Everyday » Friends and Family

30 Years

Mary Lynn — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 04:28:32 +0000

May 31st, 1980, I stood in my Nanny’s bedroom watching my mom slip on a delicate flowered floor length sun dress. I was dressed in my own “gown”, a light blue short sleeved dress that made me feel very grown up. I was even wearing my first pair of heels: little patent leather white sandals with a 1/4 inch lift. I was fidgeting endlessly with excitement. All through the house, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends cooked food, put the flowers in place and prepared for the festivities. It was Mom and John’s wedding day.

It was a beautiful hot May day in West Virginia. The back of Nanny and Granddaddy’s house was decked out in new gardens and even a new walkway for our family processional. Ross and Brett never looked better in their 80’s stylish suits and feathered hair. We were all excited for the day. John had won us all over. As Brett recalls he had the coolest Fiat, the coolest dashiki and as a great volleyball player, he was a ringer at picnics. Most importantly he and Mom made each other really happy.

30 years later nothing has changed. John is still the coolest, and he and Mom are still really happy. Happy 30th Anniversary to you both. We love you!

Posted from Hurricane, Utah, United States.

Sweet Arizona Sunshine

Mary Lynn — Mon, 31 May 2010 17:15:21 +0000

Tim and I arrived back on the Mesa at 10 pm Sunday night. It was chilly and we were tired. There was no better greeting than to drive into camp and immediately be handed two hot steaming bowls of homemade clam chowder by Dan. Tim and I had thought we wouldn’t need to eat again ever after our weekend food fest, but on a cold night, soup a la Staebler hit the spot.

We spent the next day enjoying amazing weather, working, eating fabulous Dan Burgers and relaxing with BJ, Lisa and the Staeblers.

Grillmaster Joe

Tuesday we hit the road again for the longest leg yet. We were driving South to Prescott for my Dad’s birthday on the 26th. We packed up Frank after the work day, said goodbye to everyone and drove off the Mesa towards Flagstaff. 5 hours later, we’d setup camp near the Sunset Crater National Monument. By noon the next day, we were comfy working in the Prescott Starbucks.

That night we celebrated Dad’s 72nd with Lisa, Dad, cousins Amy and Russ and their entertaining and very precocious daughters Holly and Annie. It was the start of an awesome weekend of family get-togethers. We relaxed in Dad and Lisa’s welcoming home, dined on Dad’s delicious grilling, and laughed at great stories. My brother Brett joined us with Peggy and kids, Joe, Cypress, Brittany and Timmy on Friday and the weekend was full of people, sunshine, biking and the occasional jello shot.

Wearing the Colors

Dad

Lisa and Timmy Listen to Senator McCain

Wreaths from the Mothers of the Deceased

Prescott is one of Tim and my favorite towns. It’s big enough to be interesting, small enough to be friendly and very patriotic. On Sunday we joined the festivities. The entire family drove out to the VA hospital to attend the Memorial Day celebration. John McCain spoke to the crowd, commendating the Prescott WWII veteran who was being honored that day and reminding us to never take for granted the liberty we enjoy thanks to the sacrifices of so many. It was a powerful speech.

Dad talks to Senator McCain

Joe and the Senator

Brett introduces himself

After the ceremony, we had an opportunity to shake his hand. When Dad mentioned the Wild Weasels of Vietnam as he introduced himself, the Senator’s eyes lit up. He pumped Dad’s hand while sincerely thanking him for his service. It was tangible moment of connection and was an honor for us to watch.

Thank You Veterans

It was very reluctantly that we said goodbye Monday to make the long drive back home. We’re leaving perfect 85 degree weather to drive to raining 50 degree Jackson. We may even get a taste of snow. I guess there is no place like home.

Posted from Prescott, Arizona, United States.

Feasts

Mary Lynn — Mon, 24 May 2010 04:21:02 +0000

It was 6 pm by the time Tim and I had driven the 270 miles north up I15 to Salt Lake. We pulled into Jimmie and Keri’s driveway next to the Garage Mahal and were greeted by the birthday boy himself. Jimmie had completed 41 trips around the sun and was ready to celebrate.

Birthday Boarding

He and Tim grabbed their longboards and skated to the Italian restaurant while Keri and I followed by foot beneath the darkening storm clouds. We feasted on veal, salmon and piles of pasta. Tim and I had lost a couple lbs from our earlier flu and this weekend we were destined to put it all back on and then some. Charley and Amanda joined us midway through our meal and we had kicked back with wine and Bud Light (the restaurant’s only beer choice….we love SLC).

Stuffed, we walked across the street to Dick & Dixie’s for obligatory Birthday tequila shots. By this time, the clouds had opened up and torrents of rain were flooding the streets. The ladies opted for a car ride home, but Tim and Jimmie stuck with their original commitment and longboarded through 3 inch puddles to get back home.

Lucky!

The next morning, we got an early start. It was Trish Hauschild’s graduation from the University of Utah Medical School and we knew there would be a fight for seats. We arrived just in time to join Jimmy H, his mom Anne, sister Janice and brother Mike and nephew Nicholas for the festivities. 3 hours later it was official – a Dr. Hauschild was in the house. Next up is a surgery residency at the U. Our friend Jahan is also a new surgical resident, heading to Mass General. We had a lot to celebrate.

Doctors!

We piled in the car and headed up to Park City for the party. Somehow the amazing Trish managed to not only graduate, but then put together a huge spread for friends and family. We ate and toasted and ate and toasted the new docs.

Stuffed…again, we returned to SLC. Jimmie Shell had an early flight to Virginia the next morning so we finished the night with bike ride around the park (girls biking – towing Tim and Jimmie on their longboards) and a low key bonfire.

Happy Hauschilds

Sunday morning was the first pretty day we’d seen since arriving to Salt Lake on Friday. We put on our Sunday best and drove Frank to the Grand America Hotel. Jahan’s family was throwing a huge brunch graduation celebration and we were invited as honorary Hauschilds. This Salt Lake institution knows how to put on a brunch. Sushi, lamb, waffles, prime rib, omelets, crepes, crab, shrimp, ceviche were just a few selections on the incredible buffet menu. Did I mention the 3 foot tall chocolate fondue fountain?

It was a joyous and filling feast.

After our enormous meal and hugs all around, Tim and I said goodbye. After this whirlwind dining fest in Salt Lake, we were traveling back down to Gooseberry Mesa on our way to Prescott, AZ. Before pointing Frank back down I15, we checked in with friends Dirk and Nicole for a quick hello on our way out of town. Then it was back on the road for another 270 miles and another celebration.

Posted from Salt Lake City, Utah, United States.

Senor Diaz es el Diablo

Mary Lynn — Fri, 21 May 2010 04:18:39 +0000

We arrived to Gooseberry Mesa at 3 am on May 17th and were greeted by the entire Staebler family. Sam, the 3 year old youngest Staebler wasn’t feeling well that night. “A touch of food poisoning,” we said. “Must have been a little bad papaya,” we said. We held poor Sam while he groaned that his stomach hurt.

Senor Diaz or El Diablo?

The next day we caught up with Rebecca, Dan, their daughter Sydney and a recovering Sam. It was great to be back on the Mesa. We retold tales of past trips where Vertical Media employees came down to celebrate springtime while it was still snowing in Jackson. Senor Diaz, the unofficial (imaginary) mascot and good luck charm of the Mesa was alive and well. The sun was warm and it was good to reconnect.

Tuesday we saw Senor Diaz’s nasty side – El Diablo.

Tim and I were working when Rebecca came by the van. “It wasn’t the papaya”, she announced. Dan was now sick and so was Sid. Stomach flu had hit camp. We placed orders of Gingerale with BJ and Lisa who were on their way up from Springdale. By evening Rebecca was green too. Tim and I greeted BJ and Lisa alone and had a quiet dinner while Dan and Rebecca stayed in bed.

Next day El Diablo dropped by Frank for a 24 hour visit. By 10 am Tim and I canceled work and were flat on our backs. It took 16 hours of sleep before we started feeling better.

Pre Sick

Once 75% of the camp was ill, BJ and Lisa wisely drew a clear (and actual) line in the sand. Nobody crossed it and they remained healthy. Thankfully the flu was short lived and the next day we were all cautiously eating again. We celebrated non queasy stomachs with a batch of Carne Asada purchased from the Mexican Carniceria in Fruita. For anyone traveling through Fruita, you MUST stop at this small authentic Mexican market for the best marinated steak in the area…tortillas are homemade that day too.

