Tag: adventure

adventure

Unplanned

2chicksandapen

I had breakfast today in West Yellowstone, Montana. Opted to hit the road to visit the famous Grand Tetons in Wyoming. Due to road closures this time of year I took the path less traveled. That meant I had lunch in Idaho and dinner in Wyoming! How much fun is that for a day? I also tried some new snacks: bison jerky and elk sticks. Pretty adventurous for me.

The ride out of Yellowstone put me in the forest so to speak. Trees, wildlife and wide open spaces. I loved it. Before I knew it I was in Idaho. Never been to Idaho so I was looking forward to the brief experience.

As the morning progressed the scenery did not disappoint. From the vacant roadway with the sun shining perfectly to accent to the sky to the view of the Tetons in the distance. This drive I would definitely recommend on a clear day like I had. Farmland galore. Oh all the potatoes hail from Idaho.

The time seemed to pass as I snapped a million photos and made pit stops along the way to enjoy the prestigious views all around. Before I knew it, Wyoming was in sight. A little climb over a mountain but what a spectacular view at the top. It’s hard to read the song in the photo but it stays Howdy Stranger, yonder is Jackson Hole, the last of the old west. Pretty cool sign in my opinion.

The down hill descent was steep. Not going to lie. I would not want to do that downhill trek in inclement weather! As I dumped into the town of Jackson I met some swans by the elk refuge center. No elk today but the swans were entertaining enough. The land reserved for the elk was huge to say the least.

Just a short drive beyond the town was the entrance to the Grand Tetons. What a special place to visit. Every camera angle captured a unique view of the scenic landscape. Words and photos don’t do any justice to the lived experience but I will share a few of my favorite shots.

The reflection of the trees and the peaks were simply amazing. The water was clear as can be. The air was fresh and crisp as it was in the 30 degree temps range on this day. It wasn’t super busy on this day therefore there was peaceful quiet at each viewing point. It seemed like I had the entire wilderness to myself. The trip back was a little hurried as snowfall was on the horizon. I had to beat the snow and ice conditions as the sun went down. And believe it or not the sun is down by around 5 pm and the darkness creeps in just before 6 pm. 

I sincerely hope you enjoyed this clip from my travel journal. I would definitely encourage a trip to see the Tetons, if you can.

Off to continue living my best life on the road.

adventure, celebrations

Holidays Smolidays

2chicksandapen

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful. I am so thankful for my life. The shortcomings. The high points. The people. My friends. My family. My pets. My coworkers. All of it.

I may reflect on my thankfulness differently than others. I don’t need to share my feelings through food nor see somebody in person to let them know they are valued. This year I reflected from a remote location. I was up early before the sunrise. Not to cook but to reflect. It was important to me. I opted for video or text messages to send reminders of value others play in my life. Non traditional, yes. Heartfelt, yes. Memorable, I think so.

My way of celebrating is my way. Family gatherings often end with stressful bickering or binge eating and food comas. No thanks. I’m carving out time for a hike this year. Some peaceful time in nature. Breathing fresh air. Listening to birds chirp. Avoiding chaos. I’m eating simple turkey breast and sides. Easy peasy. No rush. No fluff. No stress. Easy cleanup. I’m letting my adult kids choose how they celebrate. They appreciate this. They don’t want to be forced to attend a required gathering. Just keeping in simple.

When I look back over the past five Thanksgivings, I have traveled out of state for four out of five. There is a pattern. Avoid the conflict, chaos and disappointment. The latter being the worst. Not being able to go everywhere you are invited. Letting somebody down. It’s a tough cross to bear, but an invitation is just that. An invitation to join xyz. It’s not a requirement. If a host doesn’t feel comfortable in their own house, that’s added stress to host. That’s so puzzling to me. I just wouldn’t do it. Not worth it to me. 

I’ve read many articles online this year about Dear Abby, my son-in-law is a pig. Nobody wants him at the family functions. Dear Abby, my daughter-in-law has no manners. Her etiquette is not becoming of her. Dear Abby, my mother is not nice to my husband and it makes the meal table very stressful. So many variations of people being unhappy and losing sight of thankfulness.

I choose non-traditional. I don’t like to confirm to norms. I like to set new traditions and reinvent those experiences with a little flair thereafter. Is that wrong? Am I harming anyone? Am I choosing happy my way? How fun is it to go to a new destination and see how others celebrate? How about volunteering for the homeless and making their day? So many options. 

I prefer paper plates and easy cleanup. No fine china at my turkey day table or other major holiday. I prefer Friendsgiving or gatherings of such. The ones where everyone brings their favorite dish to share. The ones where people focus on what they liked about their standard traditions vs. all the must dos. 

