Survivor Island

Last night Conor and I made the best of the situation with what little food and wood we had.  I found a pack of graham crackers unopened on the beach so we ate those with his peanut butter, believe it or not, like two desperately hungry fools who didn't prepare.  We sat around playing cards talking about life and cheeseburgers.  I taught him how to play Rummy but he was inpatient and a sore loser.  

A group of 5 showed up that evening after hiking in from Two Harbors.  They were from San Diego.  Very nice people.  I exchanged numbers with them after explaining I was headed to San Diego in the near future.  Conor was napping when I met them and they invited me for dinner.  I desperately wanted to go but I didn't want to leave him and I wasn't sure if they were just saying that to be nice so I didn't end up taking them up on it.  My only regret of my time in Parsons Landing was that Conor took the kayak out past the mountain to watch the sunset.  I wish I hopped in and joined him because I am sure it was gorgeous.  When he got back he said seal were swimming along side him in the water.  All day Conor was the young adventurous one and I kept saying sorry grandma over here is holding you back.  He kept saying you're not old!! He tried to tell me that 10 years wasn't a big age difference at all.  I explained to him that it wasn't.  I completely think for someone who is 31 and 41, no big deal! 45 and 55...but think about 22 and 12 obviously that's a big difference.  To each their own but I personally think that 22 and 31 is a big difference.  At 22 you are just graduating college learning what it is like to really be an adult.  At 31 you are at a completely different place.  I think he was starting to get it.  When we said our goodbyes last night he said, "I hope I end up like you when I am 31."  That made me feel pretty good.  

This morning I gave myself ample time to get back to the safari bus.  This was no wind and really no current whatsoever.  It felt like I was kayaking on a lake.  So what took me a little over 3 hours to get to took me only about an hour an half to get back, leisurely.  I kind of felt like a fraud.  Everyone thought I was so badass for kayaking by myself to Parsons against the wind and everything but the ride back was a breeze, no pun intended!  I got back with a ton of time to kill so I used the laundry mat to dry some of my clothes, charge my phone, and ate a massive egg burrito!  

Now I am headed to Las Vegas for four nights of one my favorite bands Phish!  I will be meeting one of my best friends Dani Ann and her husband Steve from Vermont there tonight.  Tomorrow will be the return of Andy from Kalamazoo!  Yes, that's right I met him through Team Ween he likes Phish too and maybe me...so he decided to make the trip out.  Should be a fun weekend!! 

  

Song of the Day: "Ancient Voices: Survivor Theme Song".  As I made the trip back, although much more relaxing then the trip there I felt this song was an appropriate one.  I made my way back to Two Harbors with only one causality, a yellow jacket bite, a true survivor...arooo wooo!!!!

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Parsons Landing

I am not sure if I am going to be able post this blog.  I have service and can make phone calls and send text messages but I don't seem to have Internet access and the more I try the more my battery drains.  My solar charger only has half a charge left too so I need to conserve.  

Kayaking to Parsons Landing was a great idea.  It was beautiful along the shore.  It was a difficult ride however, not going to lie.  The man I rented the kayak from tried to explain all the landmarks I would see before arriving to Parsons Landing.  A big rock, a Boy Scout camp, a series of rocks.  Was this guy serious? It all looked the same to me, a rock is a rock.  I asked how long it takes to kayak there so I would know around what time I should be there by.  He said anywhere between 2-8 hours depending on how fast you kayak!  The second I left I knew I would be the person that took 8 hours to get there, first because I was in no hurry, and second because the wind was pretty strong and I was paddling against it.  I felt like I was paddling through cement...yup 8 hours for sure!  

When I arrived to Parsons Landing I have no clue how I knew it was Parsons Landing because none of those guys directions made any sense.  At one point I stopped and took a break and put the location in my phone to make sure I was still headed in the right direction and didn't pass it.  In just that short break the wind brought the kayak back at least 500 yards, maybe more, no more breaks.

There are some rocks along the beach and it was high tide when I arrived.  Extremely afraid that my kayak would somehow tip over and my entire backpack would be submerged in water I prematurely jumped out of the kayak way too far from shore.  I had on hiking boots, hiking pants, and a life vest.  It did not make it easy for me to pull this heavy ass kayak to shore, my feet couldn't even touch the bottom.  For a moment I totally freaked that I was going to lose the kayak and I made a huge mistake by jumping out so soon!  I just told myself to breath and relax, you got this!  I pulled that sucker up on the beach, my bag bone dry, me on-the-other-hand, soaked.

Once I caught my breath and confirmed I did arrive to Parsons Landing I saw someone I recognized from the Two Harbors campground that had left shorter before me this morning just arriving to the beach.  I ran over to talk to him.  Conor, from Scotland.  After talking we concluded he left at least an hour before me to hike to Parsons Landing and I beat him by kayak by at least 30 minutes with each of us taking about a 30 minute break along the way.  That was pretty cool to have a comparison of the two methods of transportation and which one was the better way to go because I definitely thought as I was kayaking I wonder if the hike would have been better?  Conor wishes he had kayaked when he saw me but he said it was a nice hike.  

The water is chilly for sure and the temperature as I said only about 70 but man in the summer time this place is probably dynamite.  Conor was planning to hike back to Two Harbors today but when I told him I was staying until Thursday so he decided to stay.  It worked out for me because the locker only provided one bundle of firewood which actually burned much longer than either of us expected, about three hours.  So we used his firewood last night and we will use mine tonight.  He is a nice kid.  Twenty-two years old just graduated college and wanted to come travel around the US.  He said he was hoping to find a wife so he wouldn't have to go back to Scotland.    He did ask me if I was interested...I told him I had enough on my plate right now and that was a pretty big favor to ask someone 😂.  It's funny that I have only met two people from outside the US and both of them happen to have been from Scotland, small world.  

So far today I have been relaxing and enjoying the beach.  The few other campers that were here since left and Conor and I have the beach to ourselves.  He took the kayak for a spin, I needed a break, I developed a blister from yesterday's trek.  We took a hike to a rocky beach and went snorkeling.  He found me an extra mask that someone had left.  The water was chilly but once you were in it was fine.  There were plenty of fish to see so I definitely appreciated him scoring me a mask.  He climbed a massive rock and launched into the ocean.  I was too scared.  Of course he didn't pack much food either, peanut butter and almonds.  So we will make do with what we have.  

Going to go to bed early tonight because I need to get back to Two Harbors in the kayak by noon to take a Safari bus to Avalon to take the ferry to Long Beach.  I want to make sure I give myself plenty of time so I am going to leave camp by 7am.  Hopefully I will not be traveling against the wind again...aroooo wooo!!!!!!

Song of the Day "Live Life" Zayde Wolf.  I found this song on the Spotify Discover Weekly playlist.  I liked it for today because I camped on the beach last night looking up at the stars.  I am living life, through the good and bad.  This kid Conor has an adventurous spirit and if he wasn't here with me I wouldn't have ventured out on those rocks or probably even snorkeled.  So get out there and live life because you only get one!!

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Santa Cantalina - Two Harbors

It is definitely not the wine mixer.  Obvisiously, I arrived at the beginning of their "winter season" although the weather is still 70.  You can only get to the get to the island by ferry boat or plane.  I chose ferry for economic reasons.  The ferry has two drop-offs Avalon and Two Harbors.  Avalon is the busier area.  I chose Two Harbors because I wanted to hike out to Parsons Landing, a primitive campground that reminds me of survivor.  They give you a key at the visitor center which unlocks a locker to your firewood and 2 gallons of water.  Other than that, there are no resources at the campground.  The ferry landed at Two Harbors at about 4:30pm so I didn't want to hike to Parson Landing, which is about a 8 mile hike.  It would have been dark when I was setting up camp and since I had never been here before I wanted to get a lay of the land.  I have decided instead of hiking to Parsons Landing today I am going to rent a kayak so that I will have a kayak with me for the next couple days to enjoy the beautiful weather.  There are plenty of hiking trails I can venture to from camp but overall I think it will be a relaxing couple days.