Finally Able to Eat Again

The next morning we bid farewell to our recovering Mesa friends and started driving north. It was Friday and Jimmie Shell’s birthday. We had dinner reservations for Jimmie’s favorite meal, spaghetti with red sauce, and we didn’t want to be late!

Posted from Hurricane, Utah, United States.

Escape to Utah

Mary Lynn — Tue, 18 May 2010 18:03:47 +0000

After 3 days of biking and working at the Book Cliffs, Tim, Lisa and I packed up for a day in town. Jamis had come through and sent a new rear triangle and Tim’s bike was ready. It was time to end his week long pedaling hiatus.

Book Cliffs Sportsmobile Jamboree

We settled in for a work day at the Aspen Street Coffee Shop. While we waited for our first cups of caffeine, I picked up the free local paper. At the top of page 3 was an promo for the Palisades’ Classic Bike Festival on Saturday. I brought it over to Tim and Lisa. Bike races, BBQ, winery tours, scavenger hunts and bands popped off the page. The weather looked good and we decided we shouldn’t miss it. Registration started that afternoon so we did our errands and drove a half an hour east.

Scenic Escapes

Palisades is a small town 10 miles east of Grand Junction at the base of the western slope of the Rockies. Their motto is “Life Tastes Good Here” and as you drive down the highway you can see its many wineries and orchards. We hadn’t been there before and weren’t sure what to expect when we drove downtown. It was 7:oo pm and we arrived just as the opening Festival party was wrapping up at the Twisted Brick Gallery.

We walked in to register and 30 minutes later we felt like we amongst old friends. The guys of Rapid Creek Cycles showed us as much hospitality as we’d seen on our entire trip across the States. We chatted about trails and town over Jello shots and snacks. When they learned we had vans, they invited us to camp overnight in their parking lot so that we wouldn’t have to leave town that night. We took them up on their offer. Tim had registered to race in the 34 mile Grand Mesa Grinder at 7:30 am so we knew we’d need an early start. Lisa and my races started more leisurely at 10 am but breakfast needed to be cooked by 6:30 to get Tim on the trail.

Morning Joe

It was about 11 when the rain started. By 5 am the next morning, it was obvious there would be no race. The entire valley was socked in with clouds and cold drizzle. We went to our computers to reassess. We scanned weather websites looking for sunshine in the forecast and found it 100 miles away in Moab. So at 7 am Saturday morning, we packed up again and started driving. After errands in Grand Junction, we turned south into the sun. Gradually the clouds and rain broke up and by the time we reached Moab, we were back in the 70’s.

Gemini Bridges Blur

We camped at our favorite spot at Willow Springs and then got on our bikes for a 13 mile ride out to Gemini Bridges. The sun was hot and the ride was gorgeous, climbing back into the canyons towards Canyonlands. That night we soaked in the warm night under the stars. We knew we’d made the right call.

Photo Ops

Biking under Blue Skies

Moab Views

Sunday morning was even more perfect. We cooked up an enormous Cowboy Omelet and planned our day’s ride. We decided to go back to Porcupine Rim. Tim dropped Lisa and I at the trailhead and drove the 10 miles back to town to start his ride.

Lisa's Bike Shop

Porcupine Rim was an entirely different ride than my last try 3 weeks earlier. With Lisa leading the way, the rocks seemed smaller, the steeps seemed less steep and we had a blast. Though Tim was 10 miles behind us, he still caught us ¾ of the way through the downhill and we all rode out together. The day was hot and we celebrated with ice cream malts and burgers under the shady oak at Milt’s Diner in Moab.

Porcupine Rim - Starts with a Smile

Tired and well fed, we said good bye to Lisa and prepared to get back on the road. Lisa was heading east again to pick up BJ from the airport in Grand Junction, while Tim and I were heading west to meet Dan and Rebecca on Gooseberry Mesa.

6 hours later, very early Monday morning, we pulled into camp. We received a big Staebler greeting under the stars and settled in for a short sleep. Next morning we woke up to the familiar view of Zion’s towers in the distance. Life is Always good on the Mesa.

Fruita Rocks

Mary Lynn — Wed, 12 May 2010 01:57:40 +0000

It was dark and cold at midnight. Fires dotted the camps. And down by the lake, 87 bikers prepared for a very long night.

Is that a Clown?

This was the start of the annual Fruita 18 Hour Bike Race. At 12:00 am Saturday morning, riders sprinted to their bikes and muscled each other out over the single track to be the first around Highline Lake. It’s two wheeled mayhem. By the third lap, the riders had distanced themselves from each other enough to create some welcome breathing room.

Built for Feed

Support

More Support

This year we had 4 teams racing. Tim and Geoff raced as duo Men – alternating each lap for 18 hours straight. Each lap was about 35-40 minutes so downtime was minimal. I was part of one of two ladies foursomes from Jackson. We had a much longer break. We each started with two laps during the night and then went to one each during the day. It never seemed like much of a rest, but we had far more than the guys. Our friends Derek and Lisa from Denver were racing Co-ed duo. They each raced 2 or 4 laps a piece before they kicked their feet up.

Pre Race Prep

Mary Lynn on the Climb

Lisa R on the Switchbacks

Martha heads up

Quigley Climbs

More Clown

Mareike with Beaver Tail

With so many strategies, you never knew who’d be in camp, but the constant coming and going of racers added a lot of excitement. It was a great time. Sarah, Geoff’s girlfriend, supported the guys while BJ, Barry and Sam aided the girls. Part of the guys support was performing duties in full costume. BJ wore his clown suit until he had to catch a flight early in the morning for Mexico. He passed the clown wig to Sam who complemented it with a full length gown for the duration of the race. We couldn’t have asked for a more spirited band of cheerleaders.

Rest Break

Round and round we all went with only one spill. It wasn’t until about 15 hours into the day that we suffered a serious casualty. As I was getting ready to ride, Marieka rode into the race gates. “Tim broke his bike!” she shouted.

End of Tim's Race

Sam jumped into action. He grabbed his bike and rode it – fully gowned – to where Tim sat on the track. Tim then traded bikes, finished his lap and called it quits. A support on his aluminum frame had cracked completely in half. The Jamis had served him well for 5 years but had had enough.

Malt Liquor Stop

He then joined the guys and cheered the ladies on for their last laps. Final standings ended up with Tim and Geoff at 9th of 15 (though they were 6th before the great bike breakage), Ladies finishing 3rd and 4th of 5 teams (we comfort ourselves knowing that 1 and 2 were both pro teams) and Derek & Lisa winning the Co-ed duo. We celebrated the victory with tequila, tacos and camp fires.

Champions!

Third!

Taco Line

Next day, Tim and I were off to town to see what could be done with his bike, while everyone else did some riding. Good news from Jamis: they lifetime warranty their frames so now we wait for the new piece to arrive. Meanwhile Tim borrowed Derek’s 29er for the day and they pedaled up and down the Book Cliffs.

Now 2 days later all the riders and supporters have headed home. It’s back to Tim, Lisa R and me. We’ll stick around until BJ, Lisa’s boyfriend, flies back to Grand Junction from his 6 day bachelor party in Mexico. From there we’re westward bound. We’ll squeeze as much sunshine as we can out of the days until we head back to snowy JH in 3 weeks!

18 Hours of Fruita

Tim — Sat, 08 May 2010 03:45:13 +0000

Two hours until our midnight start and then 18 hours worth of laps. A pre-ride of the course yielded this map!

Highline Lake – 18 Hours Of Fruita (End)

Total Distance: 11.47 km (7.1 mi)
Total Time: 51:37
Moving Time: 44:50
Average Speed: 13.62 km/h (8.5 mi/h)
Average Moving Speed: 15.35 km/h (9.5 mi/h)
Max Speed: 37.41 km/h (23.2 mi/h)
Min Elevation: 1413 m (4635 ft)
Max Elevation: 1465 m (4808 ft)
Elevation Gain: 151 m (494 ft)
Max Grade: 3 %
Min Grade: -8 %
Recorded: Fri May 07 17:21:46 MDT 2010
Activity type: mountain biking

View Highline Lake – 18 Hours Of Fruita in a larger map

Fruita Fat Tire

Mary Lynn — Fri, 07 May 2010 05:31:47 +0000

After a week in the mountain biking mecca of Fruita, CO, Tim and I are feeling like we’re home. We setup camp at the base of the Book Cliffs on Thursday and stayed inside for the first two days while a winter storm brushed past us. We felt lucky that we only had a few snow squalls compared to the several feet that fell north of us in Salt Lake and Jackson. Wolste joined us by Friday and it seemed like the weather may change for the weekend.

