Drive Eastward

May 10, 2010

Flew into LAX from La Paz, Baja California Sur. The day I left Mexico was very similar to the day before I left - very hot. The temperature was rising, so I was thankful to be headed, at least for a few days, into cooler temperatures. Checked out my first ever rental car, a red Corolla, and drove down to San Diego. Met up with my friend Mike and grabbed some pizza, whoo hoo! Then headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's to spend the night and start packing. They had left earlier that same day for a trip, so sadly, we could only leave each other notes.

May 11, 2010

Packed up the car and drove a wee bit north to San Marcos, CA. Visited with my Aunt Shannon, Uncle Stuart, and cousin Peter. We had very yummy Indian food for dinner; and I got to hear all about Peter's new special order bike that will be coming in soon! Picked out some new plants for the front garden and spent some time gardening for Peter's cub scout badge - he supervised where they should go but wasn't a bit fan of the worms and slugs I kept finding. He liked the rocks.

May 12, 2010

Hit the road headed north. Called up a friend who lives outside LA and she was tied up with some work stuff until the afternoon, so I killed some time by visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach. Lots of little kids running around, I had to stop myself several times from wanting to correct kids who thought the puffins were baby penguins or that the sunflower star was an octopus! Oh well. Met up with Lauren, who I met last year on San Juan Island, but is currently working in California for the Department of Fish and Game (CDF&G) doing all kinds of cool wildlife stuff. We had some coffee and lunch/dinner, and she gave me a tour of her killer backyard and convinced me to stay the night with magical words like wildlife and avocado trees and chickens. I did get to pick an avocado right off the tree! I camped in the backyard under the sycamore tree (because Lauren has cats) and Lauren headed off for what proved to be an uneventful evening doing surveys for CDF&G. I ended up seeing her backyard visitors that she had suspected were around - bats! Very cool evening.

May 13, 2010 - May 14, 2010

Well fed, I hit the road headed east. Stopping at the Las Vegas welcome center, which happens to be in an outlet mall. And during a gas station stop in Hurricane, Utah; saw some of the women members of the fundamentalist Mormons group - dressed in prairie garb. I ended up sleeping in the car since all of the campgrounds at Zion National Park were full. Sadly . . as the air had a nice chilly edge to it. Delicious! But I did get to see a coyote sneaking around. The next morning, I drove through Zion and made a split second decision to drive up to Bryce Canyon, taking the backroads through Utah to Denver, CO. Bryce was beautiful, I walked around a little bit - saw a bluebird, prairie dogs, and mule deer. Continued driving through the Utah backroads and came across SNOW! I guess Mother Nature thought I had missed out this year, so she brought winter late to me! I briefly considered mutiny to spend more time in the snow, but decided to plug along. The snow was fun, until it started sticking to the road. But it didn't last forever. Then when I crossed the border into Colorado, it started snowing again! And continued nearly the whole way into Denver. Burrr! It felt kinda nice to put on layers again though and be all cozy. Settled in for the night at the house of an SBC '06 alum, Melissa.

May 15, 2010 - May 16, 2010

Woke up and headed to breakfast at the Waffle Brothers with Melissa and her sister Elizabeth, and meeting up with Mallory (SBC '09) and another friend of Melissa's. It was a very yummy breakfast. Then I walked around downtown Denver with Mallory catching up, visiting the Aveda salon, and otherwise talking each others ears off :) Had dinner with Melissa and Elizabeth downtown, lots of pasta since they had a half-marathon the next day. I woke up and re-shoved things back in to the car, and met up with them after the race for breakfast burritos and coffee at a cute little coffee shop. Then I hit the road, headed for Omaha, NE. Arrived in the evening to spend the night with my friend April, who I knew in Alaska, but she is now working at the Henry Doorly Zoo.

