in the overcast sky, we headed into nearby Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, to soak up a little history. I am in the middle of reading William Least Heat Moon's <u>PrairyErth</u>, which covered Cottonwood Falls and Chase County in the first chapters, so I was thrilled to see the quiet little town through the eyes of the author, including the Emma Chase Cafe and the Cottonwood Falls infamous red roofed courthouse.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">But like most prairie towns on a Tuesday in the middle of winter not much was open and as I sometimes do when I stand next to my Subaru with Vermont plates pointing my camera about, I began to feel more like a voyeur than a well meaning tourist. We hit the road towards our accommodations for the night in Salina, watching the sunset on oil derricks down on the prairie.</span></div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, 2480 Kansas 177, Strong City, KS 66869, USA38.4426255 -96.57300040000001238.3431375 -96.73436190000001 38.5421135 -96.411638900000014tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-77340660584358360712015-01-16T14:00:00.000-05:002015-01-16T14:08:01.906-05:00Celebrating Kansas & All 50 States!<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Hello from Colorado! AGP and I have had an amazing time making tracks across this beautiful country of ours, although working from a tablet with only WiFi connections has made it admittedly harder to post from the road. But don't worry, I have been taking a TON of pictures. And you can always follow my </span><a href="http://instagram.com/phyllisandzy/" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Instagram</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;"> or </span><a href="https://twitter.com/daydrunk_zy" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Twitter</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;"> for daily updates on my location and adventures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Its been only a week since we left Vermont and we have covered a lot of miles! From Albany to Buffalo through snow, wind, and dirty windshields, and then on through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri until, finally, Kansas! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">We took a day hike through the Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio (which you may remember reading about </span><a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-road-trip-ideas-vermont-to-kansas.html" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">here</a><span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">) to the frozen Brandywine Falls - and even though the bridge was out, we were able to complete a short loop through the snow.</span></div>
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We also enjoyed the more touristy side of things like checking out the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, which is pretty damn impressive in person!</div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">But why is Kansas so special? Because it means that I have officially been to every state in the Union! That is a pretty big deal for a girl who has pretty much devoted her young adult like to driving around the country to see all there is to see.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Congratulations to me!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">And as for Kansas, it was everything I could have hoped for and more. Awesome, expansive, vacant, and with a sky so big it only really hits you until the eighth straight hour you've been driving through it. We hiked in the last remaining Tallgrass Prairie in the United States, drove through a million miles of rural ranch and farm roads, and made eyes at pretty spectacular geologic formations - yes, they have those in Kansas too!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, 'Droid Sans', sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.9999942779541px;">Yesterday we finally landed in Golden, Colorado to spend some quality time with <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-little-beetle-who-thought-he-was.html">Kyla</a> and Ben, our friends who have recently moved here. Aside from the Rocky Mountains rearing up and smacking us in the face, the best thing about being here is that it is 50 degrees outside!!! A wonderful reprieve from the near-Arctic conditions we have so far endured. Our spirits climb higher and higher with each mile westward we eat up, and as nice as it is to take a few days off from traveling, I am excited to get back on the road!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-WqkNCQa4Qm33wqkJjGlqsq4miYqze-YeHE30KtuU4WnmCvf0E7yKEeb9jW22O19sm9N2Yqvv-2q1KklDkTUmZHcUFVyLDzOfPygbXC2GJTf84n5jXkUFWHOHRNq3Vn7Pdd4qW5vTfE/s1600/view-of-golden-colorado.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-WqkNCQa4Qm33wqkJjGlqsq4miYqze-YeHE30KtuU4WnmCvf0E7yKEeb9jW22O19sm9N2Yqvv-2q1KklDkTUmZHcUFVyLDzOfPygbXC2GJTf84n5jXkUFWHOHRNq3Vn7Pdd4qW5vTfE/s1600/view-of-golden-colorado.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com3Golden, CO, USA39.755543 -105.2210996999999739.657868 -105.38246119999997 39.853218000000005 -105.05973819999997tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-28733932721317194052015-01-07T13:30:00.000-05:002015-01-07T13:30:00.940-05:00Road Trip Resolutions<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDapPqTBmbV3BzTZdhWylh_LHBezIwdMTzwvdsbcmDf24OIGHT3201Iv-0eh1uEnXw3Ko7wRWcdfk8GN8P0Olpy9bJwuXV2Eie7qjAOO1jjb5mn4Mab0CQjpOe1iA5dVAyDXpacnpnMhY/s1600/night-driving-long-exposure.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDapPqTBmbV3BzTZdhWylh_LHBezIwdMTzwvdsbcmDf24OIGHT3201Iv-0eh1uEnXw3Ko7wRWcdfk8GN8P0Olpy9bJwuXV2Eie7qjAOO1jjb5mn4Mab0CQjpOe1iA5dVAyDXpacnpnMhY/s1600/night-driving-long-exposure.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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I don't usually make resolutions with the new year (except to visit Canada!), but with my road trip looming and my desires to blog about the whole trip while it's happening led me to agree on resolutions of a different kind: <b>road trip resolutions</b>!</div>
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My road trip transparency has been pretty lacking in the past. I usually use the time to unplug from the world and immerse myself into the fantasy and romance of the trip. Aside from ignoring my daily troubles and responsibilities, that often means forgetting to take pictures or the exact locations of some of the pictures I did take. It makes memories harder to recall. I have also realized that I enjoy writing about my adventures, so thorough documentation would be very helpful. Don't fret though, I ALWAYS remember the exact route of each trip. </div>
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<b>1. TAKE MORE PICTURES</b></div>
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Like I said, I often go through phases during trips where I will stop taking photos for a while. Sometimes it's because I'm trying to live "in the moment" and step away from the viewfinder, and other times it's because I am SO inspired by the travels that I find my camera just doesn't do it justice. Because of this, my photo galleries often experience huge gaps in destinations. For example, when I am home, I'll realize that I didn't take a single picture in Montana, or maybe just one really bad one, and then I get all disappointed about wasting the opportunity.</div>
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I do not want this to happen on this trip! I am going to set a goal for myself to always have my camera with me - even when it seems inconvenient. And even on those days where we are trapped in the car getting from A to B, I will transform these moments into inspiring memories. AND I will do better at taking pictures of signs and place names to add a bit of chronological order to my snapshots. </div>
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<b>2. RECORD MY OBSERVATIONS AND DESTINATIONS</b></div>
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For the most part, my mind is a treasure trove of memories - memories I can call up on a moments notice to recreate some of my favorite travels. Whether it's a warm, dry breeze on <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/go-wwoof-ing.html">a roof deck in South Dakota</a> while a vulture flies over head or shuffling through a parking lot dusted with snow at night in Arizona, I keep a lot of textural emotions protected from the abuse of time. However, I have never kept a travel journal, so most of these memories are tenuous at best and perhaps lend more to whimsy than reality.</div>
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For this journey, I want to record even the nitty gritty of each day. I am mostly interested in keeping better tabs on the weather and how that might have affected my mood or activities for the day. Either way, I want to do better at recording the atmosphere of my trip, so instead of using an atlas to recall pivotal moments from the trip and arguing about what happened where, I can easily refer to my notations and conjure up memories supported by cold hard facts. </div>
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<b>3. MEET NEW PEOPLE!</b></div>
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Guys, you would probably be horribly disappointed to learn how introverted and private I really am. Color me more the observing, wallflower type than the "grabbing life by the testes" type. Not that I would ever shun an uncomfortable or spontaneous situation for the sake of adventure, but I kind of super hate meeting <i>most</i> people. Hell, the last time I met people during a road trip, <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/adventure-in-jemez-mountains.html">they nearly left us in the woods to die</a>! However, I really want to be better at making new friends and taking advantage of local opportunities, within reason.</div>
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Thankfully, AGP is more extroverted than I, so I will try to use his enthusiasm and easy-going nature to reach out to people I may normally just ignore: fellow tourists, bar patrons, local business owners, friends of friends... this time, I will say, <i>Hello!</i> </div>
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<b>4. LIVE IN THE MOMENT</b></div>
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I am aware that this is a rare and special opportunity for me. Not many people have the chance to spontaneously take two months of vacation to do what they are most passionate about. And I am also aware that this probably won't be my lifestyle forever. Therefore, despite the challenging weather conditions, I want to be totally conscious during this trip and make a better effort to be grateful and present throughout the adventure. Whether that means picking the camera up (or putting it down!), living spontaneously, or rethinking my idea of "live documenting" the whole thing, I just want to make sure I am doing justice for this majorly awesome season of traveling!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Y9fMxZReNJkaBXdHaxeNjI5wvuunmiat8phHVJfiHVJiV6Yc5pQCLSp-_X7UFxosIfksCs4cEc5CrRHO6zJy44XVG2COmMbkPeZbZsqlGcPA70CIBDQG5fxeC9srO8VjnFUx8xkGzBM/s1600/in-the-car-california.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6Y9fMxZReNJkaBXdHaxeNjI5wvuunmiat8phHVJfiHVJiV6Yc5pQCLSp-_X7UFxosIfksCs4cEc5CrRHO6zJy44XVG2COmMbkPeZbZsqlGcPA70CIBDQG5fxeC9srO8VjnFUx8xkGzBM/s1600/in-the-car-california.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Does anyone have any other tips on how to best capture the spirit of a road trip?</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-54580155321589956082015-01-06T13:00:00.000-05:002015-01-06T13:00:04.529-05:00Day Drunk in 2014<div style="text-align: justify;">
In 2014, I lived in Vermont for a whole year, started a <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/we-are-tiny-house-builders.html">tiny house business</a>, and turned 27. It also marked a year of collaborating with <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/search/label/Vness">Nessa</a> and I even got to introduce you to my friend Kyla! Aside from finishing up documenting my <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-nessa-zy-road-trip-finale-yosemite.html">cross country road trip with Nessa</a> (just in time for my <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/search/label/winter%20road%20trip">upcoming trip</a>!), I really feel like this year was a great stab at truly finding my blogging voice and confidence!</div>
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Here are a few of my favorite posts from 2014:</div>