A Chilly Ride

By the time Saturday rolled around, it was chilly but clear and Wolste and Tim decided to take the 30 miles Edge Loop up and around the Book Cliffs. They left at noon, assuring me they’d be back in about 4 hours. After their ride we planned to go into town and join the Fat Tire Festival fun that evening.

Short Hauling down the Waterfall of the Edge Loop

I spent the afternoon riding closer to camp, climbing Chutes and Ladders and joining up with another group of ladies for the ride. I got back to the car thinking that I’d be just in time to meet Tim and Wolste after their big loop. 4 o’clock turned to 5 and then 5 moved to 6 and I started getting really worried. By 7:30 I was googling how to reach Search and Rescue and debating whether I should wait until after dark to call or not. It was right about then when two mud covered riders rode back into camp.

Tim and Wolste had had a great first 12 miles before running into the mud bog. It looked like it should be short so they hoisted their bikes over their shoulders and started to walk. 6 miles later, caked in heavy clay, they were finally able to climb back on and ride out the rest of the trail. By the time they rolled into camp, they were exhausted and ready for dinner and then bed.

We missed the Fat Tire celebrations this year but that was the most appreciated meal we’ve ever had.

Guard Dog

Our next few days were full of work, rides and finally sunshine. By Monday we’d settled into the best camp at the Book Cliffs and started to gather more Jacksonites. This weekend 8 ladies of JH are racing together in the Fruita 18 Hour Race and folks were starting to move south. First Jaclyn and Kurt joined us and then BJ and Lisa pulled into camp.

Fruita = Biking

Sam Grins during Zip

Flying

Wolste Downhill

We hadn’t seen BJ and Lisa for 18 months and stories flowed. BJ brought a helmet cam ( the Go Pro Hero) with him and he shot some amazing footage of bike rides over the following days. Below is Tim riding one of the hairiest rides in the Book Cliffs, the steep, exposed Zippity Doo Da Trail. (Music is inspired by the camera’s classic name).

Tonight we have all moved to Highline State Park in preparation for the race that starts Friday night. We now have 6 of the ladies here with two more in transit. Tim is riding the race in a two man team with his old college buddy Geoff from William and Mary, who is driving down from Boise with his girlfriend Sarah. Tomorrow the excitement starts at midnight. We’ll have pictures on Sunday!

Sunshine and Sand

Mary Lynn — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 04:48:56 +0000

There’s nothing quite like waking up in the middle of the glowing red desert at sunrise. Saturday was a perfect day in Monument Valley and even though we were due in Moab early afternoon, we couldn’t resist taking a quick bike ride before we left. We rode down the 4 wheeled drive descent into the canyon and pedaled around the huge rock monoliths for a lap (me) or two (Tim) before packing up Frank and hitting the road again.

Desert Riding

By 2 pm, we’d reached Moab and met up with Jimmie Shell in the parking lot of City Market. Moab was rocking. This town knows how to market itself, and every weekend throughout the spring is a hot rod rally, Jeep safari or Hummer extravaganza. This weekend was the Classic Car Show and every make and model of American vehicle from the 50′s to the 70′s paraded up the streets.

The La Sals in the Distance

We decided to escape the mayhem of town and camp at one our favorite outposts on Willow Springs Road, 6 miles from town. This BLM tract of land is a great spot for free, spacious camping with great views of Arches National Park in the distance. We wound up and down all the 4 wheel drive roads until we finally found a spot tucked away in a wash. Here we settled in with burgers and margaritas and made ourselves at home for a night by the campfire.

Sunday was cool but sunny morning and we got our bikes ready. We were headed to Porcupine Rim, one of Moab’s most acclaimed bike trails. With 5 miles of uphill and 10 miles of technical downhill, it’s a local favorite. We started riding at noon and by 2 had reached the top. I was feeling pretty nervous about the next 10 miles of rocky drops and steep pitches that I remembered from my rides 10 years earlier. Tim and Jimmie were fabulous though. They stuck with me for the entire downhill, showing me the best lines and how to drop the foot high ledges without shooting over my handlebars. For me, the ride is still scary, but at least it wasn’t terrifying…which in the scheme of things is a huge improvement.

Impatiently Waiting for Post Biking Burgers

Monday and Tuesday were work days, but thanks to the Wilson Booster, we were able to get strong cell service to stay put in our sandy site on Willow Creek. Monday evening fellow Jacksonites, Wolste and Hillary, joined our camp and we celebrated their arrival with spaghetti and horseshoes.

Windy Days

By Wednesday, our blue skies came to an end. We’d watched a huge storm approach from the Pacific and our red sand campsite was about to turn into a wet mucky mess. We packed up and turned back to town for the work day. We found the Wake and Bake Coffee Shop who put up with us all day. Jimmie drove home and Tim and I spent the evening cleaning Frank, washing clothes and shopping for the next few days, while Wolste drove East for a new and less messy campsite.

Really?

It was a good thing too. This morning we woke up to the unusual April sight of snow in the desert. Fortunately we were on good hard packed ground and easily left with Frank to our final destination for the week, Fruita CO. Here we’ll stay for the next few weeks, biking, working and biking…as soon as the snow stops!

Carefree Highway

Mary Lynn — Sun, 25 Apr 2010 01:10:09 +0000

Arizona treated us so well with perfect weather, incredible bike trails and simple living that we decided to stay a while. Biding our time between McDowell Mountain Regional Park and Ann & Scott’s, we were able to begin getting caught up on work as well as getting back in shape.

Desert Morning Ride

McDowell Mountain located just outside of Fountain Hills, AZ (home of a towering 300 foot fountain that goes off every hour in the middle of the desert) put us right in the middle of some truly great mountain bike trails. Tim began riding nightly 20 milers in preparation for the Fruita 18 Hour Race he’ll be riding in this May. My treks were shorter but still very fun. In fact I experienced a bike riding break through thanks to unexpected inspiration. As mentioned earlier, McDowell Mountain is home to a ridiculously high population of Western Diamond Back Rattlesnakes. This guy slithered right through our campground and settled into Frank’s shade one afternoon.

Diamondbacks

Well on one particularly long ride I stopped my bike. There 10 feet in front of me was a 3 foot rattler, relaxing across the trail. I threw some pebbles trying to scoot him along his way, but he completely ignored me. 5 minutes later he was ready to go and slowly crossed the trail. Well I knew I had 7 miles left to go on some particularly tricky terrain, and I was a little nervous. As good mountain bikers will tell you, the key to mountain biking is looking ahead and staying on your bike instead of walking through technical challenges. I am not a good mountain biker – but that rattlesnake was the best thing that ever happened to my riding. My eyes were glued to the trail 20 feet ahead of me…and there was no way I was putting a foot down near one of those ankle biters. It was a great ride.

The following week we were back at Ann and Scott’s where we relaxed and enjoyed the good company. Our last night together we headed into Tempe for some well reviewed Mexican at Macayos. Dinner was complimented by our 4 enormous ceramic Margarita chalices. Consuela, Phillippe, Hector, and Manuel accompanied us home that night and will be making their way to Jackson for future outings.

Macayo's Depot

Wednesday we finally packed up our things and began our journey north on the Carefree Highway. Tim tuned the Zune to some Gordon Lightfoot to pay tribute. Our next destination was Prescott AZ to visit my Dad and his beautiful bride Lisa.

On the way we stopped at Black Rock Canyon which Tim had heard a few reports about. It’s 23 miles of hand carved singletrack climbing 3000 feet through the desert, north of Phoenix. He only had time for the first 8 mile loop but he pedaled off into cactus covered hills with high expectations. 90 minutes later he was back and proclaimed it the Best Single Track in the West. This is a serious compliment from Tim. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so psyched about a trail. This is a MUST DO for any biker passing through.

Sunset - Black Rock Canyon Trail, Phoenix AZ

After his bike ride, we drove the final hour to Prescott to see Dad and Lisa. We were treated with delicious food and congratulatory engagement cake – now that’s a welcome. Though we considered staying the night in Frank, they wouldn’t hear of it. The temperature was dropping to 29 that night and we were glad to be inside. We’d been in 92 degrees 4 days later and our wussy blood is thin.

This morning we actually woke up to the first snow we’ve seen in 12 months. After some near misses this winter we’d managed to stay south of the snow line all year until we hit Prescott AZ. Ah well our perfect record was worth losing in order to spend 2 terrific days with Dad and Lisa.

