Tag Archives: California

Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate

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This weeks photo challenge is Delicate….I have a few versions of what this means to me – enjoy!

See the Word Press Weekly Photo Challenge – Delicate site for more beauties!!!

Hummingbirds are one of the most delicate birds on earth….I was incredibly lucky the day I captured this little guy (or gal) in Palm Springs, CA. There are 17 species of Hummingbirds…who knew?

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Ever found yourself in a delicate situation?   This image was taken on the top of Half Dome in Yosemite, CA.   The rock pile looks a little delicate to  me….certainly felt that way when I was sitting on top of it!

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Even though we humans are relatively large creatures, sometimes we find ourselves feeling delicate when our surroundings are larger than life!  This is the hubby near Vogelsang Peak, Yosemite, CA.

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The Life Bus Takes on the Nautica Malibu Triathlon

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Are you tired of the same old marathon/half marathon training routine?  Want to spice up your workouts? Feel the need to pick up a new sport?  Want to achieve a solid overall level of fitness? If you have not tried a triathlon yet, I suggest you get on it, they are FUN and challenging!   I have done a small handful in my day and my favorite to date is the Nautica Malibu Triathlon, in none other than Zuma Beach, Malibu, California.  It is a half mile ocean swim, 18 mile bike ride and a 4 mile run – just a little over the distance of a standard sprint triathlon.  If this distance is too tame for you, there is an ‘International’ race on the Saturday before – 1.5k swim, 40k bike ride and a 10k run.

Photo: Courtesy of the Nautica Malibu Triathlon

What is so spectacular about this triathlon you ask?

  • It begins and ends in Malibu, what could top that?  The weather is typical California perfect in September when the race is conducted.
  • The run and the bike portions of the race are relatively flat so you should be able to handle it with ease.  If you are experienced, there is a chance you could break your PR.
  • In 2012, the event itself raised $1.17 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and its pediatric cancer research program.  That is pretty amazing.
  • Given it’s proximity to Hollywood, this seems to be the triathlon of choice for celebs.  The year I did it, I was dead set on beating Teri Hatcher (Desperate Housewives).  If that little stick could do it, I could do it better…unfortunately, she only did the swim leg that year…she is one fast stick and I swim, well, not so fast.

What nuggets of wisdom can I share?

  • Don’t ever give up.  Swimming is my weak link.  I was scared to death of swimming in the ocean.  So much, that as I started to make my way to the first buoy about 450 feet away,  I had a panic attack (PA) – full fledged.  Fast breathing and an irrational feeling of impending death from a shark attack or drowning – the whole nine yards.  After a few terror filled minutes, I managed to pull it together and flipped over on my back.  I started the backstroke trying not to cry and with the taste of saltwater in my mouth (by-product of the PA).  I told myself, if I could just get to the first buoy, I would continue on with the race.  It seemed like a lifetime before I reached that buoy, but I did it and was able to reach the beach without drowning or seeing a glimpse of a shark (thank god).

Happy to be alive!

  • Train in an open water venue with a wetsuit.  It could be a lake or ocean (preferable) if you have access to one.  If you have never trained with a wetsuit before, it is quite the experience.  My first experience wasn’t pleasant.   I wasn’t wearing it correctly, got very claustrophobic and wanted to rip it off my body.  Once I learned how to properly put it on, I quickly got used to it and now love it.
  • Wetsuits are not slimming – don’t get your hopes up that any hint of excess flesh will mysteriously disappear inside the black seal costume.
  • The Pacific ocean is COLD.  However, the water is sometimes a few degrees colder than normal – bring an extra swim cap just in case – you may need to wear 2 to protect your precious noggin.  The water for us was in the low 50’s on race day.
  • If you are interested in participating, mark it on your calendars for registration typically in January (I would double check this in case the process has changed).  The race will sell out in a day.
  • The day of the race is crazy – get there about an hour (or more) early to get set up – traffic is a nightmare.
  • If you are not going to travel with your bike, reserve one EARLY – like several months early.   The race website has some recommendations on where to go for a good bike.  I didn’t do this, and ended up with a rusty 10-speed Schwinn from the 1970’s.   It had to be the last available road bike for rent in the entire city of Malibu and the Santa Monica area.