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(You can find other faves on the sidebar!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsnFkj_QQ1BI64KTf0me9zi0MTe9Bc1bRg4Ls_AivyE7LTacnn2herfFHor7LaM_j3hmk8Fab5GOJRDvcYBZ9YeGGqQlu5qZkycAQgNTEimkBJVC2jEYhqIGPuIoyxuMW14xQ7d0mI1g/s1600/extraterrestrial-highway.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlsnFkj_QQ1BI64KTf0me9zi0MTe9Bc1bRg4Ls_AivyE7LTacnn2herfFHor7LaM_j3hmk8Fab5GOJRDvcYBZ9YeGGqQlu5qZkycAQgNTEimkBJVC2jEYhqIGPuIoyxuMW14xQ7d0mI1g/s1600/extraterrestrial-highway.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreamland-extraterrestrial-highway.html">Dreamland & the Extraterrestrial Highway</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGKFB5YJP8_Sa0578FJLOEr6ahnI0zQNM9u7FFHqvXnEGi7umeJxC7k7CynembFrxDR_KEg6HapY7ateL8oLTVe9j6ZWupXKkWwZug0sXKUXCsurBdSibV2R9umvVFoWxPipkt9tmsF4/s1600/grouse.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTGKFB5YJP8_Sa0578FJLOEr6ahnI0zQNM9u7FFHqvXnEGi7umeJxC7k7CynembFrxDR_KEg6HapY7ateL8oLTVe9j6ZWupXKkWwZug0sXKUXCsurBdSibV2R9umvVFoWxPipkt9tmsF4/s1600/grouse.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/trail-cam-no-2_31.html">Trail Cam No. 2</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OZ6hci7KHnuBw_VLAmx91rGLbIpuR3d8k0eRt_ysuJoTjhaTVyKGUG8gAKwFl07VS6t00141JUlqnr8iY91DcVkNq9cKwcQzlsQfj-CL4qWZnFZJmVoeQZDio8dkcV0IFGL3RMGhvh0/s1600/starry-night.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_OZ6hci7KHnuBw_VLAmx91rGLbIpuR3d8k0eRt_ysuJoTjhaTVyKGUG8gAKwFl07VS6t00141JUlqnr8iY91DcVkNq9cKwcQzlsQfj-CL4qWZnFZJmVoeQZDio8dkcV0IFGL3RMGhvh0/s1600/starry-night.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/from-city-to-country.html">From The City to The Country</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Pbu2bQgy-4ftqSl3kQ93aOyMLSysbyeFd_VMNKZ7iGjvs4mec8b4LmNcR2qAjGJ2sH6VWjTPkBhPabh99xQeTMB4QHUqzqO3soZCbSlx1bq1J3jCIgZlsKfpd359d_nQwWJIN7npKU/s1600/aero-press.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 0em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl6Pbu2bQgy-4ftqSl3kQ93aOyMLSysbyeFd_VMNKZ7iGjvs4mec8b4LmNcR2qAjGJ2sH6VWjTPkBhPabh99xQeTMB4QHUqzqO3soZCbSlx1bq1J3jCIgZlsKfpd359d_nQwWJIN7npKU/s1600/aero-press.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/photo-hour-december-diy.html">Photo-an-Hour: A December DIY</a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAa6TzMjObHheSCm2Gcc_B92n5UA1Rny65mXokv0xP13s0TsIWqfv-UazaHar77qc6O9wFtDZr3IRfy1CoA7BkCM1ESVvhy2lP4tEBcOHaNnmYlB_53CItIDdTliZaXG32sI2NMt8d4g/s1600/201408_PianoBurn+(246).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCAa6TzMjObHheSCm2Gcc_B92n5UA1Rny65mXokv0xP13s0TsIWqfv-UazaHar77qc6O9wFtDZr3IRfy1CoA7BkCM1ESVvhy2lP4tEBcOHaNnmYlB_53CItIDdTliZaXG32sI2NMt8d4g/s1600/201408_PianoBurn+(246).JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/picspam-burning-piano.html">Picspam: The Burning Piano</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkVqGBd-QPN9BqlJ8uenzdqlOckM-Yk-f20dwxyU_h9J9lRansPE0Rmv2Lgf7KbZupS5yh9kk3R5ZI9DERmJbY35F_o-FxkcgJLF9Vz1SXQCYKF9PwL-XbsDh9XBZytQDkUONHneosKg/s1600/orange-hat.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGkVqGBd-QPN9BqlJ8uenzdqlOckM-Yk-f20dwxyU_h9J9lRansPE0Rmv2Lgf7KbZupS5yh9kk3R5ZI9DERmJbY35F_o-FxkcgJLF9Vz1SXQCYKF9PwL-XbsDh9XBZytQDkUONHneosKg/s1600/orange-hat.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/orange-season.html">Orange Season</a></div>
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And my favorite collaborations:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_4mwJdfrG1ov5kSrrvljtsnWN1MrxY455wsHMF8eLTmxVo8SHEVONXaZyOujeGjvyrI34YZ0BeIULijSSdY95ILdALB64fzwYbTUCv5inBlEXOCc0leil0i1YWMlEiYhyy-KldTIMpo/s1600/black-rock-city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_4mwJdfrG1ov5kSrrvljtsnWN1MrxY455wsHMF8eLTmxVo8SHEVONXaZyOujeGjvyrI34YZ0BeIULijSSdY95ILdALB64fzwYbTUCv5inBlEXOCc0leil0i1YWMlEiYhyy-KldTIMpo/s1600/black-rock-city.jpg" width="425" /></a></div>
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/a-week-in-black-rock-city.html">A Week In Black Rock City</a> by <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/search/label/Vness">Nessa</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ5NvqHTYhLqoNVQDdtoujTD0f9WFyssYoE4zeYL9ZSjQ4JCNrtnhYJZQRn9-wa1o8Nq48EgxFsZD68-ZlC58AWnRO1t6BKVSB_coYVYdrN7UHt7BeOej2uCM0WvdO4jLuzeq62dRsok/s1600/beetle-who-thought-he-was-a-dragon.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOQ5NvqHTYhLqoNVQDdtoujTD0f9WFyssYoE4zeYL9ZSjQ4JCNrtnhYJZQRn9-wa1o8Nq48EgxFsZD68-ZlC58AWnRO1t6BKVSB_coYVYdrN7UHt7BeOej2uCM0WvdO4jLuzeq62dRsok/s1600/beetle-who-thought-he-was-a-dragon.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-little-beetle-who-thought-he-was.html">The Beetle Who Thought he was a Dragon</a> by Kyla<br />
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Thanks for reading, everyone! </div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-3873545027101274632014-12-24T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-24T13:00:05.253-05:005: Winter Textures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL76Jxdbn3ZIhHUb1I3X9Z00IiLSKm75YqO1EW9Q3tOAtiRn4kM43HVAkwA2ReWrtlE7jjB1iZVtVlS-0lSAmd9WFDS6Kds3kN4ps5ScZGmnzwLFgJAjvOeoRQ_8cIDQcH0XwdT28H1c/s1600/birch-in-hand.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRL76Jxdbn3ZIhHUb1I3X9Z00IiLSKm75YqO1EW9Q3tOAtiRn4kM43HVAkwA2ReWrtlE7jjB1iZVtVlS-0lSAmd9WFDS6Kds3kN4ps5ScZGmnzwLFgJAjvOeoRQ_8cIDQcH0XwdT28H1c/s1600/birch-in-hand.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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As excited as I am to escape Vermont for warmer, more southerly climates on our upcoming road trip, I will definitely miss the perma-snowed<span style="font-size: small;">-</span>in vibe of winter in the Great White North.</div>
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With everything covered in approximately 12 inches of old crusty snow, finding fresh winter textures was a bit difficult, so I bent my own rules to include some seasonal pretties.</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJvInN8N6FYJnu9zokyJQNhe6ll5ZcfyIJ92h6W6JGXxHp3wV47r0WYZ49cBR8FMO14OzmaLSHWMc1LeG53DwwAus0QaC77NYNGOkWlzCpWBAozZQl131mcthiyWG8AqAnVMVs-aFsWw/s1600/cat-prints-in-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrJvInN8N6FYJnu9zokyJQNhe6ll5ZcfyIJ92h6W6JGXxHp3wV47r0WYZ49cBR8FMO14OzmaLSHWMc1LeG53DwwAus0QaC77NYNGOkWlzCpWBAozZQl131mcthiyWG8AqAnVMVs-aFsWw/s1600/cat-prints-in-snow.png" width="425" /></a><br />
Cat prints in the snow! Too cute.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Two</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmACbBXy7lIJBx95QO2zUOnGgpnh2flYZM9rNxlA0NaUyTl4UzKo0iigXoVPmWGBn_CJ6kXYIGzKmN3Vq0JMoRpLlTmDxTNySYW94Cxx23qDps2qaw8mw7xxjj1S8v78fWiLVGlwgU1nI/s1600/birch-bark-winter.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmACbBXy7lIJBx95QO2zUOnGgpnh2flYZM9rNxlA0NaUyTl4UzKo0iigXoVPmWGBn_CJ6kXYIGzKmN3Vq0JMoRpLlTmDxTNySYW94Cxx23qDps2qaw8mw7xxjj1S8v78fWiLVGlwgU1nI/s1600/birch-bark-winter.png" width="425" /></a> </span></div>
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Birch bark + lichen + moss + snow = beautiful!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Three</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0H8OL1Q_Onw4CGoI6XoEHbPPZnwCM8RyUbmLggl6pOE7cwExFfrta3VG8kv_e11T1pAQ_hbtyfTAK_ypM8dGyLH3YEQZNxKExIu8OydIf6htBmXapXSN0ejJst9ET7b1S9Y9gFQOL-g/s1600/hemlock-bough.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV0H8OL1Q_Onw4CGoI6XoEHbPPZnwCM8RyUbmLggl6pOE7cwExFfrta3VG8kv_e11T1pAQ_hbtyfTAK_ypM8dGyLH3YEQZNxKExIu8OydIf6htBmXapXSN0ejJst9ET7b1S9Y9gFQOL-g/s1600/hemlock-bough.png" width="425" /></a><br />
Hemlock boughs heavy with snow<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Four</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_ZsadXOOFE-dY-G0oXqvtISSpUI000u2fvHc0k3ESRgwY-YWe29qYaPtqc6__-Nq6g9NBtXKwWlYl72Mr3yU7Ew4VABvpoTcFgf6uyjU8M_KL5MiHhyphenhyphenT0t3ZnAjd9fd6m9EO_uhyphenhyphenZ2Y/s1600/moss-macro.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_ZsadXOOFE-dY-G0oXqvtISSpUI000u2fvHc0k3ESRgwY-YWe29qYaPtqc6__-Nq6g9NBtXKwWlYl72Mr3yU7Ew4VABvpoTcFgf6uyjU8M_KL5MiHhyphenhyphenT0t3ZnAjd9fd6m9EO_uhyphenhyphenZ2Y/s1600/moss-macro.png" width="425" /></a><br />
Moss on macro. I am in LOVE with this picture.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Five</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlqI3Jrw2Jd-G2F1ucKMcfTMuSaURRD8rGIU61lKrWBRNB1dYG39YnL2lP-O5AiVvQyV7z1c1qA55zT8fk50Xh3LVCIsD0vz6XQwj1oT21MtQsZs5cAM4B6EcU5IV26A27GgH9WuaG2o/s1600/snow-on-stairs.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdlqI3Jrw2Jd-G2F1ucKMcfTMuSaURRD8rGIU61lKrWBRNB1dYG39YnL2lP-O5AiVvQyV7z1c1qA55zT8fk50Xh3LVCIsD0vz6XQwj1oT21MtQsZs5cAM4B6EcU5IV26A27GgH9WuaG2o/s1600/snow-on-stairs.png" width="425" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">Snow on the back porch steps.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bonus</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G029G2igR5WInjZq5jt2cONdIcEuXdknRJfBCOWLvjL47x5oRagBmIp1i9ika36mAyTL-oivnApkWZq4w1sgrXmho0rROAbEipuAwTkelA2pr20s8Lo841OcwlAA1gM52I4dSApM2gc/s1600/tarp-and-icicles.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G029G2igR5WInjZq5jt2cONdIcEuXdknRJfBCOWLvjL47x5oRagBmIp1i9ika36mAyTL-oivnApkWZq4w1sgrXmho0rROAbEipuAwTkelA2pr20s8Lo841OcwlAA1gM52I4dSApM2gc/s1600/tarp-and-icicles.png" width="425" /></a><br />
A tarp covering our boat laced with icicles.<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">PS, check out my <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/5-fall-textures.html">fall textures here</a>! Hope you have a great holiday!</span></div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-53446143320473831812014-12-20T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-20T13:30:16.376-05:00Photo-an-Hour: A December DIY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpZjt0JV08-Pi3CHziG_GkQwuwydD79ND3m1wWZksashNgPnTpHHj50LNRQfCC0BHzDS3gI5FK_tLi99Qn3VPYUXqeikpugaL2nTUOfhsawqNv2y7qO7K8sVzq7vzPMX-6LCx9855k8I/s1600/aero-press.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCpZjt0JV08-Pi3CHziG_GkQwuwydD79ND3m1wWZksashNgPnTpHHj50LNRQfCC0BHzDS3gI5FK_tLi99Qn3VPYUXqeikpugaL2nTUOfhsawqNv2y7qO7K8sVzq7vzPMX-6LCx9855k8I/s1600/aero-press.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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9am: Good morning! I'm kind of an "early to bed, late to rise" kind of girl, so my day usually starts around nine with a good <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/08/aeropress-brewing-101.html">Aeropress</a> full of espresso. With AGP out of the house for a couple of days, I have to remember how to do everything for one!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNIC4dLde03R46WO67AVDIBtfwIfU_fk5-xKjV7iSYUCZdGkpRuJ9xECRbbvkcoFEsNSWqBgXVOrbTRCORwMWo3eh01KWDauEaJ5Fab7WVnXYUR9YHz_Os2am01bLWB0aNWe4eLy2NS8/s1600/tina-and-phyllis.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNIC4dLde03R46WO67AVDIBtfwIfU_fk5-xKjV7iSYUCZdGkpRuJ9xECRbbvkcoFEsNSWqBgXVOrbTRCORwMWo3eh01KWDauEaJ5Fab7WVnXYUR9YHz_Os2am01bLWB0aNWe4eLy2NS8/s1600/tina-and-phyllis.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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10am: My cats' animosity towards each other has been thawing lately and I have been delightfully obsessed with seeing them relaxing in the same room together. It warms the cockles of my heart to get an eyeful of two happy cats at once.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y75CbgPV2M6PUyT9I9dulgtgh0N_8AWrUCHs-J5oMCB76w9M24sibphyABc4W9er8muVhIwKuQv-3LfjnToIF5DRiFTi67j4wZCW-VpAzqLghwHwWEK40MOuisG-7NGHWmeytq2Mh48/s1600/transfer-station.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3Y75CbgPV2M6PUyT9I9dulgtgh0N_8AWrUCHs-J5oMCB76w9M24sibphyABc4W9er8muVhIwKuQv-3LfjnToIF5DRiFTi67j4wZCW-VpAzqLghwHwWEK40MOuisG-7NGHWmeytq2Mh48/s1600/transfer-station.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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11am: Chores in the country include bringing my own trash to the dump. <i>We ain't got no trash collection</i>. Although this is actually a pretty fun chore because they have a cool recycling transfer station including a "take it or leave it" section with lots of free goodies.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf3npduhvhy6-DrGox0al2x1h8IlwYjpMGYXhlnSWzJHyYRiIY8jGOBRW8S9OFElH0lkjGuuAtCiHphrRAisM3TUivg6sRonxaYlQ2W7UfqgqTOD0BFs9MfQ7-zkmNCm5SxP8DH00hr0/s1600/gift-shop-goodies.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJf3npduhvhy6-DrGox0al2x1h8IlwYjpMGYXhlnSWzJHyYRiIY8jGOBRW8S9OFElH0lkjGuuAtCiHphrRAisM3TUivg6sRonxaYlQ2W7UfqgqTOD0BFs9MfQ7-zkmNCm5SxP8DH00hr0/s1600/gift-shop-goodies.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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12pm: Just showing off some of the awesome stuff I snagged at the dump. Not pictured is a sweet bench and a few other kitchen essentials. Don't you LOVE that bedspread and tiny frying pan?! Obviously taking free trash is not weird, right? <i>Right!</i> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOh-DOWzDwYgcym3Ks2XInk4Lk-TEEu8uOdZsRbCNtn7IKJ7Zmmza6KIeAWpi5N36m02zVUI8CwEfx7D59RwxkhlGW22NVCXoi4Zp1HCOtU4XAtkdD8xO9Zqt5ORKW5PbqwN75akLYi4/s1600/birch-catkin-mandala-winter.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiOh-DOWzDwYgcym3Ks2XInk4Lk-TEEu8uOdZsRbCNtn7IKJ7Zmmza6KIeAWpi5N36m02zVUI8CwEfx7D59RwxkhlGW22NVCXoi4Zp1HCOtU4XAtkdD8xO9Zqt5ORKW5PbqwN75akLYi4/s1600/birch-catkin-mandala-winter.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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1pm: I took a walk on the look out for some winter textures. I always forget how nice it is to tromp around in the snow, even on a cold, icy day. I made this quick and dirty mandala out of branches from a downed birch limb. I'm trying to get better at identifying trees, especially in winter, and this book I snagged is great: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Stokes-Guide-Nature-Winter-Donald/dp/0316817236/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419088433&sr=8-1&keywords=stokes+guide+to+nature+winter">A Guide To Nature in Winter</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujSIQSSfYM3gi0fERWq2uD8_hfhBVrnH-LEGInF2ewhCcS-akrA6V7eZGSvHgjlZHPnxvrT-AE7Ipv4GYwIk68POgs-6FKDp9ICpor_8ajTkIwANA1OogpOaJIiwNWNWMR5DddPMRxJI/s1600/begonia.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgujSIQSSfYM3gi0fERWq2uD8_hfhBVrnH-LEGInF2ewhCcS-akrA6V7eZGSvHgjlZHPnxvrT-AE7Ipv4GYwIk68POgs-6FKDp9ICpor_8ajTkIwANA1OogpOaJIiwNWNWMR5DddPMRxJI/s1600/begonia.