Hiking

Lately I've been doing a bit of hiking on Thumb Butte, trying to get in shape to hike more adventurous locations and I think back to the various hikes I've accomplished, or attempted to accomplish on trips I've taken. One stands out in memory though, a hike in Colorado to Four Mile Falls.

Going back quite a few years ago,  I was on vacation in Pagosa Springs, Colorado with my mom and dad. I was maybe 17 or 18 at the time and still living at home. Dad opted out of the hike so mom and I set out. We'd sprayed ourselves with a little off, packed our day-packs with lunch, extra bug spray, a rain poncho and lots of water and off we went. This hike was a marvelous combination of beauty, adventure, and disaster. We started out enjoying the beauty, marred by the occasional black fly that buzzed around us. The further we walked, the thicker the flies became and before long, stopping wasn't an option, the flies were too thick and would land as soon as we stopped moving. We tried more spray but it was useless. So powering on, we determined to move just fast enough we could enjoy the view while staying ahead of the flies. We crossed a meadow or too with a view beautiful enough to inspire a desire to sing the song from Sound of Music. As we neared the falls, the flies lessened, thank goodness, and they were almost gone when we reached the base. Sitting on a rock near the water, we enjoyed a flyless lunch and admired the view. I enjoyed the light breeze that had begun to blow and loved the view of the big clouds that were beginning to come into view. Mom took off to go a little up the trail to the top of the fall and I stayed where I was, just enjoying the view. Slowly the clouds began to build, getting bigger and closer. Mom returned and we decided we should get moving if we wanted to stay ahead of the storm that was obviously now rolling in. We heard little rumbles of thunder and picked up the pace. The wind kicked up, on the plus side, the flies were gone, they knew the storm was coming. The storm clouds rolled in quickly, rumbles became louder and louder. We knew we wouldn't make it back to the car before the storm hit. When the clouds blotted out the sun, we stopped and pulled out our ponchos. We hit the first field just as the storm broke. Rain poured, and lightning was flashing like crazy. Standing at the edge of the meadow, we debated which action to take. We knew standing under a tree was a bad idea, but so was going across the meadow making us the tallest object in the area. Finally, with a loud crack of thunder we made a run for it. Ducked low, we ran, poncho over backpack and all we looked like turtles on high speed. We never moved so fast, we ran through forest, past the second meadow, and kept going. Finally, the rain began to let up just as we spotted the car in the parking area. We were never so happy to make it back from the hike. Certainly one I won't forget anytime soon. I can't remember the falls or what they look like but I will never forget the storm or the flies. To this day, with all we experienced, I still refer to that hike as the fly trail hike. What an experience!

Tea Gardens

Today had been a lovely misty day. Exactly the kind I'd hope to experience while I was in Ireland. Just a few days into my trip and here it was! We drove down to Hook Point in Waterford Co this day to see Hook Light House, one of the worlds oldest, still in operation, light houses. Ocean beating against the black rock sending sprays of white into the air. The black rock rising up from the water to meet up with emerald green grass. All of this set around a fantastic black-and-white striped light house spearing up toward the misty grey sky.

We had taken time to explore an old ruin on the way in, amazed as always that along the side of the road, with nary a sign or notice, was this amazingly old ruin. The only information of the building was in a small plaque giving a small piece of history and the year it was built. It was amazing to wander around these extremely old ruins and not wonder if I was breaking the rules any.

Now we were heading back from these spots to catch the ferry back to Waterford City when we spotted a sign for Kilmokea Tea Gardens. I looked at mom and asked "Shall we?"  She simply responded "Yes, let's do it!!!!" So off we went another adventure. The tea garden was beautiful right from the start. Large trees and plants bordered the white sandy parking lot. We went inside the gate to be greeted with a corridor leading left and right and a sprawling garden straight ahead. We'd noted a sign that stated the garden was closing in five minutes, so a little bummed plans changed and we just decided to see if we could use the restroom before heading back out.