I was definitely a bit stressed preparing for this trip.  I think just not knowing what to expect, not having my car with all my supplies on hand, if needed, made me nervous.  Also, I found out the ferry schedule changed and I now will have to take a safari bus to Avalon on Thursday and a taxi from Long Beach back to my car in San Pedro.  Not an easy first backpacking excursion.

The campground at Two Harbors is pretty primitive.  One cold shower, Port O'John's, and only a handful of people camping.  It is a small fishing town with about 250 people.  I can only imagine what Parsons Landing will be like.  As I sat by the campfire I started on my own last night, I couldn't help but pat myself on the back and say, "You are one bad-ass bitch!"  It felt pretty good....arooo wooo!!!!!

Food is definitely an issue.  I only have my backpack which had to fit my tent, clothes, and all my supplies.  The only food I packed was protein powder, a box of cliff bars, and a bag of goldfish.  I will survive just fine but definitely will be looking for a nice hot meal once I get out of here.  I don't know what the service situation will be once I am out there but the island isn't that big so I am hoping it will be fine.  Just in case I am posting today's blog now.

Song of the Day "That's All I Need" Dirty Heads.  This was one of my summer jams.  I was listening to it this morning and really this is all I need.  Sunshine, the beach, it's beautiful.  Now I am going to hop in my kayak and enjoy the day!!

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Jersey Lovin'

Why do the weekends always go by way faster then we want them to?  I feel like it's been forever since I have written anything, it seems so strange.  At least it has given you all a chance to catch up, I know me writing everyday is a lot to follow along with, trust me it's a lot of work for me too!  

Thursday I spent most of my day traveling.  My brother was nice enough to pick me up at the airport and drive me home.  I went out to dinner with mom and dad to this place ACME Draft House in Bayville...foul.  Don't go there.  It was good to catch up with them about my trip and show them pictures and bicker and argue like the good ol' days.  Friday was Jes and Steve's wedding in Deptford so I headed there pretty early in the day to make sure we got there with enough time for beers and getting ready.  The venue was beautiful and Jes was of course stunningly gorgeous.  I had some doubts about her choice for bridesmaids dresses because they were very bold and made a big statement but honestly everyone looked great standing up there together in them!  It was quite the high school reunion with a handful of people I haven't seen in over 5 years and even since high school!  Jes and Steve both seemed to just be 
glowing all day long.  The two of them had the cheesiest, biggest smiles on their face, it was contagious .

The most touching part of the night for me was when Jes danced with her dad.  The father/daughter dance is always a tear jerker but Jes's dad has been struggling with pancreatic cancer and when she initially heard the news in the spring she was so worried.  Steve's father passed away from pancreatic cancer about eight years ago so that alone made it a tough day for them.  Steve hearing from everyone how much he looks and acts like his father, how proud his father would have been.  I am glad Jes was able to have her dance and her walk down the aisle with her dad, as I am sure they are.  
Of course being the grown thirty-somethings we are we had to go to the bar after the wedding and then had to party in the room after that.  The boys had to push each other down the hallway in a bell hop cart until 4am and almost kicked out of the damn hotel.  Needless to say it was long night and great time with a great group of people.  They were all renting a beach house on Long Beach Island for the rest of the weekend but I had other festivities to attend.

After getting back from Deptford I spend most of the morning packing for the second leg of my trip.  From reading my blog and seeing pictures you can see that the coldest part of the trip is behind me.  For the next 6 weeks or so I will be in Southern California, mostly San Diego, so I have to prepare for the standard 70 degree temperature.  It was almost harder to pack for that then the cold weather because I don't know what types of things I will be doing on the day to day.  I knew for the most part during the first leg of the trip I would be hiking so didn't need to bring any nice clothes.  Also,  because the nights can get chilly I needed to pack layers which means more clothes.  I was able to spend some time playing with Cali, the family goldendoodle, who just turned one.  She is pretty good at catching balls but definitely more into tug-of-war than fetch.  

That night was Andrew and Marianna's engagement party at Greenbrair in Waretown.  It was a great party!  Marianna's Uncle made an amazing candy cart filled with all kinds of candy and caramel apples.  Marianna looked so pretty as always with every last detail thought out and executed perfectly.  There was a DJ, full bar, and even a s'mores station for dessert.  I had a Reese's peanut butter cup on my s'mores, it was divine!  It was great to see my whole family so soon after my cousin Steve's wedding last month the day before I left for my trip, show them pictures, and fill them in.  If anyone is considering having a party there, I would highly recommend it.  The food was delicious and the room holds a lot of people.  There were only two casualties; my mom fell dancing and the DJ's speaker fell off the stage and hit Andrew right in the head.  My mom of course was fine, I couldn't stop laughing though.  Andrew, I don't know how his whole head didn't split open. I went up to their table to take their picture just as it happened and all the plates shattered.  At least it hit him and not one of the kids that were running around up there all night dancing.

On Sunday I spent the day at work.  That's right...work.  I am currently a PRN pharmacist and stayed with my company so I picked up a shift from 11a-5p.  I can't believe how many processes have changed in just one months time, it was overwhelming!  I am glad I worked just to learn some of the new things that have been implemented and to make sure I don't get too rusty giving immunizations.  I got to spend my evening relaxing  with Jager, my 9 year old boxer, who is has been declining over the last year.  My mom warned me that this would most likely be the last time I would see him and to say my goodbyes.  I know it's not fair to him the way he has been living these days, I just wish he would die on his own and the decision would not have to be made by my poor mother.  

I am headed to Santa Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles.  I will be there until Thursday.  This is my first attempt to pack my backpack with my tent and supplies for the next couple days and hike to my campsite!  I am super excited and nervous all at the same time!  I hope there is service so I can keep you all posted...wish me luck...arooo woooo!!!!!

Song of the Day

Thursday - "Homeward Bound" Simon and Garfunkel.  Well I am headed home for the weekend but this indicates that I want my traveling to end and that is definitely not the case.  I am having a blast and can't wait for the journey to continue!!

Friday - "Let's Stay Together" Al Green.  Jes and Steve's wedding song.  Such a great choice!  I love when people picker older, more fast paced songs, but maybe that's just because that is what Chris and I did so I can appreciate couples with similar taste.

Saturday - "Endless Love" Lionel Richie feat. Shania Twain.  Andrew and Marianna really love Shania Twain believe it or not (Andrew included).  They love the timeless classic love songs, and who can blame them!  Always a good pick, love Lionel Richie.

Sunday - "Bang The Drum All Day" Todd Rundgren.  Even though I only had to work one shift for 6 hours and it was no big deal and not bad at all, I think I would have preferred to be banging the drum all day 😉

Monday - "Por Ti Volare" Andrea Bocelli.  It's the Catalina Wine Mixer!! And to support it and one of my favorite movies Step Brothers I had to pick this song!

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Muir Woods

Today I have the most strenuous day of hiking for sure.  After packing up camp I took Jeff's suggestion and did the Coastal View trail which was a quick 2 mile loop that brought me to a breathtaking view of the entire coast and Bay Area, you could almost make out the entire city of SF!  On my way back I noticed that you could hike directly into Muir Woods National Park on a different trail, which I wasn't prepared to do.  I headed back to my car to grab water, hiking boots, and a trail map and mapped out an 8 mile loop through Muir Woods.  I ended up doing much more than 8 miles because once I got the visitors' center I did some of the trails off the visitors' center to check out the area.  It was still early in the day so I felt up for the challenge....I would regret that later.  The way back roughly 7 miles was entirely uphill and if I thought the hills in SF were bad it was nothing compared to this!  I felt like I had undiagnosed heart failure or COPD for at least have of it!  It was not pleasant....

