Florida with Kris

Kris went to a DairyXchange meeting in Cape Coral, FL. It was at the Westin Cape Coral, and it had all sorts of amenities.

Bikes

We rode them off the property to a park and then walked on trails in dense Florida growth. Every once in awhile there were towers you could climb up to see, and one of them had the biggest spider I've ever seen.

Dolphin boat ride

Twice a day, they take out a boat for an hour and half and try to show you dolphins and other wildlife. We watched 4 dolphins so long we got tired of watching them, and we also saw lots of birds!

Activities

They have yoga every morning (I didn't go, but I saw it), two pools, and a bocce court (great).

Land O' Lakes

After his meeting was over, Kris and I went to Land O' Lakes to visit my cousin, Susan.

We rented through Turo again, and we had to take an Uber from our hotel to the airport to pick it up from short term parking. I have been in Ubers countless times, and this driver made us both carsick. Blech. We got our Chrysler 300, which I've always thought was cool, and drove to Land O' Lakes.

The traffic was heavy, and there were five accidents on the way. We went to Susan's house which was right in the middle of the city, but when you turn down her driveway, you go back through dense growth into a very private place with lakes (of course! It's the land of them!), trees, and a few houses where her relatives live. Her parents (and ancestors) used to be fruit farmers there - she showed us an old orange tree still producing.

Susan showed us all around the property, we met her sister Lou and brother-in-law Warren, and then went out to eat at Vallarta's Mexican Restaurant, which was delicious.

Tampa

We stayed at an Airbnb right on the water in Tampa, because it was the cheapest we could find. The hurricane damage is still very obvious (including boats in people's yards in Cape Coral) and it affected the rentals on the west side of the state.

We ran to Café Quiquiriqui in Ybor City, and on the way there were saw tons of chickens and cigar shops. We learned Tampa is called Cigar City, and we learned the history from plaques and statues on the way.

We were walking down the main street of Ybor City, and a man who worked there said to us, "You ready for the mayhem?" We kind of laughed, because you could tell they were still cleaning up trash left on the streets from the night before. Little did we know....

At the coffee place, which we loved, they sold a shirt with  a chicken smoking a cigar. Sadly, it was not in Kris' size.

St Pete's Beach

We went back to our house and decided that the beaches in Tampa didn't look great online, but St Pete's Beach did. Plus, Kris had been there before a few years ago and loved it. It was a 40 minute drive to St Pete's Beach access parking lot, and we paid by app.

White sand! Waves! Clear water! This beach had it all. We walked, people watched and swam...paradise.

We even had lunch ON the beach, which you don't find just anywhere. It was at Bongos, and it was so on the beach, we were in the sand. We didn't even wear shoes there. Success!

We drove back, showered, admired how quickly we burnt even though we wore sunscreen, and parked on the street near the Children's Museum (again paying by app) to walk the Tampa Riverwalk.

Tampa Riverwalk

As we were doing it, Kris said, this is what people mean when they say they want a riverwalk. There were people of all ages, people running and biking, people stopping to eat and drink, people going there as a destination. Halfway at Big Ray's Fish Camp, they had a live band. It was a great Saturday afternoon. We walked the length of it and decided to eat. We went off the Riverwalk to Pint and Brew, but we decided not to eat there, and Kris suggested we go back to Ybor City to eat, since it looked so happening.

Ybor City

We parked there and were treated to a surprise! There were fences up and so many people dressed up like St Patrick's Day pirates. We asked, and a spectator told us the St Patrick's Day parade stated at 7pm. Just in time! We found a spot and...it was amazing.

Float after spectacular float of people dressed like St Patrick's themed pirates came down the street! There were bands and twirlers and dance teams - all people our age or older. They all threw beads to the crowd and I eventually had so many they were heavy. There was music, people shot confetti guns, everyone was dancing! It was such a fun atmosphere!

We watched this super fun parade for an hour and a half...and it still wasn't done. We went to Tampa Bay Brewing Company for dinner and learned about the krewes of Tampa. In all our searching 'what to do in Tampa' nothing about St Patrick's Day or the krewes came up. But now we know there are over 130 in Tampa, it's a long tradition, they dress up and have parades and also are philanthropic groups. News to us, and so interesting and fun! I love other places.

We walked toward our car, and you could barely walk on the sidewalk. The crowds were still watching the parade, which was now clocking in at two hours, you couldn't walk without stepping on beads, and there were pirate like people in green everywhere. A festive atmosphere!

