Category Archives: Outdoor Adventures

Roadtrippin’: Denver to Vegas

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An Autumn roadtrip to refresh our dulled, dried desert senses! Joshua bought his dream car on eBay… a 1964 El Camino Chevelle! This also being the first car he’s ever owned; he’s ecstatic. We figured why not make a roadtrip of it… Had to fly to Denver to pick up the car anyways. And oh, what fun we had! Denver is such a cool town, we didn’t want to leave… and the drive back through Utah is absolutely breathe taking. Haven’t made it out this way? Enjoy the journey from Denver to Vegas through our lens…

  • The sunset leaving Denver. The sunset leaving Denver.
  • Just as we left Denver the snow began coming down! SNOW!!! Just as we left Denver the snow began coming down! SNOW!!!
  • Me in my snow bunny gear! Me in my snow bunny gear!
  • Greeted at the Denver Airport by this fabulous stone Yogi. Greeted at the Denver Airport by this fabulous stone Yogi.
  • And so we meet Waylon... our NEW 1964 El Camino Chevelle. And so we meet Waylon... our NEW 1964 El Camino Chevelle.
  • Wynkoop Brewery is now brewing Chile Beer... we got a Growler! It was amazing!!! Wynkoop Brewery is now brewing Chile Beer... we got a Growler! It was amazing!!!
  • Homemade Sausages and gourmet cheeses at Wynkoop... SO delicious! (Our first meat and cheese since the detox!) Homemade Sausages and gourmet cheeses at Wynkoop... SO delicious! (Our first meat and cheese since the detox!)
  • Downtown Denver. Downtown Denver.
  • Another favorite beer I discovered at Lucky Pie... their pizza is outta this world too. Another favorite beer I discovered at Lucky Pie... their pizza is outta this world too.
  • Chilly morning. Wake up, Waylon! Chilly morning. Wake up, Waylon!
  • We stopped over in Green River, Utah. We stopped over in Green River, Utah.
  • The drive through Utah is gorgeous! The drive through Utah is gorgeous!
  • Baby Pinyons! Baby Pinyons!
  • I think he's in LOVE... I think he's in LOVE...
  • Entering Vegas from the East... the glow of the Strip from the FAR reaches of the desert! Entering Vegas from the East... the glow of the Strip from the FAR reaches of the desert!
  • We even got in a little quality time with Grandma Iris! We even got in a little quality time with Grandma Iris!
  • Winter stockings and boots. Winter stockings and boots.
  • Beaver, Utah. Beaver, Utah.
  • Stop at Arshel's Cafe in Beaver, Utah... Can't beat homemade hamburgers and pie! Stop at Arshel's Cafe in Beaver, Utah... Can't beat homemade hamburgers and pie!
  • REAL Utah cowboys tie their horses to the fence. REAL Utah cowboys tie their horses to the fence.
  • Someone before us left an array of snacks for the birds at this roadside stop. Someone before us left an array of snacks for the birds at this roadside stop.
  • Green River, Utah. Green River, Utah.
  • Waylon even has a sunroof! 80's after-market edition. Ha! Waylon even has a sunroof! 80's after-market edition. Ha!
     

A Day at Xel-Ha or Relaxation Therapy through Movement

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It is possible to relax in Cancun.  Our Cancun trip was like boxing training: ducking & weaving, floating & stinging;  my ears were filled with fluid for the majority of the trip — didn’t slow us down one bit!  There is an undo amount of folks hustling to sellsellsell, wheel deals, blahblahblah.  Your time can be used as currency there; VALUE IT!  And stay on your toes!  I had never been to Cancun & didn’t know that the city itself was this tiny one-block long tropical version of the Las Vegas strip.  It’s comical, really.  I liked it best when we went walking a few miles along the boulevard in the rain to catch a  ferry to Isla Mujeres.  Just us and the day-time grey rain.  No salesfolk.  There are a variety of highlights in this area: Tulum, Playa del Carmen, Isla Mujeres, our Hotel, the sea itself; none of these are Cancun per se, they’re peripheries.  So in order to enjoy all, you’ve got to move.  I love being in motion; sitting still is not easy, nor my preferred activity.  Moving soothes me.  So here’s a brief video mosaic of Our Day at Xel-Ha, a water park for us grown-ups.  Xel-Ha is Yucatec Maya for mixed water — where chilly fresh water meets a salty lagoon.  You’ll like the pictures, even though you’re not in any of them…

Me, You and Cancun

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In May we went to CANCUN!!! (Yes, this post is WAYlaid.)