The woods themselves were gorgeous, massive!  Pictures don't even do it justice because I couldn't even fit the damn tree in the picture, haha.  What is the difference between a forest and woods anyways?

I arrived back to the car starving, thirsty, and exhausted.  The whole time I thought all those people at the visitors' center walk around for 5 minutes and leave at least I accomplished more than that!

If I wasn't tried enough I spent the next 7 hours in traffic on my way to LAX!  It was brutal.

Overall, I think I retract my previous statement about living in SF.  I could totally live in the Bay Area, maybe not the city itself but there is SO MUCH is this area!  I could have spent so much more time is this area, I ran out of time way too soon.

Song of the Day "Digital Love" Daft Punk.  I am flying back to Jersey bright and early tomorrow for a love filled weeekend!  Two dear friends, Steve and Jess, whose wedding day is long overdue is on Friday and my brother Andrew and Marianna's engagement party is Saturday!  I am super exciting that it worked out to fly back for both events on the same weekend.  In the spirit of love I picked this song because I love Daft Punk.  I was recently asked my top 5 bands of all time and that is extremely hard to answer, I feel like it is consistently evolving and changing, but Daft Punk is up there, although they aren't technically a band....

Also, on a personal level as I begin to make connections with people I meet on this adventure and then I move on to the next destination or they travel back to their homes and lives then what?  We become pen-pal/texting buddy?  A digital love with emojis and all? 😍😘 Not really feeling it.

While in Jersey I will continue to post a photo and song on Instagram but I will probably write one blog summarizing the weekend festivities because two days I will be in flight anyways!

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Back to the Basics

Today I woke up with with every intention of heading directly to Muir Woods, but I figured Napa was so gorgoeous I should just stay to hit up Robert Mondavi and Beringer at the prime Napa time, which is 10am, and then head to Muir Woods.  Today was a very professional experience.  I felt like I was training to be a sommelier.  I tried to use all the skills Rick taught me last night and did tasting "experiences" where they taught you how to swirl, smell, and taste the wine.  This is so complicated it's not even funny.  To be a sommelier it's going to take a lot of dedication, money, and wine drinking...I don't really know if am up for the challenge.  I decided it was time to go back to the wild.

I took the quick drive to Pantoll Campground at Mt. Tamalpais State Park, which is right outside of Muir Woods.  It is an interesting set-up here because you have to park your car and then lug all your camping gear to your camping site up the mountain.  The campsite is first-come, first-serve and there are about 15 sites.  I saw on the website that people show up as early as 6am to get a site and I didn't arrive until about 4 but thankfully the ranger called me back around 2pm to let me know it was not full.  By dark it was full.  They didn't have any firewood for sale and it was quite chilly.  Thankfully I met yet another friendly neighbor named Jeff who invited me over to his fire.  He worked for the park service and tomorrow is his 42nd birthday.  He took the day off from his wife and three kids to go mountain biking and camping for his birthday.  We talked all about working for the park service, living in Northern California, having three kids, going through a second marriage (both him and his wife were previously married), and traveling (he did quite a bit).  I thought it was odd that's what he wanted to do for his birthday at first but after talking to him more, it made sense.  You spend so much of your time doing for your family, for his birthday he just wanted a day to himself, and they understood.  

It feels good to be back in the tent and back into nature, I missed it! Excited for a day of hiking tomorrow...arooo woooo!!!!!

Song of the Day "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" Billy Joel. Napa, had to do it! This song reminds me of one of close friends Lorin, not really sure if it was karaoke or what?

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Napa

Wine country! The only place I knew for sure I wanted to go to was Robert Mondavi and I didn't make there today.  I arrived in Napa at around 11am and apparently that's too late for these alcoholics because all the tours start at 10.  So I decided to head to the Castello di Amorosa 'The Castle of Love' because the one of the greatest tours around.  This place was gorgeous and a full on castle with a torture chamber, dungeons, and a moat!  Again, it's another place where I got a handful of questions as to why I was there alone.  I guess most people don't go wine tasting in Napa Valley alone, but I don't really have a choice in the matter do I?

After the castle I headed to Sterling Vineyards, which I found out later was the not the one with Opus One.  They had a gondola that took you up to the winery and beautiful views of Napa Valley.  Compared to the castle tour it was a huge monstrosity and the tour was self-guided so...you figure that one that.  I did have one of the employees Clint take a photo of me with a huge glass of wine and tell me that he managed another winery up the road called Romeo's and I should go there and mention his name.  It was only a mile away so I did and I walk into this little place and there was only a bartender, Nate and one couple Janine and Rick there.  I never learned so much about wine!  Rick is studying to be a sommelier, which I happen to find fascinating, and he talked to me all about.  First of all, I don't think my nose can even detect some the smells you are suppose to be noticing!  I was explaining to him that today was really the first time someone has explain to me the wine making process in detail, unlike the beer process which I feel you hear at every brewery.  I really lucked out having them there because they were wine club members and friends of Nate so I tried a bunch of the reserves and definitely more than the 5 tastings.

After talking to people in Napa a bit more they suggest it is better to go to small boutique wineries than to big names like Robert Mondavi and Beringer because you want to try wine you can't get anywhere else.  For example Castello di Amorosa is not sold anywhere.  It is only for sale at the castle, a barrel was on sale for $11,688!  A barrel contains about 300 bottles of wine and is only good for two years before it goes bad.  So pretty much you have to have a bottle a day, costing about $40/day.

As Janine and Rick were leaving another couple came in from Denver.  They were on vacation and left their one year daughter, Aubrey home.  They were doing a bit of traveling too, visiting Portland and SF, so the three of us decided to go to dinner together and continue chatting.  Turns out Amanda left her job at Target because she was trying to become a store manager and she felt like they were playing games with her.  I appreciated the fact that they were taking this trip.  You could tell they missed their daughter terribly, but you often don't see young parents taking any time for themselves.  Tomorrow I am going to head to Muir Woods which are kind of like the Redwoods but closer!

Song of the day "Birdland" Weather Report.  Over the weekend Team Ween all jammed into an Uber dancing to this song and having a great time with the driver.  It was lots of fun and so is this song, have a listen!

Sorry for the late post....I fell asleep at 9pm writing this blog...must have been all the red wine....arooo woooooo!!

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Grandpa

The weekend of Ween is coming to an end as is my time in SF.  Yesterday before the concert Kylie and I met up with a group of her friends at a brewery called Standard Deviant.  It was really nice that her friend from Melbourne of over twenty years now lives in SF.  Makes it a lot easier to be so far from home when you have a close friend nearby.

After meeting all Kylie's friends we met up with Team Ween before the show.  It was another great show and honestly I think Voodoo Lady may have been my favorite song of the night, it was super funky.  It was Jamie's 31st birthday today so that made for a fun night after the concert.  It has been raining pretty nonstop here all weekend so I have decided to go to Napa and then Muir Woods.

Music definitely has a way of bringing people together.  All different types of people all different ages can come together and enjoy a common bond.  I recently read an article that said that people who go to concerts regularly are overall happier people.  It was really interesting however that the performers are the ones that suffer stating that unfortunately they are more likely to have depression.  I know that music will definitely have a big part in contributing to my ultimate happiness.

So after being in SF for over a week I definitely got to explore a lot of the city but I did not nearly see all of it.  I definitely think having a car in the city is a challenge.  It was not easy having my car with me and most people living here don't have one.  Overall the city is a very expensive one for sure but that was all related to food and drinks.  It seems as though everyone works in some kind of tech environment and everyone is into using apps for everything!  Not only are they using apps like Uber and Lyft but they are using grocery delivery apps, dry cleaning, the list goes on.  The negative aspect,  there is a large homeless population.  I would think that most likely has something to do with the climate, but it was pretty bad.  In the end I miss a quiet, more relaxing environment, I think this was too much big city for me.