We went home and set our alarms for 2:30 a.m. so we could drive the two hours back to the airport, gas up and return the car, and make our 7:00 am flight. It was also daylight savings time, and I woke up at 1:30 thinking...will our alarm go off if there's no 2:30? It won't. You're welcome.

And St Patrick's Day is happening here again this Friday...I have some new outfit ideas.

Portugal

I've been to Europe before - England, Scotland, and Italy - but I wasn't sure what Portugal was going to be like. Though it had some similarities, it definitely had its own feel and flavor. 

Day one

I took a flight from Detroit to Newark. BeReal went off right before my flight was going to be called. It captured blue skies! Our plane at the gate! How lovely.

Then they announced the plane was delayed 45 minutes due to air traffic. 

My heart dropped. A traffic jam in the sky! Since I only had an hour layover in Newark, we all lined up to rebook...and the agent told me there were 11 people in the same position so they might hold the plane to wait for us. 

The entire flight my heart rate was the same as when I run. (What a workout.) The flight attendant announced over the speaker that we would have more delays. On the plane as we flew, I watched the flight info change to us getting there later and later. But! We landed when my flight started boarding, and I sprinted to my gate...unnecessarily, I still had to wait in line for 10 minutes. Hooray!

On the plane, I couldn't hear the announcement. Couldn't make out a word! I took out my earplugs. It was in a different language. Ah ha!

I met up with two friends (Laurie and Kate, coming from NC and I immediately noticed their adorable accents) at the airport, and the other three (Alicia from MD, Aimee from NC, Anna from Germany giving us Euro cred) joined us later.

We dropped off our luggage at the Airbnb office and walked from there along the water to the Praça do Comércio, the main square.

We had a tiny cup of coffee on the way. Europe is funny about coffee. It comes in a thimble. So different.

We went up in the arch (Rua Augusta) to see the view. Only 3 euros. From the top, we spotted our next friend (Alicia) to meet us! She came on up to enjoy the view and giant toes of the statue.

There are famous pastries in Portugal called pastel de nata. They were custard in a crust, a little circle, and they were everywhere you turned. We tried them, and they were delicious. We then ate at Cafe Atico, an off the beaten path place a concierge at a hotel suggested when the rooftop place we wanted to go was closed. (Aimee and Anna joined us there!) The girls saw something on a different table that looked good, and they thought they ordered it, but instead they were served raw pork and beef and a grill to cook it on. Surprise!

We went to the square and rented a tuk tuk ($10 each) and driver as a tour guide. She was very enthusiastic and drove us all around the city, showing us the sights. We saw the Lisbon Cathedral, Statue of Saint Vicente, National Pantheon, and the best, Graca Viewpoint, from the top of the city. This was a great way to see a lot in a short amount of time.

She took us to a place (take your pick, they're everywhere) and told us we had to try cod cakes called pastéis de bacalhau, another Portugese delicacy. It is fish mixed with herbs and cheese, and then fried. I'll try anything, and it tasted like...fried fish.

We also looked at sardine shops, which were so attractive, even though zero of us ate sardines.

We were all jet lagged at this point, so we took a quick nap and went out to listen to fado at Bohemia LX SE. Fado is a kind of music Portugal is known for, and we heard Tina Sanchez, our waiter told us. Really strong singers, really talented musicians. We enjoyed it. We also ate there, and I had chocolate mousse, which was a dessert available at every restaurant. Better than cod.

Day Two

Aimee and I went for run. People say 'bom dio' as a greeting.

We walked to the square and ate at Nene for breakfast. Portugal is a little less expensive than the US, so you feel like you're getting a deal.

Staying anywhere in the city in an Airbnb is good. The city seems small and walkable, it is very safe, and Uber was cheap and immediately available.

We walked along the water to Monument of the Discoveries and Belem Tower, both impressive. This was a longer walk (about 3 kilometers), so we got scooters and went by the Jeronimos Monastery to the LX Market. This was super fun. Scooters were speedy, it was sunny and nice, and we got there quick. Aimee used her phone to unlock them all for us.

We went to a rooftop hostel bar for a drink, then walked around the market and ate burritos while sitting in a boxing ring in the middle of the Mex Factory Restaurant. Anna lives in Germany, and she doesn't often get Mexican food. 

Portugal, boxing ring, burritos with a German? It was the best thing I ate the whole trip.