First Snow 2010

Tonight we’re on the road again, this time off to Moab UT where we’ll meet Jimmie Shell tomorrow to ride Porcupine Rim. Next stop is Fruita CO where we’ll spend most of May. Then it’s home to Jackson for a few months. After thinking where we wanted to spend our summer, we realized there was no place more beautiful then our own front yard!

Let's Ride - Monument Valley!

HOT…Finally!

Mary Lynn — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 05:24:45 +0000

Tim and I wanted HOT and after 3 months of travel through semitropical climes, we finally found it in Arizona. With temperatures in the low to mid 80′s every day, we are staying put for a while.

Sizing up the Cacti

First we dropped in on Tucson where we spent a day with my brother Brett and his wife Peg. We barbecued (delicious high point), watched the WVU Mountaineers suffer a crushing defeat in the hands of Duke in the Final Four (ugly, hair tearing out, gnashing of teeth low point), and then bounced back with a late night sharing baby pictures, new music and great stories (much redeeming high point). After an Easter Cowboy Omelet the next morning, Tim and I continued on to Scottsdale to see Ann and Scott.

Full Size

We always look forward to our visits with Ann and Scott and whenever we get together it’s like no time has passed. They have rented a beautiful house in Scottsdale and Tim and I easily settled into a routine of working, breakfast all together catching up, more work (preferably in the sunshine by the pool), a bike ride exploring the miles of desert trails just a mile out the door, and then a yummy family dinner. After so much travel, it is like coming home.

Endless Desert

After a week relaxing, we decided to explore the nearby McDowell Mountain Regional Park. Just on the other side of the mountains from Scottsdale, McDowell is a beautiful, even lush, desert environment. Twenty foot cactuses dot the hills and this spring, the flowers are in full bloom. We were unprepared for the exotic pollen that hung in the air and our allergies let us know. But regardless of our runny noses, we managed to enjoy every moment of the miles of single track bike trails that wind up and down over desert washes.

Watch for Snakes!

Known for it’s sweet singletrack biking and unusually large population of Diamond Back Rattlesnakes, McDowell is place to both enjoy and be very vigilant. So far we’ve seen 3 rattlesnakes of various shapes and sizes. When I asked the Park Ranger if there was any chance that the 3 foot long tan snake I’d seen sunning in front of the ladies restroom door wasn’t poisonous, she assured me that it probably was.

“great…” I said.

“It’s okay”, she said, “we have very low incidents of snake bites despite being one of the largest pockets of rattlesnakes in America. And the good news,” she added cheerfully, “is that we have very few scorpions!”

Thank goodness for small favors…

So we ride and work and ride and make sure the doors are shut at night. It’s good living here in gorgeous AZ.

View Rattlesnake Road in a larger map

Rattle Snake Road – 2 Snakes 1 Ride

Birthday, Bands, and Basketball

Mary Lynn — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 03:55:21 +0000

With those 3 B’s you can’t go wrong. Thursday we drove to the airport to pick up Jimmie Shell, Keri Schwab and Jimmy Hauschild, all in from Salt Lake to see some music and celebrate Tim’s 40th Birthday. We immediately went downtown to get everyone acclimated to the nuttiness that is Austin during SXSW.

Live Music Capital of the World

Even at 2 pm, music poured out onto the street from the 80 bars that showcase new talent. We had been concerned that we may not get into venues if we didn’t have SXSW Music Badges, but we quickly learned that we’d been wise to save our money. Rarely did we ever pay a cover, much less be blocked from the shows. The 5 of us started the afternoon walking Austin’s famed 6th Street and then retired for the NCAA opening round in Champions Sports Bar. We called the day early, knowing that the weekend would be busy.

Gettin' Wild in TX

Friday morning we relaxed with several fine Austin Lone Star RV Park Breakfast Tacos and then bussed downtown mid afternoon. It would be our first full night of music and we couldn’t get enough. The night was warm and open aired bars played until 2 am. We visited the bikini clad waitresses at….well, you guessed it…Bikinis, we went to Maggie Maes where 4 stages all play different genres, but really enjoyed the scene at the Blind Pig Pub. Here we saw one of our hightlights, Citizen Icon. Keri, Jimmy and I danced while Jimmie and Tim watched the many upsets of the Tourney in the back. The bar is the second floor with just a sheet of canvas overhead and you are dancing under the stars.

Birthday Crew at The Pig

As the night grew later we saw great bluegrass at Dublins, and then wound up at the LOUD and raucous Emos. By 2:30 am we were standing on the corner curb vying with 2,000 others for cabs. Jimmie came through by flagging down a gypsy cab, who whisked us back to the RV Park in her private car. It was actually a much more pleasant ride than your standard cab.

New Arrivals

Though Sunday was the official Birthday Day, the celebration began Saturday afternoon as we eagerly awaited Kevin Frazier and Mark Weiser’s arrival for their 24 hours in Austin. With the power of geomapping we could watch their travels towards Austin on a minute by minute basis. By 3:00 we were all together. The weather had turned and things had gotten chilly, but bundled up in our down we were back on the town. We proceeded to go BACK to Bikinis, perhaps not a surprise, and then make our way bar by bar to Stubbs BBQ for Tim’s birthday dinner. Stubbs was a madhouse. After an hour wait we finally made it into the dining room. There we had a the most amazingly rude waitress and watched as her manager asked a table to leave because they’d taken so long. The food was delicious, but the service was atrocious and when it was time for the bill we couldn’t believe we’d been autograted 18%.

I am typically pretty generous but I had to speak up. I went to the manager and asked her to remove the tip. She did, and in the meantime told me their tale. Stubbs is one of the most popular BBQ joints in downtown Austin. They had a line out the door for hours and meanwhile Bill Murray sat in the bar waiting for a table. So she’d gone from table to table trying to uproot them to seat the famous comedian. She was afraid for her job if she didn’t get him his table. Meanwhile Bill left, most the patrons were angry and she was at her wit’s end. By the time she’d finished I ended up leaving 20%. Yes, I am a sucker, but that is a downright bad night. This is SXSW.

Michael Monroe

Meanwhile our night had just gotten started. Tim and I had briefly lost everyone and had no cell power left. We walked the 4 blocks back to the van in order to plug in and find out where everyone had gone. I guess we all had the same idea. 5 minutes later we were all reunited at the van, got on more warm clothes and went back out to the party. Bands led to more bands and we ended the night with Michael Monroe, an androgenous long haired heavy metal saxophone player who bounded from the top of the bar, back to the stage, to the top of the 6 foot tall speakers with vigor. Surrounded by great friends, there was no better way to ring in Tim’s 40th.

And More Michael Monroe

The next morning we were all pretty beat. We rousted each other out of bed and made our way downtown to Moonshiners. Here for $16 you can get everything from Belgian waffles to green chile cheddar grits to corn flake fried chicken to egg taco casserole. Even Weis who is not a breakfast eater found plenty to fill his plate. After brunch and a $3.00 Bloody Mary, we started to feel human again.

Weis says Go Heels...

Tim’s birthday was then spent doing what he likes best, watching basketball in fun sports bars followed by a whole mess of burgers at one of Austin’s finest burger joints. Though our picks are a disaster following the games, it was an amazing day.

Cowboy Impersonator

But a Real Sheriff

Monday we reluctantly said goodbye to everyone. Tim and I then drove out to McKinney State Park to quiet the ringing in our ears. With the exception of getting some new leaf springs on Frank and a terrific lunch with Laura Hancock, we’ve stayed holed up in our peaceful campground. As fun as it is to party like a 20 year old…40 ain’t so bad either!

This Party Ain’t Stoppin’ for Nobody

Mary Lynn — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:19:55 +0000

We arrived to Austin 10 days ago and have only now taken a breathe. Classes, speakers and nonstop music, parties and nightlife are the name of the game during SXSW.

Austin City Limits

We started our week at McKinney Falls State Park where we camped for 3 days prior to the start of the festivities. Even 3 days before, the town was starting to amp up for SXSW, a huge 25,000 person conference that brings together geeks, musicians, record labels, film producers and actors in an surprisingly cohesive intersection of Interactive Media.

A Break Between Sessions

Dan from Vertical Media arrived on Friday just in time for the kick off. Our next days began at 9 for the first conference session and lasted until 2 am when the last bands were wrapping up. We didn’t want to miss anything. Each morning the three of us would discuss our strategy in order to see as many of the sessions as we could. We heard about what’s hot – Twitter, Twitter, Twitter; what’s new – Location Specific Advertising – your phone knows where you are and now Google, 4 Square and Gowalla do too; and what’s next – Neuroscience and Technology are combining in Orwellian ways – measuring your thoughts, motivations and intentions by tracking the brain’s electrical activity. 60 minutes also put together a fascinating piece for more info.

