I had high hopes that my post-bar exam trip would be abroad. Well, our budget screamed in outrage until I gave in and planned something cheaper. So, instead, we will head to California's Central Coast for five days.
It's not Germany but I am still excited! I have only been to California once. I went to Los Angeles on business when I was seven months pregnant with Olie. All I remember about LA is how spread out the city seemed and that I loathed my boss who was also my travel companion. My time there was so unpleasant that I never seriously thought about vacationing in California.
But, when my best friend from high school generously offered Madhubby and I her home - which happens to be just across Highway 1 and minutes from the ocean - I couldn't say no. Seriously, I can hear waves crashing on the beach if she's on her deck while we are talking on the phone.
Already, I am predicting a huge improvement over my last trip to California. This time, I can just lay on the beach all day and not worry two bits about how crowded the 405 is or wonder which crappy restaurant my boss will choose for dinner each night.
So far, our big plans are to get all touristy in San Francisco (we've never been there), enjoy a baseball game at Pacific Bell Park, visit Hearst Castle, hike Big Sur, explore a vineyard or two, and play on the beach. Anything else that should be on our list? I am all ears, cursor, and blank space over here.
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Travel. Show all posts
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Winter Games
Last month, we took one of our favorite family vacations. We went to the Winter X Games. The Winter X Games have been going on for thirteen years and have been held at Aspen's Buttermilk Mountain for seven of those years. We recently heard ESPN plans to continue holding the games at Buttermilk through 2012, which means we've got three more years to enjoy them. Sweet.
The games are free and we go for the free concerts (this year it was the Flobots and Pennywise), the free schwag, and, of course, to watch the top athletes of skiing, snowboarding, and snocross rip it up. It is always a fun time for us and the kids look forward to it all year.
The games started on a Thursday but we didn't get to Buttermilk until Friday afternoon. The kids skipped school on Friday, we packed the Subie, hit the road, and four hours later we were checking into our hotel.
We stayed in a hotel down valley, which is the local way of saying we didn't stay in Aspen, we stayed "down the [Roaring Fork] valley" from it. Down valley towns include Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt, and El Jebel. We chose Glenwood Springs, which is about 4o miles from Aspen, because we had been there before, we got a stellar corporate rate on a two-bedroom suite, and, honestly, there is not a whole lot going on in El Jebel, Basalt, or Carbondale. At least Glenwood Springs has a Target.
Highway 82 links Glenwood Springs to Aspen and the drive is quick. It took us a little bit longer because of this:
A huge boulder had come tumbling down the mountain, skipped over the northbound lane and completely blocked one of the southbound lanes heading into Aspen. Thank goodness no person or car was crushed by this monstrous boulder. I was a little bit anxious driving after that, at least until we got through the part where the road and the mountainside are very near to each other.
When we got to the Spectator Intercept Lot, a fancy way of saying "lot where X game spectators must park their cars, then board one of the shuttles that will take you to Buttermilk Mountain," it was snowing like crazy and I thought the kids might start complaining, but they didn't. They loved it and my heart swelled a little with pride because I have raised these kids to love life in this state, and its many quirks including blizzards in late March, as much as I do.
Last year, it was sunny at the games. This year, it was snowy. We definitely preferred the snow because it just felt right:
We spent a few hours at the games before heading back to the car and driving into Aspen. We stopped for lunch at Little Annie's Eating House. Dee gave us some great restaurant ideas but we went out on our own...and it didn't work out, so next time we are up there, we will try the places she recommended.
We tried Main Street Deli for dessert, which is actually another place Dee told us to avoid, and the pastries were good but the service was bad. The cashier was rushing us because, I think, he is used to people who know what they want to order. I felt like a noob in a Starbuck's line.
We checked out of our hotel on Sunday and got home in plenty of time to unpack, do some laundry, and relax before starting the week.
And, aside from those two food busts, we had a really fun time. The hotel was nice. The kids actually played together for more than two minutes without screaming at each other. The games were less crowded this year because of the economy, or at least that is what I heard. The games were the perfect January getaway. We can't wait to go again in 2010. Maybe we will see you there next year.
The games are free and we go for the free concerts (this year it was the Flobots and Pennywise), the free schwag, and, of course, to watch the top athletes of skiing, snowboarding, and snocross rip it up. It is always a fun time for us and the kids look forward to it all year.
The games started on a Thursday but we didn't get to Buttermilk until Friday afternoon. The kids skipped school on Friday, we packed the Subie, hit the road, and four hours later we were checking into our hotel.
