Experiencing City Life

I am a bit behind on my updates so I thought I would go ahead and jump to more recent events. The past week and  half we have been relaxing on the coast and camping in some of the beautiful coastal state parks of CA. Touring the magnificent Hearst Castle, observing the curious habits of the elephant seals, wandering through redwood and sequoia forests, and dipping our toes in the pacific eventually led us into the heart of San Francisco where we spent the past four days. 

I had a small pit in my stomach as we navigated our way through the maze of downtown, trying to locate our hotel. We are about to move to a city of comparable size/population (at least in the opinion of a mountain girl) and I have been nervous that a visit to San Fran might turn me into an anti-urbanite indefinitely. 

However, the pit was gone after a little less than 2 hours and I realized and I kept saying over and over again that "I can't wait to live in D.C." I agree that living amongst millions is busy, hectic, somewhat anonymous, etc. but there is something attractive about it, nonetheless. 

First night we entered into the lottery for last minute tickets to Wicked, and we were the first names called!!! I think it now rivals Les Miserables in my ranking of Broadways. The evening was a blast!

We spent Saturday morning sharing coffee and a loaf of sourdough at the Farmer's Market on the Pier. Even in a city that spans miles and miles, the turnout to support local farmers was impressive.

We strolled through the Castro district and saw the famous theater and Harvey Milk Park. If you haven't yet seen "Milk", you definitely should.

We watched the San Francisco Mime Troup at the Mission Delores Park.

We shared a delicious ice cream sundae in Ghirardelli Square.

Best of all, we had a picnic on the grass at Fisherman's Wharf and watched the Independence Day celebration and fireworks. Best fireworks we have ever seen!!

Celebrating in Style

We tried to plan out where we would end up on our anniversary, but for some reason the itinerary always put us at a different location: Zion, Bryce, Las Vegas, etc. We were pleasantly surprised when we found ourselves driving into the North Rim of the Grand Canyon on June 22nd. We were fully aware that the Lodge would be booked, probably with a 12 month waiting list, but we thought just being there on the edge of something so vast and awesome was celebratory. It only got better when we found out that they had one Frontier Cabin available due to a last minute cancellation! 

So we celebrated in style with a bottle of Grand Canyon Champaign, dried mangos, and turkey sandwiches, all enjoyed with a spectacular view. 

The following morning we hiked to the bottom of the canyon and back on the North Kaibab Trail. Ten grueling miles (5 straight down and 5 straight up), but incredible nonetheless.

Yesterday we felt like we just drove and drove and drove but it was absolutely wonderful. Our route took us along several of the scenic byways of southern Utah, which meant we had the roads all to ourselves while marveling at some of the most breathtaking views in the nation. 

After a very fun night with cousins in the southwestern corner of Colorado we spent the first half of our day at Mesa Verde. We had a terrible tour guide who talked at a snails pace and prefaced every speech with something like "Now I am going to tell you two important pieces of information...". It was hilarious. 

From Mesa Verde we drove back into Utah and up the Moki Dugway and Hwy 95 to Capitol Reef National Park. I also forgot to mention that we are almost finished with Steinbeck's East of Eden and we are completely hooked. If you haven't read it, please please do, and we would both recommend popping it in your cassette player while driving the backroads of the great west.

     

Enjoying a peaceful evening at the wind whistler campground. 

 

Our hike in the Needles portion of Canyonlands National Park

 

A brief stop at Natural Bridges National Monument. 

       

 

First Couple of Days

Just a couple of pics from the start of the trip. Aside from a broken tent (that adam rigged with a hefty stick), everything has gone smoothly so far. 

Packed Bags

Today was my last day in Missoula. I can't believe I am saying that, but i really did have my last Montana day for a long time. Adam will be coming back to pick up our things later in the summer but this is it for me. 

I will say that this final day was delightful. After enjoying breakfast and coffee and doing a quick search on craigslist for DC apartments, we headed downtown to the farmers market. We purchased some fresh salad and cucumbers for lunch and said some last minute goodbyes. The Saturday Market has become a ritual for us that we will miss dearly.

We also got some excellent (at least we think as much) book tapes that will be our soundtrack for the next five weeks on the road. East of Eden, The Holcroft Covenant, The River Why, and Red Storm Rising will hopefully keep us going through the deserts of southern Utah and the coast of California.

Lastly, after a rigorous afternoon of packing, we enjoyed a peaceful dinner on the front porch while watching neighbors stroll by and the sun go down. We are happier people for having lived in this place and only hope that life will lead us back here someday. 

For now, on to the next adventure...

On the road again...

The past few weeks have been a blur. Work, school, travel, studying, work, etc have been consuming our days to the point where sometimes I will wake up at 5:50 am and not see Adam until 10:00 pm. This may sound dramatic, but I am not okay with this chaotic pace and will be incredibly relieved when we can find reprieve.  

Now that I have vented my exhaustion, I will admit that amidst the business of April and May, I have had quite a bit to look forward to. Adam and I decided that in celebration of two fabulous years of matrimony as well as in preparation for 4 tough years ahead, we shall embark on a 4.5 week road trip of the great west. We thought that in conclusion of 2 great years in Missoula, we would take advantage of our current geography and hit the road to soak up the beauty the western states. Our current plans (or lack thereof) are to hit the road in mid-June and drive down through Utah, visiting Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion, Arches, Cedar Breaks, etc. Once we hav

e made it to the bottom and back of the Grand Canyon, we will cut across to the coast and head up highway 1 until we reach Portland. 

If anyone knows of cool places to eat, drink, surf, hike, sleep, etc., we would LOVE your suggestions. 

                        

Extravagances

"The extravagant gesture is the very stuff of creation. After one extravagant gesture of creation in the first place, the universe has continued to deal exclusively in extravagances, flinging intricacies and colossi down aeons of emptiness, heaping profusions on profligacies with fresh vigor. The whole show has been on fire since the word go!"

Annie Dillard

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek