Another day, Goodyear

Today we set out towards Estrella regional park. It didn’t disappoint. The wildflowers were amazing, and the dessert landscape is beautiful this time of year. These two old ladies kept jumping into my pictures.

After a great dessert hike we headed to the baseball game. The ball park is quite scenic and we found a shady spot to watch the guardians. It would have been more fun if Alaska had gone in or if the guardians had won, but… It was it was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon.

Yeah then we took Alaska to watch the sunset. Mission accomplished.

Phinally Phoenix

It was a rocky start to a weekend trip. Our 8pm Thursday night on frontier was delayed until it was cancelled after 11pm. After standing in line with angry passengers (with little hope of rebooking), we gave up and decided to go home. We back tracked the airport, shuttle, car and then drove back to Jenna’s for a brief sleep with little hope of returning…until we decided our sunk cost was lost and we might as well try to get an experience.

We got the 430 pm flight on Delta. We were hopeful about a 2 pm possibility until two platinum skymiles members bumped us. Then, our plane had mechanical problems and more mechanical problems and some weather. After a deplane experience, I began to think we shouldn’t go and was on hold with Delta about a refund when they let us reboard.

Woke up today and got busy making memories on Phoenix.

I’m going to share some pictures to prove it.

Breakfast.
Hole in the rock at papago Park.
Sisters in the hole.
Rock formations with cacti

Sisters with too much sun and wind.

We left papago and went to South mountain park and preserve and hiked the pima canyon trailhead.

Then we picked up Alaska and went to a folk music festival and had dinner before going to a sunset. We didn’t see cocaine bear… Maybe next time Fiona?

Peaks of otter (poo)

Hiked to the top of flat top mountain before heading home. We had not eaten bfast, but just started hiking and never stopped. It was a beautiful trail with big squeaky poplar trees.

I’m so luck to spend father’s day with my bff on the parkway. I needed that. Til next time.

Best father’s day hike.

Rocky knob to peaks of otter

This section of the blue ridge parkway is quite beautiful. You either have rolling hills in Virginia or you ride the ridgeline with mountains and valleys on either side. There is a road closure around Roanoke for 30 minutes, but we wanted to run into town anyway so it wasn’t a big deal.

We asked the ranger for a recommendation at peaks of otter and wow, was this a fabulous hike. Sharp top mountain (which we  promptly started calling shart stop mountain). We added on buzzard Rock which was well worth the extra 600 feet.

Stone work at shart stop.

Parkway passing time

Our first weekend as empty nesters, so we headed up on the parkway for a long weekend. First night we stopped at Crabtree falls, (formerly known as Crabtree Meadows). The only other time we attempted to stay there, a lightning storm scared us of. Last night we had smooth weather and took a nice morning hike to the falls.

We also stopped by the blue ridge music center. They have daily music 12 to 4 every day but we missed the Friday open music jam. I always forget it’s up there.

Heading out, we encountered a downed tree across the road. After taking this picture, I went to help. 10 of us tried to move this locust with no luck and I wish I had that picture.  A biker left and circled back with his truck and chainsaw and cut it out of the road before our detour put us right back where we started.

And they are off again!

The Asheville Austins are on the way to Alaska! This time we are taking the kids and meeting the Austin grandmother. We are very excited but anxious to get there.

Ringo has to stay behind this time.

How can we leave this face?

Sadira is on her way back from Costa Rica to meet us. Hot to cold! Here’s a picture of her and Cora with a volcano in Costa Rica.

I’ve spent the last week at home preparing for our exchange student (Helena) from Spain 🇪🇸. She arrives in the states on the same day we arrive back from Alaska. I just have to show off the cleaned closet. No other closets in the house have ever been cleaned like this in our 20 years of living there.

White painted closet. I keep forgetting to take a before shot.

Next stop anchorage!

5:30 we loaded the plane in Chicago to Anchorage. 7 pm. Having to switch planes in due to technical difficulties. I guess we’re lucky they found it before we took off. Anchorage will have to wait.

Badlands & Family fun!

Left Custer State Park and headed towards Yankton where my cousin Lisa vacations. First stop Badlands after our #campgroundschef breakfast.

After leaving Badlands, we headed towards Yankton, SD to meet my aunt and cousins. My shame of the entire trip is that I was rated third at doing donuts (behind my Morgan age 16 and George). It was apparently so bad that it was rated a burnout and not even a donut. #roomfordonutimprovement

Custar State Park. Black hills

We left devil’s tower early. We wanted to try some caves. (jewel and wind) but that was a Ringo bust. We got to Custer state park. What a surprise!

Needles eye tunnel, we pulled the mirrors in. 8 feet wide.

Then we headed to sylvan lake, what a lovely surprise.

Center lake campgrounds site 13.

Devil’s tower

Primarily a travel day. We left Big Tetons and spent 9 hrs in Frank. I even legally traveled 81 mph! George says, I technically legally drove 80 miles per hour. The extra 1 MPH is just me living on the wild side. Devil’s Tower / Bears Teepee is a worthy visit. Check out their campground at the base of the tower.

Big tetons: Day 2

Since Ringo can’t go on the trails, it was just torture sitting around thinking about all the good hikes we couldn’t take. Rather than just sit around in the campsite feeling sorry for ourselves, we decided to take a trip into Jackson Hole and re-provision and check if Jackson Hole still had a brewery. Mission accomplished and another scenic route traveled.

We showered up and we got another fine sunset on Mt. Moran from the campground. While sitting there, a bald eagle flew right in front of us. We both decided it was the closest either of us had seen an eagle in the wild. #cagesDontCount

For those of you concerned, Ringo is still running loose, but #notintheT@g.