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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2pm: Potted plant appreciation time! This begonia is one of my favorites. It is prospering fantastically from some clippings I got from a girlfriend in late fall. It doesn't mind the winter at all. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe67dEP2Wj-xWIZUiG5N83jYhgc1YX_6QqoHP4ty8A0VuUe9mY5QjIJLo9n4PRJG05keXgj0Q5-vyfDDJ0g8WOC8ctsXLRspWN7_euo4MXaQiiaShpW46bGXneXD70Ap4J2S0TRzIq1EE/s1600/scully-on-the-tv.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe67dEP2Wj-xWIZUiG5N83jYhgc1YX_6QqoHP4ty8A0VuUe9mY5QjIJLo9n4PRJG05keXgj0Q5-vyfDDJ0g8WOC8ctsXLRspWN7_euo4MXaQiiaShpW46bGXneXD70Ap4J2S0TRzIq1EE/s1600/scully-on-the-tv.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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3pm: A little exercise and a little X-Files. This pose looks provocative. Scully looks incredulous. Get it, girl. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BiqRKvEvfEoWU433b_VyAsgax4RAh2ZoBWZYuQa4DZn7cvtYkH4YwKxy0RihBzMK9rbTNCJS2yvSl62CbORWUUAgF7SDkR4ghBSAAQP0wmIjcOCd6Usv4luv8QRNNcZmLUFW6kG0_Cg/s1600/phyllis.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7BiqRKvEvfEoWU433b_VyAsgax4RAh2ZoBWZYuQa4DZn7cvtYkH4YwKxy0RihBzMK9rbTNCJS2yvSl62CbORWUUAgF7SDkR4ghBSAAQP0wmIjcOCd6Usv4luv8QRNNcZmLUFW6kG0_Cg/s1600/phyllis.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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4pm: Phyllis thinks exercise is for chumps. She'd much rather turn into a great big pile of fluff for 18 hours a day. Can't say I blame her.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsZQv717FKAtu-P7bXfH7AiUgsPgfsR0KjYDnfxhxln7CxX9Eu9rGVqSomQlgozv8TxrV-IsbqYPrfyEj9O0GWXbP12CRUt2eScbZ4C-am-JIs5VQNkYRlP6Sjhko0ow4XW2smF4Cp_o/s1600/bedroom-before.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzsZQv717FKAtu-P7bXfH7AiUgsPgfsR0KjYDnfxhxln7CxX9Eu9rGVqSomQlgozv8TxrV-IsbqYPrfyEj9O0GWXbP12CRUt2eScbZ4C-am-JIs5VQNkYRlP6Sjhko0ow4XW2smF4Cp_o/s1600/bedroom-before.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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5pm: Project time. A before shot of our little bedroom shows it to be a bit... lacking. I have been gearing up to try <a href="http://www.abeautifulmess.com/2014/11/make-a-statement-wall-with-paint-pens.html">this statement wall DIY</a> from <a href="http://abeautifulmess.com/">A Beautiful Mess</a> behind the bed for about a month now and it's finally time! Okay, take a deep breath and jump in!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_8U0PahbyuSyTEY7hkRs6pEWtb3PieboXK7kDwSfim2vc4aCyKuaJaXvukx13LQeRPNHBlv5OpfR2vB5BoK9Cwo-E59eW5tDhPmIk-kWDgdhtkn8Ab_4RyMTap25cxpWHekQKwRNMpc/s1600/stencil-on-the-floor.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL_8U0PahbyuSyTEY7hkRs6pEWtb3PieboXK7kDwSfim2vc4aCyKuaJaXvukx13LQeRPNHBlv5OpfR2vB5BoK9Cwo-E59eW5tDhPmIk-kWDgdhtkn8Ab_4RyMTap25cxpWHekQKwRNMpc/s1600/stencil-on-the-floor.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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6pm: This is my stencil. A bit of a different take on ABM's design, but a bit more my style. I call it The Aztec Urn Pattern. I perfected the stencil the night before, then carefully carved it onto a fresh piece of cardboard I got from the dump today. I'm about halfway through the wall at this point. 30 Rock is my friend.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzpjheE2y1kKbzSg4cEiPzFBYywY9zfkl29SzfTi1GfhpvEfakMzBbnSyBmhU5iDraOFGlnA5VEJ92EG6GZ0XWcgta7L_wo0ffyvKxHGt_Gr4LxwevzPTWRCUTIV2sCrfmzoXgyGwmGo/s1600/aztec-urn-stencil.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzpjheE2y1kKbzSg4cEiPzFBYywY9zfkl29SzfTi1GfhpvEfakMzBbnSyBmhU5iDraOFGlnA5VEJ92EG6GZ0XWcgta7L_wo0ffyvKxHGt_Gr4LxwevzPTWRCUTIV2sCrfmzoXgyGwmGo/s1600/aztec-urn-stencil.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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7pm: Yes! I LOVE it! I will share a better "after" photo once we install our nightstands and spruce up the space a bit more, but this statement wall project was the first step in our total bedroom rejuvenation. The pattern and overall effect make me smile, even with all the slight imperfections. Thanks for the idea, ABM!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGZ5sXXXlmiXlNn4Ps7bREVJ38JUvddMKSQoRhiNL4tLtCbnhASc2STwqszdcUUKKFhOqy7bDGNDzP5FAkE5DBPUJdfsEwLPVDYWDwEkuLbVDtSglVC_Y2VT7QWfw-9mmLAcVuOe4iV0/s1600/dinner-in-bed.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCGZ5sXXXlmiXlNn4Ps7bREVJ38JUvddMKSQoRhiNL4tLtCbnhASc2STwqszdcUUKKFhOqy7bDGNDzP5FAkE5DBPUJdfsEwLPVDYWDwEkuLbVDtSglVC_Y2VT7QWfw-9mmLAcVuOe4iV0/s1600/dinner-in-bed.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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8pm: Dinner in bed is totally reasonable when you just want to stare at your new pretty wall, right? This is some absolute bachelorette food: roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, chicken, brie, and apples on french bread. A DIY dinner to end the day.</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-52185258380452485952014-12-17T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-17T13:00:01.027-05:00Winter Road Trip Ideas: Colorado<div style="text-align: justify;">
While everyone around me is hot with Christmas fever, I seem to
have come down with a different sort of distemper: high plains disorder.<br />
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No, it's probably not what you are thinking - it's just that I am
obsessed with planning the route for our road trip in January. A you
know, I have already been scheming on destinations while we are in <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/winter-road-trip-ideas-vermont-to-kansas.html">Kansas</a>, now I find myself wading through the endless wonder of Colorado,
trying to determine the best, January-friendliest adventures I can have
on a reasonable budget. </div>
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No
kidding that I love National Parks. I actually have all 58 on my "by age 35" bucket list (I have been to nearly half with 8 years to go!). I am
forever drawn to destinations focused on a particularly amazing
ecological wonder and Colorado is full of jut those kinds of things.
Here are my favorites so far:<br />
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(Click on the pictures for more information and credit)<br />
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<center>
<b>Hanging
Lake State Park: Glenwood Springs, Colorado</b></center>
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<a href="http://www.visitglenwood.com/hanging-lake" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKq9mxt0ksXS8OtUUHI3_MMsB4RhQGrAXrFs3OZ5JmLHAjT0lnNAbeyfpVqnJGwjtWnQ3N6duYeA_KhguWLYNH1uXeUsFEUM6QGQy0K8qR25s3ngq_kfRMSCWDkiQXe9hSrthf0uSFFTw/s1600/hanging-lake.png" width="425" /></a>
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Although it seems like it might not be a
directionally viable option for this particular trip, Hanging Lake remains at the top of my list. The lake is most notable for being perched at the edge of a cliff, fed by delicate waterfalls and abundant with hanging plants. Visiting it in the winter would also be perfect, as it is an
incredibly popular destination throughout the summer and I much prefer to beat the crowds. And with all the waterfalls frozen, I'm sure it would make for an awesome bag, especially considering the trail up to the valley where the lake sits is notoriously treacherous.</div>
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<a href="https://contest.thesca.org/snow2012/winter-hike-hanging-lake-co" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRbp9FEjro854i-4gLlGBHQ1Bl7f66tuI3BKgz8VkpTMXz5P4H1MCwj140vQ98QPYSA_LLzF0-rruygXASNl4sd0nPWghKWxAXafGOGbq3T6-SaT4LCxcw6J2UtH0M7cmKeYC2B67LmyE/s1600/hanging-lake-winter-sca.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<b>Great
Sand Dunes National Park: San Luis Valley, Colorado </b></div>
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<a href="http://www.nps.gov/grsa/index.htm" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhileNeKPpHYkG10flWDlVTD3t1GGb0s_mRQN8-uVxwH8jSc1P3e5i6J5x3ZrVYVmYH3rHP7vvYRF40GB-766jo0sEe_pVk9biS6xARvLFI8FqHEvP-tfDd8h3bdzWwerF-oxpdqvYlJec/s1600/sand-dunes.png" width="425" /></a></div>
It is heart-crashingly exciting to plan a
trip to a National Park that I have never been to before. These particular dunes, which can get up to 750 feet tall, spread for 30 miles against the foothills of the towering Sangre de Cristo Mountains. They were formed from the sand and gravel on dry stream and creek beds, which dry up during drought periods and get blown away by the wind to form the dunes. Hiking and frolicking are highly recommended, and you can even rent sleds and boards to use to ride down the dune faces!! I am definitely looking forward to that.<br />
<a href="http://www.coloradoguy.com/great-sand-dunes-national-park.htm" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2ErgLsk8vKCS4LdhCr0_M7756ZBRk9kQWxEF_VXVr8Ksnqv9Ys6f038U_obgZ1bMYiOXHMYnGC1NzfTM1lKMIQo0m1GeGZiOOx8HY-XkY8ZaDdiNDMZHKWb1XEFTWL-u3OzkPUwasUKM/s1600/great-sand-dunes-colorado-guy.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<b>Orient Land Trust and the Valley View Hot Springs: Moffat, Colorado</b></div>
<a href="http://www.olt.org/vvhs/soaking/ponds" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqquahLbpQUVTIA8-Ii3J2FepexUvshlEfJYx8DpaPt5Hp3TGPdASmZt3zwuT_Dnf1Vlvg0BoH8N4em_Az4eN_yAvYe-vYcNWvSQN6uuzK-zcWDr7Usg-IzL_HYAnW0S2wZnqgd3CSpRY/s1600/valley-view-hot-springs.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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The Orient Land Trust protects the hot springs and the surrounding area, providing pristine wildlife habitat and rustic camping. There are several natural warm springs to bathe in along wilderness trails as well as a facility with geothermally warmed saunas and hot tubs. That sounds freaking awesome to me. Bonus points for the Orient Land Trust also protecting Colorado's largest bat colony. Although in the winter, the bats will still be in South America. <br />
<a href="http://www.olt.org/mine/bats" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWMcr4VegD5SXv5i2W6bdi29ICJeQgRzEXZO2ATj1xpsu-63cuUU4GU0tpsonkfIM7RFjv6nR5VrGgBt3vnlobE47NpbD0WU9tkLcgpqLis22hsYNTZhTgMHbBjajlNtvNo4UCkK_a0VQ/s1600/olt-bats.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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<b>Mesa Verde National Park: Montezuma County, Colorado </b></div>
<a href="http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRlO-qKK39jLYVA67yZ3yCeJMgd-q43K11y2NqSKfJR_dMDR_Fof8x1RlnlBCIuBkUk0_dg3PmeW0I7L_ql-lJ2gynobwtg0564iDLsJHQFa2ApjZJdn40u-pqYOEwzq3BJU0ErgjdTMA/s1600/mesa-verde.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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I'll never forget my decision to <i>not</i> visit Mesa Verde during the winter of 2008. Me and my friend, Katie, sat right on the Four Corners and gazed wistfully northeast towards Mesa Verde - and the threatening clouds that clung to mountains with gray, snowy unease. We headed southeast instead, and I have always wondered what we missed that day. I am still very interested in checking out what is considered the largest cliff dwelling and most well preserved archeological site in the world. The ancient Pueblo people occupied the sandstone cliffs of Mesa Verde for 700 years.<br />
<a href="http://www.sfu.ca/ipinch/news/ipinch-news/anthropology-news-513-march-2010-replete-contributions-members-ipinch-collective" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsY__2aI3mg95K3rG7CQYDPS0ei2WTaCY3ssxjmka5enSuAgzeoyZ1sZxQjxZapqBE5KrXjYSj5ulxJlJvViAruul5P0XJ-DBFX5dzYz0wVCG9e-6TdicMIWmzGAnSl4spJNBp69gRNRY/s1600/mesa-verde-snow-george-nicholas.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
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<b>Root Down: Denver, Colorado</b></div>
<a href="http://www.rootdowndenver.com/" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKcQL6i9aR2LKduO5yT84HH91xsH9PebBDirBXtTpzOSq2305HvVhyJXDM2pwFTu5pecbPni2814iE5ozWBuLGksbGgUCWx5JmV3zP32abfGM-OCLXqsJJvwxxhOMmi7WfTOdX7V3Byz4/s1600/root-down-denver.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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With items like roasted parsnip soup, poblano-pistachio pesto, and sweet potato falafel on the menu, it would be hard to try and keep me away from this restaurant once I get to Denver. It also follows my favorite kind of restaurant fad - seasonal farm to table. That means that the ingredients are fresh, in season, and sourced locally. We have a fantastic one in our neighborhood in Vermont, <a href="http://solofarmandtable.com/">SoLo</a>, and I am always eager get a fresh, funky taste on classic ingredients. Okay, the secret's out - I read the menus just for fun!<br />
<a href="http://www.rootdowndenver.com/" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7UP6KXsbhX1OJc5JY85QA6F_YJcllO45VBQldIdXfQjT3we8pyQDQA6ESa2ZSlNvt0E5EAcByQXDxIHYGylxlGoCpyl7ERLbQPj8QcSNHZJ3E8ALjiDrX5XywwZvg09PyleSAct7nCw/s1600/root-down-inside-restaurant.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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<b>Red Rocks Natural Park and Amphitheater: Golden, Colorado </b></div>
<a href="http://redrocksonline.com/" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_o-ZG7U2R5ygsNkY_1yaFezUGfVlD42OWkUV4DxBWH3xRsXSN_7jhPBXcRsENBvirQQnKdH3RB6SZUtlqMdbQPNP4pWvqUEXajqTlpiLqZDTETZ05bo2lvYrrVmAGXvSFPOR_BfxZ3aI/s1600/red-rocks.png" width="425" /></a><br />
I'll admit that for once, my desire to visit a place finally has
less to do with geological majesty than it does cultural reasons.