Even though I thought I was going to die that day in the fine city of Malibu in front of Teri Hatcher, the open water swim and this triathlon was one of the most exhilarating athletic experiences of my life.  Maybe some day I will do an Iron Man like my awesome friends over at TriNutz.

I walked away with an enormous sense of accomplishment and felt as though I was able to overcome an irrational fear that day.  Don’t let your fears get in the way of living life – we all have em.  Get on the Life Bus and make it happen!

Gettin’ Crazy at D Land

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For those of you who are not Disney Land/World fans, I just don’t understand it.   Is it kind of cheesy?  Yes.  Is the food bad?  Yes.  Should you be afraid to touch anything?  Yes. Despite all of those unfortunate attributes, the place is pure entertainment.  Where else can you act like a kid and no-one notices or gives a crap?

Greg and I had the most priceless Life Bus moment at D Land this week. Since I am a HUGE fan, I took advantage of some down time at the office and dragged Greg to the Happiest Place on Earth.  Once we arrived, we ran straight to the Pirates of the Caribbean and on to the Haunted Mansion.   I don’t love those rides nearly as much as I did when I was 10 (or even 20), but I still do thoroughly enjoy them.   Clearly others feel the same way – we had zero wait time on both rides.

Since it was a little warm outside and we were in need of some excitement, we decided to take the plunge on Splash Mountain.  You know the ride – you pile into a fake plastic log and float on a ‘raging river’ through a forest rife with rodents.   At some point, you just know you will be drenched with the filthy ‘river’  water.   I was so overwhelmed with concern about how wet I was going to get, I couldn’t tell you what we saw in the forest – sorry folks I know that was the nugget you were dying to hear about.

After what seemed like an hour, we finally reached the 50 foot drop.  Now 50 feet does not seem like an excessive amount of a drop, but when you are the first and second passengers, it looks and feels like 1,000 feet. Right when the log starts to descend straight down into the pool of water at the bottom, a camera takes an action shot.  THAT was the priceless Life Bus moment for Greg and me.   Once we saw the results, the giggling ensued.  We were clearly the only ones scared out of our minds – or really it was just me, everyone else appears bored and Greg is laughing hysterically.

Every time I have a bad day at work or in my day to day life, I now have something to remind me not to take life so seriously – I am pretty sure I have looked at our photo at least 100 times in the past 48 hours and have laughed just as much as I did the first time I saw it.

How did the day end? We had a blast running around like school kids.  I am not ashamed of the fact that I went to Disney Land without kids and had a wonderful time.  May I continue to act as though I am still a teenager and be grateful to have a partner who is just as goofy at heart as I am!

The Crazy Fun Bay to Breakers Run – San Francisco

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In the Spring of 2009, Lexi had to go to San Francisco for work – poor girl.   I took advantage of this torture and we turned it into a combo work/girls trip.  While we were out and about shopping, we came across signs for the Bay to Breakers 12k foot race (The Bay to Breakers) which was set to kick off during our stay.   I always heard this race was pretty crazy – people dress up in wild costumes or nothing at all.  Of course we went straight to the registration booth and signed up. Because we registered so late, I think we were in the VERY last wave.

The next day we arrived at the start with our goofy heart shaped sunglasses and Nike running gear – that was the best we could do for a costume – lame-o.  We realized very quickly that being in the last wave meant we were with all of the drunk college kids who were throwing corn tortillas around like frisbees. Not only did we get beaned in the head by a flying tortilla, but a very inebriated runner asked us if we were moms.  I literally wanted to pummel her….not that there is anything wrong with being a mom, it was that she insinuated we were old ladies.

The race finally started and along the way, we saw naked runners with saggy rear-ends and boobs, men dressed up as women, and people running with kegs in tow. I don’t think they can do the keg thing anymore, but rest assured, sobriety and clothing are still not required to participate.

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All in all, this is one of my favorite fun runs of all time as you run through Golden Gate Park and it is incredibly entertaining.  One thing to note, the t-shirts SUCKED in 2009. They were cotton and had a windmill that covered the entire shirt – that quickly went to good will.  I couldn’t bring myself to pass it on to Greg to wear, it would have been the equivalent of approving black socks with tennis shoes.

The expo is excellent and you are sure to have a good laugh along the way.  If you want a decent finish time, I suggest you register way in advance so you are ahead of all of the frat boys and girls.  Or, just go with it and take your time – the photo opportunities are priceless so bring a camera.

Paddling the Blue Waters of Lake Tahoe

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I clearly heard Greg say he wanted to start our summer road trip in Lake Tahoe as he thought it would be a great place to kick off a vacation…..After a few weeks of research on where to stay and what to do, I shared what I found. His first question was, “Why are we going to Lake Tahoe?”  He swore the conversation never occurred. Whatever, I suppose it could have been a dream.  I plowed forward with a plan to start off in Tahoe anyway.

We did a bunch of cool stuff but thought I would focus on the day we went kayaking and happened upon some naked people while hiking in the same area.  Let me start by saying there was A LOT of wind the entire time we were there. So much, that Greg mentioned it every 10 seconds. Because of the wind, the chance to kayak on the pristine blue waters seemed to be slim to none.  Mainly because kayaking on white caps is not my personal favorite.

We never gave up hope – we got up extra early one morning and I had the Wind Monitor (aka Greg) check the velocity of the wind.  It turned out to be a pretty nice day so we drove over to the East side of the lake to a place called Sand Cove.  There are kayak rentals on the shore, however, if you happen to find another kayak shop in town that is of interest to you, they may be able to drop off some boats for you.

When we got there, the first thing I noticed is that the water is Caribbean blue – had NO idea.  It was amazing.  We hopped in our kayaks and took a right (North) to a beautiful cove about .2 miles away from the rental spot.   After about an hour and some change, the wind picked up AGAIN so we turned around and returned our equipment. Unfortunately, it was a short trip for us, but on a gorgeous day, it would be a great idea to pack some food and spend the entire afternoon paddling along the shore (the kayak company will give you dry bags).  The opportunities for some good picnicking and cove exploring are plentiful.

In spite of the devil-wind, we decided not to end the afternoon and headed South in Lola – our rented gold Chevy Impala.  A few miles down the road, we stopped at an unmarked (but rather busy) parking area and went for a hike. The trails will take you down to the shore or on a high trail that will skirt the Lake and present you with some pretty awesome views.  We took the ‘high road’ and after about a half mile, we came across a cove I would have never expected to see in Tahoe.

When I saw the clear, blue-green waters, instinct kicked in and I started snapping photos.  I was focused on the water, apparently Greg was more focused on the shore. The next thing I hear from Greg is “There are naked people down there!”   Sure enough, we inadvertently made our way to the one and only nudist beach on Lake Tahoe to a place called, ‘The Secret Cove’.  If you decide to rent kayaks, you can paddle your way down there and see some interesting stuff.

For Greg, being naked outside is second nature so it meant nothing to him.  I of course, giggled like a dork, and felt like a little school-girl.  The day ended on a good note with plenty of laughter and a ridiculous amount of wind – it was the day I fell in love with Lake Tahoe – can’t wait to go back and who knows, maybe I will end up on the beach in the Secret Cove!

24 Perfect Hours in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California

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When I was 17 years old, I took a road trip down the California coast with my best friend’s family. It was the first time I had experienced a road trip not jammed in the back of a Stay-Wag with 3 older siblings torturing me along the way or a car full of cigarette smoke with the windows rolled up – it was actually an enjoyable experience.

We started in San Francisco and made it all the way down to Redondo Beach outside of Los Angeles.  One of our pit-stops along the way was Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA which is located 120 miles South of San Francisco.   In 1982, I remember feeling as though Carmel was one of the most beautiful places in the world. We happened to pass by the Tickle Pink Inn which is perched on a cliff overlooking the Pacific ocean.  I swear it was pink at the time and I remember thinking – “It would be really killer to stay there some day.”