This trip was a long awaited one, that Joshua had been planning since just before I came along… boy, is he lucky I DID come along!!! He might’ve had to venture to the land of Cancun all alone had I not appeared in his life. Te-he!

Shortly after we moved to Vegas, this trip served as our first moment of relaxation among all the BIG, busy changes of moving to a new city and settling in… AND we were celebrating One Year from the day we met! You see… we both distinctly remember the day we met, so rather than our anniversary being about our first date, our first kiss, or the day we actually began referring to each other in those terms of coupledom; our anniversary IS the day we first met!

(from left to right) The sister hotel to Sunset Royal with marina-front daybeds; Vines draping the interior of our hotel down to the Italian Restaurant where we celebrated our anniversary; Cancun beer on the Cancun beach!

Cancun was a completely new concept to me. Granted, I’ve been to Mexico and various other Latin countries, but I skipped the party in Cancun to celebrate High School graduation. Somehow, I also skipped the party in Cancun during college Spring Break… and all the other “party in Cancun while you’re underage” opportunities. No complaints here as I was busy living in Costa Rica… the focal point being …Cancun was a completely new concept to me.

Now… mind you, I’m still barely on the brink of Las Vegas… especially as a place to live! As previously mentioned, I was never one to hop any caravan, on any given day to Vegas. Casinos, clubs, and all the various hoop-la surrounding the Strip have never been first on my list of places to travel. And so… we arrive in Cancun. One of my first discoveries is that we have arrived in Mexico’s very own version of a miniature Las Vegas!

A fancy, dessert treat at the Mexican restaurant in Sunset Royal!

So, our reservations were to partake in one of those all-inclusive, week long, package deals at the Sunset Royal. It basically involves you giving a few hours of your time up one morning, while staying at said resort, to be guided through a sort of timeshare sales pitch. Now, without giving too many secrets away… I whole-heartedly recommend the Sunset Royal, sales pitch and all! Everyone in the entirety of the resort was absolutely wonderful… even our little old lady maid, whom we of course made friends with, was an absolute delight!!! Every meal we had in the resort was deliciously perfect; our assigned concierge lady was not only charming and gorgeous… but also extremely helpful. The couples massage we had at their beachside spa, one stormy evening, was so relaxing and rejuvenating! I could go on and on… for such a large resort of this all-inclusive genre the Sunset Royal is so utterly warm, welcoming, and charming! We couldn’t have asked for more.

This little tequila house is a uniquely charming spot that we found just off the beaten path!

Now, when outside of your perfect hotel (or before you even get there), of course there is a Cancun hustling game that comes into play… you see, almost everyone you talk to has some freebie offer to give in return for your time. Remember that last bit, you PAY for these “freebies” With… Your… Time!!! It all begins the moment you get off the airplane, before you’ve even really stepped onto Mexican soil. If I could advise you against it, don’t talk to anyone at the airport… head straight for the hotel van awaiting you. We may have doubted how organized these all-inclusives are and made friends at the airport, becoming “victim” to a true Mexican hustle… but all in good spirits, we eventually found the man holding the sign with our name and off we went to the Sunset Royal!