BBQ that is Worth the Wait

In between the fascinating, we also learned about more relevant topics such as web design, funding a new company, driving conversion, and remote company management. For 5 days, we all felt like we’d been drinking out of a fire hose.

Tim's Dedication to his Droid Scares Dan and I...That Name is No Coincidence

When the session doors closed at 6 pm, it was time to see the city. Google, Microsoft, Rackspace, Digg, Adobe and AOL all tried to outdo each other with free beer, food, music and “swag” (Tim won a $200 HD Zune for the cleverest Tweet about Yammer Enterprise Microblogging….Three years ago that sentence would have been complete jibberish – we’ve come a long way). Saturday was BBQ and bar hopping at Stubbs and 6th Street. Sunday we ate the hottest tacos in our entire lives: Austin’s famed Nuclear Taco, a flaming toxic concoction of habaneros and ground beef. Monday night as we bounced from stage to stage at the huge Maggie Mae’s, Tim’s Droid lit up. Quinton Tarantino had arrived, Twitter tweeted. We never saw him of course, but it was still cool to be at the same party.

Enough Said

After 5 nights of socializing, St. Patty’s Day, turned out to be relatively quiet. The Interactive and Film portions of SXSW are done and now Austin is rocking from dawn to dawn with 1500 bands. We laid low in the campground for the day and were treated to a free banquet of corned beef and cabbage put on by the campground staff. After stuffing ourselves on Irish staples, I sent Tim and Dan to hit the town while I caught up on the blog. Tomorrow Jimmy, Jimmie and Keri arrive to continue the celebration. Austin ain’t seen nothing yet.

Nuclear Tacos: This Can't be a Good Idea

During our blogging hiatus we missed several important occasions over the past several days: Happy Birthday to BJ, Leroy and Ross, and a particularly HUGE congratulations to Tim and Betsy! Yesterday after many long hours of labor, the world was finally introduced to Nicasio Cabradilla. Mom, Dad and new gorgeous baby are all doing great!

Coral to Cajun

Mary Lynn — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 05:05:41 +0000

On Monday, we had made our way up to the Florida Panhandle. Our destination was beautiful Grayton Beach, located 15 miles outside of Destin. Famed for its laid back attitude and pristine white sand beaches, Grayton was just our style. The town is a classic beach getaway, with charming little cottages and unique bars. Grayton has avoided the franchising that has inundated its large neighbor of Destin. Here the town is full of local shops with only a small Starbucks which has gotten its foot into the tight knit economy.

Sugar White Sands

We spent our week working through the chilly mornings and enjoying evenings outside at our campsite. We rode our bikes out to Grayton Beach to take in the sparkling white sand. Friday would be our day out on the town. While I was busy taking a new website live, Tim did errands around the town of Destin. As his 40th birthday approaches, he had to get his eyes checked for a new driver’s license. It was no surprise when the optometrist wrote him a small prescription for his first pair of glasses. Tim isn’t quite ready yet for his new moniker “Four Eyes Bradshaw” but it’s just a matter of time.

Beach Time

After his eye check, we returned to home where we settled in on the beach for the afternoon. The weather was only about 55 but the sun was warm and we soaked in the vitamin D and flew the kite.

After a beautiful red sunset, we rode our bikes to the local favorite, The Red Bar. Even during the offseason, this place is packed. Filled with red furniture, red lights, red suede, and red cheeks, it is an experience. Tim and I sat at the bar and ate blackened snapper and crab cakes. The cheddar cheese grit cake that served as a bed for the fish was so delicious, we ordered another for dessert.

All Red

While we dined, we met many of Grayton’s extremely friendly down-to-earth residents. This is another place to go on our shortlist of locations to return to.

Saturday morning we packed up again and began our 5 hour drive west. We were leaving Florida for good. After 2 months in the chilliest winter on record, our Florida experience was not what we envisioned it would be. But even without the typical 80 degree weather, we enjoyed every second of our time here.

By 3:30 Saturday afternooon, we’d pulled into the New Orleans Airport to pick up Casey. She’d flown in 2 days early for a business trip and we were going out to experience New Orleans. We first started our adventure finding our campspot….French Quarter RV Resort.

Every time we drove into our new home for the next 4 nights, we cracked up. Right on the edge of the French Quarter, in downtown NO, just 50 yards from the gravesite of voodoo queen, Marie Laveau, we parked Frank. From the street, FQRV barrier walls blend perfectly with the exterior of the neighboring 1789 St. Louis Cemetery. Inside we were treated to the nicest RV park we’d seen on our trip. Sure Highway 10 buzzed loudly overhead, but the granite bathrooms, and tiled hottub stole our hearts. A 5 minute walk to Bourbon Street sealed the deal. We’d found a home.

On the Half Shell

Saturday night, the three of us walked down to the heart ot the French Quarter making a pact to not separate for the evening. It was 6 pm. 10 hours later, the three of of us walked home- never separate and full of tales. We kicked the night off with a Hand Grenade. Next we ate 3 dozen oysters with Perry the Oyster Shucker at the Bourbon Oyster House. From there we traveled back to our favorite Old Absinthe House for a round of the formerly illegal drink. Here we heard about Fritzel’s, the best place on Bourbon Street for Jazz. On our way we stopped into Cats Meow for some hilariously questionable Karoake.

Absinthe Traditions

Testing it out Ourselves

Bourbon Street Late Night

When we got to Fritzel’s, we were led to the front of the house to the only free chairs in the room. We soaked in the smoke and music, feeling we reached the heart of New Orleans culture.

Real Jazz

The band finally called it quits and it was now time for more food. 2 Gyros later, we cruised into a cabaret for dancing. By the time the clock struck 4, we finally decided it was time to go home. We walked out onto Bourbon Street and it was still packed. New York isn’t the only city that never sleeps.

Just an Average Saturday Night

Sunday morning we rolled out of bed at 9. Even with 5 hours of sleep, we knew we needed to rouse ourselves. We had reservations at Brennans, and this was not to be missed.

Brennans

Brennans is a New Orleans cornerstone. Tim’s grandparents had come here in 1965 and gotten a menu with the handwritten recipe for Brennans signature creation Bananas Foster by the Chef. Sylvia and Leroy followed their footsteps and had a cookbook signed in 2004. On Sunday, Casey, Tim and I sat down for the best breakfast of our lives.

What to Choose?

This is the kind of place that breakfast is a 3 to 4 course affair. We started off with oyster stew and baked apples, followed with eggs hollandaise over sausage, mushrooms and tomatos respectively and then followed by 3 plates of Bananas Foster. We had brought the menu and cook book which Tim’s grandparents had purchased 50 years before. Lazone Randolph, the current executive chef, added his signature. He’d just started in the kitchen in 1965, right out of high school. It’s that kind of a place. From the Chef to the attendant in the washroom, everyone had been there for decades. It was an amazing experience.

Flaming Banana

When we wobbled full of food, out the door, the Smoking Time Jazz Band had set up in the middle of the street. We stopped and listened to the music…..entranced.

Next we decided we should see some Bayou. We drove to the Jean Lafitte National Preserve. We walked past cypress knees shrouded in spanish moss, hidden water moccasins and alligators, and a pack of raucous boy scouts in the exotic wilderness. We ended a perfect Sunday at the Acme Oyster Bar. No matter the time of day, the temperature, or the number of people in town, the Acme Oyster Bar has a line. We waited 45 minutes just out of curiousity. What could be so good?

Down On the Bayou

We found out, it was 3 things: the people who waited on you, the food, the people who waited on you. This was not elegant dining, but it was one of the most outstanding experiences you could have over a plate of food. We sat at the Oyster Bar and were helped by Magic, a gold toothed oyster shucker who charmed everyone within 15 feet. His shucking partner, Hollywood, told us the story of the origin of the enigmatic phrase “Who Dat”. I would relay that origin here…but I could only decipher about every 3rd word through his thick Cajun accent. It remains a mystery to this day….

We were exhausted by our 2 long days and we called it an early night while Bourbon Street continued to rock.

Mother's World Famous Ham

Monday was a work day for all 3 of us. The beautiful weather had blown away for a blustery rainy day. We finished up our cuilinary tour of New Orleans with another cornerstone of dining. At Mother’s we ate red beans and rice, etoufee, jambalya, ham and turnip greens and finished with bread pudding. Amazing.

Tim and I had almost bypassed New Orleans, but thanks to Casey we changed our minds. It ended up being one of the best weekends of our entire trip.

