Road Trip 2015: Part Two

The Redwoods were my favorite part of the trip. We saw lots of wildlife, but didn't get pictures of most of them. They were out in the gray twilight and the camera just didn't want to cooperate. The most exciting thing we saw was a mama bear and two cubs walking across the road right in front of us. When they got to the other side the mama and one cub walked down the embankment out of sight, but the other cub scampered right up a tree! It was so cute! Especially since we were in the safety of our car, with the windows up.

We drove through this tree. And then I bought redwood earrings in the gift shop.

Caleb in front of a redwood. Can't you imagine a dinosaur coming out from behind the tree?

The lighting was amazing through the trees.

Looking up!

We went down a lot of gravel roads on this trip. We logged over 2,000 miles!

Road Trip 2015: Part One

I took lots of pictures on our vacation. We started in San Francisco and traveled north to Seattle.

The kids in front of Lombard street. They've grown a lot since I took a picture of them on this spot 8 years ago.

The Palace of Fine Arts. I have always wanted to find this in San Fransisco and this trip I was successful. It is right at the foot of the Golden Gate, so I don't know how I always missed it.

This is one of those shots you just have to get whenever you are in San Fransisco.

There aren't many interesting pieces of glass left on Glass Beach, near Fort Bragg.

Madeleine snapchatted and instagrammed our trip.

The rocks just off shore were making HUGE waves. See tiny Eric, Caleb, and Madeleine on the rock?

Working Girl

                                   

Madeleine and I were out and about, waiting for Caleb to finish climbing. We stopped in to get some bread from the bakery where she has worked for the past couple of summers. They were very interested in having her come back this summer. Good news! She had thought she had waited too long and all the positions would have been filled. The reason Madeleine hasn't pursued a summer job yet is because we haven't got her a car yet. We ordered one a long time ago, but it had been lost somewhere between Atlanta and here. Strange.  In the meantime we share.

So Madeleine will be starting to work in a couple of weeks, when we return from our vacation. Vacation! Hard to believe that a week from now we'll be on the West Coast. Can't wait!

Get Outside

Right now there is a big competition going on to determine the Best Outdoor City.You can click the link and vote for Chattanooga, just because there isn't any competition to Chattanooga when it comes to being outdoors.

To prove this point I was going to blog about how we just hosted a half Iron Man competition last weekend, and will host a full one in the fall.

Or how we are hosting the USA Cycling National Bike Championships this weekend.

Or how we spent Friday night at the weekly Nightfall concert downtown.

Or how Eric, Madeleine and I spent Saturday at the Tennessee Aquarium, which is technically inside, but all about the outdoors, while Caleb went rock climbing at Urban Rocks.

Or how we spent Sunday at Rock City. See Rock City! WooHoo! And then we stoppped by the Chattanooga Market on the way home to pick up some strawberries and a homemade candle. Then the kids headed down to the Riverwalk to skate and bike while Eric and I went to Heritage Park to walk.

But as we walked around Heritage Park I realized that this park sums up all Chattanooga is for me. This is our backyard away from home. We come here nearly everyday that the weather allows. You will see a huge variety of outdoor activities if you ever visit. Walking, running, skating, biking with and without training wheels, scootering, long boarding, kite flying, sleeping on a blanket, frisbee, slack lining, soccer games, corn hole, baseball/softball/wiffleball, hanging in hammocks, life-size chess/checkers, bocce, splashing in the creek, catching fish in a net, live action role playing in medieval garb with swords and shields, dogs playing in the enclosed dog park, photographers capturing engagements, weddings and seniors, wedding parties in kilts and a wide variety of formal wear. There are more languages than I could ever even recognize, with a plethora of ethnicities and races represented. Families of every kind you can imagine. Everyone is respectful, considerate and cheerful. We may be a billion dollar destination thanks to all the wonderful recreation competitions we host, but for me, Heritage Park is why Chattanooga is the best outdoor city in America.

Running on Empty

                        

Tomorrow is the last day for my firsties and everything has to be done and cleaned out by Friday. I could leave my things at school over the summer but I am overly protective. Especially when it comes to my book collection.

I'm too tired, lazy, to get any good pictures of Sadie's graduation onto the computer. This is the "dog" we gave her. It is good for apartment living and traveling. When you get tired of it yapping you just have to flip its switch to "off".  

There is a ton of stuff I should write about on here but I am extremely and chronically exhausted. This time next week, I'll be wondering what to do with myself. 

Time Marches On

Sadie concluded her internship in Atlanta and headed back to Auburn to finish up her bachelor's degree. We helped her make the move at the end of March. I think Sadie and Mitch look like they are right out of the 70s in this picture. Maybe it's the lighting.

I celebrated my very first Easter birthday with Eric and these two good-looking kids.

Time is getting away from me. We only have 3 weeks until Sadie's graduation, then a couple of weeks until I'm out of school, then we will be off for a summer road trip: San Francisco to Seattle!

Someday I'll Have Nice Things

                       
Today is not that day.

                    

I got a cute chair and table. Lizzie thought I got her a new scratching post. Now my chair is covered by a blanket and has aluminum foil pinned over the back of it. Yes people, I have aluminum covered furniture. I love my cats but...law!