Bum alert at Senor Frog’s…

And so, ’tis in the heart of Cancun! Of course, I had to see the famed Senor Frog’s AND Carlos n’ Charlie’s. Not much to mention about those… unfortunately, they aren’t what I imagine they used to be. Senor Frog’s seriously felt like Joe’s Crab Shack when I was 13… there might have even been a slew 13 year old girls there?!!?!! When asking for directions to the bathroom (en espanol), the waiter KEPT insisting that I had to climb a latter and slide through a water-slide out into the marina. Mind you, it was our anniversary date night, we had just come from a wonderfully romantic meal at our hotel and I was wearing a little black dress with stilettos… ah, Senor Frogs! To add to the fun there, as I did find the actual restroom, I passed by a literal closet housing an impromptu tattoo studio. You know you’re in Mexico when… Ha! …On the other hand, Carlos n’ Charlie’s was definitely more palpable for a late night drink… you’re typical, loud and entertaining discoteca with great Margaritas!

And the lively Carlos n’ Charlie’s!

During the days we ventured out as much as we could: Tulum, Xel-Ha, Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres... each and every one of these places was amazing in it’s own way. We were mystified by the Mayan history and the beauty of Tulum. We wished that we could have spent an entire day swimming around Xel-Ha. The food was so delicious there and you know we love playing in the water… this ecological water theme park was made for us!!! Alternatively, our trips to Playa del Carmen and Isla Mujeres were much less organized: leading ourselves on our own adventure. The bus to Playa del Carmen was easy and safe to maneuver… once there we enjoyed plenty of drinks and ceviche right on the beach. In the end, Isla Mujeres truly was our favorite location and the place where we felt most at home in Mexico, away from the touristy hustle. We took a quick ferry ride over and were able bike around the entire island; stopping wherever we were inspired to photograph, biking through neighborhoods and eventually out onto the island’s point where we discovered a beautiful restaurant (and an odd sculpture garden). There were much fewer Americans on Isla Mujeres… you could feel the country’s culture and it’s spirit more prominently there than in Cancun.

Tulum is Magnificent!

Playa del Carmen has a wonderful European flare…

AND Isla Mujeres was so fun, although a bit of a stormy day… This is the Sculpture Garden we discovered (bottom image).

Having jam packed this first venture to Cancun, we eagerly anticipate our return to the Sunset Royal. Next time around we will focus on lounging about the hotel; truly soaking up all the relaxation and aqua blue, ocean front glory this place has to offer! It may be difficult to relax in Mexico’s mini Vegas, but with experience and great intent we DO believe it’s possible!

 

 

 

June in July

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OH, babes, this heat, this heat, this heat.  I can’t think of much else, aside from this stinkin’ desert heat.  July 2012 has been the hottest weather I’ve yet experienced.  True, we keep tDR Headquarters at a constant balmy 80 degrees, but my Commutes! At 8:26 a.m. it is typically about 90 degrees and by my 7 p.m. return home it is healthily over 105 degrees.  Evening shifts are scarcely different. And now, after 4 months, the Heat is not a novelty anymore; just once did I make the mistake of biking shirtless to work: never again.  Still, we’ve had some moments of reprieve: a handful of flash flood-y rainstorms that dipped us into the high 80s for a few days.  But to beat the heat, truly, we had to flee back to California.  We went to June Lake, CA.  It might actually be a part of Switzerland that is conveniently (for us West Coast folk) located right next to Yosemite.  It has become an annual thing for us, this June Lake camping trip and the June Lake Triathlon.  It’s solar powered, supportive and down home, this race.  I love this race.  I love this little town.  I love the lake.  It’s so beautiful, you can see the Milky Way, the water is Caribbean clear.  Oh, I adore June Lake & I look forward to this trip and this race for months.

 this triumph makes the show go on!  it drives, too…

The lake is cold.  Frigid.  Really really cold.  Get that point.  It’s wetsuit cold, filled up by melting snow packs and glaciers just up the mountain.  Last year there were still snow caps and the run-off was an inspiring rushing waterfall.  This winter wasn’t a one lush for the mountain.  The ski resort closed down; June Lake needs an economic boost, some respectful tourists and some LOVE!  This part of California is wild:  Mono Lake is here,

Mammoth Lakes; the terrain just down from the lakes looks like the South African veldt, and is dotted with hot springs lovingly named, e.g. the Crab Cooker;  bald men that look like John Locke from LOST will be there in Sarongs, be forewarned!