I’m in shorts and slippers today. Nothing fancy. Just me. Comfortably dressed as I gorge myself. No uncomfortable dress up to be presentable to others. My holidays are full of options. The destination may differ. The food may be shaken up. The company may vary as well. That’s part of the fun.

However you celebrate Thanksgiving and other holidays, be thankful. Be thankful for your life, your health and your ability to be present. The latter being most important. Your presence can be virtually in some instances because you are a present to those receiving the message no matter how it’s delivered and really you can’t be everywhere at the same time. You have to improvise. 

I’m also okay with knowing that as I age I may chose solitude. I may choose to reflect alone. That’s my choice. I hope when and if that day comes, my kids understand. If I’m not able to travel or run a race on turkey day I may need to find my peace in my own way. Time will tell. Of course, I’ll probably write about it, too.

To all those who frown on this post, more power to you. I won’t hold it against you, rather it will be motivating for me. I will choose to enjoy my peace more to bank some peacefulness for you. 

Happy turkey day and smolidays to come from this finicky old gal with an independent mindset just tossing this rant out to the world. This post is also coming out after Thanksgiving as it may hit a little different after you had your actual Thanksgiving celebration or shit show.

Football

Parades 

Food

Shopping

Chaos

Embrace your celebration style as I do mine.

adventure

NYC The Last Hump

2chicksandapen

The whirlwind trip had come to an end. The final leg of trip was in sight. The plane ride home was the last hump. Sounds simple right?

11 pm flight becomes midnight. Then it shifts to 2am. Then it’s cancelled. Gone from the radar. Good thing each of had some frequent flyer miles sitting idle with Delta. Now we are booked on the 6 am Delta flight. Sounds amazing but the adventure is just beginning.

The airport closes at 11 pm. That means if you are not in the terminal you are kind of left in a pickle. For us, we made it an adventure of sorts. We entered through the one open door by ticketing. We had a cleansing party in the empty restroom with a pack of cucumber wipes. That was a freshening up we all needed after a day in the dirty city!

We shifted to charging our cell phones, watches and laptops. Each of us perched by a different column or by an elevator with outlets. It was peaceful yet eerie at the same time. Clearly we were on the floor and lucky for us it was just cleaned! We saw a handful of passengers exit off flights that either arrived late or the weary stranded travelers opted for a night in a hotel. We talked with security guards that passed us by with oen eyebrow lifted. We giggled with workers coming in for the new shift. It was a different way to experience the airport in a big city. The calm before the chaos of a new day. An unexpected excursion.

We were invited to be the first ones through security at 3 am. I think they were tired of us loitering. That came with some interesting conversations at the security point. We snagged a few quick photos that we may never get again. See above and below. We enjoyed the open space and the freedom to stroll through the airport as if it was just for us!

We dozed off on the floor of our gate for what seemed like hours but were really minutes at best. We snacked. We giggled. We recapped the trip to the city. We planned breakfast for the next day. We chatted about the same three snacks Delta gives on each flight. Before you knew it, we were ready to board. I slept on the plane so I have no idea how the flight was.

I loved every minute of my time in the empty airport. I felt like it was my own private airport for a few hours. Just out here living my best life full of unexpected adventures.

Until next time or until the next destination post surfaces. Wondering where the next spot will be? Maybe a warm climate. Maybe a remote desert? Guess the story isn’t written yet.

adventure

NYC Mid Day Tour

2chicksandapen

Ping pong in the park. One of my travel mates says: when was the last time you went to the park at home to just chill out or meet a friend? I heard nothing. It’s not an everyday activity for us. Is that because we drive more outside the city?

That brought up the thought of walking. Is there less obesity for those who live in the city because they walk everywhere? It got me thinking about how sedentary my day really is in comparison to others. I walk to my car in the garage vs. walking to the bus stop down the street or the subway. I park at the grocery store and do minimal walking vs. toting my groceries ten city blocks in a cart. How many suburban adults make it a point to walk each day? I checked my Apple Watch and I have a lot of room to improve on my personal step count.

Lunch was next on the bucket list. The famous Katz’s Deli. And let me tell you this place did not disappoint. From the moment you walk in the door the aroma is amazing. The vibe is super cool. The people are from all sorts of backgrounds. The sandwich masters are friendly yet very New York in persona. Despite the harsh exterior or tough guy voices, they were very customer-driven. Offering samples of meat to make sure you got what you wanted. I was on the fence between a pastrami sandwich and corned beef sandwich. Then I saw the sliced turkey and was completely torn. Then I tasted the pastrami and I was sold. Just one bite was all it took.

The carving of the meat was fun to watch. The bins of meat were full yet they cleared out fast. Not sure how much meat this place serves in a day, but that’s probably the largest amount of meat I’ve seen consumed in record time.