Fast forward 30 years later and Greg and I are on a road-trip passing through Carmel via Big Sur. I did some research on hotels via Trip Advisor and found that the Tickle Pink Inn is ranked the #1 spot to stay in the Carmel area. (You have to get over the name, it really is a beautiful place.)  I quickly got on the phone with the hotel and reserved a room for the night – with an ocean view – happy early birthday to me. And by the way, If you have never been to Big Sur, it is incredible and a must see.

This boutique hotel is a great buy.  It is somewhat expensive i.e, $250 + range but, you get all sorts of free stuff and free stuff = good stuff.    There is an excellent wine and cheese reception that is really nice AND, you are presented with a complimentary bottle of champagne when you check in.   The risk here is that you get so loaded you can’t drive to dinner and they don’t have a restaurant on site.  Continental breakfast is included in the rate. The breakfast is a little on the cheap side with what appears to be a bit of Costco ilk, however, it is free and they will deliver to your room.

Key Tip:  Request a room with an ocean view and a private balcony.   You will be completely fulfilled waking up to the sight and sound of waves crashing along the shore line. This means paying a little more, but it is worth it. Beware of overly healthy seagulls attempting to infiltrate your room if you leave the sliding glass door open too long.

If you feel the need to get out and burn some calories while you are in Carmel, check out the Point Lobos Reserve www.pointlobos.org.  If you follow the North Shore hike, you are guaranteed to spot some gorgeous harbor seals lounging around on the rocks along the coastline. Look closely as they sometimes blend in with the colors and patterns of the rocks.  If you are over 40 and have younger kids with you, have them spot those wonderful creatures. These trails are great for trail running if hiking is too tame for you. Also, you can get a nice 1 mile run/walk on the beach which you can easily access via Ocean Avenue in downtown Carmel.  If you are into golf, you will have a nice view of Pebble Beach.

Boutique shopping in Carmel can be quite fruitful.  I found some amazing Frye boots (my new faves) at Lloyd’s shoes – they also have brands like Stuart Weitzman and Tom’s.   Paloosh next door had some great stuff and carries brands like Ella Moss, Joie, and Splendid.  They get a bad wrap on Yelp because of customer service, but I had a great experience.   Girl Boy Girl (GBG) is another upscale boutique that may be considered one level up on the cost scale from Paloosh.  They sell brands like Haute Hippie, Rebecca Taylor, and Trina Turk.

As far as restaurants are concerned, if you are into Sushi, we found Sushi Heaven to be a great value and of excellent quality. The Carmel Valley Roasting Company is great for a cup of coffee, and the quaint La Bicyclette Restaurant  was excellent for dinner www.labicycletterestaurant.com. The menu changes nightly and the food is crafted with fresh local, organic ingredients, much of which is supplied by a local Middle School.

Carmel, is still a gorgeous place and will always hold a special place in my heart.  All I have to say is THANKS to Raleigh and Judy for unknowingly introducing me to the life bus in 1982!

Climbing Half Dome??

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Climbing Half Dome (the Dome) has NEVER been on my bucket list – not even for a second.   I have a ridiculous fear of going down hill and a fear of heights.  Until I went to Yosemite National Park this summer, I didn’t know what Half Dome looked like or really what the hoopla surrounding it was all about.

How did we get to the top?  I would say the whole thing was dumb luck and a little bit of insanity (on my part – Greg is the sane one). On what was supposed to be our last day in Yosemite Valley, Greg and I hiked up the John Muir Trail (JMT) to Nevada Falls. If you can find the strength, go about a half mile beyond the falls, there is clearing on the left where you can catch a glimpse of the Dome.

Just as we were about to head back down to the Valley and leave the park, a group of 4 burly, tattooed guys came to enjoy the scenery.  One of them had binoculars and was chatting away about how he wanted to climb the Dome but was always afraid to do it. He handed the nocks over to me and low and behold, I was instantly inspired to make it to the top (not sure why, I was stone-cold sober and there was no betting involved).  I could see people grasping on to cables, slowly inching to the top.

The most famous part of this hike is the cables that cover the last 700 feet of the climb to the top.    The cables are about 30 inches or so apart – wide enough for a death grip with both hands and just wide enough so 2 people can inch past each other coming and going.   Wooden boards have been strategically placed about every 10 to 15 feet so you can stop and rest if needed.  The incline on this stretch of the climb is anywhere between 45 and 60 degrees.  It is so steep in some areas, you literally have to pull yourself up to get to the next wooden board.

Insanity ensued and we immediately hiked down the Mist Trail, (a must do if you have the fitness to climb/descend stairs) determined to find a way to secure a permit.   As soon as humanly possible, we went to the National Park Service website http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/halfdome.htm to do more research on the climb and the permit process.  We heard from various climbers, you could get one through a lottery process 2 days prior to the day you want to climb.   What we found was this:  The website sucked (maybe we are just incompetent) and finding a way to apply for a permit on line was a ridiculous waste of time.  After a very long day of hiking, discouraging discussions with Park Rangers, and the website debacle, we had given up on our 3 hour dream to climb the Dome.

As we are literally driving out of the park at around 11 am the next day, we stopped by the Ranger Station to inquire about climbing permits for a future visit.   Coincidentally, at 11 am, they start issuing backpacking permits for the following day.   Before I knew it, the heavens opened up and we were issued a backpacking permit for the Little Yosemite Campground. Then I heard the most precious words.  The Park Ranger said, “And by the way, if you want a permit to climb Half Dome, it will be an extra 5 bucks.”  We quickly jumped on the offer, spent one more night in the Valley, packed up our crap and hiked back up the JMT to the base camp campground the next day.

Key Tip:  Apparently, if you can get a backpacking permit, you are automatically allowed to climb too assuming the allocated number of permits for backpackers has not been reached. In addition, Park Rangers are stationed at the base of the sub-dome trail head and track the number of climbers in a day – they have a list of people who have been issued permits.  Bring your ID with you, they will ask.  If for some reason someone has backed out of the climb, you may be able to take their spot.   This is risky but something you could try at the spur of the moment if you were so inclined.

The thing about this hike (outside of the fact that it will jack with your mind when you see how steep the final ascent is), is that there are many inexperienced, unfit people out there making the pilgrimage to the top of the Dome and many of them start from the Valley.  Starting from the Valley is a very ambitious plan – if you decide to do it this way, please don’t wear converse tennis shoes, flip flops, cotton shirts, or carry a little 16 ounce water bottle for the very difficult 17 mile journey. You will create a safety hazard for you and those around you.  I would also avoid climbing in the rain with lightening present.

Key Tip:  Bring A LOT of water with you, gloves with fingers else your knuckles may get shredded, wear the ‘stickiest’ shoes possible as the rock is very slick with overuse, and read the National Park Service website I noted above before you attempt this hike.   I would also recommend getting a campsite at Little Yosemite Valley so you can break up the hike – if you are in your 20’s, it probably doesn’t matter.  If you get a campsite, start early, this will give you the luxury of having the cables all to yourself.  It starts to get crowded about 11:00 am when all of the ‘Valley’ hikers have made it to the cables. Also descend backwards.   Some people recommended going down sideways – they must have been on crack – can’t imagine how that would be a good idea.  To each his own.

After we accomplished our dream of reaching the top of Half Dome and descending without incident, I realized that I can eventually overcome my fear of going down hill and if I go slow enough without panicking and remaining focused, I can pretty much do anything I set my mind to.   It’s part of the life bus philosophy – jump on the bus and enjoy!

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The Gypsy Road Trip – Yosemite National Park

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Let me start by saying this, I rarely (if ever) go on vacation without at least securing lodging reservations ahead of time. My internal logic believes it is not prudent to waste precious vacation time hunting for a place to lay my head at night. The last thing I am interested in is sleeping in the car or ending up in some sort of rent-by-hour motel. This road trip was different. In the spirit of the life bus philosophy, Greg and I decided to throw the lodging logic out the window and wing it like gypsies.

Let’s talk about Yosemite for a moment. This National Park is, as you would expect, a complete jewel.  Yosemite is by far, one of the most beautiful National Parks we have in the continental United States. Unfortunately, I am not the only individual with this opinion – I read a statistic that on any given day in the summer, there could be up to 20,000 visitors. Winging it in Yosemite is a risky endeavor.