Our tuk tuk driver suggested we go dancing at B.Leza. Aimee and I had seen people still out at the bars at 9:00 a.m., and were happy to see this was one of them.

We went back to get ready and our power was out. Everyone in the building acted like this was normal. Happily, it went back on after an hour and a half. This helped because B.Leza didn't open until 10:30, and we didn't leave the Airbnb until 11:30 p.m.

We took an Uber and wavered between going there (6 euros) and next door (15 euros), where our Brazilian Uber driver wanted us to go. We picked B.Leza and it was unlike anywhere I'd been. People of all ages and races were dancing samba, which looked a lot like couples dancing close and not touching each other with their hands. It was a fun atmosphere to unfamiliar music. But only couples dancing. Not really the dancing experience I was expecting, but that was to come...

Day Three

I ran in the morning around steep windy streets. I went to the top of the city and it was all laid out in front of me.

We took our luggage to the train station and were informed they were on strike and there wasn't a train for two hours. So, we called an Uber and for $39 (with our luggage on our laps) went to our next Airbnb in Sintra.

Our airbnb host let us in and gave us suggestions on where to go. He was also very (rightfully so) proud of his place, which he had decorated and made so interesting. I loved the art. He suggested we eat at Mirra Serra, a quick walk from there.

Mirra Serra was a local restaurant that served Portugese food. It WAS so local. Go here. Our waiter told us everything toward Sintra after that would be more expensive, and he was right.

We walked to Pena Palace, which was funny, because we thought we were going to a closer palace, but a farther one came up on Alicia's GPS when she typed it in. So many palaces from which to choose! It took us about an hour to walk there on winding, steep, reallllly narrow roads with cars and tuk tuks speeding by. Very busy!

We got there and needed tickets, which Kate bought for all of us online. (If you haven't used Kitty Split for dividing things up in your group, it's amazing. Really simplifies it all, because one person can pay and divide it easily.)

We hiked first to High Cross, the highest point in Sintra Hills, which was beautiful. The palace itself was so, so cool. Colorful, old, quirky, interesting, historical, and I couldn't stop taking pictures of it. First palace!

We ate a late dinner at Passione Pizza, where Italian waiters gave us salad, pizza, and homemade tiramisu.  Italian in Portugal - delicious.

Day Four

This was my favorite day of the trip.

I ran to the outskirts of the city and found an abandoned barn and active dirt bike track.

We went to Quinta da Regaleria, an old castle! We bought tickets (11 euros) online in line again.

I enjoyed exploring this castle so much, because it had underground tunnels and an elaborate, huge circular room, with stairs all around it, from the top of the earth into the ground. It was built into the rocks. I'm not sure how to describe it, except it looked like something from a movie set. They were also filming a movie outside.

Down the street, they were selling crepes, pastries, gelato, and we all ate something in front of Sintra Palace before we ordered an Uber to Cabo da Roca.

Cabo da Roca was absolutely beautiful. Cliffs! Waves! Flowers! Mountains! The colors were amazing. Aimee and I hiked way down toward the water and I was 100 percent happy. I could have spent all day there. This was the best spot of the whole week.

We went with the other girls to the other side of the lighthouse and just marveled at the sight. Someone there told Anna that it is usually very windy, but this day it was perfect.

We had one more destination, so we took an Uber to Cascais, farther south. Our driver told us it was a posh town, like the Miami of Portugal. It had palm trees lining the streets. We walked around and Alicia treated everyone to a seafood dinner at Baia do Peixe, right on the water.

We walked to the marina along the water to see the sunset. It was amazing! The waves were so huge that people got wet and I got sprayed unexpectedly! The rocks, the water, the sky...palaces, cities, and castles are great, but for me nothing compares to nature.

Day Five

I ran up to the Moorish Castle (Castelo dos Mouros.) It was early, so it was different going up. No people, no cars. It wasn't open so I couldn't get all the way in, but could explore all around and be above the whole city, and I felt like the only person in the world. In my own castle.

We took our Uber back to Lisbon, and on the way there our driver played a documentary on Lisbon where they mentioned the oldest bookstore in the WORLD, Livraria Bertrand, (1732!) so we walked there. On the way we stopped by a market near the Rossio station, and we bought gifts for ourselves and others.

We ducked into Basilica of Our Lady of the Martyrs, another gorgeous cathedral, and we went to lunch on the water...and were joined by Will, also coming from NC!