Happy Swampentine’s Day

Mary Lynn — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 15:32:54 +0000

For Valentine’s Day, Tim and I celebrated amongst all the romance of the Florida Everglades. Alligators, Spiders, Crocodiles and Mosquitos all add to this special day.

The Everglades

Well we wish they did…

This weekend, Florida is once again awash in an atypical cold front. With lows in the 40′s and highs barely hitting 60, even the mosquitos don’t bother to show up. The result is a very unusual Everglades experience. Bundled up our wool and sweatshirts, we’ve explored the mangrove coves, 3 foot deep manatee filled Florida Bay and gator holes. We’ve found out some surprising misconceptions about this amazing place:

1. The Everglades are not a Swamp. All the water that trickles through this wetland is on a constant move. Nothing is stagnant or still.

Ingredients of the Everglades

2. You come to the Everglades to see the Alligators. Nope. Gators are here for sure (we counted 206 in one day), but most of the travelers are here for the birds. Pink, White, Green, Blue, Tall, Small, the wading birds that feast on the fish, shrimp and bugs are vibrant, plentiful and gorgeous.

3. You’ll see Flamingos in Flamingo. Wrong again. Apparently Flamingos are tasty eating in addition to being that lovely pink color. They used to stop at Flamingo Florida, site of the current camping area in the Everglades, on their migratory path north. When Plume Hunters (bird poachers) discovered this in the early 20th century, they decimated the flocks. Flamingos aren’t dumb. They just stopped coming here, choosing safer routes. Every once in a while a Flamingo will appear here, but it’s very rare.

4. Everglades are infested with spiders, beetles, snakes and mosquitos. We’re told that this is actually true. But based on our experience (in the chilly air), it’s quite pleasant.

Our factoids were easy to gather with our various tour guides of the weekend. Ah but I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s start at the beginning.

Camping on Picture Perfect Long Key

Thursday afternoon, Tim and I made a decision. It was time to leave the Keys. We’d spent an amazing 3 days at our favorite camp spot on Long Key. Here we had beach front camping, ocean breezes and warm weather. We could have stayed longer but we’d delayed our plans for too long already. Friday morning as we got packed up, the Camp Host swung by to ask if we were staying. “There’s high winds predicted tonight,” she said. We told her that we were leaving and she responded “Good timing.” That seemed like our cue.

We drove up through Key Largo and settled into Homestead, our reluctant basecamp throughout the last few months. Arriving at the large local Starbucks, we got comfortable for the work day.

Storms

As promised, by 5 pm the winds picked up. Suddenly the doors of the Starbucks were banging open and shut and an uprooted palm tree flew down the street. Sirens started blaring up and down Route 1 and we were glad we’d hunkered down. While we sipped on coffee and watched chaos outside, Sylvia called with some news. She and Leroy were at the Celebration of the Century of UNC Tarheels Basketball. We wish we could have been there to share the fun!

The storm blew through quickly and 2 hours later, we emerged from Starbucks, ready to tackle our “big city” errands. We grocery shopped, cleaned up Frank and finished the last of our Cracker Barrel Xmas Gift Certificates from Ann and Scott. We also learned that Cracker Barrel is happy to shelter traveling RV’s so we parked Frank for the night.

Next morning we finished our errands with a trip to the Homestead Mrs. Kleen’s Koin Laundromat. Clean and restocked, we drove 15 miles west past Key Lime pie stands and alligator farms to the entrance of the Everglades National Park.

Manatees in Florida Bay

This 1.5 million acre area is totally unique from any ecosystem in the US. We took a backcountry boat tour through the floating mangrove forests with Captain Frank. Here we saw mahogany trees, endangered manatees, pineapple-like airplants and the deadly manicheel tree. Calusa Indians used this toxic tree’s sap for their poison arrows that killed Ponce De Leon. A favorite torture was to leave unfortunate captured Spaniards tied to the tree. “Don’t eat the apples,” Captain Frank deadpanned.

Air Plants

Captain Frank was quite the character. 70 years old and still sporting an earring, he had stories of the Everglades from the early days. “We’d come out here, kill a wild pig and barbeque it with pineapple and swamp cabbage (hearts of palm)”, he’d reminisce affectionately. He also loved to pepper his stories with cliffhangers. He’d tell us, “Next, I’ll tell you about the one thing that gives life to all else here in the Everglades…Things could get interesting,” and kick the boat into overdrive for 10 minutes of silence. We were a captive audience waiting for the next installment.

Aboard the Pelican

Off the boat, we set up camp at Flamingo Campground. As promised, there were no flamingos. But we were surrounded a dozen exuberant kids that were equally entertaining.

Sunday we woke up to another chilly and blissfully mosquito free day. We decided it was finally time for a bike ride and we pedaled 4 miles up the road to Snake Bight Trail. A bight is a bay within a bay, but as we pedaled through the dense mangroves we appreciated the cleverness of the name. A few degrees warmer and I could imagine a Burmese Python dropping on us from the dense canopy overhead. Yep, Burmese Pythons are the newest local of the Everglades after multiple Floridians decided this was the best place to dump their unwanted exotic snakes.

Emerging from the forest, we reached a platform over Florida Bay. Ahead of us showy Roseate Spoonbills, snowy Great White Egrets and frisky Ibus feasted on the shrimp embedded in the mud exposed by the low tide. It was one of the most peaceful places Tim and I have seen on our trip.

River of Grass

We pedaled back to the campsite in time for a gorgeous pink Valentine’s Day sunset.

Monday we decided it was time to see some alligators. We drove to Anhinga Trailhead after hearing we may see some wildlife. That was an understatement. We walked around the side of the ranger station and saw alligators sunning themselves, anhinga peppering the trees and hundreds of herons, egrets, ibuses and ducks. It was hard to stop taking pictures of the locals.

The Anhinga

The Great Blue Heron

Ibus and the Roseate Spoonbill

On the Prowl

The Gators are no Threat...it's the Vultures!

After a delightful hour we then packed up again and drove out of the Everglades around the perimeter of the Park and back in at Shark Valley. On our bikes, we pedaled the 14 mile loop out to Shark Tower, a 60 foot tall observatory. Here we found the Everglades we expected. Pedaling down the path you would look over and there was a 12 foot alligator 2 feet away. It was a little unnerving….fortunately they were far more interested in getting some warm sun than Tim or I.

Riding through the Everglades

Gator Pecking Order

After the bike ride we made our way up to Fort Myers Beach which will be our home for the next week. We’re steadily heading north up the Gulf Coast of the Florida, even if the weather isn’t cooperating. We’ve got a date with Austin in March and we don’t want to be late!

What do Powder, Pushups and Park City have in common?

Mary Lynn — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:15:02 +0000

Superbowl Comes to South Beach

Wednesday began the journey of 8 people from all corners of the East Coast to gather in Utah for the Fifth Annual 429 – a – palooza Ski/Superbowl Weekend. Tim and I started our trek from Miami. We took the day off from work and drove to South Beach to absorb the Superbowl Mayhem.

Miami Beach Time

We tanned in front of the ESPN announcers and walked past Kid Rock to get our coffee. Miami overflowed with all things Saints and Colts. We chuckled at the irony as we boarded the plane in Miami to fly 2000 miles watch the Superbowl in Park City.

The Best Parallel Parking Job of All Time

As we came up from the South, Chico and Mel escaped the 3 feet of snow in DC the same night. We all landed in SLC at about the same time and drove to Park City for Night One of 429-a-palooza. Having arrived after midnight, the party was decidedly tame. We popped in at the Hauschild Park City Villa to say hello to Jimmy and then headed to bed.

ESPN on South Beach

Next day we all gathered back at the Hauschild’s where we found Kevin Frazier in from Maryland and ready to ski. Chico, Mel and Frazier left for a sunny day on the slopes at the Canyons while Tim, Jimmy, Trish and I all went to our respective “offices”.

Dinner at the Red Iguana

After a productive work and ski day we all piled into our brand new (17 miles on the odometer) rental Suburban to go back to Salt Lake. We picked up Jimmie and Keri from their house and parked at the Red Iguana, home to the finest mole north of El Paso. Here we met Rick, a friend of Mel’s who very generously allows us to stay in his Park City condo each year. Many tortilla chips and margaritas later our Designated Driver, Jimmie Hauschild drove us to the airport to gather the last of our straggling travelers, Mark and Casey Weiser.