Because dudes: STEVIE NICKS PLAYED HERE. What we will find here other
than the specters of rock 'n' roll history is <i>ancient</i> history, as
the gigantic sandstone rocks that form the conspicuously red
amphitheater are around 295 million years old. There's more to do here
than hear naturally amplified concerts - Red Rocks is a great place to hike and
check out the unique rock formations. Although I would be tempted to
just it in the bleachers and visualize being there for this:<br />
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Getting pumped to visit Colorado with me? Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-21617341770453973892014-12-16T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-16T13:00:04.087-05:00Wintry Wilds<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QfEM8B0Sq7JxZHRgOuQuX0lZCyQHoNM7Ff0B6h4sHQnTaGC18veXOEiBjTJkp-Yvq01qPR7RIkbOX8Ej9mSD2Arxwvkh7sIsXvTI0fofsvFYD9OM2Wprqc0b-HsLLeCdhQkGPEFGUO4/s1600/holding-up-the-sun.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9QfEM8B0Sq7JxZHRgOuQuX0lZCyQHoNM7Ff0B6h4sHQnTaGC18veXOEiBjTJkp-Yvq01qPR7RIkbOX8Ej9mSD2Arxwvkh7sIsXvTI0fofsvFYD9OM2Wprqc0b-HsLLeCdhQkGPEFGUO4/s1600/holding-up-the-sun.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Okay, I can not tell a lie - the following pictures are not from my most recent weekend in the wintry wilds of Maine. AGP and I completely forgot to bring any of our cameras with us so we were left with having to make mental memories. To be honest, it wasn't all that bad to be away from the lure of the shutter and just soak in all the magic a long weekend in the woods can be.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-4BeUFnQ3w6GPxc-rktKwiQw8pGKKabPBZFfZ71tBZiJaA1_yC-lfzthuqFNf3ENs0WtaS_jO-6xQP3gmpyXH0ygyYM8J4_eZX_kD40zFMlInxjkpuyGOUHawWpKwFN5SS4LGqnlv4/s1600/woods-in-winter.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPW-4BeUFnQ3w6GPxc-rktKwiQw8pGKKabPBZFfZ71tBZiJaA1_yC-lfzthuqFNf3ENs0WtaS_jO-6xQP3gmpyXH0ygyYM8J4_eZX_kD40zFMlInxjkpuyGOUHawWpKwFN5SS4LGqnlv4/s1600/woods-in-winter.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCL_rKwRPQ4KYx2n086Or24rzECIjzFMyo_ATVY-C6b0geTxAu-bsIfhQZ0tdzWW0RwDpoDJezUi23sTwrpBgh8NqlP87ZOLnnpAePwVj_n2ZswXNUGFvvU_LhYzK46aGc3cIzBxXO1w/s1600/ice-crystals.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOCL_rKwRPQ4KYx2n086Or24rzECIjzFMyo_ATVY-C6b0geTxAu-bsIfhQZ0tdzWW0RwDpoDJezUi23sTwrpBgh8NqlP87ZOLnnpAePwVj_n2ZswXNUGFvvU_LhYzK46aGc3cIzBxXO1w/s1600/ice-crystals.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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So here is the deal: as I have mentioned earlier in <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/09/getting-rustic-in-maine.html">my loving descriptions</a> of AGP's <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/09/maine-pond-life.html">cabin in Maine</a>, where we stay is completely off the grid - even more so in the winter. The large, summer cabin is impossible to heat in the winter, so we have to move all the essentials to the little cabin where we can heat it efficiently, and you know, survive. And even though we normally take a boat in to the cabin, since the lake was icy, we had to hike in with all of our food and stuff. At night. In the rain.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgt0Yy6Hr6t4MAWJH-HaD4dkdAK8zCGfC2u84klGBL2CDiRpJZclKfgQSr98n1LbzrbzX0thCy3JzbbTOJKM_U5Cd9fqUeLuVThWYRbyZ7anPgc0pKWleyx1QnErYJXYk09ZWBVNMx44/s1600/rubbing-nose.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgt0Yy6Hr6t4MAWJH-HaD4dkdAK8zCGfC2u84klGBL2CDiRpJZclKfgQSr98n1LbzrbzX0thCy3JzbbTOJKM_U5Cd9fqUeLuVThWYRbyZ7anPgc0pKWleyx1QnErYJXYk09ZWBVNMx44/s1600/rubbing-nose.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7mpstatjtJV3s13CiOkcZe0QpgRJwU41fRaOqBfbiBKtT5-1P8S4vD1xZ2TUwEBmvTd7vebYpu8Ee8n6C0Min5arfPepyPd5nsnwsfXUVm0TE8X6jYyBV9qecZe4bnNc1rSzYiO-wPA/s1600/agp-in-cabin.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT7mpstatjtJV3s13CiOkcZe0QpgRJwU41fRaOqBfbiBKtT5-1P8S4vD1xZ2TUwEBmvTd7vebYpu8Ee8n6C0Min5arfPepyPd5nsnwsfXUVm0TE8X6jYyBV9qecZe4bnNc1rSzYiO-wPA/s1600/agp-in-cabin.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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To put it in perspective, we were probably the only people around for at least five square miles, in a tiny cabin with a tiny wood stove. No bathroom, no running water, no electricity. I really makes me appreciate the luxuries of my everyday life! And also how dangerous it can be to be so isolated. It's crazy how much seeing coyote tracks in the snow can freak me out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsJFMhyphenhyphenl2NGwMJ3kLzGpSvBF2QpTbee6hBB0DHt-lqghnhztbh3UPUheoI-EScxy1ulbW0ur5c5X02llhnT7lPP2uq8ABJb8kktIJ7KrHalY6U2V5kzx4_STJM96IGFeOXEj9v-TB1D8/s1600/in-the-cabin.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbsJFMhyphenhyphenl2NGwMJ3kLzGpSvBF2QpTbee6hBB0DHt-lqghnhztbh3UPUheoI-EScxy1ulbW0ur5c5X02llhnT7lPP2uq8ABJb8kktIJ7KrHalY6U2V5kzx4_STJM96IGFeOXEj9v-TB1D8/s1600/in-the-cabin.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Although it is incredibly romantic to be holed up with your beloved in a tiny spot of warmth (that AGP built himself) in the middle of a snowy and cold wonderland. Just the two of us for miles. Life in a cabin in winter is actually full of a LOT of chores, mostly centered around lugging firewood, tending the fire, and getting drinking water. All day, everyday.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9B5Tj8t0BAt3k3xD1tnMHYdTykjMAqUd9GIZYwQaWUwKWHQ2IrSNedcleglAh9f0jsW9aDw7V5LAEMoqKSx_eikuPYsq3XHjvvA9f_oym_UmHrjysrLC8GcRJ8M3IPBAHsILxyYuZ3M/s1600/foot-shadow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM9B5Tj8t0BAt3k3xD1tnMHYdTykjMAqUd9GIZYwQaWUwKWHQ2IrSNedcleglAh9f0jsW9aDw7V5LAEMoqKSx_eikuPYsq3XHjvvA9f_oym_UmHrjysrLC8GcRJ8M3IPBAHsILxyYuZ3M/s1600/foot-shadow.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Of course, we found plenty of ways to entertain ourselves outside of the chores. The lake is full of hiking trails and the woods weren't all that impassable. In fact, the first day we were out there it was downright moist. I had never seen the woods so alive in the middle of winter. Although, maybe I have never took the time to <i>really</i> look at all the moss, lichen, ferns, and cold-loving mushrooms that transform a landscape you expect to be barren and frozen into a cryophilic ecosystem, still brimming with life. And at night we played a <a href="http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/12333/twilight-struggle">Cold War themed board game</a> (<i>nerds</i>).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeFY5xb9-XdaHKfrRggAdiDWVXyQJP0l_taaaK-WvA1agaWKfBJ02g3oYU06xuNK1pKelefQ6aM4Lyf9rE5f6oBAimyb4ReOWsMTlLWVvJvfdKJaPBNOmNN6rFIynlmJL52FjecCLSXE/s1600/moss-on-post.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYeFY5xb9-XdaHKfrRggAdiDWVXyQJP0l_taaaK-WvA1agaWKfBJ02g3oYU06xuNK1pKelefQ6aM4Lyf9rE5f6oBAimyb4ReOWsMTlLWVvJvfdKJaPBNOmNN6rFIynlmJL52FjecCLSXE/s1600/moss-on-post.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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While I wish I had photographs of bright green moss, rocks bearded with icicles, cedar trees that perfectly match AGP's eyes, and angelic captures of puffy snow falling in the hilltops, there's no way I could have captured the full beauty of the landscape<span style="color: #0000ee;"><span style="color: #0000ee;">. However, </span></span>it will be there forever in my mind.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3OfUnORbE-Ic8iMNJbB3xxKJLd7-Vzm_2RqiXeaNJm6SqFeti7e5J8px5Pvn4XU_n4mvYpsJLphBJW3xQdobSAUX0yuuZDqx3TV7facjeCmqkUWwaBysOZtTpFoLAkXzgZC7ev9n2HY/s1600/on-the-ice.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd3OfUnORbE-Ic8iMNJbB3xxKJLd7-Vzm_2RqiXeaNJm6SqFeti7e5J8px5Pvn4XU_n4mvYpsJLphBJW3xQdobSAUX0yuuZDqx3TV7facjeCmqkUWwaBysOZtTpFoLAkXzgZC7ev9n2HY/s1600/on-the-ice.png" width="425" /></a></div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-89216832406955411412014-12-12T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-12T13:00:00.923-05:00Foto Friday No. 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8tUi0yNAhst3TQzcFuYBvHAPfpsdBrslOyM-iR-inJ6XSvMJBErEWU994jj_2IKmM1XOMfOmvVmBX16iKfaz_KTZ5vTdDWOKaQ_1fnOmTqpreN-_sfcjq6kjwypmpIcIOwVqrY0IigA/s1600/christmas-tree-reflection.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8tUi0yNAhst3TQzcFuYBvHAPfpsdBrslOyM-iR-inJ6XSvMJBErEWU994jj_2IKmM1XOMfOmvVmBX16iKfaz_KTZ5vTdDWOKaQ_1fnOmTqpreN-_sfcjq6kjwypmpIcIOwVqrY0IigA/s1600/christmas-tree-reflection.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Although last weekend was our annual Friendsgiving/Chanukah/Christmas party, we are still reveling in the afterglow of a gathering well spent. This weekend, we are headed to Boston and then up to Maine for a rustic romp in the snow. Happy Friday!</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-67060140768098020552014-12-11T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-16T14:55:44.931-05:00From the City to the Country<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyMZryKfLm_QN8VWSFzSiuRPqht2wb3t_mdLWu71XoB-Squo5YrGQ_KED9RflA0NzmtVmEbk1CPZX_M98kFXD_v8nFozDvrXGzyjaxp1797LaO0hcirFQp_HZMRNdJLCXdI9mEs6LHyk/s1600/house-in-summer-glare.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOyMZryKfLm_QN8VWSFzSiuRPqht2wb3t_mdLWu71XoB-Squo5YrGQ_KED9RflA0NzmtVmEbk1CPZX_M98kFXD_v8nFozDvrXGzyjaxp1797LaO0hcirFQp_HZMRNdJLCXdI9mEs6LHyk/s1600/house-in-summer-glare.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
In late summer 2013, my boyfriend and I made a life changing decision to move out of Boston, the city where we had spent all of our adult lives, and move to a small house in a small town in Vermont. With little to no experience living an agrarian lifestyle, we left behind friends, traffic, and years of carefully cultivated expectations for an unpredictable life in the country. It's time to record my thoughts on what I've learned, where I've been, and where I are going.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The biggest lesson I learned is that living
in the country is a LOT different than dreaming about living in the
country. The thousands of miles of daydreams I had about my future
bucolic lifestyle frolicking through meadows and growing vegetables did
little more than provide a general lifestyle outline - it definitely
didn't prepare me for what leaving my familiar city life and isolating
myself in the country would be like. And it certainly didn't magically
provide me with the tomes of knowledge I would need to prosper.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-CEbkdGYudSpQhlqiQfCZpSV6hj5yka9FSkN18qe2eGxAZyALHfpXW7JyegXbUtzjwpYCEzwp2Az4vLaY2UsKLbQI1j-UyQF7wsnwIpVLWbKwnX_m9wVP7Mf-Zl8EILdCBvibfQVq-c/s1600/starry-night.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-CEbkdGYudSpQhlqiQfCZpSV6hj5yka9FSkN18qe2eGxAZyALHfpXW7JyegXbUtzjwpYCEzwp2Az4vLaY2UsKLbQI1j-UyQF7wsnwIpVLWbKwnX_m9wVP7Mf-Zl8EILdCBvibfQVq-c/s1600/starry-night.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<br />
In the country, I work from home at a business I started with my boyfriend. We <i>never</i>
have to worry about traffic here. I grow my own vegetables in the garden and I hike
in the woods behind my house for exercise. I am at the whim of nature -
and I LOVE it. Is it sunny and 75 degrees outside? <i>Day off! Let's play!</i>
And on a dreary Saturday, I might just sit down and do some work. Did I mention we
have a hot tub where we can sit and watch the stars
through the wafting steam rising into the night? </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOHp_sPHxHdpliz4BhyphenhyphenGxVikYJCMigC6UIPk8Av_Uf-sk9_TVhyphenhyphenFNczM8S_-zN0jw3mx6WubTFN8t3mvl6F-foDuXncMg8MFFmvjMeo_a2BKZgq7mQbzjCafeQNoYnx9xfuWU-eEy0GQ/s1600/stick-in-house.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOHp_sPHxHdpliz4BhyphenhyphenGxVikYJCMigC6UIPk8Av_Uf-sk9_TVhyphenhyphenFNczM8S_-zN0jw3mx6WubTFN8t3mvl6F-foDuXncMg8MFFmvjMeo_a2BKZgq7mQbzjCafeQNoYnx9xfuWU-eEy0GQ/s1600/stick-in-house.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I in my heart, I am my
own success story: <i>when she grew weary of the 9 to 5 urban grind, Zy escaped to the country to make a living on her own terms!</i> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
If you have ever dreamed about leaving your static, urban life for the romance of the country like me, read on about my journey from the city to the country!</div>
<br />
Here's a little background on me: I was born and raised in the suburban utopia of Connecticut. The coupon for my life came complete
with a dad who worked in insurance, an older sister, and a stay-at-home
mom. We lived in a cookie cutter, three bedroom ranch house in a tidy
little neighborhood side by side with similar houses resting on
quarter acre plots just a stone's throw away from my high school. From
my bedroom window, I could see my best friend's house and my pseudo-grandparent's house, who had "adopted" my family as their own for
years of pool parties and lobster boils. Life was sweet - but it was by no means rural. It was suburban to the
very core, filled with extracurricular activities, excellent public
schools, play dates, and birthday parties at bowling alleys.<br />
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Going to
college in Boston wasn't a choice I made to escape the suburban matte
for the high definition gloss of the city. In fact, I had little
interest in leaving my nest and spreading my wings. At seventeen, I had
college application apathy and that really worried my parents. So when
Northeastern University accepted me with a scholarship, it was really a
no brainer - I was moving to the big city!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizadSpoDKT8AscXGj7FV48c-Bp-q-MOFbP_DyPxyh_FR2M7Ib5HERwK8bEA1PIQqPBT3TtRurOq-6zkodxA3VVMZRreju6mqmhIO42Udvozuj-JiIu-STOcfIEDvFdMAHNCPhu8OcI4KQ/s1600/bright-clouds-in-sky.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizadSpoDKT8AscXGj7FV48c-Bp-q-MOFbP_DyPxyh_FR2M7Ib5HERwK8bEA1PIQqPBT3TtRurOq-6zkodxA3VVMZRreju6mqmhIO42Udvozuj-JiIu-STOcfIEDvFdMAHNCPhu8OcI4KQ/s1600/bright-clouds-in-sky.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At this tender point
in my life, I was not imbued with the same wanderlust that I am today.