Our gypsy road trip in Yosemite spanned 7 nights. As luck would have it, we found a place to bunk every night we were in town. Please do your research on the lodging in Yosemite as I am not getting to the nitty-gritty details of each location and there may be things outside of my opinions that will further entice you. The best place to go to for further information is the official Yosemite lodging  website via the following link: www.yosemitepark.com/lodging.aspx.  All of the options I describe below are outlined in more detail here.

In my opinion, pickings are slim if you want luxury, however, the Ahwahnee Hotel will deliver. We did not stay here, but, we ate nearly every meal here as much of their food is fresh and homemade – just an FYI, you do pay a pretty penny for that freshness, but your hips, heart and blood pressure will appreciate you in the long run.

Key Tip: If you are looking for rooms inside the park for a just in time reservation, go to the reservation desks at ANY of the lodges. They all have access to the same reservation system as the Yosemite lodging hotline. (Don’t call this hotline, they don’t pick up in a timely manner and you may starve to death waiting). You may pay a little more for a room or get one near the toilets or elevators, but hey, it’s a roof over your head.

Tuolumne Meadows Lodge – Loved, loved, loved. We were about to stop and pitch a tent for the night, when we came across this lodge. It’s near the East entrance and is often used as a base camp for backpacking trips. This is a tented camp setup which means it is rustic, but, the tents are spaced far enough from each other, they have cozy, wool blankies, and a wood burning stove. The restaurant on site is family style, so I found it to be a great way to meet some really interesting people and uncover tips on things to do. The dinners were so-so, but the breakfast was pretty awesome. If you need more togetherness with strangers, they have a fire pit in the middle of the property.

Key Tip: Ask for a tent along the river, or at the back of the property. Your chances of seeing a wild animal will increase and it will keep you away from the hustle and bustle of the shared, central bathrooms.

Curry Village – Oh what can I say about this place that will make it seem cool? Unfortunately, I can’t think of a thing except that it has been around since 1899. This was my least favorite spot in the Valley. Every time we walked on site, my skin crawled and I immediately was thrown into a funk. I think because it reminded me of a refugee camp (no offense to folks who have had that unfortunate experience). People everywhere, bad canned food, tents within 3 feet of one another – BOO. We stayed in one of the tented cabins that were so close together we heard every conversation going on around us. We were convinced that the brisket Greg had for dinner was labeled as meatloaf the night before.

Wawona Hotel and Spa – The guidebooks were right on this one. This quaint B&B located near the South entrance of the park is lovely. The wonderful thing about this place is that the property is quiet and you can grab a cocktail and/or a good book and relax on the porch. The potential drawback here is that half of the rooms have shared central bathrooms.  Unfortunately, we could hear we our 30 something neighbors playing video games at the crack of dawn. I think the lack of soundproofing in our room had to do with the fact that we did get the last room available and I am certain it was not the most desirable.

Housekeeping Camp – As you are driving down the main road to get to the end of the Valley towards Half Dome, you may notice a shanty town on the left hand side of the road. Well, that is not a shanty town people, it is the Housekeeping Camp. These places have 3 solid walls and essentially a plastic curtain used as a 4th wall. I actually really liked this place, despite the strange odor in the ‘tent’, the rampant beggar squirrels, and the fact you felt as though you were sleeping in a bunker. My affinity for it was most likely due to the fact that I thought it had character – it is located right on the Merced River, it has laundry facilities, you can cook at the campsite, there are fire pits, and you have your own covered seating area. It was like car camping without the tent as there was one double bed and a set of bunk beds included. If you don’t bring your own sheets, they have them for rent – cheap – like $2 to $5 a set.

Key Tip: Do request a ‘tent’ right on or close to the river and do not think you are going to get a shower at 7:00 pm at night. No way Jose – you will have to wait an hour in line – pick another time or go to bed with dirty feet.

When you go to Yosemite – and I think everyone should – ignore the crowds and find a way to enjoy the magnificent scenery at your finger tips. It is truly a special place. ENJOY!