Choo-Choo

Hi folks! It’s been a minute since I last posted. Work went crazy and, well, I am finally eyeing some vacation time this coming summer.

Work schedules are insane right now, so yes, I am looking at time 3 months from now. The hubs has been wanting to see the country side from a moving train, so we are about to embark on a new type of adventure.

Planning was up first. Did you know, some rail journeys book up to a year in advance? I didn’t know this, so as I spoke to a representative at Vacations by Rail, I got a little nervous. Anxiously, we waited the week they needed to confirm our bookings at the hotels as well as the train. Happily, our trip was a go!

But wait…where are we going?

Our train will depart from the heart of Chicago, Illinois and reach its terminus in the heart of Seattle, Washington. On our way, we will spend a total of two nights on the train and four nights near Glacier National Park in the great state of Montana.

Our journey includes a boat cruise and a red bus tour of the park, along with the necessary transfers between train and accommodations in Montana. We also have a free day and a half to enjoy the sights on our own.

So, now the bookends, ChiTown and Seattle. Flights are necessary to get to and from respectively from our home base in sunny FLA. Delta all the way…my preference for a zillion reasons (sorry my cuz at SW)! For ease, we’re spending a night in Chicago…been there, done that (kinda was born there….) and two nights in the fabulous city of Seattle.

Chicago is about convenience, so we’re staying just blocks away from Union Station. I’m looking forward to hometown comfort food… but, will it be a deep dish pizza or an Italian steak sandwich?

Since Seattle is a new place for us, we opted to stay in the middle of it all, near Pike Place Market. We really only have a day and a half to enjoy the city; I hope we can squeeze a lot of it in!

With our travels this time, we will be relying on mass transit and taxis or Ubers to get around. It’s going to be interesting to be without a car to hop into and go.

I am looking forward to our upcoming adventure. Drop a line about places to go based on our itinerary if you’re keen to do so!

Break the monotony…Have an Adventure!

Camping Time!

The weather is cooling off here in the Sunshine State…a break from highs in the 90s is a cool down…so it’s time to head out for a fall camping adventure. Our next outing is going to take us to Alexander Springs near the Ocala Forest. We’re looking forward to 72 degree crystal clear water to swim in and a few short hikes during our outing, along with resting in a hammock with a good book.

It’s been about 2 years since we last camped requiring us to set up a tent….as opposed to our eco-tent get-away earlier this year, so it was time to pull together and check out our camping gear ahead of the trip and prepare for our trip with packing. I must admit my husband did much of the gear checkout. Here’s a few things pulled together for our shelter:

  • Pop-up Tent
  • Inflatable Bed
  • Air Pump
  • Tarp
  • Cushioned Floor Tiles
  • Camping Chairs
  • Mallet
  • Lantern
  • Tent Stakes

While most of this is pack and go, my husband did check the bed for any leaks. He was happy to report we should be well off the ground for all three nights. With the essentials for our shelter addressed, I moved on to planning the meals.

The last time we cooked out down in the Everglades, we brought rehydratable meals, mostly because we had power right in our tent. This time, I’m opting for cooking over an open flame during our stay as no power is available at our camp site. I’ve put together a few foil packet meals for our trip as well as some standard staples for our stay:

Breakfasts

  • Bisquik Buttermilk Pancakes in Ready to Mix Bottle
  • Breakfast Burritos
  • Cinnamon Buns with Fruit

Lunches/Snacks

  • Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
  • Nutri-Grain Bars
  • Sesame Snaps
  • S’mores Fixings

Dinner:

  • Hot Dogs with Corn and Beans
  • Shrimp Boil Foil Packets
  • Burger and Vegetables Packet – Recipe Below!

