The kids were really uninterested for the most part.
WE drove down along the river and never even made it to the canyon rim. Ahh...A reason to return.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Hell's Canyon
WE drove up to Hell's Canyon the other day. IT is the deepest river gorge in North America, up to 8000 feet in places. Of course, we only had one day and it takes 3+hours just to get there. Sigh. Up it goes on the list of places we need to go back and spend more time.
The kids were really uninterested for the most part.
WE drove down along the river and never even made it to the canyon rim. Ahh...A reason to return.
The kids were really uninterested for the most part.
WE drove down along the river and never even made it to the canyon rim. Ahh...A reason to return.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The story of the Adventure Nickel
I don't know that I have ever posted the story before.
The story of the Adventure Nickel.
Way back when in 2004, before children, Sarah was a travel agent. One of the perks of this job was the occasional free plane ticket. She somehow managed to wrangle two free tickets to anywhere. On a previous trip she had befriended a tour guide from Greece who agreed to put us up for a week if we could make it over. We spent a lot of time at his apartment that week because he had to work and we didn't know our way around. When he was off, he took us to some interesting places and Sarah and I learned his neighborhood pretty well. As the week wore on though we grew tired of sitting on his balcony or goofing off at the park across the street. We decided we had to get out and see the city even if we didn't have a guide. After all, there are only so many, “It's all Greek to me” jokes you can make while in an apartment. Out in the city, the jokes are endless. So we decide to go to see the Parthenon on the Acropolis. When you are in Athens, getting to the Acropolis is easy. Flag down a taxi and say 'Parthenon' or 'Acropolis'. Sarah and I had a lovely day exploring the Acropolis and the Roman Agora. It was beautiful. The trouble started when we tried to get back to his apartment. You see, we had a map of Athens, but our friend's house was just off the bottom border of the map. The name of the street is apparently pretty common. We went through several taxis trying to explain ourselves. Some tried to understand. One left as soon as he realized we didn't speak Greek. We were left with trying to catch a bus.
We wandered out until we found a bus stop. It didn't take long to realize that because of the level of detail, our map and the bus map didn't really correlate very well. We couldn't figure out which bus to get on. We tried a bus driver or two before we decided to walk. Now, we were going from one side of Athens to a place off the map on the other side. But, there was a distinct radio tower on a hill we could see from the balcony of the apartment and we knew where the ocean was. I figured that if we could just keep moving until those two objects were in their correct relative places we would be fine. Sarah wasn't so sure. She was pretty sure she knew which bus to get on. I didn't trust the bus because it could potentially take us further away. We eventually found a grocery store where we found someone who could speak enough English and could tell us which bus she thought would take us to where she thought we needed to go. So we went to the nearest bus stop and waited. And waited. Four or five buses came and went without being the one we wanted. By this time we had been walking for about two hours across an unfamiliar city where we didn't speak the language. As we sat, I tried to convince her we could make the walk. It was full dark by this time. I can't recall which one of us came up with the idea to flip a coin, but we did. We pulled out a Greek Nickel and decided to let it make the call. We flipped and the coin told us we were walking. As we left the bus stop shelter it started to rain. For some reason we found this really funny and started laughing. At which time we figured if it was going to be this absurd, why not take it a step further and skip? So there we were, skipping in the dark, in the rain, in Athens and laughing like idiots. It became a lot more fun when there was no longer any uncertainty about what we were doing. We could just get on without questioning if we were doing the right thing. It had been decided and to hell with the outcome. It didn't take long before we recognized the neighborhood surrounding our friend's apartment. We walked there like we had lived there our whole lives. When we told our friend what we had done he looked at us in amazement, 'you can't walk that far!' He also told us that it would not have mattered which bus we took. They all stopped at the stopped across the street from his apartment. Either way would have got us there, the important thing was to decide on one and do it.
So now, if we are faced with a difficult situation and we aren't sure what to do, we put it to the Adventure Nickel, that same coin. Something neat happens when you think you are unsure of what you want to do and you are about to put it to a coin flip. You start to imagine how you will react if the flip goes either way and you just might discover you feel really pretty strongly about it. Then, if you feel strongly, you can debate or discuss it further, but if it gets to the coin flip, it is final. There is no questioning the path once the coin has decided. Right up until the coin launches into the air, there is still time for discussion. After that, it is over.
So there you go.
The story of the Adventure Nickel.
Way back when in 2004, before children, Sarah was a travel agent. One of the perks of this job was the occasional free plane ticket. She somehow managed to wrangle two free tickets to anywhere. On a previous trip she had befriended a tour guide from Greece who agreed to put us up for a week if we could make it over. We spent a lot of time at his apartment that week because he had to work and we didn't know our way around. When he was off, he took us to some interesting places and Sarah and I learned his neighborhood pretty well. As the week wore on though we grew tired of sitting on his balcony or goofing off at the park across the street. We decided we had to get out and see the city even if we didn't have a guide. After all, there are only so many, “It's all Greek to me” jokes you can make while in an apartment. Out in the city, the jokes are endless. So we decide to go to see the Parthenon on the Acropolis. When you are in Athens, getting to the Acropolis is easy. Flag down a taxi and say 'Parthenon' or 'Acropolis'. Sarah and I had a lovely day exploring the Acropolis and the Roman Agora. It was beautiful. The trouble started when we tried to get back to his apartment. You see, we had a map of Athens, but our friend's house was just off the bottom border of the map. The name of the street is apparently pretty common. We went through several taxis trying to explain ourselves. Some tried to understand. One left as soon as he realized we didn't speak Greek. We were left with trying to catch a bus.