Finally 429 was reunited again. We all went home to our respective beds with visions of Alta dancing in our heads. Friday morning started with the traditional Einstein’s Bagel pickup and a trip up Cottonwood Canyon to Alta Ski Resort. It was on the car ride that we were all first introduced to The Commander. Also known as Jeff, The Commander had become intrigued with Mark’s tales of the legendary 429-a-palooza one night at a party in Arlington. He promptly booked his airline ticket. As a Naval Commander/Flight Surgeon and all around great guy with a terrific sense of humor, he fit right in.

My Office at the Goldminer's Daughter

Chico and The Commander

Though Friday was a work day for me, I got a taste of the mountain by setting up shop at Alta’s Goldminer’s Daughter while everyone else rode the lifts up. The snow was good and inspired Tim, Frazier, Chico and The Commander to ski Alta’s steep chutes. The Commander started his ski vacation right with an unexpected 10 foot air that he never saw coming. It was an impressive beginning.

Mel and Kevin after a good day at Alta

We gathered again at the base for Happy Hour and then drove back to Park City to meet Trish for pizza and Margaritas at the Hauschilds. The hot tub filled up immediately and the tequila flowed. 3 hours later, a quiet night at the house had turned into a raucous dance party where shirtless guys hung from the mantle and danced on the tables. While the party raged, The Commander watched amazed, looking as if he may have had second thoughts about his decision to come to Utah.

429-a-Palooza at Its Finest

It was late when we all fell asleep and Saturday morning came very early the next day. Tim and I woke up to knock on our bedroom door. Jimmy Shell had driven up from Salt Lake City for a day of skiing and wasn’t going to be deterred by our sluggishness. We rallied everyone together, revived ourselves with more bagels, hydrated with coffee and got back into the Suburban to head to the Canyons. By this time our group was 12 strong. We piled onto lifts and headed up the mountain. The snow was soft, with a few new inches on top.

Frazier and Tim's self portrait

It was the Terrain Park that got the most attention from our crowd. Jimmy Hauschild started the day with a spectacular yard sale crash off a roller. The mountain echoed from the sound of multiple helmets banging off the tabletop rail. It was my first day on skis all year after no strenuous exercise during my month in the Keys. After 3 runs I was back at the base of the hill, renting a snowboard. Much better.

Steaks on the Grill

We wrapped up the day early in order to head to the store to shop for dinner. Traditionally we always go out for a big dinner in Park City, but this year we decided to cook our feast at home. The menu began with Casey’s delicious bean dip, Tim and my bacon wrapped stuffed jalepinos, and Trish’s legendary cheese fondue. Next we grilled filet mignon, munched on Caesar salad, and devoured Mel’s twice baked mashed potatoes all washed down with Margaritas. Jose Cuervo once more made his appearance.

Who Dat?

By the end of the night Dance Party 2 was in full force. Tim and The Commander got in a Pushup Contest. It wasn’t even close. Tim did 10 pushups, which the Commander topped with his own 10 pushups. The only difference between the two sets was that the Commander completed his 10 with Mel standing – yes standing – on his back. Sorry Tim…no contest.

Clean Up

The party finally died down when The Hangover came on the television. There couldn’t have been a more fitting movie for the day.

When Superbowl Sunday dawned, Tim and I collectively decided to take the day off from the slopes. Frazier, Casey, Weis, Chico, Mel and the Commander made their way up to Deer Valley, while Jimmie, Trish, Johan, Tim and I puttered around the house getting ready for the annual Superbowl Bash.

Thin Miami Blood

Jimmie Shell and Keri drove up from Salt Lake just in time to place some bets before the game. In addition to who would win (the Saints of course) we also had to put some money down on how many times the cameras would show Kim Kardashian in the crowd and how often the newscasters referenced Hurricane Katrina among other ridiculous wagers. Vegas will place odds on anything.

The Ladies

The crowd was definitely biased towards the Saints and everybody was in a very good mood when the 4th Quarter came to a close. Kim K hadn’t made it to the game so we lost that bet, but the important ones worked out. We then wrapped up the night with our slideshow of the weekend’s greatest moments. Tim whipped it together during the second half, picking through 10 hours of video and hundreds of photos, finding the very best. It’s a great way to end a fabulous weekend.

Tonight we are back on the Keys in our favorite campground on Long Key. Casey, Weiser, Chico, Mel, Frazier and The Commander survived the blizzard and multiple delays to make it safely back to DC. Another successful 429 – a – palooza has come and gone. Only 360 days until 6.0!

Floridays

Mary Lynn — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 03:12:22 +0000

After a night of covert camping beach side at Key West, Tim and I decided it was time to move on. We’d enjoyed our time in Key West but with no place to stay, it was time to go. We drove out of town without a plan until 20 miles up the road, we turned right into the Sugarloaf KOA.

Hard Day at Work

Here was, without a doubt, the friendliest, cleanest, nicest facility we’d come across in Florida. Though we thought we’d just spend Wednesday there, we ended up staying here for 3 nights. On our last evening on Friday, we struck up a conversation with our new neighbors, Kathy and Frank. They were visiting from DC and had brought their kayaks. Frank gave us some recommendations of places to see on Saturday.

Our KOA Office

We woke up early Saturday eager to explore. We’d decided we’d rent boats from the nearby Sugarloaf Marina and explore the mangrove creeks that split the Keys in all directions. We chatted with Frank and they invited us to join them on their paddle, an invitation we eagerly accepted.

Kathy and I check to see what is swimming beneath us

Mangrove Exploration

We started from the Marina with the wind at our back. We quickly left the main bay and ducked into a small channel cutting through the banks of dense foliage. This small creek was the entrance into a different world. The crystal clear water couldn’t hide the many varieties of fish, starfish, conchs that find a home here. I broke my paddle down to two pieces in order to steer through a mangrove tunnel that was no wider than my boat. Tim and I worked to keep up with Frank and Kathy as they pointed out the many varieties of wildlife we passed.

Through the Tunnel

Frank Leads us Through the Mangroves

After 2 hours of creeks, we broke through to a larger bay. Here we hugged the mangrove banks on a shark hunt. Nurse sharks will doze on the bottom of the shallow sand flats allowing a kayaker to glide right over them. This 5 foot shark not only didn’t mind us there, but seemed curious about our boats and swam to each of us investigating.

Lazy Nurse Shark

We saw black bull sharks, rays and more nurse sharks as we slowly made our way up the banks. We can’t thank Frank and Kathy enough for sharing these secret caches of amazing wildlife.

After we pulled our boats out, we said goodbye, packed up Frank and started to make our way north. We are flying out of Miami on Wednesday for our annual 429-a-palooza trek to Park City so we are slowly making our Keys escape.

We drove up to Marathon Key, the midway point of the Keys, where we planned to go to the 1st Annual Keys Traditional Music Festival. When we pulled up to the venue, we weren’t impressed. A tent in the parking lot marked the stage where about 100 folding chairs were set up. This wasn’t quite what we had in mind, so we turned around, keeping our $30 in our pocket and drove to an interesting restaurant we’d passed on our way.

Porky’s BBQ and Seafood sits right on the water. When we walked across the uneven floor and sat down next to the pelicans, we knew were in the right place. Here we ate oysters, ribs and conch fritters, sipped $6.00 pitchers of Key West Ale and listened to Rocketman, a local icon play Jimmy Buffett tunes.

3 hours later, we were still there, watching basketball and making new friends with the locals. We ended up joining them at the Hurricane, a fun bar that is hidden in plain sight on the Overseas Highway. We kicked back and listened to another good local band. We felt like we’d still gotten our share of traditional Keys Music after all.

This morning we woke up after another covert camping escapade, wanting something a little more “permanent”. We love to be able to camp almost anywhere, but there is something to be said for a place to come home to. And Marathon, though fun for the night, is not a particularly attractive town. We drove away, passing two gold helmeted motorcyclists sporting matching “Jesus is Lord” leather jackets. Time to get going.

Fixing a Flat With an Amazing View

It was one of those days where we had no expectations. We didn’t have plans or reservations anywhere. We just decided to see what would come our way. 10 miles outside of Marathon, we noticed some amazing camp sites that were right on the ocean. We kept driving and came across the entrance for Long Key State Park. We pulled in to see what we’d find.

Long Key Camping

We couldn’t believe our luck when the host told us that for the first time in weeks, they had a few empty sites. “This is the best camping in the Keys”, she said. We agree. We drove in and parked Frank 10 feet from the Atlantic Ocean under a palm tree.

Floridays

Here we had one of the best days we’ve had on our trip. We made a delicious crab quesadilla for lunch, went biking on a hard packed sand trail through the hardwood “hammock”, and then grilled over a camp fire 5 feet away from the Atlantic Ocean. We love Floridays.