Song of the day "Clay" Hudson Scott.  Today I watched an episode of High Maintenance called Grandpa, featuring the cutest goldendoodle with has an Australian dog walker.  This song was from that episode and I really liked it.  Also, Andy got nicknamed Grandpa for his super early flight.  I highly recommend the show High Maintenance to those who have not seen it.  It was a web series on Vimeo picked up by HBO about a pot dealer in NYC who meets all sorts of people and it not only is hilarious is very well written and thought out.

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Ween Weekend

Ween night 1 in the books!  I don't know how I have never really heard of this band!  They are awesome!  So how did all come to be?  Well, when I was in Washington at the gorge for Phish I met this great couple from Portland, Allie and Sean.  I hung out with them basically the entire weekend at Phish and they said they were going to Ween in SF the same time I knew I would be there so I figured it would be cool to cross paths again.

Andy was the first to arrive from Kalamazoo, Michigan.  I knew I liked him already because he was down to meet up and hang with me having never met.  I was going to show him around until the others arrived.  Andy works for Pfizer as an engineer in Kalamazoo and is friends with Sean from high school.  I showed him around Kylie's neighborhood and then we met Allie at a delicious bagel place called House of Bagels.  Allie works at chocolate company called Honey Mama's and was in the Bay Area all week for work.  I had an everything Cragel, a croissant bagel, and it was delicious and then we headed to Haight/Ashbury because they wanted to check it out and I was their official tour guide.  Jamie, Allie's college roommate from Elmhurst, was flying in from Denver and meeting Sean at the airport.  Allie and Sean met at Elmhurst through Jamie, who played in the jazz band with Sean.  Sean teaches music in Portland and coaches high school soccer.  I had convinced Kylie to come both nights of the concert so "Team Ween" had officially arrived and we were ready to have a great night!

Sean and Allie are seriously good people.  There is something about Allie that she has me cracking up at everything she says.  I told her she needs to become a comedian.  Their friends Jamie and Andy are awesome too.  I think we all gelled really nicely and had a great night at the concert, a first for Kylie and myself.  Both of us really enjoyed it and were beyond surprised by the range of style this band has.  Allie and Sean joke that I should just move to Portland and live with them.  Trouble is I would totally do it!!  Today I let Team Ween head to Fisherman's Wharf for some touristy things. Kylie and I are going to meet up with a group of her friends at a new brewery Standard Deviant before the concert.

Ween Day 1- Song of the day "Voodoo Lady" Ween.  So this was the only Ween song I had ever heard of and it was on my iTunes so I liked it.  I thought it only appropriate to of course pick a Ween song and the first one I ever knew.  Also Team Ween has nicknamed me the Voodoo Lady, I kinda like it.

Ween Day 2 - Song of the day "Ride Captain Ride" Blues Image.
   "Seventy-three men sailed up
     From the San Francisco Bay,
     Got off their ship
     And here's what they had to say.
     We're callin' everyone to ride along
     To another shore,
     We can laugh our lives away
     And be free once more.
     Ride, captain ride
     Upon your mystery ship,
      Be amazed at the friends
      You have here on your trip."

So after the Ween concert last night we went to see a Phish cover band called Chum at the Boom Boom Room.  This song was an awesome cover that they did and I think this was the perfect song to sum up the night and how I am feeling.  Great friends, great vibes, arooo woooo!!!

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Workin' for my Dinner

Today was a productive one!  I woke up and decided to take a Hatha flow 90 minute yoga class first thing this morning.  I enjoyed this class much more than the class the other day.  The instructor was friendly, more personable.  After class I decided to take Kylie's bike and explore the city by bike today.  The plan was to go to Golden Gate Park and then ride over the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito and take the ferry back to the city.  It might sound ambitious but SF is a small city, distance from Kylie's apartment to Sausalito, 10 miles.  Add in a couple more stops but overall not too bad, man it was a lot tougher than I expected!  All those hills on a bike, much harder than walking.

So the other day I had written that I strolled around Golden Gate Park while visiting Haight/Ashbury but I actually was incorrect.  That is what is known as the panhandle right before Golden Gate Park.  Golden Gate Park is HUGE! Much bigger than Central Park with lakes and a science museum.  In total about 3 miles long and 20% percent larger than Central Park.  I decided there was not enough time for a science museum so I went to the Conservatory of Flowers and The Japanese Tea Garden.  Both were very beautiful and I got to spend some time exploring and enjoying the flowers and scenery.

After leaving Golden Gate Park I made the journey which felt entirely uphill to the Golden Gate Bridge.  I crossed over the bridge and rode entirely downhill to the gorgeous little town of Sausalito.  The entire way down all I kept thinking was, "There is no way in hell I am riding up this!"  I walked around Sausalito which had a bunch of boutiques, restaurants, chocolate shops.  The houses were massive all looking out onto the Bay, gorgeous views.  I took the ferry back to SF to none other than the Ferry building and then had to bike back to Kylie's apartment which was only about 4 miles but during rush hour with buses and all kinds of craziness!  I impressed myself, now have a sore ass, and definitely worked up an appetite for dinner.  The hills were a bit too much for me to do on a daily basis but it is definitely something I could see myself enjoying regularly in So Cal where it is flatter.  When Chris and I spent the summer living in LBI we rode our bikes everywhere and it was great.

Tonight, I am taking Kylie out to Perennial a restaurant my parents, who have never been to SF, recommended because their friends who were recently here went and said it was "divine".  Seems to have great reviews so it should be good! Getting geared up for up for an exciting weekend of Ween and meeting up with some Portland friends I met at a Phish show at the Gorge in Washington so it should be a ton of fun! Stay tuned....arooo woooo!!!!

Song of the day "O' Valcenia!" The Decemberists.  Kylie lives right off of Valcenia St. which is a very popular street in the Mission with lots of shops and restaurants.  I have been traveling up and down it quite a bit over the past several days and it always makes me think of this song.  The Decemberists are one of my favorite bands.  They have such amazing story telling ability.  "O' Valcenia" is your Romeo & Juliet love story.  They have this incredible way of sounding so old world but still catchy.  They wrote an amazing rock opera called The Hazards of Love.  If you have a chance to listen to it from beginning to end it is awesome, makes me cry everytime.

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Taking it to the Streets

Today I headed to Fisherman's Wharf to explore all the streets that make SF famous.  It was a rough start to the morning because I initially intended to take the BART down to Union square to catch a cable car.  After walking in a big 3 mile circle I did not feel comfortable taking the BART.  In the area of 24th and Mission where the closest BART line was it was a 'ghetto' neighborhood and honestly smelled liked urine everywhere.  I ended up walking all the way back to Dolores Park and catching and Uber pool to the cable car line.  This ended up working out better because the Uber driver gave me some tips on how to plan out the rest of my day.  It was about an hour wait to get on the cable car which was well worth it because it was about a 15 minute ride to Lombard St. where I then hiked up to the "crooked" street.  Man the hike uphill was pretty intense, I felt like I was back in Yellowstone!  I remember Chris and I drove down the "crooked" street but I think it was better to walk it.  After that I walked to Telegraph Hill and took an elevator ride up Coit Tower to get a very foggy view of the whole city and the Golden Gate Bridge.

After Coit Tower, I walked down to Fisherman's Wharf and had a delicious wild Alaskan halibut lunch at Scoma's on the Pier.  I can't believe it's already Wednesday!  There is so much more to see and do!!  I decided to take the bus to the Western Addition to see the Painted Ladies, the Full House, and Mrs. Doubtfire house.  I couldn't believe the Full House location.  All the years that show was on the air and never once did they address the fact that these three girls grew up in a major city!  They made it seem like they lived in suburbia.  I must confess I watch all the episodes of Fuller House.  It was pretty corny but of course for me I appreciated that DJ was able to begin to rebuild her life again after her husband died.  Of course it seemed all too easy and she had multiple men pining after her but I am glad at the end she turned down both of them because she wanted to focus on herself and her  sons.