May 17, 2010

Explored the Henry Doorly Zoo - which is a huge zoo - and got to meet up with an old friend - a puffin named Sebastian who I had worked with in Alaska - but the ASLC had sent several tufted puffins and rhino auklets down to Omaha while I had still been working there and I had always thought it'd be cool to visit. We played games with my keys and I talked to a keeper about how he likes to annoy the divers. He's all grown up in adult plumage, but no mate yet. My favorite part of the zoo was the rainforest area - it's a huge walkthrough with monkeys and birds all over, some of them free-range and can run right up to you! I really felt like I was walking through a rainforest and the plants were incredible. I think they're supposed to be real, aside from the larger trees that are a part of the structure. The zoo also had a new Madagascar exhibit including a walk-through with the lemurs! April and I met up in the afternoon, after I watched her feed the sea lions, and after rinsing off at home (apparently being the sea lion and elephant keeper doesn't make you smell the greatest at the end of the day) we explored downtown Omaha, eventually eating dinner at a local brewery.

May 18, 2010 - May 19, 2010

Hit the road and drove to Indianapolis, IN where I stayed with Liz and Brett Marvel (Liz is a SBC alum from '05). Not the most exciting drive . . and none of the Cracker Barrels I stopped at had any good books on tape for rent. So I just made fun of how country the radio got. Hit the road the next morning after some great quiet time and coffee with Liz. Stopped just an hour south and met up with Rebecca (SBC '08) for some coffee and scones. Then continued onward through Kentucky and West Virginia, arriving for the night in Lynchburg, VA to spend the night with Kimberly and Dave (both SBC alums - David from the graduate program; Kimberly from undergraduate '05 and graduate program).

May 20, 2010 - May 22, 2010

Hit the road and stopped in at SBC to visit the gift shop; walk around the boathouse; and stop in and say hello to Laura Staman, the director of the Outdoor Program. Then headed towards home . . making one more brief stop at the Short Pump mall, before pulling into the driveway in Virginia. The next day I went and checked in at the Williamsburg Winery to get put on the schedule for the summer; explored the local farmers markets and winery festival; and had a fun adventure with James at the emergency room since he needed stitches on his ankle for a work injury.

Summer plans:

Working at the Williamsburg Winery, where I have waitressed in the past. Hanging out with Mom and helping out wherever I can. Adjusting to allergies on the east coast and in the south - so not fun. I may log some volunteer hours somewhere if I can. I will still be doing some legwork for the School for Field Studies - working on abstracts for submission, etc.

I've been listed as a volunteer for the Gulf Coast oil spill, but they haven't called yet. If they do, then I would love to go down and serve, assisting with wildlife rehabilitation. I received oil spill training last spring with TriState Bird Rescue. Right now they are just utilizing local volunteers.

In July, I will spend two weeks in Alaska as a part of a Nova Southeastern University graduate course. VERY SUPER EXCITED. I will have a few days to play around Seward before the course starts - plan on enjoying the fourth of july festivities, hiking, bonfires, and seeing old haunts and old friends. Maybe hit the water for some fishing or wildlife.

I will return to the School for Field Studies in early September and work for them for the fall term; completing my term with them in mid-December. It'll be sea turtle nesting season, so some of the research will focus on baby sea turtles. We hope to get some work completed towards publications as well.

I'll try to fill in the blanks between what happened in April 2009 until now since I stopped blogging - so keep an eye out for some backlogged blogs!

Island Life

Booked it through Oregon and Washington and managed to catch the evening ferry into Friday Harbor, San Juan Island. Unfortuntely it was dark, so I didn't see much on the trip over. But I was able to head right over to my new house. Spent the first evening with the therma-rest and sleeping bag on the floor. Yesterday was spent unpacking and cleaning, then applying for some waitressing jobs around town. I managed to find the library, grocery store, hardware store, and thrift store without getting lost (and find my way back to our house). I also saw a bunch of bald eagles - normal for the people living here - but not having seen them for several months, it was great to see wild eagles again.