We wandered out until we found a bus stop. It didn't take long to realize that because of the level of detail, our map and the bus map didn't really correlate very well. We couldn't figure out which bus to get on. We tried a bus driver or two before we decided to walk. Now, we were going from one side of Athens to a place off the map on the other side. But, there was a distinct radio tower on a hill we could see from the balcony of the apartment and we knew where the ocean was. I figured that if we could just keep moving until those two objects were in their correct relative places we would be fine. Sarah wasn't so sure. She was pretty sure she knew which bus to get on. I didn't trust the bus because it could potentially take us further away. We eventually found a grocery store where we found someone who could speak enough English and could tell us which bus she thought would take us to where she thought we needed to go. So we went to the nearest bus stop and waited. And waited. Four or five buses came and went without being the one we wanted. By this time we had been walking for about two hours across an unfamiliar city where we didn't speak the language. As we sat, I tried to convince her we could make the walk. It was full dark by this time. I can't recall which one of us came up with the idea to flip a coin, but we did. We pulled out a Greek Nickel and decided to let it make the call. We flipped and the coin told us we were walking. As we left the bus stop shelter it started to rain. For some reason we found this really funny and started laughing. At which time we figured if it was going to be this absurd, why not take it a step further and skip? So there we were, skipping in the dark, in the rain, in Athens and laughing like idiots. It became a lot more fun when there was no longer any uncertainty about what we were doing. We could just get on without questioning if we were doing the right thing. It had been decided and to hell with the outcome. It didn't take long before we recognized the neighborhood surrounding our friend's apartment. We walked there like we had lived there our whole lives. When we told our friend what we had done he looked at us in amazement, 'you can't walk that far!' He also told us that it would not have mattered which bus we took. They all stopped at the stopped across the street from his apartment. Either way would have got us there, the important thing was to decide on one and do it.
So now, if we are faced with a difficult situation and we aren't sure what to do, we put it to the Adventure Nickel, that same coin. Something neat happens when you think you are unsure of what you want to do and you are about to put it to a coin flip. You start to imagine how you will react if the flip goes either way and you just might discover you feel really pretty strongly about it. Then, if you feel strongly, you can debate or discuss it further, but if it gets to the coin flip, it is final. There is no questioning the path once the coin has decided. Right up until the coin launches into the air, there is still time for discussion. After that, it is over.
So there you go.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Yellowstone
I had to work on Thursday so Sarah picked Dad up from the airport. I got home around midnight and talked with Dad for a bit while Sarah went to bed. Up bright and early the next morning and we got on the road around 1030. Then we proceeded to drive...and drive.
We took the Interstate route because it would be faster we assumed. It was also well known to us and we just didn't feel like risking wasting time getting there. We had Myself, Sarah, Dad, Michael, Max and Satchel in the truck pulling the house along behind us. We ran the numbers and it was about a wash money wise so we decided to take the house and have all our stuff with us.
There were repeated bathroom breaks and food stops and fuel stops. IT took a bit longer than we anticipated to get there and about 20 miles or so from our destination it grew even darker and started raining. Boo. We got there and it was around 40 degrees and raining. Not the most fun setup. Luckily we pulled in and were there. No back and forth jockeying for position. We got set up, got in and dried off.
Of course we sat up too late talking and tossing back some wine, but it was worth it.
The next morning dawned and we got to have a good look at our campground.
Then we drove the 20 miles to Yellowstone. Dad decided he would pay for the entrance fee. It is either $25 per vehicle and $16 per person or you can buy an annual pass that gets you and anyone in your vehicle in for $50 for one year. So Dad gets his card and his ID out and the ranger asks if Dad wants to buy a Senior pass which gets everyone in the vehicle in and it is a lifetime pass...the price, $10. Yes and thank you.
There is too much pretty in Yellowstone. Spending 9-10 hours a day for two days there covered about 70% of the 15% of the park that is covered by the main roads. Barely a scratch. It was amazing. If you want to see more pictures, friend me on Facebook here unless you already are a friend, then just go look. I will put up one or two of my favorites here though.
During some of the drive my Dad would tell Michael a story. You could tell by listening that he was making it up on the spot. The stories were fantastic and silly and Michael ate them up. He would video tape them with the flip camera and then watch them again as soon as the story was over and the many minutes were filled with the sound of, "Do you have a story yet?", "Nope, it's still percolating." They were awesome.