The girls took bikes to the tile museum, and Aimee, Will and I walked to Alfama, a different (and oldest) part of the city to explore. While we were there, I actually gasped, because three archeologists were excavating a human skeleton right on the sidewalk as we walked by. I asked if I could take a picture, and they said no, because it is human remains. Will asked how they knew to dig there, and they said there used to be a church there.

It was all very understated. They had reflective vests on and some orange plastic barriers, but nothing that would suggest they were excavating humans. Just another day in an old country.

We then went on another trip I was excited for...a sunset boat ride! Will, Aimee and I rode a boat along the coast. We saw the bridge, Mount Cristo, the Monument of Discoveries, Belem Tower, and beautiful Lisbon. We got to sit outside. Then, as we turned around, everyone in the boat started dancing to the music, and we all joined in! Hooray for unexpected, enthusiastic dancing.

We met up with the other girls and went to Red Frog (a cool speakeasy Kate found - get reservations). We all loved the secret door! We went to Monkey Mash, which was attached, and they had a bartender there from Italy making three signature drinks. Lively place! We ended the night dancing at Pensão Amor which was packed and fun!

Unfortunately, my red eye didn't make it, but I was able to get on the next flight.

18 years ago, Aimee, Laurie, and Alicia invited me to go to Miami with them. Since then, we've taken countless trips together, with different combinations of people, domestically and internationally. Traveling with my friends is (obviously) one of my favorite things to do, and I highly recommend Portugal. I always felt safe, people were really friendly, there wasn't really a language barrier at any point, and it was different than anywhere I've been. The Portugese people we spoke with were proud of where they loved and wanted us to love it too.

I'm already looking forward to our next trip.

University of Illinois - Champaign

Our group tries to go to one away game a year, and this time it was to the University of Illinois.

Day one

We rented a 15-passenger van from the airport rental lot, because we wanted to all ride together. We met up and left at 10:30 for a five hour drive from St Johns to Champaign, but it took way longer - lots of construction, a couple of stops...so I'm even happier we were all together!

Joel suggested that we eat at Portillo's Hot Dogs. While I'm not a hot dog person, they did have other options and I got a giant roast beef sandwich (okay - I should have gotten hot peppers and cheese on it, so now I know better) and a chocolate shake (always great.)

While we were there, our BeReal went off. If you're not familiar with it, BeReal is a social media app that goes off once a day, at an unknown time, for everyone at the same time. You have two minutes to take a picture of you and what you see. It went off in Portillo's and I loved seeing everyone stop and take a picture of their meal. 

Purdue University wasn't far off our path, so we stopped at the stadium. Many of us haven't been there before, and it was cool to see. We drove through campus, and it was a happening town.

We met Gage at our Airbnb. This was delightful - he couldn't get a flight into Champaign, so he was flying into Bloomington an hour away and we were going to go pick him up. But! A kind man named Justin offered him a ride! Thanks, Justin. Glad there are such nice people in the world.

We walked from our Airbnb to the downtown area of Champaign. There were a lot of people out, and it was so warm. We went to Pour Bros. Craft Taproom, where they were doing something I'd never seen before. You gave your credit card to the bartender, and he gave you a card with a barcode on it. Then, you tapped that card on the tap, and you were charged for how much beer came out. That way, you could try as many as you wanted.

We walked across the street to Seven Saints and sat in their outdoor patio. I loved the atmosphere and our fun waiter, and the food was just okay. We walked around looking for the busy places and rounded out the night by playing darts (poorly on my part) at the The Blind Pig Brewery. 

Day two 

We got up early to go tailgate on campus! We had purchased a parking pass online, and we coordinated with setting up next to some friends who live in Fowler. The wind was blowing 50 miles per hour, and there was no way we were setting up our tents. They did, however, with the use of our van blocking them, duct tape, stakes, and a tow strap, and it worked out!

The rules in the parking lot were very lax. We pulled up on the grass, other people parked sideways, there wasn't even a parking attendant all the time, cars were parked there from the night before - very different from MSU, and not bad at all!

Matt and Kate came a little later than we did, and as they were walking, a woman pulled over and gave them a ride the rest of the way. Nice again!

We walked around campus to see the stadium, the basketball arena, and other people's cool tailgating setups. (Another BeReal happened here. I looked across the parking lot to see scads of college girls simultaneously taking a picture.) There were a lot of fancy custom uses. Also interesting...across the street from the stadium is a 52-acre cemetery. Right on campus! People tailgated across the street from it. Nice place to end up, I guess. 