Unfortuntely, the power went out on all the islands yesterday afternoon and evening, so I was unable to post any updates here. It came back on right before Grey's Anatomy started so we went over to a coworker's of Vanessa's to watch. Met a few of Vanessa's rehab critters last night - some baby river otters. And made friends with a conure who belonged to one of her coworkers - very cute. A busy first day. Stay posted for updates on island life! I hope to explore the island some more today; hopefully find a job soon; and the whale research should start mid/late May.

Earth Day in the Redwoods

After leaving Monterey, I encountered still hot, high temperatures around San Franscisco. I also recieved a call from a friend who would be in the city the next day! So I headed across the Golden Gate bridge and stayed at a hostel just north of the city in the park area. It was nice - but the quietest hostel I've ever been in!! They get lots of families and groups - there was a grroup of eighth graders from a school in Northern California who were biking the coastline! Pretty cool. Saw an amazing sunset over the water and wild Calla lilies growing along the shoreline!

The next morning I headed into San Franscisco, a driving adventure all of its own. Managed to park and explore the farmer's market down at the port (really neat, like how shopping used to be with different vendors for fruits, herbs, vegetables, meat, pastries, etc.), then headed on the trolley to Pier 39 to watch the sea lions. Unfortnately, my phone, which has been acting up for most of the trip, went off at this point. So looking for my friend became like searching for a needle in a haystack. Driven by the heat, I gave up, frustrated, and hit the road again, headed north. About two hours outside of the city the phone started to work again - spurradictally - so I was able to let my friend know I was neither robbed nor abducted by aliens. But sadly, no rendevous.

I headed all the way north, almost to the Oregon border, and stopped at Jeremiah Smith State Park - in the middle of the redwoods. I love the smell of the redwoods. It was a beautiful state park and I'd love to return and explore some of the trails. Each campsite was nestled in amongst some trees, with a good amount of space between campsites. The campground hosts were nice and friendly, and there was flush toilets and water! There were coin operated showers too, but I choose to be dirty instead.

So I woke up this moring to the redwoods, which I hugged, in honor of Earth Day. Then convinced my mom to make her kindergarten class hug trees today too and discuss recycling and stewardship. :)

Adventures on Cannery Row

Greetings from Monterey, CA!

As I left Las Vegas, several hours behind Tasha who left early in the morning for a student trip, the temperatures just seemed to climb until we were in the high 80s and low 90s! I stopped in Lancaster, CA to visit with two friends from Alaska - Lindsey and Erika, who are in college there. It was great to spend some dinner and shopping time with them, just catching up, such a blessing! (We had to leave some of my car contents in Erika's dorm room though so that we could all fit in the car . . even then poor Erika was in danger of a landslide of items from the stockpile remaining in the backseat!). Then I headed to Santa Barbara, CA where I stayed in a hostel right near the ocean. Waking up, I was reminded that while this trip has been great - it is neither a vacation nor an unlimited adventure. I headed north without exploring much of Santa Barbara or San Luis Obisbo, their beautiful beaches and surf, hiking trails, museums, or food . . . another trip! But I did take the scenic route 1 up the California coast, stopping to see the elephant seals (you could smell them before you could see them), and driving through just a bit of fog (yet the sun was still shining!), before arriving in Monterey in late afternoon.

I met up with my friend Nikki, who was my roommate in Alaska, but is now working at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. I explored the aquarium on my own and then wandered Cannery Row, and saw harbor seals and an elephant seal on the beach. I met up with Nikki, her husband Ron, and Nikki's sister Shannon at their house later that evening. The next morning Shannon made a really yummy California bagel breakfast - bagels, eggs, avocado, sprouts, and salsa! yum! Then we all went out for a hike at Los Lobos and saw sea otters, harbor seals, and sea lions - and oystercatchers, and had a late lunch on the beach. The dogs joined us for the beach fun, and I even attempted to learn skim-boarding. We finished the day with clam chowder down at Fishermen's Wharf. The next morning was leisurely . . I went into the aquarium with Nikki to meet her kids and watch a sea otter feeding and meet some of the river otters! Super cool.

