Anticipation of a Staycation

Here we are, mid-September and I'm already dreaming about my upcoming non-road trip trip in November. Every year I take the week of Thanksgiving off and take a vacation. Shoot, to me, this is the best time to take the week off, three vacation days used, nine days off in a row.

In the past I've taken trips to Prescott, stayed in lovely places, explored the shops downtown, and relaxed all while dreaming of the day I wouldn't have to leave. After that dream came true, I found myself wondering...now what. I was living in my favorite vacation destination. So I began to explore. Last year was my biggest solo trip overall, I went on a massive 9 day road trip up California and back down through Nevada. It was an amazing journey.

This year is leaving me without the means to travel, having spent my vacation budget on a conference early this year, taking a road trip somewhere new isn't in the cards. So I decided to still take the time off, but this time, I'm exploring the area. I'm finding I'm a bit excited about this non-trip. I'm counting down the days to the end of my current college course (8 weeks left) and am learning of the different activities I can do while on my vacation.

I'm excited of the prospect of taking a train in Northern Arizona, visiting wineries in Cottonwood, or even visiting the Grand Canyon Caverns in Peach Springs. Perhaps I might even travel a bit of Route 66, something I've wanted to do for a long time. There are so many places I've yet to explore, living in Arizona, they become taken for granted. Who knows what amazing sights I'll see? A week to unwind from the pressures of work, school, and other day-to-day activities sounds just perfect. I wonder how many days I have.....where's my calendar?

Whales!

Watery spray from the whale blasted up right next to the boat with a sound that was from the books, from the movies, and one I'd been dreaming of hearing in person for as long as I could remember. We off the coast of Moss Landing which is just north of Monterrey on a whale excursion.

Early this morning we arrived at the Moss Landing Marina, a light layer of clouds covered the sun giving the morning a gloomy appearance. Despite the low light, my mood was light, nervous, and anxious excitement. I was going on a whale watching trip with my mom and we were filled with curiosity of exactly what the day would bring.
As the time to gather neared, we left the car and wandered over the the assigned meeting location for the journey. The sun began to peak out as the clouds began to roll away. I new this was a good sign as clear days, make it easier to spot whale spouts when they came up for air. As the captain and first mate explained the safety rules, my stomach jumped a little, nervous at the concept of being on a smaller boat than I was accustomed from previous whale/dolphin excursions, nervous at the possibility of sea-sickness. The what-if's kept rolling through my head.

After the rundown of safety rules our tour group headed down the docks to the boat. After spying the boat, mom paused and said "That's it? That's awfully small." I smiled, put on my brave face and told her it would be great, but I too was a little anxious about the size of the craft. We boarded, the crew gave final safety instructions and a little tour of the boat as the captain and other crew pushed off from the dock and we motored out of the marina toward the open ocean. We stayed near the read of the boat to start our journey, watching the water, bouncing over the waves, and listening to the roar of the engines. The sun was bright and sky clear. It wasn't long before a spout was seen and off we went in the direction of the whales.

Over the next few hours we spent much time near a drop-off in the water where Humpback Whales, Seals, and various other sea life came to feed. We watched in amazement as the sides, backs, tails, and heads of the whales would breach the surface and sink back down. When a blowhole appeared, a spray of water would come up as the whale took a breath before sinking back into the water. Fascinated by the sight I hung over the edge of the boat with many others, all jockeying for position along the rail to watch the whales. A few more daring souls hung off the front (highest and bounciest point) of the boat. The cautious ones hung back, utilizing the benches, staying in the shade and watching the whales from a little farther away. No matter the position in the boat, all stared in awe at the views.

Time was finally up, many growing hungry as the day progressed along, ready for a good lunch. Some exhausted from the early morning start and a day in the sun. We eagerly turned our attention back to shore, ready to depart from the boat and head on our ways, memories of whales and seals all swirling in our heads. Finally as we docked and departed I felt a mix of happiness to be off the boat and moving about again and sadness as I was once again leaving the water. It was a day to remember, and a day with amazing sights, smells, and sounds.

A blue building; A stone building

This was it. Something I'd dreamed about for years and here I was, on Inishmore. I'd spent the day  exploring the smaller island of Inisheer and riding across the Atlantic from Doolin, on mainland Ireland on a ferryboat. Inisheer was an unexpected surprise and an enjoyable one. Most of the island was low to the sea and upon approach it was amazing to see a lighthouse and a wrecked, rusted ship dotting the shoreline. Inisheer was a beautiful island to visit and spend a couple hours before I found myself back on the ferryboat zipping over the waves to an item on my bucket list. Inishmore. I'd dreamed about this for as long as I could remember. I road on the bow of the boat, waiting and watching for the island to come into view. In the distance I could see Inishmaan, a dark low rising mass rising just above the ocean. Suddenly there it was, low on the ocean but getting larger as we drew closer, Inishmore.

Our boat drew closer to the island and my heart was flying. I was there, finally there. I soaked in the view. A light house on a small island just off the main island blinked in the cloudy, slightly misty afternoon. As we approached the main town, Kilronan, I took in the buildings that stood close to the shore. Two in particular caught my attention. One blue building, one stone building. They stood next to each other and both had me itching to explore the goods the two stores had to offer. Carraig Donn, the blue building had so much to offer from Beleek pottery to Kilkenny crystal. Aran Sweater Market, the stone building held many sweaters, scarves, hats, and socks. There were many other gifty and touristy items. I left each store with purchases I loved from the moment I picked them and up still love, three years later. My Aran wool socks are a soft powder blue and a favorite to keep my feet warm on cold winter nights at home. The Beleek ornament still graces the branches of my Christmas tree each year and hangs on the wall the rest of the year as I don't have the heart to put away this lovely little reminder.

The purchases stand as a reminder to me of that lifelong goal I'd reached and the memory I had of floating up to the dock, seeing the buildings of Kilronan but seeing the standout buildings, one blue building; one stone building.

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.