Since people are starting to look at this more as I mentioned it in our Christmas letter, I noticed I completely forgot to put an entry about our trip the Grand Canyon.
We drove over on Saturday, leaving at 6 AM and driving up I-15 to I-40. It was a relatively easy trip, making it to Kingman, AZ by lunch time. We hit some amazing rain storms through the mountains towards Williams, AZ. Williams was a neat little town that we stopped for coffee at. There was a significant line to enter, even the dedicated line for passholders. It took about 30 minutes to enter the park. We camped, and then hiked over to the rim for a look before heading back to eat dinner. It was a pretty good hike to the canyon rim, since it was about a mile just to leave the huge campground!
We hiked the rim towards the Bright Angel Trail the next day. Dogs are allowed along the rim, so we never went far down (although we went a little down to take a picture). We had deer run through the campground in the morning. The fire danger had lowered enough to allow us to have a campfire, but not all campers knew (we got berated by one, who I don't know if they believed me when I said it was ok).
The next day, we hiked the opposite direction and then drove to the Watchtower and back. Rasila also wanted to see the IMAX film, which she watched while Ziwi and I bought her some Indian earrings.
We took the scenic route back, driving down through Flagstaff, Sedona, and Jerome on the way to the I-10. It seemed like a good choice as the scenery was great and the traffic light. I always dread the I-40/I-15 merge at Barstow which we did sit through on the way back from the Great Basin.
Friday, December 22, 2006
Friday, November 17, 2006
College Football Season
Fall means another college football season and we did our usual buying of SDSU season tickets. Hope sprung eternal until the first game, where the starting QB went down and the Aztecs lost 34-27. The proceeded to lose the backup and the starting RB in the third game, against Utah. They didn't win until they played Air Force, which they followed up by losing to Championship Division (formerly D-1AA) Cal Poly. They have since beat UNLV and may actually end up with 3 victories by the end of the season.
Wyoming, in the meantime, started out 1-4 with overtime losses to Syracuse and Virginia, and 7 point losses to top-25 Boise State and to the Air Force Academy. They then won 3 in a row, before crashing back to earth with a loss at TCU. They have beat SDSU and lost horribly to BYU. They can become bowl eligible with a victory at UNLV this weekend.
The pictures are from Wyoming's Homecoming game, where Wyoming ended 6 years of futility against Utah by opening up a 31-0 halftime lead before coasting to a 31-15 victory.
Wyoming, in the meantime, started out 1-4 with overtime losses to Syracuse and Virginia, and 7 point losses to top-25 Boise State and to the Air Force Academy. They then won 3 in a row, before crashing back to earth with a loss at TCU. They have beat SDSU and lost horribly to BYU. They can become bowl eligible with a victory at UNLV this weekend.
The pictures are from Wyoming's Homecoming game, where Wyoming ended 6 years of futility against Utah by opening up a 31-0 halftime lead before coasting to a 31-15 victory.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Hawai'i September 16-23, 2006
We traded our timeshare to Hawai'i, to the island of Hawai'i this year. We also upgraded temporarily to a 2 bedroom, so we invited Rodney's brother, Roger, and his wife, Julia.
We had purchased our tickets way in advance, and Aloha Airlines, which flies direct from Orange County, was $250/ticket more than flying Southwest Airlines, which has a code share flight from Oakland to Hilo on ATA Airlines. Roger and Julia could fly from Salt Lake City and join us on the flight to and from Hawai'i as well.The trip went well, with us doing some Coffee Tasting, Scuba Diving, Hiking at Hawai'i Volcanos National Park, and general touristing, visiting Hilo, Waimea, Polulu Valley, Waipi'o Valley, and driving completely around the island.We were there about 3 weeks before the big (6.7 magnitude) earthquake hit!
We had purchased our tickets way in advance, and Aloha Airlines, which flies direct from Orange County, was $250/ticket more than flying Southwest Airlines, which has a code share flight from Oakland to Hilo on ATA Airlines. Roger and Julia could fly from Salt Lake City and join us on the flight to and from Hawai'i as well.The trip went well, with us doing some Coffee Tasting, Scuba Diving, Hiking at Hawai'i Volcanos National Park, and general touristing, visiting Hilo, Waimea, Polulu Valley, Waipi'o Valley, and driving completely around the island.We were there about 3 weeks before the big (6.7 magnitude) earthquake hit!
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Great Basin National Park Sept 2-4, 2006
We spent Labor Day weekend at Great Basin National Park with Rodney's brother Roger and his wife Julia. We drove to Las Vegas on Friday night, spent the night at Motel 6, then drove the rest of the way on Saturday morning. It is located 300 miles (500 km) north of Las Vegas off US 93 and US 6.
It is a great place to visit because it is a destination. There is no city of any size near there, so the only people at the park were there and camping (or close by and camping). We hiked to the only glacier in the lower 48 outside of the Rockies and the West Coastal Ranges. We also toured Lehman Caves and viewed some petroglyphs.
It is a great place to camp.