That was learned, albeit quickly. I realized Boston was a fine fit for a
college kid finding herself, but not a permanent fit for the adult that kid would someday become. That much was clear to me after my freshman year. I
also majored in Environmental Geology, which we used to joke was more
like majoring in adventure. In the short period I was schooled as a
geologist, I traveled to Hawai'i, a remote Bahamian island, Iceland, and countless other destinations all over New England on mandatory field trips. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FvRFoHXTK5vURJndxUyk2E07iINXEckSo3RArrpfBlI7_Sw38PCfKHGIQEBqOTVXs0dUszI6zdmR7tntMfPufukb_1LuAwP4UbfufJAAUdZwza_vepU8XmIQlM6JR-44S7dde85RD0c/s1600/earth-tongue-moss.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3FvRFoHXTK5vURJndxUyk2E07iINXEckSo3RArrpfBlI7_Sw38PCfKHGIQEBqOTVXs0dUszI6zdmR7tntMfPufukb_1LuAwP4UbfufJAAUdZwza_vepU8XmIQlM6JR-44S7dde85RD0c/s1600/earth-tongue-moss.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I came out of
college a changed woman. Not even for the education and career that I
left with, but the passions and motivations that followed. And the
wonderful, whimsical spontaneity I acquired. The first thing I did once
I graduated? I drove to Alaska.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
At last I knew more about
what was out there in that great big beautiful world - at least more
than I knew when I was a just a kid in suburban gridlock, watching TV
and going to Disney World. I began liking things that I never knew I had
the capacity to like. I liked prairies (<i>what?</i>), camping (<i>huh?</i>), and mossy forests, and
the small, boney towns that polka dotted rural routes with a million
conversations held in general stores and dimly lit pubs (<i>yes, please!</i>). I knew I needed
to give myself a chance to live somewhere else than Boston - and to lead a
different kind of life. There were just too many stories I wanted to
make for myself than the grind to which I had quickly become
accustomed.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTLlai7ZFVUM6qRjsCEMiU253QTquzxNocRmAaWagmxLvdx7aM3gm2yrxP-PJt5TuOtWzopijdJDCXQieu36tnGY7_tISjSQs_VoLah5bP61iNwGdlBekmhbA3Gh_uXSHiv0Sp9P6PE8/s1600/roto.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTLlai7ZFVUM6qRjsCEMiU253QTquzxNocRmAaWagmxLvdx7aM3gm2yrxP-PJt5TuOtWzopijdJDCXQieu36tnGY7_tISjSQs_VoLah5bP61iNwGdlBekmhbA3Gh_uXSHiv0Sp9P6PE8/s1600/roto.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The day after I got home from Alaska, which was the day I
started my big girl job - I was promoted to field technician after a
two year internship with my company while in school - I knew I was
going to eventually quit. My friend who drove me to work that first day still
likes to reminisce on the mini-meltdown I had in the parking lot of my
life in the corporate sphere. "<i>Remember that time when I dropped you off at work and you freaked out?"</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was never really meant to be. I
quit 3 years later, got five months of aimless traveling out of my
system, briefly lived in a warehouse, and then began my life in
Vermont: from the city to the country.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNT540ZpaXSuIB8Hk03N_SigNAuelNXQiphYx_sE0nRgCwVFgUs245Kb4YVcayYU5PIfsFo07RPCCZF94Og-TmMkektG85kzd8fdF7ceVX9Z7T3JZAPbCFFJnfPGsn5SfuA35K7uQvpH0/s1600/borage-flower.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNT540ZpaXSuIB8Hk03N_SigNAuelNXQiphYx_sE0nRgCwVFgUs245Kb4YVcayYU5PIfsFo07RPCCZF94Og-TmMkektG85kzd8fdF7ceVX9Z7T3JZAPbCFFJnfPGsn5SfuA35K7uQvpH0/s1600/borage-flower.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
But how does a suburban
girl, fresh out of the urban jungle make it in the country when the only
experience in the wild she has is with a rockhammer in her hand or from her car
window? With a lot of mistakes and second guesses along the way, that's how.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I
now live three hours away from Boston, two and a half hours away from
Burlington and four hours away from New York City. Those of you with
expert triangulating skills would know that it puts me smack dab
in the center of southern Vermont: Ski Country. The
kind of place that shuts down when the tourists go home. The kind of
place that looks at a couple of twenty-something city transplants and
scratches their head thinking, <i>what the heck are you doing here?</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu0wDy2iFzm17RHtCTSdMsEZjhesOZO6Q9wFe0qpzdxX8b1gQ1AKm45CyjAygFILaqLgyFjqeWsxSKLWHi9BMh1qb0allMKWzS3wuwTVx15gODbJYC_5VFdxRVJtn6aW2pvcnswH9m4w/s1600/cats-on-firewood.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu0wDy2iFzm17RHtCTSdMsEZjhesOZO6Q9wFe0qpzdxX8b1gQ1AKm45CyjAygFILaqLgyFjqeWsxSKLWHi9BMh1qb0allMKWzS3wuwTVx15gODbJYC_5VFdxRVJtn6aW2pvcnswH9m4w/s1600/cats-on-firewood.png" width="425" /></a> </i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
What
<i> are </i>we doing here? I often wonder that myself when I read email
conversations my Boston friends are having when they can't decide which
live music to see at night. I wonder that when there is two feet of snow
outside and I still don't want to learn how to ski - how to praise the
sweet, sweet snow like the rest of the ski-bound population up here. But what
we are doing is learning a new way of life. A more deliberate way of
life. A more peaceful way of life. Okay, I'll say it - a more boring way
of life.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pOLJ47eehPCLH3-qoiyCPlFH2_pVB4ZiBSGfqmo3J_74hVirI8o2u_c-nRtz9EuJhSyiktiptIoCGyChiacyY5m8vzRB2jFF4R5Onze_yCLIg6esBz_f9rRobxnCaDVnPgrfNTCrxrY/s1600/inside-the-house.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2pOLJ47eehPCLH3-qoiyCPlFH2_pVB4ZiBSGfqmo3J_74hVirI8o2u_c-nRtz9EuJhSyiktiptIoCGyChiacyY5m8vzRB2jFF4R5Onze_yCLIg6esBz_f9rRobxnCaDVnPgrfNTCrxrY/s1600/inside-the-house.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
There is no nightlife here. Let's get that
straight. Anywhere we would want to go for the evening would be at the
end of a substantial car ride on twisty mountain roads. And then what?
And then we are standing around among the revolving door of out-of-state
tourists capping off their day of sightseeing, shopping, and skiing. We
can drink beer and shoot pool at home, so that's what we do instead. Alone. Who knew
that most unmarried, childless twenty-somethings don't buy houses and
move to the country these days?<br />
<br />
Well, I always liked breaking the mold.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs5BjgavogZz42Ci6JWH-2px9ACV-bNOk5gGjYP75MowZr-rtEPStIavosqPY_R8NGTy74JhedmnQg8de36_D3hci3qTwChIXNVocYg1pDUJv0Z-vmehhnPdRWtdy2IkiiAE_CgsatDg/s1600/luna-moth.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYs5BjgavogZz42Ci6JWH-2px9ACV-bNOk5gGjYP75MowZr-rtEPStIavosqPY_R8NGTy74JhedmnQg8de36_D3hci3qTwChIXNVocYg1pDUJv0Z-vmehhnPdRWtdy2IkiiAE_CgsatDg/s1600/luna-moth.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
But on those nights when we are sitting at home, playing board games or watching TV <i>again,</i>
I have to remind myself that life in the city was starting to get
boring for me as well. Another night on the town to another bar filled
with young professionals bursting with ambition, shelling out another
$50 for admission, drinks, food, taxis, <i>ugh.</i> Is it wrong that I
grew to despise this way of life? To shun the path of the career driven
young woman handing out business cards, pimping my LinkedIn profile and worshiping Facebook?
I looked disdainfully at their perfect young professionalism and thought, in a very clich<span data-dobid="hdw">é</span>d fashion,
<i>there's got to be more to life than this</i>. At the tender
age of 23, I was embarrassed to admit that the city was breaking me.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIdkzRbLk2DxJShKkRxz5TVUAtbg_u1SE9RgymLSCh5F0ZAaoa30ws2f08uA3x4VJs0Drmb_49h0JeL0WKpXe2x5n9-Pl11ESYyYKXhAOoY5PynyCVxKA6Vi9hPzncpdIkZqqGPHEPM4/s1600/seedlings.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIdkzRbLk2DxJShKkRxz5TVUAtbg_u1SE9RgymLSCh5F0ZAaoa30ws2f08uA3x4VJs0Drmb_49h0JeL0WKpXe2x5n9-Pl11ESYyYKXhAOoY5PynyCVxKA6Vi9hPzncpdIkZqqGPHEPM4/s1600/seedlings.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
In the country, I have another chance to get it right. I have the chance to build the life that I always wanted. In the spring, we decided to get chickens
and further our dreams of self sustainable homesteading. It seemed like a
reasonable, pastoral thing to do, so my carpenter boyfriend built a
chicken coop and we began the very noisy process of poultry husbandry.
We were one month out from expecting our first egg when a fox killed the whole
flock. How and why? Well, we never completed the run and accidentally
left the door to the coop open one night. Consumed by the never ending
tasks of home ownership, we absolutely broke the rules (like a couple of utter noobs).