Last year a herd of cows got impatient waiting for us the vacate one spring and came up en masse to sluuurpsluurrrrppp spring water from the tubs whilst we marinated.  Magical.  There’s random night fireworks, farms with produce, so much beef jerky, ghost towns and shooting stars.  It is a great place — take care in choosing your travel companion, as you will surely fall in love.

We raced between camping days up there.  It was great.  Mallory loped along, gazelle style, more full of finishing energy than she anticipated.  I had a solid race: it was my second triathlon, my first being June Lake 2011.  I hacked 8 minutes off my time, took 8th overall and won my age group.  Best of all I had the fastest run split: 15 seconds ahead of the winner.  A-hey!  It’s worth mentioning that June Lake is 7700 feet above sea level.  That’s some thin air, friends; I passed out the night prior after I spent too long huffing and puffing at the fire and abruptly stood up to go cut onions; lucky I fell away from the fire!  Ack.  Race-wise, between that air and the lake water, it’s difficult to get your breath and find a rhythm.  I basically lost the race in the swim and spent the whole rest of it trying to catch back up, even thought I swam… okay.

& 54 minutes later ….

After the lake you cycle 8 miles of hills and finish by running a STEEP 5k in sand.  Let me say again, it’s short, it’s wicked, but I.love.this.race.   Allow me to nerd out a bit:  I trained for the race for about 8 weeks; i based my training plans on a few publications: Training for the Time-Crunched Triathlete, Running by Feel, and the triathlon Bible by Joel Friedman.  I work 50 hours/week and try to spend as much time loving on my little Vegas family as I can, so while the training is important, it can’t be paramount.  Mallory didn’t really train too much!  We got her pretty little bike together a few days before the race.  We trained mostly indoors, running on tracks, cycling stationary at midday instead of rising at 6 am to make the brief 85-degree window…   so there you go:  you win these lovely ceramic handmade medals for finishing, little plates for winning and so on… the charm of the race, the very positive community and the climate know no bounds!  I’m already looking forward to next June in July!

Exploring Lake Mead

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Today, we took our Vietnamese Sandwiches on a little car ride with us! To the glorious Lake Mead we ventured, guided by our trusty iPhones (what would one do with a paper map anyways). Not only did we bring our sandwiches along for this venture… but we also brought our bikes!!! Joshua, the avid cyclist that he is, aims to teach me everything he knows about cycling in preps for one very special June Lake Triathlon this July. There’s actually quite a large triathlon community around Las Vegas and especially Lake Mead… so we’ve heard.

Once in the park, with our Annual Parking Pass purchased, we were on the hunt to find two things; the “beach” and the main bike path. The bike path was very easy to find as it runs alongside the main road… the beach took us a moment longer. Coming from Southern California, “beach” isn’t exactly how I’d describe the lake’s edge that we did find, but being that we are smack in the middle of a very DRY desert I’m thankful for anything that’s remotely damp. The Lake Mead waterfront and beach is quite beautiful in it’s own windy and rocky way. The stark, rich, ever-changing colors of the desert’s sand and rocks is one thing that might always intrique me.

AND my first bike ride was a success… well, somewhat! Being that this bike ride was the very beginning to some much needed exercise and training on my part, I tired out pretty easily. The bike ride was definitely a quick lesson in drink lots of water (literal gallons per day are necessary in this climate) and don’t over-exert yourself in the heat of a desert day. But the bike was wonderful… smooth and fast; and the bike path around Lake Mead is awesome with just the right amount of curves and hills to keep things interesting. I look forward to using up that annual pass to explore many other elements around Lake Mead… and Boulder City, just outside of Lake Mead, which had a ton of wonderful looking thrift, antique, and indian artifacts stores that you know I’m going back for!!!