We will be packing up two coolers to have plenty of ice for the weekend and to keep perishables fresh until we’re ready. The foil packet meals are in the freezer to help keep the coolers icy cold for as long as possible. The meals are coming together. I started with items to freeze, specifically the two foil packet meals. The Shrimp Boil is standard shrimp, kielbasa, potatoes, corn, butter, salt, pepper and Old Bay seasoning. Photo below:

Shrimp Boil Packet

For the burger and vegetables packet, first I prepared traditional hamburger patties with salt, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, egg, breadcrumbs, and ketchup. Then I placed two patties on heavy duty foil and surrounded and covered it with several vegetables, then topped it with butter, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and a little more Worcestershire sauce. To finish it up, I wrapped up the foil and put a second layer of foil around the packets, then placed them in a one-gallon sized freezer bag and placed them in the freezer. Ingredients are below:

Hamburger Patties (4):

  • 1 lb. Lean Ground Beef
  • 1 Egg
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons Bread Crumbs
  • Worcestershire Sauce to taste
  • Ketchup to taste

Vegetables

  • 8 Fingerling Potatoes
  • 2-3 Chopped Carrots
  • 1 Sliced Sweet Onion
  • 1 Sliced Red Pepper

Toppings (to taste)

  • Butter
  • Worcestershire Sauce
  • Garlic Powder
  • Salt & Pepper

I’ll share how these turn out when I cook them this weekend. For now, we’re continuing to prepare…watch for updates after our trip on the springs, the campgrounds and more.

Have a great rest of the week!

Trekking Poles and Flying

On our recent trip out West, we decided we didn’t want a hassle with some of our hiking equipment as we moved between our planes. We loaded our trekking poles in our luggage…which ended up being fortuitous…because you can’t take the poles in carry-on luggage anyway!

It wasn’t a big deal on the initial packing — a quick wipe down and a switch of one of our suitcases for the next size up, and we were set. However, on finding a few marks on one of my light colored shirts when we arrived, I realized I wasn’t as thorough cleaning off the dirt as I thought I was!

When we arrived back home, I set out to solve this problem for our future trips. I measured out some heavy duty fabric and sewed it into a long bag with a drawstring. It took a total of five seams, and a quick feed of the drawstring through the top opening and the “cincher.”

Custom Trekking Pole Bags

I think they came out kind of cute! I added a small little iron-on with our initials and crossed trekking pole cut with my Cricut, then put the poles in the bag. This will also be easier to keep the poles together and maybe help with a little more organization for this gear.

Now we are all set to head out on our next adventure!

Adventure: White Water Rafting

I survived. No, better than that, I thrived!

Trepidation came over me as we boarded our air filled raft. Air filled? What about the rocks? Won’t it tear? What if I fall out? How can I stay in the boat if I’m sitting on the edge paddling?

By the end of the 8-mile journey, I was hooked. I want to go again! Too bad I live in the land of flat…or does that just mean I have another reason for a trip?

Mad River Boat Trips in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, served up the perfect trip for this newbie. Our guide, Fitz for short, was fantastic. He’s been working on the Snake River in Wyoming for three of the past four summer seasons and had worked other locations before that.

Due to the cooler late Summer weather and even colder water temperatures at 56 degrees, our entire crew were outfitted with wetsuits. Only one person felt it necessary to don an additional splash guard on our raft. My husband and I protected our heads with booney hats, and our guide had on a hoodie. Oh, and we can’t forget the essential PFDs. I learned that means Personal Flotation Device….go me.

Fitz and the entire crew from Mad River walked us through safety guidelines, how to board, sit, and paddle the boat, along with what to do should we fall in to the water unexpectedly. Two of the other boats on our trip probably needed the falling into the water advise more than our crew…picture it, 18 high school seniors battling it out on the rapids… oh they were a site to see!

Our boat had a family of 7, my husband and me, and Fitz, our guide. As we boarded, we learned the center seats were for the princesses of our crew….and while my husband was more than happy to sit in the middle and enjoy the ride, I proclaimed that he may be the princess, but I’m the queen so I’d paddle. What, no laugh? I thought it was great!

In the latter half of the trip, we easily navigated the Little Kahuna, a brief class 2 rapid, only to be faced with our biggest challenge…the Big Kahuna. This and its accompanying rapid, the Lunch Counter, switch being Class 2 and Class 3 rapids depending on the time of the season. During our trip, the Big Kahuna earned its name and was running at a Class 3. Our raft pitched through the waves and everyone was soaked by the time we reached the other side. It was a blast!

