Footsteps

 

 Wash, Dry, Fly... (Repeat) [1:23m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

How do you follow up an exhilarating week of hiking through southern Utah?  Well, yes…  there was a bit of laundry to catch up on  -and some of our socks are permanently tinted “Iron Oxide Red” (if it’s not yet a “Crayola” color, it should be).  Utah’s red soil proved to be both endearing and enduring.

But after the dryer stops spinning…  then what?

Lucky me.  After returning from July’s hiking vacation with the kids, I hopped on another west-bound plane for a long weekend in California.  A little spontaneous?  Not really.  I’m always aimed towards travel, similar to a dangling leaf waiting for the next decent breeze (but with carry-on luggage and a camera).  It’s usually just a matter of working out the occasionally innumerable details.  And I did.

I was caught up on voice jobs, knew I’d get decent writing time and was more than slightly enticed by the photographic opportunities.   The Hilton Pleasanton at the Club was (surprise!) in Pleasanton, southeast of San Francisco and worked well, on almost every level (review to follow).

My California days included: Mount Diablo, a drive up the California coast to Bodega Bay, Muir Woods, and Pebble Beach.  I’ll be writing about each of these and more; next…

Still to come, Playa del Carmen, Mexico and Ohio’s great outdoors!

Tags: California, Playa del Carmen, Adventures, "In-Town Tourist", Audio MP3, Photographs // 4 Comments »

 

 An "Alpine" Adventure in Utah [3:19m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Leaving Capitol Reef National Park was difficult, partly because its stark beauty was unlike anything we’d seen before and partly because, when I reached for my credit card to fill the gas tank on our way out of town, it wasn’t in my wallet anymore. We quickly figured out that it had remained with our pizza waitress the night before, but it took a little longer to get hold of a staff member when the restaurant was closed!  Thankfully, an employee at an adjacent restaurant  tracked down some help for us, and we were on our way with only an hour delay.

We began our westward drive across open range country planning to sleep in St. George that night but unsure of what option we’d be drawn to along the way.  There weren’t many places to stop for directions if I were to miss a turn, but on the positive side, there weren’t that many intersections to breeze past either.  By the time we reached I-15 south, it was clear that everyone wanted another hike, however.  Utah had revealed some lovely surprises during our week’s stay, and we were hoping for one last nature encounter in the western state.

We found lunch and a plan near Cedar City at a truck stop -one of those enormous retail meccas for travelers.  I asked the cashier a few questions, and then we crossed I-15 to head on up Brian Head Peak and across to Cedar Breaks, described in travel literature as a “mini-Bryce Canyon”.

My internal debate had been the approach of rain and the late afternoon hour versus simple curiosity: we hadn’t seen Cedar Breaks yet, and it was right, er,  up there…  1700 feet wasn’t a huge ascent, but it was the twisting kind of drive that kept everyone alert.  The temperature did an expected steady dive the higher we climbed but with the added ballast of a sincere cold front.  At 11,307 feet, we achieved the highest point, what we thought would be our coolest temperature (60-something), and Brian Head Ski Resort -a year-round destination for outdoor recreation.

Beyond its northern edge lay Cedar Breaks with a smattering of those mystical “hoo doos” plunked down amidst green pine-lined mountains.  We would have been happy with that last inspiring view, but there was more to come…

We saw the first bright perky flowers along a trail overlooking the hoo doos.  It was chilly, and the flowers were a surprise.  A little further down the road, we found our reason to be there.

 Alpine meadows.

A vibrant rainbow of blooms speckled a carpet of green that stretched with lavish grace to distant stands of pines and aspens. It was a backdrop from the “Sound of Music” in our own American West.

Encapsulated breathtaking beauty.

It was only us (because it was getting too chilly for sensible people) and a spectacular view any way we spun to look.

Chilly rain sent us back to the jeep and into “backtrack” mode.  Rain turned to hail, and we hit our ultimate low temperature of 50 degrees -a full fifty degree swing from the 100 degrees we’d had earlier in the day, and 61 degrees below our week’s high of 111 degrees!

We marked the occasion with our version of a “polar bear dip” by jumping out of the car for an exhilarating “photo op” before slowly winding our way back down the mountain.

More on Utah…

Tags: Utah, Hiking, USA, Adventures, Audio MP3, Photographs // 5 Comments »

 

 "Playa del Christmas" [1:26m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Santa might check his list twice, but I didn’t have to do a recheck on the option of a Mexico trip just before Christmas this year!  My response was an immediate and emphatic “Yes!” (throw in a squeal or two if you want to be completely realistic). Panic followed shortly thereafter.  I lack the elfin staff that enables Santa to readily pause for cookies and belly laughs; could I really bypass the final pre-Christmas shopping days, returning just in time for its Eve?

Umm… yeah.  As it turned out, that’s not such a big problem for a non-recreational shopper like me.  More strategic shopping shaved off much of the reallocated time, and we aimed for earlier enjoyment of our treasured traditions such as “The Nutcracker” ballet with my daughter, gingerbread house-making with kids and cousins, and caroling with Grandma Dugan.  If traveling to Mexico had required debiting seasonal joys, it wouldn’t have been worth the “warm”, but all fell into place, and I boarded the plane with virtually all of my shopping/baking completed ~ready for “wonderful” because I already had that cozy sort of feeling on the inside.