And as painful as if is it for me to admit, I just wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. But don't think I'm giving up yet. There is
plenty more time to get it right - and to <i>plan</i> it right. And baby, you have got to have a plan.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL-bkR1yXZU3fGu2YmhCaokgc2dHhnaOP80JE6pLTdr26fqSWBZu6eifh7hdy4q5WXumRFqBcDXD3i4htaZFXkSE6lPG80iVCjEZko4JOpdDTMyQ3v_Lg0pYPAKP9Snh-OVQI3Lw-5Eg/s1600/chicken-in-grass.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtL-bkR1yXZU3fGu2YmhCaokgc2dHhnaOP80JE6pLTdr26fqSWBZu6eifh7hdy4q5WXumRFqBcDXD3i4htaZFXkSE6lPG80iVCjEZko4JOpdDTMyQ3v_Lg0pYPAKP9Snh-OVQI3Lw-5Eg/s1600/chicken-in-grass.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBOOdHgM0pOFuobEH9S_05mzr5PAfU_wfb_7p7tK7nx58luxOcK4FjNq91QURmyh8mPRRp9_jO2ELo8TmHgPotI5Pl1KXI_xYq9ll-JQMbG1MJrZB4O7wz_3beCcyooDFvsNSAeq-AzBs/s1600/building-a-tiny-house.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I've
learned a lot about gardening, mostly that my thumb isn't as green as I
thought, more like a seafoam green than a vibrant kelly green. And
forget growing peppers and tomatoes by the bushel. In Vermont's short
growing season, you learn to appreciate hearty kale, chard, and firm
potatoes. I am getting excellent at making stew.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ErB7R5YjFxvuwBFxDzZMwdfeudW_p6pQ0RZDl83XEbSl-fxelsv8RIt4S6d4i4WkIIiORuXMJ9vn-KZJCq7yhuL9Ql0OMODe8pAyCJmkAUnR77lh1nOjs5-_LQgCLVzVjjMRkxmfb2k/s1600/cherry-tomatoes.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ErB7R5YjFxvuwBFxDzZMwdfeudW_p6pQ0RZDl83XEbSl-fxelsv8RIt4S6d4i4WkIIiORuXMJ9vn-KZJCq7yhuL9Ql0OMODe8pAyCJmkAUnR77lh1nOjs5-_LQgCLVzVjjMRkxmfb2k/s1600/cherry-tomatoes.png" width="425" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
For now, we are here to learn and find peace. Through every bump along the way, we have had zero second thoughts. While our current location may be a touch too rural for us now, we still scheme about making moves to more acres, more forest, and more opportunities to build on what we have. I
still dream of the day I am stocking my root cellar with homegrown
veggies and cracking my bird's sunny yolks into bread dough, but I know I have to
wait patiently for the spring thaw to try again - good thing I have this long winter to get my research in. I also want to get better at
foraging and lessen my dependence on supermarkets and big box stores. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Before, I didn't realize that these things take time - a lifestyle that
reflects a diligent effort to learn, store, and practice. Now I happily
attend the school of practical life skills like wood stove maintenance,
food economy, and plant identification, which to be honest, weren't
skills I considered important in the urban sphere.</div>
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I can say with complete honesty that I never want to move back into the city. I love muddy feet too much. I love cows and horses grazing along the side of the road and getting to know the clerks at the bank. To those who have spent a long time in a small community, this might seem a bit trite, but it is still completely novel and wonderful to me. In Vermont, I feel like I have space - endless space - and the ability to achieve privacy even when I set off to explore. Basically, my time away from the city has felt like one long, deep, cleansing breath, and I am looking forward to see in what ways I will continue to grow.</div>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-23241425126508888932014-12-09T00:34:00.001-05:002014-12-09T09:59:28.874-05:00Karl Comes to Cupertino: A Thanksgiving Visitor<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
Happy belated Thanksgiving, Zy! Our holiday in San Francisco was
festive, full of food and friends. We had an SND-worthy potluck (I made <a href="http://www.daringgourmet.com/2013/12/07/ultimate-green-bean-casserole/" target="_blank">green bean casserole</a> à la Daring Gourmet) and we even got a special guest for the
weekend. Brittany Whitaker just moved to California and has been staying with
us the last few days.<br />
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That's us, all warm in our fuzzies because <a href="http://instagram.com/karlthefog" target="_blank">Karl the Fog</a> also decided this is a great time to visit Cupertino. It finally rained (here and pretty much everywhere in California). Not enough to ease the drought, but enough to finally provide some relief to the parched earth. What a nice change of pace from our usual mild and sunny environs. </div>
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Indoor activities are more suitable at the moment. These days are perfect for mulled wine, board games and puzzles -- all things I know you enjoy. I suppose you indulged in those things yourself at the Friendsgiving gathering last weekend. Wish we could've been there with all of you but at least we'll see you soon. Will you pick up a new puzzle? We can do it together when you get here.<br />
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VNesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16140286115038189454noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-69122781128825812072014-12-07T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-07T13:00:03.113-05:00Picspam: Hapgood Pond in the Snow<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31eAOcNTkfV0GYX2fmi156UX_Oa1L0FfcnXYaMW8JQ2HbiAEiVf_OB51OdNrMZZOXZ29oS6WcrNUTdtrz1rtVbXMAawsV2THxQ8_PqWJvmBDpRvkjpwKCvOtGirn8RUAorNQzs8Qi3mI/s1600/hapgood-pond-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg31eAOcNTkfV0GYX2fmi156UX_Oa1L0FfcnXYaMW8JQ2HbiAEiVf_OB51OdNrMZZOXZ29oS6WcrNUTdtrz1rtVbXMAawsV2THxQ8_PqWJvmBDpRvkjpwKCvOtGirn8RUAorNQzs8Qi3mI/s1600/hapgood-pond-snow.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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Hapgood Pond Recreation Area, located within the Green Mountain National Forest in Peru, Vermont, is me and AGP's go to nature trail in our area. Whenever we can't cross the brook, but feel a hankering to stretch our legs, we take the short trip to Peru to walk the one mile nature trail there. It's definitely an easy little walk, but there is a lot to see and explore all season long. And in the summer it's a great place to camp, swim, and BBQ!</div>
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So with the brook raging and a foot of fresh snow on the ground, we figured we'd take a chilly little stroll around the pond and soak up the winter wonderland while it was still novel. Take a stroll around Hapgood Pond in the snow with us...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd5fLsdo1NuFLBPekoWLqcuFEU7uPqU3ogSU0K91GR_STsKFNW7ypgQptLjQX1vuJTyj6r9yY9ZWZBED_J0zzMyFOW6iR72Rqmpc_cdAdDOf4FgPOG8fowops6G_em-AMhp61NAHk930/s1600/hapgood-pond-dam-bridge.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSd5fLsdo1NuFLBPekoWLqcuFEU7uPqU3ogSU0K91GR_STsKFNW7ypgQptLjQX1vuJTyj6r9yY9ZWZBED_J0zzMyFOW6iR72Rqmpc_cdAdDOf4FgPOG8fowops6G_em-AMhp61NAHk930/s1600/hapgood-pond-dam-bridge.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxcUryJ-LEfuJW1ufdMCx4pogAc0B3XRzm2sICQaJNmTcKjOhO8-jbL9-4pXvIM6WtexJviv2GgCOhLrT3dJMGhEtYs-qMdU4w4lU-EzjqTZS8eYyzKZfn5ObUIkDgpdLFYIawvD3Y58/s1600/hapgood-nature-trail-sign.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinxcUryJ-LEfuJW1ufdMCx4pogAc0B3XRzm2sICQaJNmTcKjOhO8-jbL9-4pXvIM6WtexJviv2GgCOhLrT3dJMGhEtYs-qMdU4w4lU-EzjqTZS8eYyzKZfn5ObUIkDgpdLFYIawvD3Y58/s1600/hapgood-nature-trail-sign.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSWrW1jor4Iv-ZF6foPgYPt4pLhUe8nVQ1Hy3nW7NS7fSlWO2IJLkXsZKOGJgti81e-NW6VvX3rBecncRWeqEsMq8P7opXXOAJRzenVWQMuTywKxUSpyphPPiXzxsDe-uL8age932xvA/s1600/moss-peaking-through-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmSWrW1jor4Iv-ZF6foPgYPt4pLhUe8nVQ1Hy3nW7NS7fSlWO2IJLkXsZKOGJgti81e-NW6VvX3rBecncRWeqEsMq8P7opXXOAJRzenVWQMuTywKxUSpyphPPiXzxsDe-uL8age932xvA/s1600/moss-peaking-through-snow.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKum9CS-zvW9wu3hnZlQ0jMOZYtu8cRhXRa2qiO-7L6uZ5R0OwLwLbknNsP3d0-VeOcciviEsRiLn2irKXQmEJiSQdNanO2YHuBVe5DvvyNISFTJ5p-rbCb8REl-aM5DG5haZXOZ3Upwc/s1600/hapgood-pond-nature-trail.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKum9CS-zvW9wu3hnZlQ0jMOZYtu8cRhXRa2qiO-7L6uZ5R0OwLwLbknNsP3d0-VeOcciviEsRiLn2irKXQmEJiSQdNanO2YHuBVe5DvvyNISFTJ5p-rbCb8REl-aM5DG5haZXOZ3Upwc/s1600/hapgood-pond-nature-trail.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOz9H3OHy867cI1jFXO0O0vqOXVzxcW9GUPoJ3spFIoq_eovmGFM9KXz-haykOQge3gWVUvCnKZDpgA_46Ie2xc37-mDZwlUvrUUIJ-lNq_hDwxpNBYELJk-ztPa_FdWUK9mjUSHpuq6o/s1600/fresh-fallen-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOz9H3OHy867cI1jFXO0O0vqOXVzxcW9GUPoJ3spFIoq_eovmGFM9KXz-haykOQge3gWVUvCnKZDpgA_46Ie2xc37-mDZwlUvrUUIJ-lNq_hDwxpNBYELJk-ztPa_FdWUK9mjUSHpuq6o/s1600/fresh-fallen-snow.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCyPrH89x55csJ0AGkvWmPene5Z-pHiNt-GM5rdcBDaHbqoYsAf6dPoCslCacH4QMu58YbSnb3WZ2mgSjK29UOFNnqZQ2WcgSCllySzmUuXefS_3COlbL1dw9VG0_UKp2_UQq2bHQWBA/s1600/shadow-in-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXCyPrH89x55csJ0AGkvWmPene5Z-pHiNt-GM5rdcBDaHbqoYsAf6dPoCslCacH4QMu58YbSnb3WZ2mgSjK29UOFNnqZQ2WcgSCllySzmUuXefS_3COlbL1dw9VG0_UKp2_UQq2bHQWBA/s1600/shadow-in-snow.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhDrU46ToZtI60_AVGpbBrJqw4KZPByVbiSjtYtPtpSHnM0ePGRrzEzhyphenhyphen9IqfOWJd_ewHNxzpjeYLGQ8uQbBEJq202ujRvmscG2UQEiUAFhXzhqMl3eBLnT5E8Wu1typmMddgXp85Ozc/s1600/snowy-stump.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhDrU46ToZtI60_AVGpbBrJqw4KZPByVbiSjtYtPtpSHnM0ePGRrzEzhyphenhyphen9IqfOWJd_ewHNxzpjeYLGQ8uQbBEJq202ujRvmscG2UQEiUAFhXzhqMl3eBLnT5E8Wu1typmMddgXp85Ozc/s1600/snowy-stump.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0zJnhjjtt0LFggorXM7sCQVLJeo9Kq9I2RgckQ4UYeNBQq0W9fkuTmi06BFJu6htURCSfzpekAcc0RwGcqWPeFnGej2BukpGaBkSH4jOyQj9dPZtV0T8szwtlMtC-nQ8gskBSUb8fqQ/s1600/bark-and-snow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB0zJnhjjtt0LFggorXM7sCQVLJeo9Kq9I2RgckQ4UYeNBQq0W9fkuTmi06BFJu6htURCSfzpekAcc0RwGcqWPeFnGej2BukpGaBkSH4jOyQj9dPZtV0T8szwtlMtC-nQ8gskBSUb8fqQ/s1600/bark-and-snow.png" width="425" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ95HpJvTUStHjbKlbnM1O4SNu2iqckKGbEx2_3o-CnIzwjO3bz0QiD8rWXY9-yw7KK6LWxwfxKAdYHXzKOVTazvXvJvz4gmILPwyfXKA-mqu7rMASrbaJTf1iZmzfIfUgS18o1ryAv0/s1600/flood-brook-hapgood-pond.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXJ95HpJvTUStHjbKlbnM1O4SNu2iqckKGbEx2_3o-CnIzwjO3bz0QiD8rWXY9-yw7KK6LWxwfxKAdYHXzKOVTazvXvJvz4gmILPwyfXKA-mqu7rMASrbaJTf1iZmzfIfUgS18o1ryAv0/s1600/flood-brook-hapgood-pond.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaQoOSvHJOd5OSfY_9D_tjtQDuruaH6V-WNwhTt7vBb348eKqNcxknQ-z3H-693QR09NyAIIkYSk6FkWgy6t94gYOdbsLQ4oQyIc12-Jg6T86euxEl2oISZoZnSNz35rlOxajkLLfU98/s1600/lumpy-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMaQoOSvHJOd5OSfY_9D_tjtQDuruaH6V-WNwhTt7vBb348eKqNcxknQ-z3H-693QR09NyAIIkYSk6FkWgy6t94gYOdbsLQ4oQyIc12-Jg6T86euxEl2oISZoZnSNz35rlOxajkLLfU98/s1600/lumpy-snow.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vQ6zzRfl8IhtvGnkxO_yTFr79ZGpFRtZvBI0qCMLT8rVHWv0lYpjcJWTexhgYXDn-cHed5BCKh3_2ZdowjuajjI_Qw4-kykJQJGG9hAxgmrrlGeWdn4x1CCAWS5C1qgCJBfTCwXO-90/s1600/hapgood-pond-water-sign.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-vQ6zzRfl8IhtvGnkxO_yTFr79ZGpFRtZvBI0qCMLT8rVHWv0lYpjcJWTexhgYXDn-cHed5BCKh3_2ZdowjuajjI_Qw4-kykJQJGG9hAxgmrrlGeWdn4x1CCAWS5C1qgCJBfTCwXO-90/s1600/hapgood-pond-water-sign.