It is a great place to visit because it is a destination. There is no city of any size near there, so the only people at the park were there and camping (or close by and camping). We hiked to the only glacier in the lower 48 outside of the Rockies and the West Coastal Ranges. We also toured Lehman Caves and viewed some petroglyphs.
It is a great place to camp.
Monday, August 14, 2006
Camping near Idyllwild, CA Aug 4-6, 2006
Rasila and Rodney went camping in the San Jacinto Mountains, between Riverside and Palm Springs on Aug 4-6. We had a reservation at Boulder Basin Campground via ReserveAmerica. Since Rodney had been on a business trip, he didn't get a chance to do the pre-packing he normally does and we didn't get on the road until rush hour at 5:00 PM. Traffic ended up not being too bad and we made the 100 mile trip in about 2 hr and 15 min. We got dinner prepared, eaten and dishes barely washed before dark!
The next morning, we were up early to a chilly start. The campground is at 7300' (2225m), and it got chilly overnight, at least in the low 40s. We hiked to the fire observation tower on Black Mountain, where the volunteer guide helped us see the view, which was spectacular. We could easily see Mt. Palomar in San Diego County, as well as Mt. Baldy, Mt. San Gregonio, Mt. San Jacinto, and Saddleback in Orange County. The marine layer prevented a view of the ocean, but it was nice nonetheless.
We hiked a bit of the Black Mountain Trail down to CA-243, but turned around early. We drove into the town of Idyllwild to visit Rodney's old boss, who runs a couple stores there (the Gray Squirrel and the Pony Express), but he was sponsoring a rider in a rodeo and was not there.
We had a campfire on Saturday night and really enjoyed our S'Mores!
Sunday morning, we got up and hiked more of the Black Mountian Trail. We ater lunch at an empty campsite and headed home.
It was a great trip!
The next morning, we were up early to a chilly start. The campground is at 7300' (2225m), and it got chilly overnight, at least in the low 40s. We hiked to the fire observation tower on Black Mountain, where the volunteer guide helped us see the view, which was spectacular. We could easily see Mt. Palomar in San Diego County, as well as Mt. Baldy, Mt. San Gregonio, Mt. San Jacinto, and Saddleback in Orange County. The marine layer prevented a view of the ocean, but it was nice nonetheless.
We hiked a bit of the Black Mountain Trail down to CA-243, but turned around early. We drove into the town of Idyllwild to visit Rodney's old boss, who runs a couple stores there (the Gray Squirrel and the Pony Express), but he was sponsoring a rider in a rodeo and was not there.
We had a campfire on Saturday night and really enjoyed our S'Mores!
Sunday morning, we got up and hiked more of the Black Mountian Trail. We ater lunch at an empty campsite and headed home.
It was a great trip!
Monday, June 26, 2006
Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, June 9-11, 2006
Earlier this month, we made a trip to the 2 "forgotten" National Parks in central California, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. We drove up on Friday, stopping in Bakersfield for coffee with a high school friend of Rodney's that lives there. We left at 5:00 AM to avoid LA traffic and pulled into the coffee shop in Bakersfield at 7:15 AM!
The drive there to the entrance is about 90 minutes. We took CA-99 to CA-198 through Visalia. We bought a National Parks Pass so we could use it as incentive to visit other parks Rasila has not seen that are drivable from Southern California.
We camped in the Lodgepole campground, along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, which is the west drainage of Sequoia National Park. King's River is what drains Kings Canyon, and the Kern River drains the valley between the Great Western Range and Mount Whitney.
We did short day hikes and drove over to King's Canyon's visitors center, General Grant Grove, and the Panoramic Overview. There is so much wilderness there you have to see it to really appreciate it.
The drive there to the entrance is about 90 minutes. We took CA-99 to CA-198 through Visalia. We bought a National Parks Pass so we could use it as incentive to visit other parks Rasila has not seen that are drivable from Southern California.
We camped in the Lodgepole campground, along the Marble Fork of the Kaweah River, which is the west drainage of Sequoia National Park. King's River is what drains Kings Canyon, and the Kern River drains the valley between the Great Western Range and Mount Whitney.
We did short day hikes and drove over to King's Canyon's visitors center, General Grant Grove, and the Panoramic Overview. There is so much wilderness there you have to see it to really appreciate it.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Paso Robles April 8th and 9th
We went to Paso Robles in April since Rasila's brothers, Seton and Belden, were running in the Wine Country Half Marathon. We drove up Saturday, leaving early (6 AM) to avoid LA traffic, and arrived at Meridian Vineyard at about 10:30 AM.
We then visited the Bianchi Vineyard. They have a neat little pool that you can operate remote controlled sailboats on. Rasila was ready for food and a nap then, so we ate lunch at a BBQ place and checked into the Motel 6 and took a nap. Rasila's brothers were late leaving North Hollywood, and didn't leave until after 1 PM. We went downtown and checked out restaurants and picked an italian one for dinner. We then took a bike ride west of town. Her brothers arrived as we were finishing and we took a quick shower and all went to dinner.