Here are some photos from “downtown” Play del Carmen in the days before Christmas.  I hope to locate some more photos from previous trips to the area, because I spent most of our long weekend this time running, swimming, snorkeling and walking miles along the shoreline of the Carribean Sea…

~counting my blessings in Spanish.

Tags: Mexico, Playa del Carmen, Snorkeling/Swimming, Running/Fitness, Audio MP3, Photographs // 12 Comments »

 

 Stories on Our Tree [2:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

I like to read the stories on our Christmas tree.

There are over-sized pinecones from a North Carolina roadside, hastily gathered during an accidental route departure (some would say we were “lost”), now “child-enhanced” with cheerful globs of green and gold glitter glue.

Other homemade creations include painted wood ornaments and glass globes, sequin-covered styrofoam balls and assorted paper art. Everyone knows who made which one, and there’s a story behind most. I treasure a wooden star that my Grandma Dugan painted during one of the Christmases she stayed with us before moving to the care center.

A few ornaments date back to my childhood: a worn-looking angel, painted with the abandon of a child who has better things to do; a felt star festooned with sequins that I sewed on, one by one, at the dining room table of my childhood home; a trumpet given by my best friend in fifth grade; a mirrored nativity scene from my Grandma and Grandpa Prior…

Musical notes and instruments are a recurring theme, many of them gifts from my late father (odd term; he was never late for anything and was actually a bit early in leaving us!).

Near the top of the tree, just beneath the Star, is a silly looking penguin whose wings and beak flap with a pull of a string. It joined us during our brief residence in Elida, Ohio and is the coveted find as we decorate each year.

Every year, the kids receive an ornament that reflects a current interest; these now include ballet slippers, a lizard, virtually every sports ball, and an electric guitar (ssh… a new arrival this year). We also make it a practice to find seasonal decorations when we travel. When I look at our tree I see islands such as Hawaii, Bermuda, St John and Virgin Gorda. Canada and Mexico dangle from branches as do a good number of states and cities of the US.

A pair of flip flops and a ballerina cow from Hannah’s trips to Anna Maria Island and Chicago… A gecko and a cable car from Zach’s trips to Palm Springs and San Francisco… Leaping dolphins that Matt helped pick out in Hilton Head…

Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks are new additions, three brightly colored key chains to remind of us this past summer’s adventures (we’ve found key chains make great, inexpensive ornaments when you’re too busy to shop for souvenirs).

It’s a well-covered tree this year, which helps hide the stripe of burned out lights near the bottom. As the kids settle into their homes and traditions, though, the branches will empty. Most of the ornaments will go with them as tangible reminders of their personal histories. Perhaps they’ll share the memories with their own children someday, just as I’ve recounted mine to them. And when they decorate their own trees, they’ll probably travel through a few memories… I hope so.

Because the familiar stories are usually the best…

Tags: Bermuda, Mexico, Canada, USA, Heart-to-Heart, Photographs, Audio MP3, 1 Adult/3 Children // 9 Comments »

 

 Caroling at the Care Center [1:54m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

One of my favorite Christmas traditions continues to be caroling with Grandma Dugan at her care center.  We had a smaller group this year, but our visit was every bit as meaningful and allowed for more personal time with the residents needing an extra boost.  Lily was a big hit, as usual, and my youngest niece carried out her candy-gifting with confidence and charm. We wandered room to room, knocking on doors and singing in the hallways.  There was a group sing in the piano room, but most of our “performances” were for private audiences of one or two.

Highbanks Care Center houses both rehabilitation and long-term care patients, so we sang to both familiar faces and strangers that we’re unlikely to meet again.  Some were joyous, looking forward to returning home or entertaining loved ones at Christmastime.  Others are without family and fighting infirmity and loneliness in tandem.

One strikingly lovely lady, situated near Grandma’s room, caught my heart.  She was tearfully grateful for our visit. Her living space had been lavished with holiday love, but her family is far away and she is losing her hearing. She’s a music lover, no longer able to sing and struggling to hear anything at all.  She sadly showed me a wind-up kitty that she had thought needed batteries before realizing the extent of her hearing loss.

Standing next to her bed, I placed our sleighbells in one frail hand and held tightly to the other. The kids and I sang loudly then, hoping she could hear a melody and absorb some of the energy it carried. I won’t soon forget her delight as she shook those bells to “Jingle Bells”  -with such a smile.  It won’t be hard to pop into her room from time to time when I visit Grandma, so I guess I’ve made a new friend too.

Best of all, the kids realized anew how good it feels to give blessings to others.

**I’m headed to Mexico for a few days (with my camera, of course).  ~Should be able to post “Stories on Our Tree” from there; if not, look for it on Christmas Eve when I’m back in the US.

Tags: Heart-to-Heart, Audio MP3, Photographs // 9 Comments »