Song of the day "Takin' it to the Streets" The Doobie Brothers.  Today I literally took it to the streets all day day long and it was quite a workout!  Up and down.  I don't know how people go jogging around here I was struggling just walking.  I did have some Jersey natives from Medford at one point say, "She is used to this she lives here" as I powered up the hill.  I said, "Nope.  I am from Jersey, flat as could be."  And it turned out so were they...haha...aroooo woooo!!!!

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The Haight

So for some reason I had the pre conceived notion I was going to a have nice relaxing Vinyasa flow last night, boy was I wrong.  It was an intense 90-minute class and they kept the room so hot it was almost like hot yoga.  I was in a turtleneck and pants 😰, it was brutal.  After yoga Kylie and I got a quick bite to eat at this trendy rooftop Mexican restaurant, it hit the spot for sure.

I slept like a baby and woke up expecting to take the trolley towards Lombard St. and see where the day took me but when I started looking up tours to Alcatraz and saw they were booked until forever, I saw a walking tour through Haight/Ashburg called "Flower Power" today starting in 30 minutes, I was in.

The tour guide was Stan Fluoride (his artist name) from Bayville, NJ living in SF since '82, he was a medic in the War.  The tour mostly focused on the "Hippie Movement" in that area and what Haight/Ashbury has meant to the city of San Francisco.  I learned a lot about that the history of the area and the word 'hipster', 'hippie', and 'jazz'.  I got to see Charles Manson, Janis Joplin, Hell Angels, and the Grateful Dead houses.  I saw where "Sugar Magnolia" got its inspiration from a woman named Magnolia Pussycat who owned a corner restaurant, which is now Magnolia Brew Pub and sells beers called, 'Weather Report Wheat'.

I walked around most of the afternoon checking out the different shops, walking through golden gate park.  I stopped into Magnolia Brew Pub and was talking to some people about my travels.  As it turned out, they worked at Genentech.  If I do decide to move to the Bay Area I would have lots of connections with Genentech and that is the big pharmaceutical company everybody works for out here.

Song of the day "Me and Bobby McGee" Janis Joplin.  Janis Joplin was one of musicians living in San Francisco during the hippie movement.  I did get to see her pink house on my tour today.

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Mission

Yesterday, I finally made my way to my host Kylie's apartment, where I will be staying for the week.  Some background on the situation.  Kylie is a friend of mine that I met on a yoga retreat I went on in Costa Rica back in February.  Kylie is an Australian lawyer who has been living in "SF" for 8 years, working for 6.  I don't know if it's an Australian thing or just a Kylie thing but she is the sweetest person I have ever met.  Genuine. When I was planning my trip I reached out to her because I knew she lived in San Francisco but also I knew she had done a lot of traveling herself and I wanted some tips and pointers.  When we got to talking about where the best places to stay in San Francisco were she suggested that she lived in the Mission district which was a prime location had an extra bedroom and would love to haves me.  I wasn't going to argue with that!  Her apartment is amazing!  First of all it is huge.  I can only imagine the cost in the city for an apartment this size knowing full well rent in NYC and from what I hear SF is the most expensive city in the country.  

I love the kitchen.  It has this old antique oven and stove top.  Everything in the kitchen is organic, gluten free, etc.  Everything in the bathroom is exfoliating, all natural, organic tampons!  I guess that's California for ya...I am not going to get away with my Gold Standard pre-workout and my $1.00 bottle of herbal essences that is "polluting the ocean".  I really don't know how I can afford to live here I mean everything is more expensive.  The cost of everything she has in her kitchen cabinets is probably more than all the clothes in my suitcase, 😂.  Kylie has a delivery service for everything!  I have been here for less than 24 hours and a cleaning service, dry cleaners, and groceries have all come through this apartment!

Today I took advantage of Kylie's neighborhood.  I walked around all afternoon and spent a lot of time people watching in Dolores Park.  Dolores Park is often referred to as the "gay beach".  I think it brings together the three different communities closest to this area.  The Mission district was primarily a large Latino population and then gentrification happened and young, hipsters with money started moving into the area i.e. Kylie.  Also, close by is Castro district which has a very large gay community.  It was very interesting to sit and watch the various people at this park on a Monday afternoon; a mother with her son, a couple with their dog, two gay men having a picnic, a homeless man in a sleeping bag, a hippie kid selling braided belts.  I still feel so naive and sheltered from the world in so many ways.  Lacey Township doesn't exactly have a lot of diversity.  Yes, I lived in Philadelphia and Baltimore.  During that time I was in school and surrounded by other college students.  I never really embraced the full culture of the people living in the city, I stuck to people that were just like me for the most part.

Kylie and I will be going to yoga tonight.  It will be nice to keep the relaxing theme of the day going. 

Song of the day "Old Pine" Ben Howard. Ben Howard's Every Kingdom album just embraces that whole 'hippie granola' vibe to me.  I wasn't expecting SF to give off so much of that vibe because I still thought it was very similar to NYC.  It is expensive but very laid back.  Also Ben Howard is a great artist is practice yoga to, extremely relaxing. Namaste. 🙏

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Phil Lesh & Friends

Today, Jared and I really got a chance to talk about job happiness in the world of pharmacy.  After pharmacy school he drove out to Portland with no plan, just knew he wanted to live on the West Coast.  He landed a job working for Safeway Pharmacy for 1 year. He hated it. He came home ever night stressed out, had anxiety.  After a year he decided to go back and do a 1 year residency at Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center. A residency in pharmacy is like a medical residency. More work, less pay but you come out with better credentials.  Now Jared is working at Providence Medical Group as a Clinical Pharmacist.  He does medication consults and works with prescribers on high risk medication refills evaluations.  Jared really enjoys his job and is extremely happy with his decision to go back and do a residency.  Jared thinks I should apply to a residency this year.  Since I am already taking the time off I wouldn't miss the income and the application process starts in December, programs starting in the summer.  Honestly, if I was confident I would get into one I would love to.  I don't care about the money I just think 3 years in retail has turned my brain into mush.  I am not competitive or smart enough, I wasn't when I applied 3 years ago!  I applied to some residency programs when I was in pharmacy school.  I really thought I wanted to do pediatric oncology.  This type of specialty would have required two years of residency.  It is extremely competitive, would have required multiple moves to various states that offer the programs, and there is no grantee of a job because they are few and far between.  I ultimately decided not to participate in the match process for residencies because Target offered me a position and it was the "safe" choice.  I do think it's too late in the game for me to go back and try to do pediatric oncology but I wish that I could get more information on how to incorporate my undergraduate degree in Pharmacology/Toxicology with my pharmacy degree.

Today I am meeting some USP alumni at Terrapin Crossroads, Phil Lesh's farm to table restaurant and music venue where happy hour starts at 4:20pm, so naturally that's when we are meeting.  Stacy Rosemarin, who works for University of the Sciences (USP), in their alumni relations department was also the faculty advisor of my sorority Kappa Epsilon when I was a student at USP.  Stacy is probably one of the most personable woman I have ever met, so it's no wonder the school hired her for this job.  Over the years while I went back to pharmacy school Stacy and I always stayed in touch. Stacy is a snow bird that comes back and forth between Point Pleasant, NJ and Florida.  When Chris passed away she was there for me helping me get my licensing paperwork pushed through in NJ, seeing if there was anything I needed.  

I am always hesitant to participate in USP alumni events.  I hate explaining myself to people.  I didn't go to USP for pharmacy, but then I went back for a pharmacy degree somewhere else.  So I never would agree to go an organized alumni event but because it's Stacy and she was in "SF" and it was a casual thing at 4:20 at Phil Lesh's restaurant I figured "Why the hell not?"  Networking is important.  Why not meet other alumni in California working outside the retail setting?  I need to see what other pharmacists are doing and get my name out there.  Turns out Phil Lesh was actually there playing music hanging out, no big deal!  It was pretty awesome.  Glenn, USP alumni, and his wife Danika were some pretty hip 'dead heads' very into music and travel, I enjoyed getting to know them.  Unfortunately, we talked very little about jobs and a lot about life, travel, music, and California. 