My friend and student at University of Illinois Charlene came over, some more friends from MSU came, we made friends with the people around us, and we played punt, pass, kick with the Fowler crew. Lots of music, lots of food and drink, and a nice time. Jess and I watched the team walk in after we had breakfast burritos and before we had double cheeseburgers.

At one point, a car pulled up and the Fowler crew emptied it of food and drinks. I thought it was one of their friends, but no - it was Instacart from Meijer - just regular grocery delivery! A friend handed the guy $40 to go an buy two bags of ice off the clock, and then everyone made fun of him for the next 15 minutes, insisting he would never return. And then in a giant coup - he did! Our friend was so happy.

Then - the game! There was a flyover, which always gets me. We met up with our old friends Ron and Amy Kieser, who live in Illinois. We didn't expect MSU to win, (Illinois was 7-1, and we tried to lose it at the end), but MSU ended up victorious! 

Side note - the lines were really long in the stadium for food and the bathroom. We heard one Illinois fan say to another, "If we're going to be good, we're going to have to get more bathrooms." Ha! 

We were hungry after the game, and we heard Papa Dough's was supposed to be good. Apparently it was very good, because it was going to take two hours for them to make three pizzas. In the meantime, we went to Triptych Brewery and played my favorite restaurant game - shuffleboard. We went to Papa Dough's and the pizza still wasn't done, but soon after we got there it was. To cap off the night, we watched the Astros win the World Series.

Day three

I went running on a very quiet and pretty campus. Kris drove Gage to the airport, and we got started on our trip back. Due to more construction, traffic, and a ridiculously long wait for food at the Cracker Barrel, it still took us 7.5 hours to get home. It's okay - it was worth it. The drive, the college town, the game, the company - all a super fun time. I didn't think we'd win the game, but I knew we'd win the weekend.

Colorado

My brother went to the Air Force Academy, and my uncle, aunt, and cousins lived in Colorado, so I spent a lot of time here. However, it's been a long time since i was last here...somewhere around 18 years ago.

Day one

We used Turo again! (The Airbnb for cars.) This time was a little different, because instead of meeting us, she just left the car in the airport parking lot. She let us know the low tire light was on but it wasn't low...same as last Turo car! The car was great and still cheaper and faster to get than a rental car.

We drove to Boulder to hike. First we stopped at Moe's Broadway Bagel, just based on looks. It was one of those happy accidents where you get into line, it looks good, and then the line grows to 20 behind you and you know you lucked into good timing and delicious food.

My friend Andrea suggested the Mount Sanitas loop, and it was excellent! I told Kris I like when I'm hiking and you have to stop to rest. Steep, rocky, and a huge payoff at the top. Plus, all the leaves were changing, making it even more colorful! I took us about 2.5 hours. Highly recommend.

My cousin Lorelle and her husband Evan live close, so she suggested we meet at Avery Brewing Co. It was a brewery that has everything you want. View of mountains, twinkly lights, outdoor seating, and a good menu. They brought their dog, and a lot of other people did too.  (Before we met up with them we stopped at Asher Brewery which was also fine, but I preferred this one.) We had dinner, drinks, and a wonderful time. I love traveling, and seeing people I love makes it even better.

We drove to Englewood, CO right as the Broncos game was getting out - lots or traffic! We went to my cousin Greg and his wife Gerry's house for dinner. Again, seeing more wonderful people! They fed us dinner...including ice cream. Greg played a little piano, and really we just had a great time - too short.

We returned our car to the airport parking lot, walked to the ride share area, and took an Uber to our hotel, Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center. Our meeting was held here, and it was a fancy place - indoor pools and slides, outdoor pools, hot tubs, water slides, tennis, basketball, and many restaurants. It's also set off in a field by itself, and you can see the airport from across the field.

Day two

I ran outside and in the gym. They have free bike rental, so Kris and I took bikes around on paved paths around the hotel, and then behind the hotel, where we found oddly beautiful piles of discarded ice from some other convention center event. (Fancy hotel and my favorite thing was piles of multi-colored ice? Yes.)

After work I swam in the outdoor heated pool (it was 53 outside) and it was steaming, circled around the lazy river, went in the hot tub, and at night our meeting group went to Cattivella, which was a nice Italian restaurant where I had lamb...had only once before, pre-kids. Delicious.

We hung out with our group at the sports bar, which has a 75-foot tv screen. Not inches - feet! The Lions lost just the same, only bigger.