We stayed in a hotel down valley, which is the local way of saying we didn't stay in Aspen, we stayed "down the [Roaring Fork] valley" from it. Down valley towns include Glenwood Springs, Carbondale, Basalt, and El Jebel. We chose Glenwood Springs, which is about 4o miles from Aspen, because we had been there before, we got a stellar corporate rate on a two-bedroom suite, and, honestly, there is not a whole lot going on in El Jebel, Basalt, or Carbondale. At least Glenwood Springs has a Target.
Highway 82 links Glenwood Springs to Aspen and the drive is quick. It took us a little bit longer because of this:
A huge boulder had come tumbling down the mountain, skipped over the northbound lane and completely blocked one of the southbound lanes heading into Aspen. Thank goodness no person or car was crushed by this monstrous boulder. I was a little bit anxious driving after that, at least until we got through the part where the road and the mountainside are very near to each other.
When we got to the Spectator Intercept Lot, a fancy way of saying "lot where X game spectators must park their cars, then board one of the shuttles that will take you to Buttermilk Mountain," it was snowing like crazy and I thought the kids might start complaining, but they didn't. They loved it and my heart swelled a little with pride because I have raised these kids to love life in this state, and its many quirks including blizzards in late March, as much as I do.
Last year, it was sunny at the games. This year, it was snowy. We definitely preferred the snow because it just felt right:
We spent a few hours at the games before heading back to the car and driving into Aspen. We stopped for lunch at Little Annie's Eating House. Dee gave us some great restaurant ideas but we went out on our own...and it didn't work out, so next time we are up there, we will try the places she recommended.
We tried Main Street Deli for dessert, which is actually another place Dee told us to avoid, and the pastries were good but the service was bad. The cashier was rushing us because, I think, he is used to people who know what they want to order. I felt like a noob in a Starbuck's line.
We checked out of our hotel on Sunday and got home in plenty of time to unpack, do some laundry, and relax before starting the week.
And, aside from those two food busts, we had a really fun time. The hotel was nice. The kids actually played together for more than two minutes without screaming at each other. The games were less crowded this year because of the economy, or at least that is what I heard. The games were the perfect January getaway. We can't wait to go again in 2010. Maybe we will see you there next year.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Travel Plans
In 2009, Madhubby and I plan to travel more. A lot more. Last year, we took one, quick weekend vacation. This year, we plan to take at least four vacations.
January
Family Vacation. We are going to Aspen for the ESPN Winter X Games. We went last year but it was a very quick trip. This time we're making a long weekend of it. The kids will ski, we might ski, and we will have a nice, relaxing time of it. Oh, and enjoy some kick-ass skiing and snowboarding events, too.
April
Couples Weekend. We planned to attend the New Orleans Jazz Fest, but my mother has put the fear of Louisianians in me so those plans are on hold while we look for an alternate destination. I suggested Oahu. Madhubby suggested Cooperstown. Clearly, we are not on the same page.
May
Romantic Getaway. Madhubby has taken a week off in May for a post-graduation/ninth anniversary vacation. I would love to spend that week in Taos, New Mexico, but Taos doesn't appeal to Madhubby. Vacation plans are pending while we research other locales.
September
Small Family Vacation. We are taking a two week vacation abroad. We will visit Germany, France, and (maybe) The Netherlands. My ex-mother-in-law (FIL's second ex-wife), is coming out to take care of the children while we are away, but we are considering taking Lizzie with us.
Lizzie will be thirteen, she speaks French, and she is not a finicky eater like her siblings; the ability to eat different cuisines is an asset and, I think, probably requisite for enjoyable international travel.
It's exciting! I'm looking forward to visiting other places and 2009 should be a fun, travel filled year for us. Where will you go this year?
January
Family Vacation. We are going to Aspen for the ESPN Winter X Games. We went last year but it was a very quick trip. This time we're making a long weekend of it. The kids will ski, we might ski, and we will have a nice, relaxing time of it. Oh, and enjoy some kick-ass skiing and snowboarding events, too.
April
Couples Weekend. We planned to attend the New Orleans Jazz Fest, but my mother has put the fear of Louisianians in me so those plans are on hold while we look for an alternate destination. I suggested Oahu. Madhubby suggested Cooperstown. Clearly, we are not on the same page.
May
Romantic Getaway. Madhubby has taken a week off in May for a post-graduation/ninth anniversary vacation. I would love to spend that week in Taos, New Mexico, but Taos doesn't appeal to Madhubby. Vacation plans are pending while we research other locales.
September
Small Family Vacation. We are taking a two week vacation abroad. We will visit Germany, France, and (maybe) The Netherlands. My ex-mother-in-law (FIL's second ex-wife), is coming out to take care of the children while we are away, but we are considering taking Lizzie with us.