Hit the road in the afternoon, northbound.

The knowledge that you have emerged wiser and stronger from setbacks means that you are, ever after, secure in your ability to survive. You will never truly know yourself, or the strength of your relationships, until both have been tested by adversity. Such knowledge is a true gift . . it is painfully won, and it has been worth more to me than any qualification I ever earned. - J. K. Rowling

Sin City . . What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas . .

Wouldn't it have been funny if the title was all there was and I posted nothing else concerning my trip to Las Vegas?


Okay . . guess not.

Arrive in Las Vegas . . a city that appears out of NOWHERE in the desert of Nevada. Navigated the horrid traffic to arrive at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; where my friend Tasha works. Tasha was an outdoor instructor and environmental science major with me at Sweet Briar, but graduated in '04. She now has a master's and runs the outdoor adventure program for UNLV. For dinner, we went to a sustainable cooking class, taught at a nature preserve nearby. It was all about cooking with herbs, and while delicious - we were starving - and the portions were small. So we headed over to P.F. Chang's . . where we did their dinner for two - soup, appitizer, dinner, and dessert! Our server was amazing and we had so much fun eating, tasting different wines, and catching up. From there we headed home to think of wilderness first aid senarios for Tasha's AM class.

This morning I went along to Tasha's wilderness first aid class she taught, then we headed out to explore Red Rocks.  We did a great hike, getting some great views of the rocks, and dreaming of future climbing trips.   Also got a great view of the city from an overlook point.  

Then we decided to hit up the Vegas that everyone else sees  - We headed down to the Hard Rock hotel and had dinner at the Pink Taco.  Good Mexican food, great people watching!  We walked through a few of the casinos and did a tour of the strip.  Then headed back home to relax in the hot tub and discuss current environmental problems . . . then got Tasha packed for an early, early morning trip.  

I decided in the end, I liked the Las Vegas side Tasha showed me much better!  I headed out in the morning as well, with a few extra hours of sleep more than Tasha, and headed towards Lancaster, CA.  Enroute, I managed to get a view of a great abandoned water park - if you've never seen one - it's a site!  :)

Wild Dingos Glow in the Dark

. . and other amazing things heard on shuttle buses within Nat'l Parks . . .

Headed north from the Grand Canyon, and at the insistence of my friend Tasha as well as the recommendation of the Flagstaff hostel, I took the route to Zion Nat'l Park, where I spent the night. Along the way I made a stop to see the Colorado River, since you can't seem much of it from the top of the South Rim. Apparently condors regularly roost along this stop and are frequently seen. I didn't see any. So I took some photos of their roosting spots and condor poop. Yay.

It was raining when I arrived, and nervous about securing a tent site within the park (they fill up FAST), I did not explore much of the eastern edge of the park - but it's sights are beautiful - even while driving through in the rain! I did manage to secure a site - the last tent site - and rapidly sent up camp in the brief break from the rain. Once secure inside, it proceeded to rain/sleet/snow most of the night. The morning was cold, but clear. As I headed out to explore some of the trails, I had sunshine, cold, rain, fog, sleet, and snow . . . all within the series of a few hours. But managed to explore some amazing trails - Zion is really assessible, even for those not so adventurous. The canyons and cliffs are really awe inspiring. My favorite was a hike dubbed "Angel's Landing" - steep, but well worth the effort for the view at the top. The last 0.5 mile is along sandstone, with a chain in place as a guide. I wished I had my rock shoes, it was definitely a little nerve-wracking coming down knowing you were so high above the ground.

All in all, one of my favorite Nat'l Parks. I'd love to take a guided climbing trip here (it's all lead climbing, no sport; and ranks second only to Yosemite for big wall climbing). Saw mule deer and ground squirrels (which I also saw in Grand Canyon along with elk) and the rare Zion snail . . which is only found in this park - oooohh. :)   But the snow in Zion Nat'l Park was pretty cool . . literally and figuratively.