We stepped inside the tea house and stepped into a beautiful world. Glass walls and ceiling made up half the structure, the tea house, designed to look like a green house. Small garden tables were scattered on one half, a gift shop on the other. An aged wooden counter ran along one end of the building and behind the counter was a man who was counting down the till for closing the shop. This man was so friendly. He insisted we stay, he served us tea and lemon cake, and sat down to chat with us. I'll never forget the bright green bushes, trees, and grass. The pops of red and orange flowers that we could see from the tea house. We thanked the man for his hospitality and mentioned how beautiful the garden was. It was an amazing tea experience for us. Then the man said to us, I'm closing shop but you are welcome to wander the gardens as long as you are out before dark. He explained he didn't want to have to search for us if we got lost once it got dark. Make no mistake, those gardens were HUGE!!!

Satisfied by a late afternoon tea and desert, mom armed with her trusty camera, we thanked the man and set out to explore the garden. We saw hedge mazes, bamboo forests, all kinds of flowers. We passed a lake surrounded by plants with leaves so big, I felt like a shrunk down version of Alice exploring Wonderland. Other similar plants were much smaller held dead leaves in their cups. I was so enchanted I was almost certain if I moved the dead leaves I'd find a fairy curled up asleep in the cup of the leaf. We wandered for a couple hours, feeling happy and thoroughly enchanted headed out to the car. It was getting dark and it was time to head back to the b&b. The greens and the bright colors of this experience isn't one I'm likely to forget. This was one of those cherished memories, one put in a special place in the mind, protected; relived just by closing the eyes and imaging.

One of the best parts

This weekend I've been thinking about a non-trip I'll be taking in November, a staycation where I plan to roam the nearby towns and see things I haven't yet seen. Knowing I won't be packing a bag, or finding hotels is a little throwing to the enjoyment of this particular vacation. I realized that, for me, half the fun of a trip is the planning. The endless hours searching travel sites and reading hotel reviews. Looking at TripAdvisor and searching Google Maps for the best routes and interesting sites I didn't know existed.

I love putting together the itinerary and searching things to do. I love the dreaming that goes into my trips. The "what-ifs" and the "maybe I'll" thoughts. The romantic in me wants to daydream about the perfect romance scenario, even though the realist in me knows that belongs in the pages of a book and would never happen in my real life journeys.

I love thinking about what bags I'll take and what clothes I'll pack. Sometimes I'll even splurge a bit and get a couple new outfits just for the road.

I love the final preparations, knowing where I'll go on each day and knowing that every day won't go  just as I have it planned. To me that is even better than everything happening exactly to plan.  The fresh nerves of going on a journey. Wondering if I'll get lost, if my car will break down, and still forging on knowing that whatever happens, I'll be alright.

I love finally pulling out my suitcase and my travel supplies. I love piling my clothes on the bed and laying out what I want to wear each day. I love slowing working to put all my belongings for the trip into my bags. As much as I hate to do it, I love giving my dog a final goodbye cuddle before handing him off to a trusted friend. I love the fresh nerves that work through my body as I load my car, and finally climb in. Ready for the road. Stopping to fill the gas tank and grabbing a mocha at the local coffee shop as I head out. Ready to hit the road. Ready for a new adventure.

Summertime Afternoon Rain

After the afternoon rain showers we've had the last couple days I can't help but think back to the last time I was in Colorado with my parents for a vacation in Pagosa Springs. It is a beautiful mountainous town with incredible views and lots of relaxing activities. I remember vividly walking through the resort and seeing the green grass, the mountains surrounding the town, and the brown buildings of the resort housing. The air was nice, cool but comfortably so. Never too warm and not too cold. The warmth of the sun made everything even nicer outside. It just made me want to bask in the sun like a cat.

The best part though, every day that visit in the summer, rain fell in the afternoon. It was fantastic, the clouds would roll in, thunder would rumble and the skies would open. Everything would get drenched. Then, just as quickly, the clouds rolled away again.  Somehow, after the rain everything was prettier. The air was crisp and cool, the skies somehow bluer. The grass was greener. I still remember taking an afternoon walk after the rain had whisked away in the afternoon breeze and just breathing in the moist air. The air took on a golden light from the setting afternoon sun and tranquil contentment filled my whole body on that trip.  One I will never forget.