Song of the day "Wish I Knew You" Revivalists.  I really like this song a lot.  I picked it today  because let's face it, sometimes it's all about who you know and Stacy Rosemarin knows everybody!

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Reno/SF Beach Party

Well when I left you all I was in my way to Reno, NV.  I arrived in "Biggest Little City in the World" at about 10pm.  I decided I was only willing to lose what I would I spent in lodging for the night so around $200.  I went to the El Dorado casino's microbrewery where ladies first drink was on the house.  After an IPA I went to the "broken" roulette table where the sign displaying what numbers had been hitting wasn't working.  I decided to put my money on #22 and hit immediately.  Alright feeling pretty lucky.  20 minutes later $300 plus the $140 from that #22 hit was gone.  Feeling deflated I decided to keep it up at the same table like an idiot losing more and more money.  An hour later feeling disgusted, I thought it was best to try my luck at another casino.  I went over to Harrah's and found the roulette table over there.  Immediately, this little old man, Richard, said hello and said I could sit next to him.  For the next 8 hours we would become best of friends.  He left his wife home in Oklohama for the weekend so he could come to Reno and gamble, which I am guessing he does frequently.  We joked all night that she thought he was going out for a gallon a milk.  He talked to me about all his medications and that fact he had four strokes.  I tried to explain to him it wasn't healthy for him to continue to smoke cigarettes and drink alcohol but he wouldn't listen.  Not to mention he said he was 72 but he looked about 87.  We had a great a night at the table with the dealers and the other players, all of us doing really well, the board doing all kinds of creepy things.  12,28,12,28,12,28, everybody winning.  I walked out of Harrah's at 6:00am up $300, it was a miracle!    Jenn you would have been so proud!

In high spirits, I made the quick 4 hour drive to San Franscisco.  It felt so much longer due to lack of sleep.  So as I arrived I met my friend Jared who was staying in town at an Air B&B.  Jared was Chris's roommate and friend from pharmacy school in Rochester who now lives in Portland who decided to fly down for the weekend to hang with a friend of his that lives down here/meet up with me.  I was able to get in a quick cat nap before showering and heading off to brunch with Jared and his friend Jeff.  After brunch we headed to the beach to meet up with a group of Jeff's friends for this girl Liz's birthday.  So far this is a very different experience from how I rememeber San Francisco 10 years ago.  Last time I was in "San Fran" Chris and I came during our cross-country road trip at the end of June begining of July and it was freezing cold.  Now it's the beginning of October and it is close to eighty degrees, gorgeous.  Everyone here says its a dead give away I am from the East coast because I say "San Fran", they call it "SF".  Anyway, I don't remember ever coming to a beach in "SF" ten years but it is awesome! Huge amount of beach, and there are these cool firepits, I really liked it.  The beach party was kind of a little weird, it was mostly a bunch of lesbians there for this girl Liz's birthday.  Obviously Jared and I didn't know anyone, except Jeff, and I had just met him.  The theme was supposedly "white trash" but no one told us so we dressed normally.  Don't get me wrong I have nothing against lesbians but for the most part these were butch, big ladies with shirts that said "Mama Tried"...Jared and I made the most of it drinking some beers and catching up with each other on how things were going.  Tonight we are going Outerlimits Festival which is a house and techno music festival.  Honestly, I am so tired dancing may be the only thing to keep me awake.

Song of the Day "New in Town" Little Boots.  Little Boots with be at Outerlimits tonight.  Also, I am arriving to a new town and don't have a lot of money to spend and need someone to show me a good time, so I thought this song was a perfect fit.  Can't wait for a great week in SF, aroo wooo!!!

Sawtooth Mountains in Ketchum, ID

Ketchum, ID is a hip little town!  I woke up and decided to take a stroll "downtown" to the visitor's center to get a trail map and there was a ton of neat little shops.  The visitor's center was this awesomely designed Starbucks with all these "Starbucks types" on their laptops looking all important in their Patagonia fleeces.  The gentleman at the visitor's center told me about Adam's Gulch and I did a 7.2 mile hike their today.  It was uphill but not nearly as bad as Yellowstone.  I feel like this area catered to a lot of mountain bikers, as I saw a lot of them on the trail today.  I must say I would never be able to mountain bike here.  I don't know what was with me today but I must have tripped at least 5 times on big huge rocks!  The weather here feels like fall, nice and sunny, in the 50's much better than hiking in a blizzard!  Overall, physically I have felt pretty good except the fact I have gotten several bloody noses.  Not sure if it's the altitude or the dry air or a combination of the two.  I am heading to San Fran now, with a stop along the way in Reno.  Everyone knows I can't pass up a quick pit stop at the casino! 💵🙈.  I really enjoy writing this blog, posting a picture a day, and having a song dedicated to each day even though it has been a lot of work.  Not only does it help me cherish the memories I am making it makes me feel like I have all of you with me on this journey and I never have to feel alone, and that's a really nice feeling.  No one wants to feel like they are having all these wonderful experiences and no one to share it with.  I am glad you all are allowing me to share them with you 😘

Song of the Day "Sugar Magnolia" Grateful Dead. As I make my way to San Franscisco, I thought it only appropriate to to pay tribute to the Dead.  I chose "Sugar Magnolia" because it is one of my favorite dead songs and it also is my favorite tree.  "We can discover the wonders of nature, rolling in the rushes down by the riverside." I have enjoyed this time discovering the wonders of nature!  As I make the drive south into California and warmer weather it's back to the bright lights, big city for the next week.  Stay tuned for what this she wolf has in store...arooo woooo!!!

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Yellowstone Day 3

I can't get enough of this place, I really don't want to ever leave!  One thing I will say is that Yellowstone is not for the budget conscious in the winter.  Not that staying in the cabins were expensive, they were very reasonable rates for what you were getting, but not something I could continue to afford.  The summer months on the other hand when you can camp every night for $25, I could have stayed much longer.  Lodging has definitely been my biggest expense thus far.  I am somewhat surprised by this since I was expecting to camp a bit more but with all the snow that became an issue.  I know lodging with not be a concern for the first few weeks that I am in California because it has already been arranged so that is a relief.  Today I decided to hike all of the geyser basins around Old Faithful which was about 5.2 miles but I went off and added at least 2 miles to that with one other basin I did.  I also took the Mystic Falls trail off the back end of biscuit basin which was a 3 mile  uphill loop to a waterfall.  So total was close to 10 miles today.  At about the halfway point a full on blizzard started but don't worry I was prepared with two coats, gloves, and a hat.  The trail of course was empty but this was a pretty popular area because of all the geysers so I was not scared of bears today.  See I am starting to get the hang of this 😉 I did have an elk within 50 yards of me on the trail which was which pretty amazing.  She didn't seem too concerned with me and continued to graze.  Just as I started the steep incline up to the falls overlook it stopped snowing and the sun came out.  It is incredible how quickly the weather patterns can change on you.  It was gorgeous and sunny, just like that!  I completed the hike in about 5 hours with tons of stops for pictures at the different geysers, hot springs, and waterfalls.  When I returned back to Old Faithful I decided I would head to the Sawtooth National Forest which spans three states.  I would be heading to Ketchme, Idaho.  Why? Well Ketchme was the most direct route to San Francisco so it made sense to go there.  It just so happens that Ketchme, Idaho is having a huge event this weekend and I made it just in time.  The trailing of the sheep!  This is where they bring all the sheep down from the mountain for the winter from Ketchme to Hailey, ID. 😂  I think I had my fill of rounding up of livestock so I don't think I will be sticking around for that but I found that pretty funny.