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N_iBcNw-MGrRleNENo-nxwCxcygRmdPLtts2KcJOcgVkj04ymIv-UHzwFmgWH3aCxyeLOPz40tsdN4XuLtEt4DQSZxgxDm5frAOKKwU1eBmedFoocfj7LlTtdbxWkgTDmNBTjRkhyphenhyphenng/s1600/black-cherry-sign.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8N_iBcNw-MGrRleNENo-nxwCxcygRmdPLtts2KcJOcgVkj04ymIv-UHzwFmgWH3aCxyeLOPz40tsdN4XuLtEt4DQSZxgxDm5frAOKKwU1eBmedFoocfj7LlTtdbxWkgTDmNBTjRkhyphenhyphenng/s1600/black-cherry-sign.png" width="425" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7WAuoq6B8Jb0aaILJmFinzlhSk1AZcf6no0QE_Le3GhPuvEPpiI4KU6W5AXwNhs6cFfLSPnAxWQCHi7h2uOIKuvBjE3y6bjVDaRomcqYRk3HxbyQH2BEKRG2PhSkaZGX8pnp-4OvNDU/s1600/snowy-burst.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7WAuoq6B8Jb0aaILJmFinzlhSk1AZcf6no0QE_Le3GhPuvEPpiI4KU6W5AXwNhs6cFfLSPnAxWQCHi7h2uOIKuvBjE3y6bjVDaRomcqYRk3HxbyQH2BEKRG2PhSkaZGX8pnp-4OvNDU/s1600/snowy-burst.png" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsyktDWBuXy7LehcxtonTWpqtyuUOVu8ZxRnjb8thCByNRjCFiJyt4sGTYebimAef7Arfio-pMwHzDCqopvnPqOT1WBkvZz7FbmGQLWGW5mDQTgH_Mmfzj8ISffxAHGw8eoVvLjGwvDw/s1600/tracks-in-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsyktDWBuXy7LehcxtonTWpqtyuUOVu8ZxRnjb8thCByNRjCFiJyt4sGTYebimAef7Arfio-pMwHzDCqopvnPqOT1WBkvZz7FbmGQLWGW5mDQTgH_Mmfzj8ISffxAHGw8eoVvLjGwvDw/s1600/tracks-in-snow.png" width="425" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FKDMaDvHkynXtw2Z7N_JCn5f7p3FqUFihbgJ_AbLNkQVRrIC_1XRuj_YpSMQdRI11QDLwF3dZjMdSCzLjyZIXmb-Ekzic0V5SEombxucARMgOiQsVFTHwOZJNN_K9V0Y4SmgS24O5NQ/s1600/beach-area-hapgood-snow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8FKDMaDvHkynXtw2Z7N_JCn5f7p3FqUFihbgJ_AbLNkQVRrIC_1XRuj_YpSMQdRI11QDLwF3dZjMdSCzLjyZIXmb-Ekzic0V5SEombxucARMgOiQsVFTHwOZJNN_K9V0Y4SmgS24O5NQ/s1600/beach-area-hapgood-snow.png" width="425" /></a>
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Wish you were here?Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0Hapgood Pond, Green Mountain National Forest, Peru, VT 05152, USA43.2541893 -72.89031569999997443.2512983 -72.895358199999976 43.2570803 -72.885273199999972tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-50020472734793122592014-12-05T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-05T13:00:03.841-05:00Foto Friday No. 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa4Sz1td1L2THr3-NzEtOGPQF8E8HHEc90vy0sBvmYwlHk7MWmhk6lQ4ztNBo5OOf-0xs4C27gAPAxqNC_7iaEr2hqXf23PK99b85USvLC4tT7KUVFzhj_lgh56sPGWHReMzZ0FjJwZ0/s1600/ash-tree-bark-snow.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsa4Sz1td1L2THr3-NzEtOGPQF8E8HHEc90vy0sBvmYwlHk7MWmhk6lQ4ztNBo5OOf-0xs4C27gAPAxqNC_7iaEr2hqXf23PK99b85USvLC4tT7KUVFzhj_lgh56sPGWHReMzZ0FjJwZ0/s1600/ash-tree-bark-snow.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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We had quite a bit of action with the frozen white stuff over Thanksgiving, but it has been luckily melting away since. Here we see some of it clinging to the bark of an ash tree. Did you know that morel mushrooms and ash trees have a symbiotic relationship? </div>
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I am super pumped for this weekend - my friends are coming up from Boston to help celebrate a 30th birthday (not mine!) and the smorgasbord of other relevant holidays. Hooray for feasts!</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-48151487809549962022014-12-04T13:00:00.000-05:002014-12-16T18:46:38.622-05:00Winter Road Trip Ideas: Vermont to Kansas<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFTdPLJhwNZP_3iUspRiUcFNTp3q2osG7ATa1_d5dykfVlKRPKwbQwznjaTNHqbYkbU8-HPVgKcgOpCJmQ7Wp7qI5jnJP0-ADRaHwLCkRQlp7d5DeYPKX4aeSi5q10hLil_0HNHLRJIg/s1600/winter-road-trip-ideas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFTdPLJhwNZP_3iUspRiUcFNTp3q2osG7ATa1_d5dykfVlKRPKwbQwznjaTNHqbYkbU8-HPVgKcgOpCJmQ7Wp7qI5jnJP0-ADRaHwLCkRQlp7d5DeYPKX4aeSi5q10hLil_0HNHLRJIg/s1600/winter-road-trip-ideas.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Since I finally completed me and Nessa's <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-nessa-zy-road-trip-finale-yosemite.html">travelogue to California</a>, it's the perfect time to start planning another trip! In just a short month, AGP and I will be embarking on an <i>ultra cool</i> winter road trip from Vermont to California! We are going to do like snow birds do and head off to watch the cactus bloom while the rest of Vermont waits under a blanket of snow for mud season.</div>
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To compile a list of winter road trip ideas, I started with a quick search of roadside attractions on the way to Denver if we drove that interminable Interstate 70 people always complain about. You know, in all my time zooming back and forth across the country, I actually have never been on I-70. <i>Oh, happy day</i>! Right? I'm pretty pumped to drive through Kansas. </div>
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I used <a href="http://roadtrippers.com/">Roadtrippers.com</a> to search for interesting places to take breaks along the way, so if you want to read more, click on the picture and it will take you back to the site.
Don't worry, I'm trying hard to keep in mind that we will be traveling through the dark of winter. *<i>Shivers</i>*</div>
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Here are my favorite winter road trip ideas so far, in geographical order:</div>
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<b>Cuyahoga National Park - Brandywine Falls: Sagamore Hills Township, Ohio</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/sagamore-hills-township-oh/nature/brandywine-falls--2" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAYIxT8ZZtUy2hvRBaxxzqp18vyf1TaPghLZo_NRiWPZ72Ej23G6vsr2HLqBqwMFkgjItBXY-RZPUNN9zvMBC5zOajx-GqSxZxPIjylZkufLTFQoZN6S84gX0XWTpql-XxfJplQXAuYU/s1600/falls.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Geology, National Parks, and waterfalls, all in one. The step-like formation of these falls are made of sandstone, which was used to make many of the canals that crisscross the park. I looked up some pictures of the waterfall in the winter and it seems like it will still be worth a visit even when frozen. Plus, it's only a short walk from the parking lot so it will probably be a good place to stretch our legs. Besides, I long to cross this National Park off my list!</div>
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<b>Statue of Arnold Schwarzenegger: Columbus, Ohio</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/columbus-oh/points-of-interest/statue-of-arnold-schwarzenegger" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkw4tNeAFoBYxqhxhf3oOX_b28Y9j03vHWN7YJLhbhGB2DVBPvU-n6rKPX8JbZRVgxQWvEBOaBb-CTWjAnb2VpbAiu6pfrjDABlcT88oSODF0I5kk1O7Z3Wfzr_Nff49ka0Izn-zSrHek/s1600/arnold.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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I put this on the list mainly for Nessa, who is an Arnold Schwarzenegger fan! I would definitely consider a pit stop just to snap a picture for her (maybe hang from his guns?), but it would also be a perfect time to take a break from motorway grub and Waffle Houses and grab a substantial bite to eat and of course some of <a href="https://jenis.com/">Jeni's Splendid Ice Cream</a>.</div>
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<b>Kaskaskia Dragon: Vandalia, Illinois</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/vandalia-il/attractions/kaskaskia-dragon" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQu7YIZ0d2WO_2S6J48nEZ8ZFd9pBs_0R-0TjAHM5mcvaMzSnYGmc-Qhy73MJP5DmMQFJpfMp_4wWKjR8Bu-9ahR8Z4XFptpfc43rZ73MYUD4-ZuOWfTOnu8ZaEqLXi7RCLKoveBEa0_o/s1600/dragon.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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If you get a token from the nearby hardware store, then this dragon will breath fire for you. How cool is that?</div>
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<b>Giant Concrete Teepee: Lawrence, Kansas</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/lawrence-ks/points-of-interest/giant-concrete-teepee" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJMrDCKqIt4n6rvIUHvjlF1cYifjCl5CJZpZ6YwT5zt49WC7EtHsJhOp-cGmMY62phU2W8gM-UsV5QhkK-iYCJWsRN-SmHY8gEviO1QCiiA5S2tzlCLzO8W2Kft9IGt2thgSHOxvgMrs/s1600/teepee.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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I would consider this a worthy roadside attraction and a great place to (probably) grab some gas, snacks, and coffee, not to mention the photo op. If I am going to budget in time for silly roadside attractions, then this has to make the list, right?? </div>
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<b>Konza Prairie: Manhattan, Kansas</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/manhattan-ks/nature/konza-prairie-natural-area-manhattan" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-PMbmLUQXVlnrniIMiXoIAk3kBjgMyzGUmSnsMP0bCXbH7gXJuWctuTx5MH8GPoNMjDKaTHWePXmQhZw1y8O54UDoTrabvNeBhhPMZ6KQAYTrl8h9GsuHTm12yU_Ii5ws_1QkgzVT-dg/s1600/konza.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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The Konza Prairie is the nation's largest unplowed tract of tall grass prairie. As an admirer of the prairie and overall eco-nerd, that alone is enough to make it high on my "Must See" list. The majority of the reserve isn't open to the public year round, but there a few loop trails that can hopefully afford a glimpse of the 300 strong bison herd that live there.</div>
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<b>Mushroom Rock State Park: Carneiro, Kansas</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/carneiro-ks/points-of-interest/mushroom-rock-state-park" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgALza5dWp6oy2exyxm83aen1_aNjOZj4AqT1vuT9nRe_WAuo2MEs-zrPTph-Mw96yBOkUNavPtSYXe861XdDbIskSW-Jk_vf4V0bi4zlQvOqg-eSOt1PEc4T0b-eajAtMr1-EBz0Zjk/s1600/mush.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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Yep, another geo-nerd location here. Give me some interesting rock formations and I'm your girl. I envision this stop as a way to take a break from the highway a bit, snap a couple of awesome photos, and stretch our legs for a bit. These toadstools were formed by nonuniform weathering, as the "cap" of the formation is a more durable material than the "stem". <a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/minneapolis-ks/attractions/rock-city-park">This somewhat nearby park</a> also has some interesting rock formations too. </div>
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<b>High Plains Museum: Goodland, Kansas</b></div>
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<a href="https://roadtrippers.com/us/goodland-ks/attractions/high-plains-museum" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTzmIjCKapwhO71yILNdImxHoMvB6fNeYmeZo-3gF5TpGEyNI76etnYuUvA4r1GAE8teIYYbYjFAzNadW-zSyDKLQ43CP8GW8Q3iplNg2LnNE5pmwAorFnqPj6uTRMs7ePCkm0UzMn7M/s1600/museum.png" width="425" /></a></div>
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What better way to get a better understanding of prairie life than to visit a museum! This one interests me because it's free and features exhibits on life in the high plains region of the country - which has the lowest population density in the continental United States! </div>
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Does anyone have any other winter road trip ideas in the area? My goal is to do a little live blogging and updating while we are away.