Poor Satchel spent most of the trip sitting in the truck underneath the feet of Michael and Max. We got him out whenever we could but they don't let dogs on many of the trails. It was awesome and amazing and we can't wait to do it again. Hopefully we can stay longer next time.
We ate too much fast food in the truck, drank too much wine at home after long days driving and told too many stories. It was wonderful.
Then we drove home. This time we stayed off the Interstate. This let us drive past some more scenic territory and visit Craters of the Moon again. This time we got to drive the loop and see a bit more of the place. Still couldn't stay long. I did get a good picture of Flo and Irv hitched up in front of the Grand Tetons.
We took the Interstate route because it would be faster we assumed. It was also well known to us and we just didn't feel like risking wasting time getting there. We had Myself, Sarah, Dad, Michael, Max and Satchel in the truck pulling the house along behind us. We ran the numbers and it was about a wash money wise so we decided to take the house and have all our stuff with us.
There were repeated bathroom breaks and food stops and fuel stops. IT took a bit longer than we anticipated to get there and about 20 miles or so from our destination it grew even darker and started raining. Boo. We got there and it was around 40 degrees and raining. Not the most fun setup. Luckily we pulled in and were there. No back and forth jockeying for position. We got set up, got in and dried off.
Of course we sat up too late talking and tossing back some wine, but it was worth it.
The next morning dawned and we got to have a good look at our campground.
Then we drove the 20 miles to Yellowstone. Dad decided he would pay for the entrance fee. It is either $25 per vehicle and $16 per person or you can buy an annual pass that gets you and anyone in your vehicle in for $50 for one year. So Dad gets his card and his ID out and the ranger asks if Dad wants to buy a Senior pass which gets everyone in the vehicle in and it is a lifetime pass...the price, $10. Yes and thank you.
There is too much pretty in Yellowstone. Spending 9-10 hours a day for two days there covered about 70% of the 15% of the park that is covered by the main roads. Barely a scratch. It was amazing. If you want to see more pictures, friend me on Facebook here unless you already are a friend, then just go look. I will put up one or two of my favorites here though.
During some of the drive my Dad would tell Michael a story. You could tell by listening that he was making it up on the spot. The stories were fantastic and silly and Michael ate them up. He would video tape them with the flip camera and then watch them again as soon as the story was over and the many minutes were filled with the sound of, "Do you have a story yet?", "Nope, it's still percolating." They were awesome.
Poor Satchel spent most of the trip sitting in the truck underneath the feet of Michael and Max. We got him out whenever we could but they don't let dogs on many of the trails. It was awesome and amazing and we can't wait to do it again. Hopefully we can stay longer next time.
We ate too much fast food in the truck, drank too much wine at home after long days driving and told too many stories. It was wonderful.
Then we drove home. This time we stayed off the Interstate. This let us drive past some more scenic territory and visit Craters of the Moon again. This time we got to drive the loop and see a bit more of the place. Still couldn't stay long. I did get a good picture of Flo and Irv hitched up in front of the Grand Tetons.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Getting ready.
In between work shifts we are getting ready for my Dad to arrive. Then on to Yellowstone. I'm really looking forward to the trip and I think Dad is too. The air conditioner hasn't worked for the past three days and I finally tracked down the problem today and fixed it.
I'm taking tomorrow off to watch football.
My next day off is Wednesday and I will be taking the time to do final pre travel checks on IRV. Tire pressure and whatnot.
Working on some interesting ideas. We will see.
I'm taking tomorrow off to watch football.
My next day off is Wednesday and I will be taking the time to do final pre travel checks on IRV. Tire pressure and whatnot.
Working on some interesting ideas. We will see.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Quiet day today
Got some shopping done. It is the last day Grandma and Papa are in town. Just took it pretty easy. Two fun little quote from the day. One will remain anonymous.
Driving through Boise today I was reminded of how different is it from your typical big city when I heard, "You know, the people walking down here don't look homeless."
Then there was Max who walked up, kissed Sarah on the chest and then kissed me on the chest. Looks up and smiles before saying, "I kissed you on your heart."
Driving through Boise today I was reminded of how different is it from your typical big city when I heard, "You know, the people walking down here don't look homeless."
Then there was Max who walked up, kissed Sarah on the chest and then kissed me on the chest. Looks up and smiles before saying, "I kissed you on your heart."
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Steam train
Today we loaded up Sarah's parents and took them adventuring. All the way up to Sumpter OR. WE had planned this particular excursion prior to finding out they were coming so they got to come along. IT is an old steam train that runs between Mckewn and Sumpter. About a 40 minute trip with an hour layover or so. That gave us time to go see the Sumpter Dredge. This huge barge with a linked bucket dredge carved this valley up in search of gold. It left huge piles of gravel and rocks and a weird canal system you can see from google earth. It's crazy. If you want, go to Google maps and then go to Baker City OR and then scroll WSW to Sumpter and if you are zoomed in close enough you will see the trail this thing left all over the valley.
It was hot, not as hot as most of the country, but still hot. A good adventure day.
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