Song of the day "All We Ever Knew" The Head and The Heart.  So far all the people I have encountered and spoken to along the way can be broken into two distinct categories. People that work to pay the bills and people that do something they are passionate about.  Dan, Amy, Loren, all very clearly told me they don't like what they do, they do it because it's a job.  It pays the bills.  

Then I met Rob and Paul, tour guides, that left jobs that paid the bills to do something they were passionate about, work at Yellowstone.  Now in both scenarios these people chose a lifestyle.  Dan, Amy, and Loren chose jobs that afford them a nice house, vacations, not worrying about finances.  Rob and Paul chose living in a RV doing what they love, having a minimalist lifestyle, and busting their ass everyday to make $10/hr plus tips.  Where is the person making a shit ton of money doing something he is passionate about? Mark Zuckerburg? A pediatric surgeon? Maybe a pro surfer?  Do they exist?  So the question remains.  Do you just suck it up and do a job to pay the bills to afford all the fun or do you work in the environment  you want to play in so essentially you are getting it for free?  I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle.  It would be amazing if I were able to work to pay the bills but devote a lot of my time to something I was passionate about.  I feel grateful that I have never used the phrase "it pays the bills" to describe the way I feel about my job.  However, I long for the passion that I saw in Rob and Paul, how happy they were to come to work everyday.

The song "All We Ever Knew" is from The Head and the Heart's latest album that just was released in September and this was the first single.  We all do what we are used to.  Creatures of habit.  Rob and Paul took a risk.  That is what this trip is, the risk of the unknown, the unfamiliar. Take chances, something amazing might happen! Arooo wooo!!  

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Yellowstone Day 2

I am in absolute awe of this place and it's beauty.  I have see plenty of other national parks but none come close to Yellowstone in combining both natural wildlife and rare geologic features like geysers, hot springs, and canyons.  I need to come back when the weather is warmer and spend more time because there is just WAY too much to see.  I haven't even done any hiking yet!  The tour I did today was fabulous!! The guide whose name was Rob was a guy from Chicago who ran a pizza place for 35 years and when he retired decided that he and his wife would come work at Yellowstone every summer. They spent most of their marriage going to national parks for every vacation, anniversary, etc.  It amazed me how knowledgeable this man was about EVERYTHING, it made me want to work in Yellowstone.  Today on our tour "Yellowstone in a Day" we were able to see a ton of wildlife.  As many of you know I have gotten very used to seeing bison/buffalo on this trip and there was a ton on this tour.  Since it snowed last night the bison migrated towards the thermal features where the ground was warmer and they could graze.  Aside from the multiple herds of bison, we saw elk and mule deer.  It is believed that about 150 grizzly bears live within Yellowstone NP and up-where to 800 live within the greater Yellowstone region (which includes Grand Teton NP and Glacier NP).  Today, I was able to see a mother grizzly with her cub in their natural environment.  Now obviously we were probably 300 yards away so we watched them through binoculars but still it was so cool!  After the grizzly sighting we approached another herd of bison.  From a distance we saw a small pack of wolves, three, quickly approaching the bison herd.  Two of the wolves were smaller tan in color and one was big and dark black.  This time we were far from the action probably about 500-700 yards out.  The wolves got nowhere with the herd of bison.  They were quickly turned away and ran into the hills, bison weigh close to 2 tons and have no true predators, so I am not sure what the wolves thought they were going to get away with.  Wolves were reintroduced into the ecosystem in 1995 and have been a critical part of the stability of Yellowstone ever since.  There are only about 80 wolves currently in Yellowstone today and I was able to see three of them, which was absolutely amazing.  I had a great time exploring the wonders of natures today.  The tour was only myself and one couple, so it was super intimate, truly hands on.  I can't help but feel a little sad that Chris isn't here to share this with me.  For a couple different reasons. 1. My first experience with the wonders of a national park was when Chris and I drove cross-country after college so I can't help but reminisce about that time. 2. Chris was so super smart and would have loved to hear all about what this tour guide Rob talked about for this 10 hour trip; geology, ecosystems, evolution, continental divides, it was fascinating! 3. Rob, the tour guide, talked a lot about his wife and how when they first got together they went to national parks together and hiked and they feel in love with it and then they got married and now some 40 years later they are working at Yellowstone together as best friends, living the dream. It sounded really nice.  Maybe that could have been us one day.

I am definitely booking a backpacking trip here next summer no doubt about it, who's in??

Song of the day "Umbilical Moonrise" Lotus. Lotus is a great band from Philly that I have listened to for a long time.  I picked this song today because I woke up super early and drove on icy, snowy roads to take this beautiful nature filled tour that I felt needed to have just ambient music, no words.

Yellowstone Day 1

Hey gang! So I know I was pretty down in the dumps yesterday.  But after a solid ten or so hours of sleep I was able to wake up with a clear head and realize I was actually sleeping right at Old Faithful...who knew?!  I reorganized and headed down for the morning eruption.  As the name suggests Old faithful goes off like clockwork every 90 mins.  It went off pretty much on schedule I think it was about 5 minutes behind.  It erupts for about 3 and 1/2 minutes and shoots up about 100ft. After seeing Old Faithful which was impressive don't get me wrong but we all know it, no surprises here kids, I headed back to the lodge to figure out my lodging for that night, the bigger concern.  There was one cabin available about an hour away.  It was that or the tent, I was in.  I also decided to book some tours for both today and tomorrow to get the full Yellowstone experience.  The park is huge!  2.2 million acres to be exact.  If you were to drive through all of it which is close to 400 miles you would only see 1%.  I needed some experts to help me nagivigate this terrain, especially with snow in the forecast the next couple days.  The first tour I booked was called the Firehole basin tour.  It was about 3 hours and we drove around to multiple points of interest in the park to check out various geysers, basins, etc.  So I had no idea that Yellowstone was a volcano and that is was covered in "thermal features" throughout.  I thought it had Old Faithful and that was it...oh no there are hundreds of geysers.  Ultimately, there are four different types of thermal features; basin geysers, mud pots, hot springs, and fumaroles.  I was able to see all four types today in all their glory.  The boomerang app is a pretty cool way to capture images of these "thermal features" in action! It was a chilly day with temps around 38 and on and off snow most of the day.  When the tour ended it was the warmest I had seen all day at 46 degrees and by the time I drove to my cabin it dropped to 32 and was snowing heavily, that's how quickly it can change.  Tomorrow I am doing an 8 hr tour called "Yellowstone in a day".  Again, there is "supposedly" no lodging so I have to check for cancellations or I am camping tomorrow night.  Suppose to snow most of the day, so stay tuned!

Song of the day "Bury It" CHVRCHES.  I realized I don't have enough women on this playlist! But then I realized most of the women I listen to are high energy music and doesn't really vibe with this.  I picked this song today because I needed a pick me up after feeling down yesterday and also 'rise above' kind of like the geyser rises up out of the ground...double meaning cool right?! 😂