Lizzie will be thirteen, she speaks French, and she is not a finicky eater like her siblings; the ability to eat different cuisines is an asset and, I think, probably requisite for enjoyable international travel.
It's exciting! I'm looking forward to visiting other places and 2009 should be a fun, travel filled year for us. Where will you go this year?
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Kickin' It in the Dirty South
Lizzie was slated to spend a few weeks in New Mexico visiting her paternal grandparents and hanging out at their pool. Well, I get a call from her father about three days into her vacation: he's had a(nother) heart attack and is in the hospital.
A quick bit of history: about five years ago, Lizzie's dad had an aortic aneurysm, which should have killed him but didn't. Instead, he received an artificial replacement valve and aorta. He's been doing really well keeping his cholesterol in check and following a strict diet. That is, until the last year or so. This latest heart attack was precipitated by (a) strenuous exercise (for him) and (b) a heated argument with his mother. He has to have an angioplasty and possible open heart surgery if the balloon doesn't do the trick. So, he calls me from the hospital to let me know that Lizzie is being cared for by his parents and that he doesn't know when he will be getting out of the hospital nor when he might be coming back to Colorado. Oh, and Granddad is having a quadruple bypass in the next few days.
I quickly weighed my options: leave Lizzie in New Mexico under the care of her Nana, who spends most of her day watching HSN OR arrange for Lizzie to get home. One teensy, little ten-year old problem. Lizzie doesn't want to fly home alone. In her defense, she has only flown once and then it was to somewhere she really wanted to go (Disneyland) and with a whole bunch of people who could become human life rafts in the event of an emergency. So, no worries there. But, flying from NM to Denver all by her lonesome was not something she wanted to do. That meant we were roadtripping it.
I used to be a big roadtripper (new verb?) in my day, but it has lost a lot of its appeal since I now have children who need to stop every ten miles or their heads explode. Amazingly, though the trip was sorta fun.
I decided since we were going to New Mexico, we might as well swing by Taos. Taos is a lot like Boulder because it's small, friendly, has great scenery and great food. I lived in New Mexico for ten years but had never visited Taos until I moved away. I may never have moved to Colorado had I gone sooner. The hotel was nice but the pool sprung a leak and was closed during our entire stay. I am penning a letter to their corporate office in hopes of scoring a free night's stay. We spent way too much money on books at a bookstore with a stupid, corny name and a ginormous furry cat. We bought t-shirts and took pictures and acted goofy. We were just like all the other tourists.
Not to knock Taos, but it does seems to be a destination for rich, white people who think it's hip to say they've been to New Mexico. Unfortunately, if you've only been to Taos, then you haven't really experienced New Mexico. Try visiting Albuquerque's South Valley after dark or playing Russian roulette in an arroyo during a rain storm. Both could get you killed and both are somehow distinctly more New Mexican than karaoke bars and overpriced boutiques. I saw more Texas license plates, Louis Vuitton bags and bleach blondes to last me until my next pilgrimage to the Land o' Enchantment. Alas, no Julia Roberts, though, the patron saint of the plaza.
Since, my ex-inlaws have lived in the dirty south for more years than I've been alive, they volunteered information about local restaurants (Go to Roberto's, the cost is high but the food is excellent). They were right -- dinner for four was $45 but it was worth every penny. I had the beef enchiladas with red sauce and they were divine. As were the sopapillas. People in Colorado can't seem to understand that sopapillas are not a dessert. In traditional New Mexican fare, they are the bread and should be served with the meal. Roberto's gets an A+ for their traditional roots. The restaurant was great, too, because the building is very old and dates back to the mid-1800's. Oddly enough, the bathrooms, which are through the galley kitchen were brought up to date with Smurf wallpaper. It was actually kinda eerie. Madhubby said Looney Tunes adorned the men's room. I'll have to take his word for it. Still, I cannot wait for our next mini-vacay to Taos. Roberto's is definitely be on my list of places to go. Maybe, we can even squeeze in a hike and a massage the next time around.
Also, I think the next time we go, we will rent a house because hotels with my children can ruin a perfectly good vacation. Plus, the opportunity for "hotel sex" is practically nil when your kids are watching from the other bed.
.
.
.
The Apple Store left a message that my ibook was ready for pickup. I almost choked on my own tongue at the total: $755! But, I have a new logic board and a new display among other goodies. And Apple covered the entire cost of the repair. I wasn't expecting that since my ibook is seven months out of warranty. So, needlessto say I am giddy that my I have my ibook back and no damage was done to my pocketbook. I am already a Mac user for life, but Apple's quick service and free, unwarrantied repair has me officially proclaiming my allegiance to Steve Jobs and obnoxiously telling anyone within earshot to go directly to the Apple Store and purchase one for themselves.