Day three

I ran on the paved paths around the hotel, and I went back to check on the melting ice. I worked and went to the meeting. They have an open dairy bar with ice cream, cheese, pizza, flurries, milk, etc., and I ate so much. (Side note on the meeting - it was really interesting, and I loved seeing the people I know from around the country and meeting new ones.) At night our group went to DiCicco's, another nice Italian place. 

On day two I realized I left my sunglasses in our Turo car, and the driver Kat said she worked at the airport and she'd leave them in the Southwest baggage claim office for me. She said, "Tell the people there they'll be in the second drawer of the file cabinet next to the scary clown." (Near Halloween this was fine.) They were, and I was so grateful for nice people!

Other places in Colorado I love include the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Estes Park, Pike's Peak...but since this was a work trip, we were mostly working. Next time!

Beautiful ice

Butter boards! All the rage

Make Every Drop Count

The meeting - about 750 people

Grand Canyon and Las Vegas

My friend Rondi planned and invited us on a trip to hike the Rim to Rim in the Grand Canyon. She’s already done it (both directions, running) and wanted to take her husband, so then invited all her friends! She tore her ACL and meniscus shortly before the trip, so they’re saving the hike for later, but they went to Las Vegas with us. But thanks to her – this happened!

Day one

We flew Allegiant from Grand Rapids to Las Vegas and rented a 15-passenger van, but with no room in the back for luggage, there’s no way we could have fit 15 people in there. We had to use the back row for our suitcase. There were 10 of us – Matt, Moriah, and Clara Newman, Matt and Kate Upton, Suzie and Jared Fromson, Andrea Hallead, Matt Spiess, and me. So many Matts. We called them Spiess, Upton, and Hamms, for obvious reasons.

We were going right past the Hoover Dam, and it seemed a shame not to stop, so we did! The size and engineering looked amazing. I’d never seen it before, and I want to take a tour next time to hear all the amazing stats.

It was a four hour drive to South Kaibob Lodge in the Grand Canyon National Park. We checked in and ate at the outdoor restaurant at our lodge. Four of us set off because I wanted to see the canyon before sunset. On the map it looked like it was .5 miles, but after we walked through the woods for awhile, two headed back, and Matt Spiess and I walked by a campground, a fenced area, deserted paths, until finally we found the Visitor’s Center, and then sprinted to the canyon to see it before dark! (Who knew this giant hole would be so hard to find?!) Totally worth it. Breathtaking as always. This was not my first time to the Grand Canyon, but the next day was something new…getting all the way to the bottom!

Day two

We got all ready to hike, and we packed a lot of food and water. While standing outside, Matt Upton and I each saw a different shooting star. Matt Newman shuttled us to the South Kaibob trailhead. We got all ready, started off, and then heard a yell from the path: “Turn off your headlamps! Don’t go!” One of the mules below had broken away, and they were trying to collect it. We waited about five minutes until they yelled, “Okay, now you can come!” And…we were off again! We used our headlamps for the first little bit, but it was quickly light. I started with a light jacket because it was about 45 degrees, but took it off after about 20 minutes.

A lot of my friends used hiking poles, and they would be helpful for the more technical (i.e. steep and rocky) parts of the hike. We descended for a long time. I slipped and fell once when I was putting my phone back in my running belt, and when my arm hit the ground it jarred the phone out of my hand, where it crashed against the rock wall and landed on the path. Unbroken!

I was familiar with the first part of the hike, because I’d hiked halfway down this trail twice. I did the same on Bright Angel, but I like this path’s views better. We watched the sunrise, and made the long trek to the bottom, stopping for breaks along the way.

I was so excited to get to the Colorado River! All the times I’ve hiked here, I’ve wanted to get to the bottom. It was so nice to put my hands in it.

We stopped at Phantom Ranch for lunch, and we noted we were a third of the way done. So far, so good! The views were unbeatable.

There was then a long section of flat. We were along a river, walking by giant cliffs of rock, and it was an easy walk. It was hotter here, (about 89 degrees), but we were in shade for a lot of it, so it wasn’t too hot. People were prepared and soaked handkerchiefs in the water and put them around their necks. This part wasn’t technical, and you didn’t really have to watch your feet. It was dusty though, and our shoes and socks were covered in a fine red film.