From instagram-ing cheesy roadside attractions to carefully documenting
National Monuments and campgrounds along the way, I hope to take
everyone on our adventure cross country!</div>
Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5026025574718973872.post-59480734960125583852014-12-03T11:00:00.000-05:002014-12-03T11:15:01.594-05:00The Nessa & Zy Road Trip Finale: Yosemite to Cupertino<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP06SBo9oNeE5FSI763XZhFnczexBwHixU2TIqc90v2yBeqAjBGDhB3F6flz6_ii53iCnmWM7XIPdtuv05KCUf6-ctzn6TR2X2L0pNA3MJi2ChzZzq0veDZVr9yTfXn21gRIhXFrRb00/s1600/lead.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGP06SBo9oNeE5FSI763XZhFnczexBwHixU2TIqc90v2yBeqAjBGDhB3F6flz6_ii53iCnmWM7XIPdtuv05KCUf6-ctzn6TR2X2L0pNA3MJi2ChzZzq0veDZVr9yTfXn21gRIhXFrRb00/s1600/lead.png" width="425" /></a> </i>
<br />
<i>Alas, the story of me and Nessa's trip from Vermont to Cupertino,
California is coming to an end! From <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2013/10/ready-set-tulsa-photo-hour.html">24 hours straight to Tulsa</a>, to <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/adventure-in-jemez-mountains.html">harrowing adventure in New Mexico</a>, to dodging tractor beams on <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreamland-extraterrestrial-highway.html">the Extraterrestrial Highway</a>, and <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/on-arches-and-worlds-oldest-living.html">much more</a>, we are finally bringing Nessa home...</i><br />
<br />
<i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdvrntmaZyXjQfEOh6HeZ4fcKbl7qiyxCJlC0lOdE2xDgPZo1RzQcxis0gK4LLNu5lNFRlDDYAMuaqsN85f3bsGy6AujjW0ZTtA10pKIewHfBi2wbUOIBk4w3D-y_lZvszHVIvFOKGX0/s1600/lodge.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJdvrntmaZyXjQfEOh6HeZ4fcKbl7qiyxCJlC0lOdE2xDgPZo1RzQcxis0gK4LLNu5lNFRlDDYAMuaqsN85f3bsGy6AujjW0ZTtA10pKIewHfBi2wbUOIBk4w3D-y_lZvszHVIvFOKGX0/s1600/lodge.png" width="425" /></a> </i></div>
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After
the painfully early morning at <a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/morning-over-mono-poem.html">Mono Lake</a>, we headed up, up, up into
Yosemite National Park, conveniently located en route to
destination: Cupertino. I love entering Yosemite from the eastern access
point in Lee Vining. It feels more removed from the impending tourist
traffic ahead and it's always best to drive the road less traveled - the Tioga
Road, so far away from the hustle and bustle of the oh-so-popular Yosemite
Valley. It's a nice way to lean into a National Park experience before
the overwhelming crowds, traffic, and then show stopping stunnery of
Yosemite's most famous inhabitants. A night of primitive camping amongst the sage in the Inyo National Forest <i>and</i> a Mono Lake sunrise before a day at Yosemite? Yes, please! (and definitely get breakfast at the <a href="http://www.whoanelliedeli.com/">Whoa Nellie Deli</a> in Lee Vining)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbHbXhUGh8iqiQQuB0JYnAUsonxo44WtcV7U3VTzJ14GceSO4lxYI5TPbkUh8xR01Tgb_ktyiR1OnldyOablvUdARhAuo2e9bTgmcRuACPmUXcgeHboPMZ4cYyX-vWJp0WncP_3X5Hqs/s1600/crow.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQbHbXhUGh8iqiQQuB0JYnAUsonxo44WtcV7U3VTzJ14GceSO4lxYI5TPbkUh8xR01Tgb_ktyiR1OnldyOablvUdARhAuo2e9bTgmcRuACPmUXcgeHboPMZ4cYyX-vWJp0WncP_3X5Hqs/s1600/crow.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2A4Qo9IL1RsDgzWs86tbD76FSklipAnGZhgJF6qA2vbxqGNsramUXJk7q_0Q0M-4GL3rXrSE0mivl7EbIozJ5EQmAWPr-n_lX2nsiUkpciXNPZb6bb0KNr_OAMtd52_tpUorKYU_be8/s1600/drive.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2A4Qo9IL1RsDgzWs86tbD76FSklipAnGZhgJF6qA2vbxqGNsramUXJk7q_0Q0M-4GL3rXrSE0mivl7EbIozJ5EQmAWPr-n_lX2nsiUkpciXNPZb6bb0KNr_OAMtd52_tpUorKYU_be8/s1600/drive.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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The
first time I went to Yosemite with AGP, we had elected to skip the
Valley in order to take a more accessible hike and then make it to San
Francisco with time to spare. If you are heading into the Valley,
especially after driving the Tioga Road, assume that your adventure will
be daylong. I mean obviously, right? Most people save up vacation all
year just to spend weeks frolicking amongst the granite domes and
the glacial valleys dripping melt water from the upwards of 13,000 feet in elevation.
So it was a clear choice for me and Nessa to spend a few hours exploring
the beautiful Valley on this special trip.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgp2dOv5ZGXF1uSJ_3ebDrWGk9lY-hZOKRVpSW1QGTMd9oAWx4usYtN3LkUTh8vD9o7tbDvSN3r0VhgBZcsPl4voQ2uz7X3Yy6nQ-8BXQyaa9x0OJMfbPat5iTTymoOIJpnJkXqT4Ut4/s1600/mtwat.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTgp2dOv5ZGXF1uSJ_3ebDrWGk9lY-hZOKRVpSW1QGTMd9oAWx4usYtN3LkUTh8vD9o7tbDvSN3r0VhgBZcsPl4voQ2uz7X3Yy6nQ-8BXQyaa9x0OJMfbPat5iTTymoOIJpnJkXqT4Ut4/s1600/mtwat.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WeSoWWSs8ujtu-YeKUEhwK10cNSL3BlGvOaUy4a5JyLT0JhoGPOnbbiomCzhpKoo_KkgsDQ3o7es6OzcuDpDFQBAeH3fly621h1_eX6FMPJQ682y8C0DgaZYJohMyEjEOulzVcuB6yU/s1600/halfwat.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-WeSoWWSs8ujtu-YeKUEhwK10cNSL3BlGvOaUy4a5JyLT0JhoGPOnbbiomCzhpKoo_KkgsDQ3o7es6OzcuDpDFQBAeH3fly621h1_eX6FMPJQ682y8C0DgaZYJohMyEjEOulzVcuB6yU/s1600/halfwat.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjp5OLUso2fOH0I6rrAwIOyuL9PhrLG3THr84XdpCqUdiHL06pJgb49CAVqtF1VrNK7mnqr0cyJ554VjKGMLzZ7OYiQpCSMP5hVQoYaKaHJn4Njcv-lt_VMBVcbT4XgImxH4mq_G-Eue0/s1600/ponderosa.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjp5OLUso2fOH0I6rrAwIOyuL9PhrLG3THr84XdpCqUdiHL06pJgb49CAVqtF1VrNK7mnqr0cyJ554VjKGMLzZ7OYiQpCSMP5hVQoYaKaHJn4Njcv-lt_VMBVcbT4XgImxH4mq_G-Eue0/s1600/ponderosa.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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Yosemite is
pretty famous for having several Giant Sequoia groves, although Nessa and
I spent our time exploring beneath the canopy of ponderosa pines
along the Merced River in the shadow of El Capitan.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy3vASWf5czCLS3nOuTi9RqsM2qB1B3CbPtsOKM78loWEQowaCJgPPb_PRE5WyTDYdhtS1vUdSW7n7Sgn1VQ3XsLezMSBQ5mjD6jQSp839cdTYVnw_lwMsO1TssXhIr0QtPMvcagvk3M/s1600/glare.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMy3vASWf5czCLS3nOuTi9RqsM2qB1B3CbPtsOKM78loWEQowaCJgPPb_PRE5WyTDYdhtS1vUdSW7n7Sgn1VQ3XsLezMSBQ5mjD6jQSp839cdTYVnw_lwMsO1TssXhIr0QtPMvcagvk3M/s1600/glare.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlafOZhfAQnCvoSQkiCj_W1vMZiuuC-EcNjLkDpFYvIbdtQ3WDA0_kPtUc_ox22xUvJYTkuy4uyvEO6FpOsLNg47Mf1Gdcaxs3yTFirxqrvEzGAUipDkEAdUQ-3ob7naMS-FiHZls6vzY/s1600/explore.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlafOZhfAQnCvoSQkiCj_W1vMZiuuC-EcNjLkDpFYvIbdtQ3WDA0_kPtUc_ox22xUvJYTkuy4uyvEO6FpOsLNg47Mf1Gdcaxs3yTFirxqrvEzGAUipDkEAdUQ-3ob7naMS-FiHZls6vzY/s1600/explore.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQJ4ZSiSbXilbJ5nkw28Z67VIBYFaQNfOpCoguA_8HW3dI8CTFyJSTiU_RXM9C557p0TkdZBz5Hob3O0T31EuFDpKbAJLiptsdHx37dXBV1kmVSu76bCwRe3OK1XRRS6_L26XgQpC-mQ/s1600/ness.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKQJ4ZSiSbXilbJ5nkw28Z67VIBYFaQNfOpCoguA_8HW3dI8CTFyJSTiU_RXM9C557p0TkdZBz5Hob3O0T31EuFDpKbAJLiptsdHx37dXBV1kmVSu76bCwRe3OK1XRRS6_L26XgQpC-mQ/s1600/ness.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EXFU4XWJSFXC-pEDJDsXCxyYHKg_n_0zfTuvCs6bQ9OZrs8kqH5JC3wCYPAB24UC8zEokezEKcZcjubhMTHnCWKSwlt3cJP2elmsMVV8Qtblq22vWx-oS9pECmOK5A7exGWZUZz-k5Q/s1600/merced.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EXFU4XWJSFXC-pEDJDsXCxyYHKg_n_0zfTuvCs6bQ9OZrs8kqH5JC3wCYPAB24UC8zEokezEKcZcjubhMTHnCWKSwlt3cJP2elmsMVV8Qtblq22vWx-oS9pECmOK5A7exGWZUZz-k5Q/s1600/merced.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<br />
Ah, the infamous
"Captain", illuminated in geology slide shows in lecture halls around
the nation. The granite that makes up El Capitan was formed approximately
100 million years ago!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ozhOPg6-EtBJaSNE2AL5jWUrCiIvIysmLkG6UPOpK_R1UAm9tlBFHbik2U_0UCSn9T5gQyQCulOzaFUCn_Am0_eEUOiuOMdRJa4MjtB46z_CM-NUG54aBqxThvNYPIpBapssx99TNsU/s1600/halfdome.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8ozhOPg6-EtBJaSNE2AL5jWUrCiIvIysmLkG6UPOpK_R1UAm9tlBFHbik2U_0UCSn9T5gQyQCulOzaFUCn_Am0_eEUOiuOMdRJa4MjtB46z_CM-NUG54aBqxThvNYPIpBapssx99TNsU/s1600/halfdome.png" width="425" /></a> </div>
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We
cruised out of Yosemite in the golden afternoon, traveling from the
crisp summer of the Valley into the bizarre alien scape that was
the western edges of the park and the surrounding Stanislaus National
Forest, which had very recently been on fire. Actually, Route 120 had
only opened back up a couple of days before we had arrived!
In the park, we were in awe of the ash colored trees where a low intensity fire had torn through the forest floor, burning up the trunks but
leaving behind a cloudy pink canopy of needles. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESKXQ3Rzq3iMhyTvmRyzboB57cHxf8DXFlBvIZ2HWEeLnOO1SXPKY_xJJx2-X6a0ZNb8j4Wm_tilnJN2pKFl-MtORc2xjAmAU1aORIetMBLoRITmfsqGky3LP6qc5vgK8cbumksPb5sU/s1600/ash.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhESKXQ3Rzq3iMhyTvmRyzboB57cHxf8DXFlBvIZ2HWEeLnOO1SXPKY_xJJx2-X6a0ZNb8j4Wm_tilnJN2pKFl-MtORc2xjAmAU1aORIetMBLoRITmfsqGky3LP6qc5vgK8cbumksPb5sU/s1600/ash.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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And
then - woah. We stopped at an overlook that truly put the devastation
of forest fires into perspective for a couple of rainy day flatlanders like us.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8-a3VOMuayWp2KGA1tBadsYUAjq7bAsIa2YqkXNBFFqa3T_L3kkLkKBJuevAhczgFMnL1sV21SyzLXRZCmenJpdUWnMFhtn8wbJNmpDDDaLVb9I-n90RPv-EzIfkpq3nhlWzYUWCs5o/s1600/fire.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW8-a3VOMuayWp2KGA1tBadsYUAjq7bAsIa2YqkXNBFFqa3T_L3kkLkKBJuevAhczgFMnL1sV21SyzLXRZCmenJpdUWnMFhtn8wbJNmpDDDaLVb9I-n90RPv-EzIfkpq3nhlWzYUWCs5o/s1600/fire.png" width="425" /></a> <br />
<br />
The size consumed by the wildfire was three times the
size of San Francisco! With high intensity fires like this one, it can
take 20 years or more for the recovery process to begin in the forest.
Lost are valuable homes and food sources for many animals and the soil will be at risk for erosion and nutrient depletion, not a pretty forecast for such a massive tract of wild space. However, it was nice to
see that nearby Groveland was spared certain disaster, and the streets
were lined with handmade signs thanking the firefighters for their hard
work and sacrifice.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdagbY-wfGqo-615Nn5SG_PUSkcPj6gKz4QBZEbJabOYabMkN8KHjUMpozuGTEIzFT7nFLgfNK5lrNW57Q7yKGfpkIkoXujWmO7arN_26ep-mDi4nRRBb2GBhpFyPTuR0-xILuoM7QFeg/s1600/hway.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdagbY-wfGqo-615Nn5SG_PUSkcPj6gKz4QBZEbJabOYabMkN8KHjUMpozuGTEIzFT7nFLgfNK5lrNW57Q7yKGfpkIkoXujWmO7arN_26ep-mDi4nRRBb2GBhpFyPTuR0-xILuoM7QFeg/s1600/hway.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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Before
long we were ensconced in the eternal interstates of the Bay area of
California, anxiously spiraling towards Vanessa's new life in Cupertino.
We arrived just as the sun set, slowly creeping down the dead end that
her rental cottage was situated on. Since Nessa's boyfriend had arrived in California a few months before her, he had scouted out this awesome home for the two of them.
Greeted by a small front yard lined with fruit trees, flowering
shrubs, darting hummingbirds, and a perfect oasis among the nonstop
pop-op of urban Cali, we knew we were finally home.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fsHVw45HSm_1Eqhy8JSBnEv6HSPGJZGMvRMdv3MWDnb8WSlnNyk99Fs5TOHgmwY7wpPCL2nOB0g3xc8uvOKsmoSsuT8aUttKwKj_tfcz8FI3VIgsj353rC_FQvTf3FyQHy4X189bR4s/s1600/yard.png" style="margin-left: 0em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_fsHVw45HSm_1Eqhy8JSBnEv6HSPGJZGMvRMdv3MWDnb8WSlnNyk99Fs5TOHgmwY7wpPCL2nOB0g3xc8uvOKsmoSsuT8aUttKwKj_tfcz8FI3VIgsj353rC_FQvTf3FyQHy4X189bR4s/s1600/yard.png" width="425" /></a><br />
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Thanks for reading about our adventure!!</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
The whole tome is here:<br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2013/10/ready-set-tulsa-photo-hour.html">Ready, Set, Tulsa!</a><br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/09/from-oklahoma-to-new-mexico.html">From Oklahoma to New Mexico</a><br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/adventure-in-jemez-mountains.html">Adventure in the Jemez Mountains</a><br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/10/on-arches-and-worlds-oldest-living.html">On Arches & The World's Oldest Living Organism</a> <br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/08/dreamland-extraterrestrial-highway.html">Dreamland & The Extraterrestrial Highway</a> <br />
<a href="http://day-drunk.blogspot.com/2014/11/morning-over-mono-poem.html">Morning Over Mono: A Poem</a>
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Zyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15593480205281543600noreply@blogger.com0