The Big Kahuna swamps our raft. – Photo from https://elevationimaging.com/

We primarily encountered smooth waters and a variety of rapids on the trip. My favorite section was called the Cottonfields, a long section of class 1 rapids where we had to keep paddling through. It was very pretty to look at as we approached, and I thought really helped our crew to get settled in how to paddle together.

Our total trip was about an hour and a half, plus a bus ride 30 minutes each way. I understand the season on this portion of the Snake River ends just after Labor Day, and they open up once the river is at the right levels in late spring or early summer, so it’s best to check ahead when planning your trip.

Itineraries and Confirmations

Even in this online age, I’m a bit old fashioned when it comes to managing my itineraries and confirmations. Of course, I use my mobile as the primary way I pull up information everywhere we go, but I find comfort having a paper trail on hand, especially traveling somewhere new.

Because one can never know the quality of cell service, especially in the mountains, for our trip to Wyoming, I’ve gathered all our itineraries and confirmations into a central location. This includes the following:

  • Flight Itinerary
  • Car Rental Reservation
  • Hotel Confirmations
  • Entertainment Bookings
  • National Park Pass and Parking Hangtag
  • Park Maps

I’ve assembled all of this into a durable poly-folder to carry with us throughout the trip. I even customized the outside using a vinyl pattern created through my Cricut cutting tool. Yes, I’m a dork, but, it’s fun!

Custom Vinyl Image on Poly Folder

What kind of things do you do when making final preparations for a trip? Any other great tips out there?

First Aid?

I struggle with trying to figure out the best first aid kit for hiking. In Florida, we’re pretty flat, so the likelihood of twisting an ankle, slipping down a scramble, and the like really aren’t prevalent. I know of one scramble I’ve had to make in the past year here in Florida for about a total of 15 feet high, and that’s about it. And I survived!

So my first aid kit, a simple J&J one we had around the house in a nice compact size, seemed appropriate to throw into my pack for our hikes. But during our trip to the Smokies in the Spring, I realized, it probably wasn’t the right one for hiking on less flat travels. I took notice of a few key points:

  • Too many bandages
  • No wraps to stable a twisted ankle
  • Small sterile pads and gauze
  • No medical tape for said gauze pads.
  • No pain medicine

Maybe I could use the bandages to hold the gauze and sterile pads in place if push came to shove, but let’s be honest. That just seems silly. Plus, no wraps is not a good idea when one (me) is prone to twisting an ankle or two more often than she’d like to admit. So, in preparation for our journey out to Wyoming, I took a few minutes to peruse different options available online. I had the obvious missing components in mind:

  • A wrap
  • A variety of sterile pads and gauze
  • Medical Tape
  • Pain Medicine

Now, not promoting REI here, but there was quite a set of options in a range of prices. I’m only interested in upgrading our kit a little bit, but there were first aid kits with everything but the kitchen sink, along with the price to boot!

I settled on a kit that is designed for 2 people for 2 days, the Mountain Series Hiker Medical Kit. Here’s a link if interested in checking it out: https://www.rei.com/product/113006/adventure-medical-kits-mountain-series-hiker-medical-kit. This kit checked all my boxes and more. It includes some pre-shaped mole-skin and scissors (bonus!) and since we’ll be doing short day hikes, this feels perfect for our trip. Now, hopefully, we won’t even need to break it out.

It arrives Friday and will be headed into my pack as soon as it arrives. One more thing checked off the list for our trip. Wyoming, Wyoming, why not, Wyoming…

What are some items you find as must haves for your hiking first aid kit?

Pass Out

Today, we received a yellow padded envelope in the mail. It was a sign our trip out West is quickly approaching. It was our entry passes to Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons Parks. We opted for an annual pass since we hope to get a few more parks in within the year.

As I opened it up, I figured it would be a simple paper hang tag and maybe a credit card style pass. Half-right! And, pleasantly surprised!

Our Annual Pass Arrived!

The pass itself is a nice plastic card with its own holographic mountain image. Fancy, fancy!