The end result was a sinfully delicious sandwich. I devoured my meat and left the bread to the side. Not that the bread wasn’t good, rather the meat was far more worth the calories. Turkey sandwich in the background for comparison. Some opted for melted cheese and the variety of pickles they served on the side was a sweet treat as well.

As we departed we had two interesting encounters. One, a family from Ireland who patiently waited for our table. An interesting conversation exchange over lunch in passing. Upon exit we were greeted by a young women under what appeared to be the influence of heavy drugs. The door attendant made sure she didn’t enter thus we had a little street entertainment. This young lady had her hair (weave) in her hand while she was visibility disheveled, shouting a lot of nonsense and not stringing her words together very well. An interesting and sad sight all at the same time. These two experiences were very different yet minutes apart. I chalk this up to big city life. 

A ride on the subway was next. It was the best method of transportation to the next destination but it did take over an hour and we had a few swaps of trains. The stations are dirty and underground. The rats and other creepy things lurk about. The trains are full of people. Lots of different people. What an experience. I could say so much about the sights, sounds and smells on the big city train but I will really just say it’s an experience everyone should have.

Again I reminisce about my limited commute to my garage each day to get in a car and go a short distance. While some of the folks on the train have to ride for hours, walk, stand, etc. just to get to their job. Thinking about it makes me tired, but that’s their life. I see less obesity on the train than in the suburbs. Is there a correlation to movement? Then we see the headlines on the price of gas: I guess it’s much easier to use the mass transport route during these harder times of dealing with rising gas prices!

My day in the city was full of so much. I can’t write it all down despite doing a series post. I hope many readers get to experience New York City their way one day.

adventure

NYC and the US Open

2chicksandapen

The US Open 2023 in New York City. What an amazing experience it was. From the moment I entered the event to the moment I left I was in awe. As a friend said to me, the Open will just not be the same moving forward on TV after being here in person. True statement.

Let’s start with this photo. Equal prize money. Enough said. Coco earned it! But as I reflect on my day at the Open, I can’t not talk about wheelchair tennis. Amazing to watch in person. The strength and focus required to serve. The tenacity and grit to roll and hit a ball on one side of the court and immediately shuffle to the opposite side for the next. It’s fantastic to see up close. The facial expressions. The sounds. The celebrations but also the defeats. I was was watching juniors on this day making it more powerful given the age and maturity of these athletes. Made me want to do better in all things I do daily without those limitations.

Of course I needed to share the street art as well. Capturing NYC, its culture and the sport of tennis all in one. Now back to the details of the event. Thank you American Express for your hospitality area and all the cool things to do as part of the fan experience.

A little digital glow tennis. A shoe cleaning station. Some freebie sunscreen. Free customization on your keepsake items. Free charging station which was a midday must for me. An air conditioned hang out space to refresh and recharge. A terrace view of some tennis for lay people to try new racquets. Maybe even some time to sip on one of the fabulous Open cocktails. The Honey Deuce was a fan favorite by far. The commemorative glass with the historical title wins was an added bonus. The iced version was an amazing cool down in the moment as well. They even had fancy straws to take home with cleaning brushes in a nice straw sack. Again thank you American Express. You did sponsor the event well.

I couldn’t not write about the cryo facial that American Express offered its cardholders. A special perk that was well worth it. A first for me but it definitely won’t be a last. If you haven’t tried a cryo facial, you should! And one last big win for American Express: free use of radios. Show your card and pick up a little radio for your ear attached to a lanyard for easy on/off use. A great way to hear up-to-the-minute commentator words amongst the roars of the crowd. One ear on the radio. One ear on the live crowd.

The matches in the Arthur Ashe Stadium were action packed. Of course I was cheering for Coco who ultimately took home the title but being there I cheered for all the amazing efforts and winning points on both sides. We even sat through a one hour delay during the Gauff match thanks to fossil fuel protestors. One of which glued their feet to the ground. I can’t even make that story line up. The ambiance within the stadium was awesome. The open ceiling. The neon lights. The game clock. The stats board. The serve speeds. The people. The fans. The reactions. All of it! An A-plus experience.

I hope I have the chance to be a super tennis fan again in the future. Whether it’s the is Open or another big event I will be first to say yes to the experience. I traveled with a new group this time around. I had a blast. We were bonded by love for tennis and our adventurous spirits. Find your people. Expand your horizons. Try something new. Go. Go. Go. Don’t let fear hold you back from enjoyment.

That’s my Open story. Women’s semi-finals. September 7, 2023. I was part of Coco Gauff’s history making. Feeling lucky to have been there. Proud of all the tennis Coco played to make it to the top!