Two Ocean Lake/Grand View Point Grant Teton Day 2

I am not going to lie it has been a rough 24 hours.  I am woman hear me roar! I am she wolf...aro wooooo!!! In all seriousness, shit got real and things have been pretty rough.  Yesterday, despite getting caught in that thunderstorm I made it a beautiful day because the clouds broke, the sun came out and things turned around.  It's been hard to see the positive side of things in the past 24 hours.  After setting up camp for the night it pretty much poured all night long.  Heavy thunderstorms with thunder and lightning cracking right outside my tent.  The temperature also dropped to about 40 degrees.  My tent held up alright but water definitely came in so it was pretty cold and wet in there most of the night.  When I finally stopped trying to sleep around 6:30 the rain had slowed to a mist that would continue throughout most of the day.  I decided to pack up camp and head to Two Ocean Lake and Grand View Point.  This was an 8.2 mile hike combined and it was on the way to Yellowstone.  It seemed most of the other hikes, at least the ones featured on the REI app, were double that in length and again weather was a factor.  So off I went on this 8.2 mile hike.  It took me just under 4 hours to complete and was much more strenuous then yesterday's.  Grand view point was about 2 miles completely uphill.  Aside from that I was pretty much in fight or flight mode the entire hike!  I never saw another hiker and the trail, despite the name, was dense woods.  I thought for sure a bear was going pop out at any moment!! Honestly the only thing that calmed me down was singing Phish's Bathtub Gin aloud..."da badadadadadada..."  By the second leg I had finally got my confidence and was pretty sure there were no bears since the steady mist turned into a full on rain/snow and they probably took cover.  By the time I got back to the car I had icicles hanging from my hat and I was soaking wet from head to toe.  Feeling deflated I shredded my wet clothes and started driving to Yellowstone.  The snow intensified as I headed north.  I decided I was going to find lodging for the night, no tent for me.  I stopped at the first lodging station in Yellowstone, closed for the season.  Same went for the second.  I grew concerned.  The snow was coming down hard.  The next stop was Old Faithful there was no way they could be closed.  I called.  One cabin available for one night only! I would take it! It's a cabin so it's no hotel, it's basically glamping. Four walls with a heater.  At least all my shit from today can dry.  Biggest concern...where am I staying tomorrow?  They said only thing available in the park is $400!! Not happening. So if there are no cancellations I have to drive 1:30 minutes outside of the park and find a hotel or I go back to the tent...it's suppose to snow all week.  I may have to cut Yellowstone shorter than I originally wanted to.  I mean let's face facts.  Today was unsafe.  I was alone for hours with basically no reception in the rain and snow. What if there was a bear?  Needless to say I am feeling a bit discouraged about everything today but I am still pretty damn proud of myself.  I know plenty of men that would have NOT been able do half the shit I accomplished today.

Song of the day "Amydst the Myst" Twiddle.  Pretty much sums up what I thought the weather was going to be like most of the day and then it turned on me.  Twiddle is supposedly a jam band from Vermont.  I never really listened to them until today.  I don't really think they are a jam band because the guy sings way too much and his voice is kind of annoying but something about this song hit me today.  First time I ever heard it.  I really like it.  I guess you can put them in the same category of jam bands with Dave Matthews, who I am not a huge fan of, sorry guys.  My playlist is almost getting long enough where you can start listening to it.  I did today, I like it so far 😜

https://open.spotify.com/user/cteijelo/playlist/1uNEjK1mra1y0s3gAkTEZ4

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Jenny Lake Grand Teton National Park Day 1

Well, it finally happened. Day 7. First day I said multiple times, "What the hell am I thinking?! What the hell am I getting myself into?!" After sleeping late, taking another shower (who knows when another is coming), and having a deliciously healthy breakfast I set out to Jenny Lake for my first official hike of the trip.  The weather was going to be an issue so I chose this hike because it was not too difficult but it was ranked very highly on the REI national park app as one of the most gorgeous hikes in the park. At 6.6 miles the trail map said it would take 4 hours to complete.  I still needed to find camping for the night and set up camp so that seemed like a good distance, especially with thunderstorms in the forecast.  I finished it in 3, which I found pretty surprising because I stopped a lot to take pictures.  

Yet again, I felt as though I was pretty unprepared.  I drove into the park with nearly an empty gas tank, never a good idea.  The trail I was taking around the lake was open but most of the other shorter trails that are big hits with tourists were closed.  No one was going all the way around the lake but me.  Signs everywhere read, "Beware of bears. Don't hike alone. Carry bear spray."  Here I am alone, no bear spray.  And then it happens...not the bear, the rain!  Thunder and lightening it's pouring.  Do you think I wore my rain coat? No, I wore my NorthFace with no hood because it was cold.  So here I am on the clear other side of the lake in the pouring rain all alone scared of bears soaking wet thinking, "What the hell am I doing this for?!"  Thank god the hail that was in forecast didn't happen! After an hour of hiking in pouring, freezing rain the clouds broke, the sun came out and it was my most beautiful thing I have ever seen.  I remembered why I am doing this.  I remembered what this is all about.  Seeing these beautiful natural wonders.  I mean all around this entire lake you couldn't take a bad picture every one better than the last.  I did get a pretty scared again towards the end and had to play music loudly because I saw bear droppings on the trail but thankfully no run ins.  Side note I just would like to comment that I really think it's sexist how often people ask what I am doing alone.  I have see many men alone on trips/hikes/the road and no one questions them whatsoever.  I mentioned I was sat at dinner the other night immediately because I was alone, which was awesome. What I didn't mention was that these three women kept questioning why I there alone? "Where were my friends? But why would I come to eat by myself?"  It was like they couldn't even fathom someone could be hungry without company...  

I will be staying at the campgrounds at the national park tonight and probably tomorrow too, weather permitting.  Tomorrow is suppose to be worse than today, heavy rain most of the day.  I know my tent will hold up...the question is, will I?

Song of the day "Beautiful Day" Joshua Radin feat. Sheryl Crow.  The lyrics in this song really speak to me.  "Gonna climb the hill behind my house.  See what this place is all about.  Cause up above it, you can't help but say. It's gonna be a beautiful day."  That was just today's hike.  "Let's not forget we're alive."  Enjoy every day and make it a beautiful one, even if you hike in the pouring rain and end up soaking wet and freezing cold.

Jackson Hole

Last night ended with a fabulous $13.95 soup to nuts filet mignon dinner at the Alpine Inn in the heart of downtown Custer before heading to the lighting ceremony at Mt. Rushmore.  The wait for dinner was an hour and 1/2 but when the hostess saw I was alone she sat me right away, perks of being the lone wolf.  The lighting ceremony was very patriotic.  After the ceremony I took the long winding drive back to the campsite.  This time I was prepared with water and firewood!  The drive in was a different route and it was very dark.  I forgot that I had given my map to Dan for the buffalo round-up so I was worried I wouldn't be able to find my way back, the roads were very narrow, basically one-way, with wild buffalo and deer everywhere it was scary as hell!!  I somehow made it make around 10pm and attempted for all of about 10 minutes to get my fire going with a fire starter kit I had bought, but I was so exhausted I gave up and went to bed.

This morning I woke up nice and early and decided to head to Wyoming.  Glacier National Park didn't seem like a safe option weather wise and it was so far out of the way to begin with.  So off I went to Jackson, Wyoming or "Jackson hole" which is the hub to both Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park.  I figured I could hang in Jackson for the night check out the weather situation get a feel for what campgrounds are still open and plan my week accordingly.  It was a gorgeous drive.  Wyoming is completely uninhabitated beautiful terrain, and vastly different throughout the state.  The weather was still quite beautiful about 70 degrees and sunny when I arrived.  I stopped at the visitor center gathered some info and stopped a local bar called Lift for a buffalo burger.  I figure after the round-up and all...😂 After talking to the bartender about my travels and discussing my lodging options in the area we agreed that the Four Seasons Jackson Hole would be fabulous choice!  In all seriousness I badly needed a shower, I had been sleeping on the forest floor, and the Four Seasons in Jackson Hole off season was a fabulous option.

So as I lay in bed in my nice big comfy white robe after a nice long bath, I have decided to be more money conscious,  starting now.  I have only been on the road for 6 days and my money needs to last.  I feel like it's hard to budget at this point in the trip.  I need gas, food, shelter, that is pretty much where my money has gone so far.  Yes, I know I did not need the Four Seasons but don't worry I will back out in the forest with Yogi and Boo Boo tomorrow.

Song of the day "Small Bill$" Regina Spektor.  With money on the brain I thought this quirky little tune off Regina's new album that dropped yesterday was the perfect addition to the playlist.  I have loved Regina for many years and am excited to listen to some more of her new stuff!