Her brothers were up early at the start of the race by the time we took Ziwi for a walk and hit the nearby espresso shop. We rode our bike over to the start, where while talking to her brothers, the race started! They ran to the start and came back abotu 5 minutes later. We rode through town to a the south side, where a bagel shop was spotted the day before and got bagels for all before coming back. Rasila's brother Seton finished first, then Seton, then Seton's friend, Heather.
We went back to the motel, cleaned up and got lunch before hitting the vineyards for some afternoon tasting. We visited Peachy Canyon, Dark Star, Hunt Cellars, then an Olive Oil farm, Pasolivo, then Opolo to finish out.
We then headed home through Santa Barbara, while Belden, Seton and Heather spent the next week camping.
We then visited the Bianchi Vineyard. They have a neat little pool that you can operate remote controlled sailboats on. Rasila was ready for food and a nap then, so we ate lunch at a BBQ place and checked into the Motel 6 and took a nap. Rasila's brothers were late leaving North Hollywood, and didn't leave until after 1 PM. We went downtown and checked out restaurants and picked an italian one for dinner. We then took a bike ride west of town. Her brothers arrived as we were finishing and we took a quick shower and all went to dinner.
Her brothers were up early at the start of the race by the time we took Ziwi for a walk and hit the nearby espresso shop. We rode our bike over to the start, where while talking to her brothers, the race started! They ran to the start and came back abotu 5 minutes later. We rode through town to a the south side, where a bagel shop was spotted the day before and got bagels for all before coming back. Rasila's brother Seton finished first, then Seton, then Seton's friend, Heather.
We went back to the motel, cleaned up and got lunch before hitting the vineyards for some afternoon tasting. We visited Peachy Canyon, Dark Star, Hunt Cellars, then an Olive Oil farm, Pasolivo, then Opolo to finish out.
We then headed home through Santa Barbara, while Belden, Seton and Heather spent the next week camping.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Rasila visits her paternal Grandmother
Rodney, Rasila and Ziwi flew to Louisville, KY to visit Rasila's paternal grandmother over the weekend of March 31-April 2. Her grandmother had taken a head injury that almost did her in last year and she has been deteriorating since. We expected it to be perhaps the last visit and it was, as she passed in late May. Nonetheless, we enjoyed our visit with Rasila's aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandmother and narrowly avoided the tornadoes that were running through that part of the country at that time of year.
Rodney's brother gets married
Rodney's brother Roger, got married in March in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was a whirlwind trip, with Rasila and Rodney arriving on a late night/early morning flight, waiting 30 minutes for a rental car, then arriving at the hotel at about 3 AM, with Rodney skiing the next morning at 7:30 AM.
The wedding was held at the Methodist Church and the reception was at Red Butte Gardens. The garden overlooked the city and it was spectacular at night.
Rasila and Rodney skied the day after with a friend of a friend of Julia's, who was from Charlotte, NC, but orginally from France. She was an excellent skier and very nice.
The wedding was held at the Methodist Church and the reception was at Red Butte Gardens. The garden overlooked the city and it was spectacular at night.
Rasila and Rodney skied the day after with a friend of a friend of Julia's, who was from Charlotte, NC, but orginally from France. She was an excellent skier and very nice.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Winter 2006 Skiing
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Christmas in Whistler
We spent the Holidays this year with Rasila's family. We flew to Seattle, then drove the next day to Whistler, BC.
The drive to the US-Canada Border takes a couple hours, then the drive
through the greater Vancouver metro takes an hour, then the drive to
Whistler takes another hour.
We stopped in Squamish to buy lift tickets at a 7/11 since they are significantly cheaper ($63 CDN versus as high as $78 CDN during the week).
We skiied 6 days, starting on Christmas Day. We stayed at the Tydall Stone Lodge in the Village. It was a heck of a hike back and forth from the lifts. We suspect this is the source of the bruises on the front of Rasila's ankles that limited her to 3 days skiing.
December 27th was Rasila's father's birthday. We went to the Mongolie Grill for dinner. Rasila's brother Seton ate the largest meal at 1410 grams (3 pounds)! We then went to a show at the Millenium Place theater call Ache Brasil. It is a Brazilian dance squad and was especially entertaining when Belden took off his shirt and danced with them at one point!
We made it back to Irvine on the 31st, just in time for the "Let's celebrate New Year's in all our old time zones" party at our friends Paul and Robin's.
We stopped in Squamish to buy lift tickets at a 7/11 since they are significantly cheaper ($63 CDN versus as high as $78 CDN during the week).
We skiied 6 days, starting on Christmas Day. We stayed at the Tydall Stone Lodge in the Village. It was a heck of a hike back and forth from the lifts. We suspect this is the source of the bruises on the front of Rasila's ankles that limited her to 3 days skiing.
December 27th was Rasila's father's birthday. We went to the Mongolie Grill for dinner. Rasila's brother Seton ate the largest meal at 1410 grams (3 pounds)! We then went to a show at the Millenium Place theater call Ache Brasil. It is a Brazilian dance squad and was especially entertaining when Belden took off his shirt and danced with them at one point!
We made it back to Irvine on the 31st, just in time for the "Let's celebrate New Year's in all our old time zones" party at our friends Paul and Robin's.
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