End of the Road

Mary Lynn — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 02:18:27 +0000

We Started Driving US1 in Maine...We've finally came to the End of the Road

After a blog break, there is much to catch up on. We’ll start on Thursday with our arrival to Key West. We pulled into town early in the morning and Frank was making a horrible racket. Armstrong Ford had told us that the van just needed some new bushings and could be driven with no problem, but when we clunked and clang across town, we decided to get a second opinion.

Frank's Broken Axle

We found Duncan Ford and Dean their service manager walked out of the office to take a look. “Hmmm,” he said, “smells like axle fluid.” 3 hours later Frank’s wheels were off…again. They’d pulled the rear axle and sure enough our axle bearings were bad. Not only that, the bad bearings has worn a perfect groove into the axle. Had we continued to drive, it would have snapped and the wheel would have come off. So two completely wrong diagnoses later, we finally had our clanking solved. The next day Frank was running quietly as a mouse…ok a big deisel mouse, but he was definitely way quieter. It’s a huge relief.

Sign at the Coffee Plantation - Everything in Key West Comes at a Price

Meanwhile while Frank was finally getting treatment, we met up with Ann and Scott. They’d driven down for a long weekend from Fort Lauderdale and brought beautiful weather with them. We spent the next two days hanging out by their condo’s beautiful pool, enjoying great Key West meals and sunsets and even better Jackson Hole company.

Lunch Break

Sunsets are Their Specialty

Mark and Christine, our friends from Connecticut, came down on Saturday and we spent two very fun nights dancing to the nonstop party on Duval Street. Sunday was dedicated to beach time and they too realized the dangerous pull of Keys Disease.

Mallory Square Jesters

Monday we were back at the condo with Ann and Scott where we relaxed and recovered. We ended the night with the final slices of Mrs. Mac’s Key Lime Pie, washed down with the last sips of the Bourne’s Limoncello. It was the perfect farewell to Key West.

Farewell to Another Beautiful Day

Today everyone has left. After a bit more exploring of the gorgeous Key West Gardens and the Hemingway house, Tim and I are camping by the ocean on the A1A. We’ll miss everyone dearly, but we console ourselves with the last two Key Lime Beingets left over from breakfast this morning. Now if the Tarheels could just pull out a win!

Exotic Palms

Hemingway's

Due to our long break, we are also overdue in wishing many birthdays! Warm belated tidings to Pat, Sylvia, John, and DC. We love you guys!

Keys Disease

Mary Lynn — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 02:48:28 +0000

We’d been warned…but I think we may have caught it despite ourselves. Tim and I seem to come down with a serious case of Keys Disease. Folks say it’s a state of mind, and I’d have to agree, once on the Florida Keys, you just don’t want to leave.

Sunrise on the Keys

After a week of cold temperatures and work, we finally began to understand the draw when the sun broke out, and the thermometer read 78 on Friday. Frank’s doors stayed open all day to let in the warm air.

Looking out to Bahia Honda

Saturday was our day to play so we started early. Though showers were in the forecast, we didn’t let that deter us. After a light breakfast we got on our bikes and road 7 miles to nearby Big Pine Key. Here 300 tiny Key Deer rule the roads. Speed limits are posted at 35 to make sure no endangered Key Deer is lost. We spotted 2 of these dog sized fawns while pedaling through town. We then biked out to No Name Key.

Feral Rooster or Tasty Alligator Snack

No Name Key is a largely undeveloped area that demonstrates what the Keys would look like without a developer’s intervention. Swampy muddy mangrove forests, and coral beaches are the Florida Key’s true side. These sanctuaries support an amazing variety of birds, as well as alligators, deer, feral iguana, snakes, and scorpions. It’s not for the faint of heart.

Sunshine on Bahia Honda

We spent our morning riding throughout No Name, pedaling until our trails petered out in some boggy mess. By noon, we were tired, hot and sweaty and ready for beach time. We rode back to the Sunshine Key and packed up Frank. Our next destination was Bahia Honda, the one “true” beach in the Keys. No sand was ever transferred here. Both the bayside and ocean side beaches are natural and gorgeous. Our afternoon was spent napping on warm sand. The water is still frigid from the week’s cold weather so there is no swimming to be done, but we still thoroughly enjoyed our beach time.

The Old Bridge across Bahia Honda

As the sun went down we walked up on the old Bahia Honda bridge. As you can see, sections have been removed to keep people off, but the silhouette is still beautiful in the sunset.

After a near perfect Key day, we weren’t done. We then went in search of the area’s 5th Annual Seafood Festival. We weren’t quite sure where it was, but after driving up and down Big Pine Key, we realized it was down the road 30 miles in Key West. We were hungry and had no plans for the evening so we took Highway 1 all the way south.

We drove to Bayview Park and stuffed ourselves on rock lobster, conch fritters and grouper. The crowd was mostly locals and it was really fun to see a different side of Key West than Duval Street. We hung out and listened to music while the Festival wound down. We chatted with a few residents and discovered that camping next to the park wouldn’t be a problem. With our sleeping arrangements solved, we walked downtown.

It doesn’t seem to matter what time of year it is, Key West is always hopping. We toured the local bars, watched football, sipped margaritas and even danced until late into the night.

Frank by the Beach

We woke up early the next morning hoping to get a little more beach time. On the advice of a local, we skipped the fake man-made beaches and instead drove to Fort Zachery Taylor where we found the best beach we’d seen yet. If you are in Key West, this is THE beach.

A Perfect Day for a Sail

Tim and I parked Frank with perfect seaside views and watched as the morning storms rolled through. By noon the rain cleared and we started to chat with a fellow beach comber. Bob from Miami, told us that the many sailboats that we saw on the horizon were part of the Key West Race Week. We got more and more excited as we heard that world class competitors would be in Key West all week racing. Today they were practicing and getting their crews lined out, before Monday’s races began.

Fast Around the Buoy

The wind was blowing hard, and we watched in awe as the boats cruised across the waves. Many of the boats are completely flat bottomed with only a spear like 20 foot long keel and rudder. This makes them incredibly fast. We couldn’t believe how quickly they circled the buoys. Frank couldn’t make a turn that fast. It was an inspiring afternoon.

Moving Quick

We then rode to town for some more football and to split a Sloppy Grouper. This enormous sandwich starts with fresh caught fried grouper on a toasted hoagy roll. The kitchen then tops it with pickles, lettuce, tomato, coleslaw, bacon, FRENCH FRIES, and tarter sauce. We split one of these delicious messes and were stuffed. It’s yet another Must Do on the Key West list.

Heading Home

Our last errand for the day was to pick up a Conch Shell for Frank so that we can now participate in the Sunset Key 5:00 pm Conch Blow. With Conch in hand we drove back to our site, after a fabulous Key weekend.

Fort Zachary's Sculpture Garden...feels like home

The Conch Republic

Mary Lynn — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 02:34:12 +0000

Finally the chill of winter is wearing off the Conch Republic. Though still in the 50′s, the sun is out and the Northern wind has ceased. Soon we hope to feel those famous warm temps!

Meanwhile Tim and I have stayed busy working and living on the Sunshine Key. We are surrounded by Snow Birds who flock to the Keys each year for sunshine and camaraderie. Though we are some of the youngest around, everyone greets us like old friends. It’s truly the friendliest small town in America, even if everyone’s “homes” are on wheels.

Restless Native

Today’s work day was halted abruptly when a guy who found an iguana hanging out in a tree above his RV brought him around the camp to show off. Tim and I piled out of the van for evidence of exoticness in our chilly home. Surely with an iguana in camp there must be warmer weather around the corner?

Fewer Layers, Getting Warmer

Our work day was again paused as 5:00 rolled around. Over the last two days as the clock strikes Happy Hour, we hear a distant sound: a distant sound In the quiet evening, the faint tune is joined by another…and another. At 5:00 the residents of the Sunshine Key raise their conchs and toast the end of another day. Cocktail hour follows as folks emerge from their RV’s to meet and greet their neighbors.

By Request, a Gratuitous Ring Shot

Next on the agenda is a spectacular sunset that lights up the sky with reds, purples, and golds. Tim and I have discovered our favorite spot for the day’s encore pageant. We head out of a mangrove forest to the end of a secluded pier overlooking Bahia Honda to the West. From our box seats we watch as cranes glide inches above the water, schools of fish dart between the mangrove roots and the sun sets behind the distant palm trees.

Sun Sets on the Conch Republic

The longer we stay, the longer we push out any other plans. We may never leave.