A quick bit of history: about five years ago, Lizzie's dad had an aortic aneurysm, which should have killed him but didn't. Instead, he received an artificial replacement valve and aorta. He's been doing really well keeping his cholesterol in check and following a strict diet. That is, until the last year or so. This latest heart attack was precipitated by (a) strenuous exercise (for him) and (b) a heated argument with his mother. He has to have an angioplasty and possible open heart surgery if the balloon doesn't do the trick. So, he calls me from the hospital to let me know that Lizzie is being cared for by his parents and that he doesn't know when he will be getting out of the hospital nor when he might be coming back to Colorado. Oh, and Granddad is having a quadruple bypass in the next few days.
I quickly weighed my options: leave Lizzie in New Mexico under the care of her Nana, who spends most of her day watching HSN OR arrange for Lizzie to get home. One teensy, little ten-year old problem. Lizzie doesn't want to fly home alone. In her defense, she has only flown once and then it was to somewhere she really wanted to go (Disneyland) and with a whole bunch of people who could become human life rafts in the event of an emergency. So, no worries there. But, flying from NM to Denver all by her lonesome was not something she wanted to do. That meant we were roadtripping it.
I used to be a big roadtripper (new verb?) in my day, but it has lost a lot of its appeal since I now have children who need to stop every ten miles or their heads explode. Amazingly, though the trip was sorta fun.
I decided since we were going to New Mexico, we might as well swing by Taos. Taos is a lot like Boulder because it's small, friendly, has great scenery and great food. I lived in New Mexico for ten years but had never visited Taos until I moved away. I may never have moved to Colorado had I gone sooner. The hotel was nice but the pool sprung a leak and was closed during our entire stay. I am penning a letter to their corporate office in hopes of scoring a free night's stay. We spent way too much money on books at a bookstore with a stupid, corny name and a ginormous furry cat. We bought t-shirts and took pictures and acted goofy. We were just like all the other tourists.
Not to knock Taos, but it does seems to be a destination for rich, white people who think it's hip to say they've been to New Mexico. Unfortunately, if you've only been to Taos, then you haven't really experienced New Mexico. Try visiting Albuquerque's South Valley after dark or playing Russian roulette in an arroyo during a rain storm. Both could get you killed and both are somehow distinctly more New Mexican than karaoke bars and overpriced boutiques. I saw more Texas license plates, Louis Vuitton bags and bleach blondes to last me until my next pilgrimage to the Land o' Enchantment. Alas, no Julia Roberts, though, the patron saint of the plaza.
Since, my ex-inlaws have lived in the dirty south for more years than I've been alive, they volunteered information about local restaurants (Go to Roberto's, the cost is high but the food is excellent). They were right -- dinner for four was $45 but it was worth every penny. I had the beef enchiladas with red sauce and they were divine. As were the sopapillas. People in Colorado can't seem to understand that sopapillas are not a dessert. In traditional New Mexican fare, they are the bread and should be served with the meal. Roberto's gets an A+ for their traditional roots. The restaurant was great, too, because the building is very old and dates back to the mid-1800's. Oddly enough, the bathrooms, which are through the galley kitchen were brought up to date with Smurf wallpaper. It was actually kinda eerie. Madhubby said Looney Tunes adorned the men's room. I'll have to take his word for it. Still, I cannot wait for our next mini-vacay to Taos. Roberto's is definitely be on my list of places to go. Maybe, we can even squeeze in a hike and a massage the next time around.
Also, I think the next time we go, we will rent a house because hotels with my children can ruin a perfectly good vacation. Plus, the opportunity for "hotel sex" is practically nil when your kids are watching from the other bed.
.
.
.
The Apple Store left a message that my ibook was ready for pickup. I almost choked on my own tongue at the total: $755! But, I have a new logic board and a new display among other goodies. And Apple covered the entire cost of the repair. I wasn't expecting that since my ibook is seven months out of warranty. So, needlessto say I am giddy that my I have my ibook back and no damage was done to my pocketbook. I am already a Mac user for life, but Apple's quick service and free, unwarrantied repair has me officially proclaiming my allegiance to Steve Jobs and obnoxiously telling anyone within earshot to go directly to the Apple Store and purchase one for themselves.
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Land of Enchantment
Just got back from a whirlwind weekend in New Mexico, so I will catch up with you later. Lots of drama, craziness & reviews to come!
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