What got me was the vehicle hang tag. The clear and lime green tag has a place to hold the card and is nicer than my work hangtag…which is over a decade old! I just hope it holds up through the travels!

Well, we are getting excited for our upcoming journey. The backpack is already out and getting filled with maps, and now our pass to the parks. We’re one step closer!!!

White Water Rafting? WY? WY not?

We’re putting together our itinerary of things to do when we are out West at the end of August / early September. So far, we have a few definite plans including a quick visit to see family.

When we arrive in Yellowstone, first up will be a hike to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point after a ferry ride across Jenny Lake. I’m looking forward to getting a view of the mountains, a waterfall, and the park from this noteworthy, and apparently popular, hike. Any recommendations on things to take on the hike, or insights on the hike itself are appreciated!

Our second planned adventure is a white water rafting tour down the Snake River Canyon area near Jackson Hole on the last segment of our trip. Based on the description, we will be faced with Class I to Class III rapids on this wild 8-mile ride. My husband is excited — he’s been white water rafting twice before, in his younger days. I’m a bit nervous, but also looking forward to a new type of adventure. Nerves are normal when facing something new, right?

I didn’t realize I’d be taking Bonine on a trip out west, but it now appears to be a likely possibility…Our two planned adventures involve boats! Well, that’s added to the packing list. Now back to more planning for our trip…there’s so much to look forward to!

CARrying on for a New Adventure – WY

Planning trips can be fun, or harrowing, sometimes a little of both! We set out yesterday to reschedule our trip out west to Wyoming. So I started in the usual manner — flights, lodging, then a car.

We had planned on visiting some family out in the eastern part of the state after touring through the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone. However, we were in for a surprise.

Apparently, there were no rental vehicles available for a one way trip. This put a wrench in our plans. A considerable one. With over six hours of travel time between the rental locations and our final destination, we spun our wheels for a few hours trying to figure out our options.

Could we get transportation across state…a bus, perhaps a train? Maybe family could come get us. We even looked at renting non-traditional vehicles… turned out to not really be an option either. We even tried consulting with one of the rental agencies to get on a waiting list.

Finally, we gave into reality. The reality is, one-way car rentals are hard to come by these days apparently, especially in touristy areas. So, we reserved a car from our originating location and same location return, then changed our flights, our travel plans, and our accommodations. All these changes came with costs too….for a three hour realization on the day of booking.

Before COVID, I would never had thought we would need to line up our transportation before our lodging and flights, but its a “now you know” moment for me…at least in the near term. Despite all of the tribulations yesterday, I’m still looking forward towards visiting the great state of Wyoming.

With our rearranged schedule, we’ll now be in Jackson Hole on Labor Day weekend — I really hope it is not too crowded. Now I’m off to find some fun hikes. If anyone has recommendations for easy to moderate short hikes in Yellowstone or Grand Tetons, please send them my way. Thanks!

Cocoa Beach Pier

A walk on the beach sounds relaxing, doesn’t it? Actually, it was beautiful. I headed out at sunrise from our little motel room right on the beach and went North. The sun was still below the horizon slightly as I made my way on the soft sand.

I wasn’t sure how far I’d walk this morning. Beach walks are for waking up and getting back to enjoy some tea. But as I walked, I became obsessed. I could see the Cocoa Beach Pier ahead.

Distance is deceiving in the early mornings, while half-awake and listening to the waves. I decided to set out for the pier. Surely, if I can see it after my first 15 minutes of walking, it isn’t too far.

Well, 2.8 miles from my starting point, I finally arrived. The pier is an iconic location to take photos and by the time I arrived, there were already several others looking for that perfect selfie under the boardwalk.

The sun was up and more than an hour had passed, but I made my impromptu goal. That’s the great thing about beach walks at most of Florida’s popular beaches…you can walk for however long, or short, you want.

But here’s the thing…you also have to walk back! So my morning stroll turned into a 5.6 mile, 2-plus hour journey to the Pier and back.

Was it worth it? Absolutely. Was it hard on my knees and legs? Definitely. Would I do it again? Let me get back to you on that. My reward when I returned…donuts and tea right on the beach. I definitely earned them!