There was a sign that said you could go to Ribbon Falls by one path or another, and Matt Spiess and Jared got separated when crossing the river. I wanted to go by bridge, but when we got to the bridge part, it said the bridge had been removed and I could just cross the river by wading it. I chose not to, and we waited until Matt Spiess returned to go forward. Andrea got really hot here, but Jared gave her a cooling cloth for her neck, I poured water on her head, and she was fine.

We started the ascent! There were stops for water and bathroom all along the way, and we all filled up and ate. We saw waterfalls, a helicopter pad, mule deer, lizards, and talked to the other hikers. Moriah and I sang show tunes, we chatted, and we took a lot of pictures.

We got to one spot that was out of this world. It was so dramatic. The colors, the size of the cliff we were walking on, the long view across the valley. I just sat and soaked it in. It’s funny to think that one place can be so wonderful when the entire hike’s views are also wonderful, but it really was.

We took our last photo in the light, since it was dark by 6:00 p.m., and we continued the hike in the dark. Now there weren’t any views outside of my little circle of light, but my phone started getting service, so I was texting and hiking! I could see my friends' headlamps below and above me. 

We met some people coming back who said we had three miles left to go, and Kate put it on her watch. At three miles, we still weren’t done. Okay, maybe we have another half a mile, we thought. We went another half a mile and reached Coconino Overlook, which I knew from the map meant we had .7 more to go. That’s it! We marched out the .7 and then…saw Matt and Clara’s lights greeting us at the end! We made it! As Andrea walked up Suzie said, “Let’s put our poles and arms up and have her walk through them!” Jared said, “The thing about this group is you can always count on someone making it weird.” We did and then we all celebrated! Suzie and Jared presented us with medals they handmade for each of us. 

Matt told us he made $90 shuttling people from the parking lot while he waited for us. Bonus!

Matt drove us to our lodge – the North Kaibob Lodge. There was nowhere to eat anywhere around us, so he had bought snacks and drinks for us, and we talked and celebrated in one of the 8-person cabins. When I showered, red dust swirled down the drain!

Day three

The aspen trees at the lodge were so beautiful, I couldn’t stop taking pictures of them. So white and yellow against the green trees! We ate a hearty breakfast buffet there ($15.99 and worth it) and then drove to Las Vegas, dropped off the van, Ubered to the Mirage, and met up with Rondi and Andy! They’d gone ebiking in Zion with friends Destinee and Thom. We went right to the pool, which has waterfalls and a hot tub and palm trees, and it was beautiful.

People split up for night – some to see Miranda Lambert, Beatles Love Cirque de Soleil, ziplining, and Andrea and I went to see Mystere Cirque de Soleil, where I was nervous the entire time for the performers since they could DIE at so many moments! We also went to the Venetian to see the sky room (the Grand Canal Shoppes), ate a giant shake at Black Tap, and watched the volcano erupt at the Mirage. After that, three Matts and a Jared went to old Las Vegas to the Evil Knievel placed called Evel Pie because they had Hamm’s there, which you can’t get just anywhere.    

Day four

Pool day! We spent a lot of the beautiful, hot day at the pool, and Destinee and Thom joined all of us, too. All together! With friends I also saw the Bellagio decorations inside (so gorgeous) and the Bellagio fountain (always a crowd-pleaser.) It was particularly fun to see it with Moriah, because she loved it and cheered like we were at a concert!

We also walked in the Cosmopolitan, because it’s fancy, watched the volcano again, and enjoyed seeing all the people walking around Las Vegas.

We got all dressed up in our gowns and suits we recently wore to Kate and Matt’s Great Gatsby party, and many of us wore wigs. This is the second time I’ve gone out in Las Vegas in this wig, but the first time was 20 years ago. We ate at The Still in our hotel, and it was delicious. We danced, the Newmans went to ride the Ferris wheel (very fun), and I watched people lose a lot of money before I decided I was not going to join them.

We left the next morning and headed for home. Overall, the Grand Canyon hike was amazing. Strava said it’s 27 miles, which is what my Fitbit said, but some clock it at 22 miles or 24 miles. Anyway, it was long, elevation 5,790 feet down, and totally worth doing. If you don’t want to do the whole hike, then going halfway down and back up is great, too.

This was my fifth time to both the Grand Canyon and Las Vegas, so if you have any questions about either, I’m happy to answer them. This trip was really made possible by Rondi, so thanks to her, and thanks also to our amazing friends who always say YES!

Update: Andrea made a video of the entire trip and it is amazing! Link here.