South Dakota Chronicles, Day 1

My recent trip to South Dakota was more than amazing.  Here is part one of South Dakota Chronicles-

Day 1 was filled with travel.  In order to fly to Rapid City, we had to drive out to Vegas in the early morning.  We had enough time to visit the Healing Garden in honor of the 58 people who lost their lives at Route 91.  I cannot begin to describe the emotions that went through me.  I was thankful it was empty and I could stop and read each note, look at each picture and just feel the gratefulness I have to still be here.  Things could have been so different that night....

After the Healing Garden, we made our way to the South Point where we parked and took a Lyft to the airport, got checked in, ate and gambled.  Soon enough we were on the tarmac headed to our winter wonderland destination.  South Dakota is about a 2 hour flight.

Somehow the flight attendant thought it would be a marvelous idea to offer us doubles when we each ordered our vodkas.  Obviously we partook.  Have any of you ever been drunk at 38,000 feet?  It is weirdly fun.  Clearly I knew there would be a headache later, but at the moment I had the giggles and I am pretty sure every single person on that plane hated our group. #zerfucksgiven.

Once we landed, we grabbed our rental car and headed off to the Grand Rapid Hotel.  We love this hotel because of two things- there is a Perkins (Coco's of the Midwest) and a  karaoke bar named Cheers, where the people are friendly and the drinks are cheap.  We ate, drank and had a generally good time here.  It isn't a downtown bar, but it is friendly.

The only bad thing about Cheers is the fact that karaoke doesn't require the singer to sing happy songs.  Instead people chose the most depressing songs ever released to sing at the top of their lungs.  It was kind of a buzzkill.

At Cheers we met a bouncer.  I would share his name but there was a discrepancy in whether his name was Justin, Dustin or something entirely different.  Blame it on the booze.  He had been a Marine based out of  Camp Pendleton and was actually familiar with our mountains.  This is a strange occurrence if you are anywhere outside of the Inland Empire/ LA area of California.  

Bars in South Dakota close at 2 a.m., which was totally ok with us.  The Perkins is open 24 hours a day so we did what any group of drunks would do.... We went back to the Perkins for round two to try to sober up.  This was after we were pretty sure security was going to be called on us for being loud at 3 a.m..  Our impromptu jaunt to the Perks saved us the next morning, but more about that later...

Day 2 coming soon....

Travel Wishes

The past few weeks I have been talking with a couple of my friends about my need to go on a trip.  While my weekends are pretty much booked through summer, I have been researching and discovering places that I really want to explore.

Asheville, NC-  The bloggers of Two Drifters currently reside in Asheville, North Carolina and seeing as I follow them on all social media outlets, let's just say I am envious.  I want to go explore small coffee shops, festivals and the fall in this quaint city in the heart of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Boston, MA- BEAN TOWN!  For as long as I can remember, I have been a fan of Boston... The history, the sports teams, the glory, the legends, the Big Green Monster.  Everything Boston is awesome with me so it is high time that I plan a trip, maybe even to see my beloved Red Sox play a game.

Austin, TX- With Austin's live music scene (not just country, but rock too) and many bars it is a perfect destination.  Barton Springs is a beautiful swimming hole I want to dive right into.

Memphis, TN-  Known for blues and barbecue, Memphis has been on my travel list for as long as I can remember.  When I was in Tennessee four years ago I was so bummed that none of my travel group wanted to make the trek to Memphis.  I have a hankering for good food, live music and a bit of Elvis history as well.

Kalispell, MT- This is what I would refer to as an upcoming town.  In the beauty of Montana's mountain ranges lies Kalispell which is also surrounded my several smaller towns,  Glacier is close as is Flathead Lake.  Several people have relocated in recent years creating a cultural and travel experience unlike anything else.

Steamboat Springs, CO- This smallish ski town in the heart of Colorado has been on my list for a couple of years.  In fact I convinced a friend who had recently moved to Colorado to go check it out and report back to me.  They reported back with "it was amazing".  This is definitely a ski bums paradise in the midst of winter.

Jackson, WY- On the outskirts of Yellowstone National Park lies this upcoming ski town turned urban paradise.  Jackson (aka Jackson Hole) is a ritzier ski area these days with million dollar homes and condos.  I am not sure I could afford to stay, but it is a desire!

Which would you pick?

Utah Day 3-5

Days 3,4, and 5 were more relaxing. While it was a snow trip, I did skip out on skiing and snowboarding. After snowmobiling my body was hurting!  

Saturday was spent day drinking and hanging out. I suffered some pretty gnarly windburn from snowmobiling on Friday and my poor face did not like it. There were actual tears from the sheet running against my nose. It was bad. 

The resort hosted a star party which ended up being clouded over so we headed to a different hotel's bar. We had a great time, made friends with a guy named Glenwood, and did a few shot skis which I, of course, messed up. Never the less, it was an amazing Saturday night. 

On Sunday everyone (except me) hit the slopes. I was convinced to come down and try it out, I got ready, for in line and panicked....  I don't know why, but massive anxiety overtook me and I missed out on boarding. Next time I am SO taking skiing lessons. After the slopes, we all changed and drove to Bryce. It was simply stunning, but not as incredible as the sunset on the drive back to the resort. I have never witnessed the sun reflect such a vivid pink off the snow banks. 

Monday we hit the road for home through Zion. If you haven't been through there, go. It's amazing, peaceful, and chock full of nature. 

I'm sad vacation is over, but it just means it's time to plan my next one!

Utah Day 1-2

I am back home from my short, but totally worth it vacation.  I had every intention of going balls to the wall crazy and while I did on one day, the others were spent in down time and appreciating the beauty of nature.

Last Thursday night I took off on a road trip with a pit stop in Mesquite for the night.  Six and a half hours seemed way too long, but looking back if I were to do it again, I would so drive straight through.  Mesquite is a teeny tiny town on the Nevada-Arizona border north of Vegas.  While it might be ok to stop and pull a few handles and even fill up on gas, it was the most disgusting place to stop over for the night.  Maybe it was the fact that the hotel room smelled like Lysol and Old Spice, maybe it was the creepy leering men, or the fact that I narrowly avoided being vomited on, or perhaps it was all of those things combined, but I won't be back.  We stopped at midnight and were up and outta that gross room by 6:30 the next morning.  No showers and I brushed my teeth in the parking lot because I had a fear that the water was something Erin Brakovich would sign on for.

We had snowmobiling booked for 9 am on Friday, but we forgot about the hour time difference and were an hour and a half late because we had to stop for beer and breakfast on the way into Brian Head.  Once we go to the tour office it was smooth sailing.  Our guide, Jason, gave us a quick  how to course and we were off.  It was the most amazing, fun and extreme experience I could have asked for.  Jason was able to pick up on our abilities with the machines and push us to do more.  I was totally freaked out by the steep uphills, but by the end of the day I was taking those like a champ.  It was awesome to be pushed to limits and encouraged to let loose and just go for it.  There were jumps, street crossings and so many amazing things in between.  We all came back and decided we are including snowmobiles (if not purchasing our own) on all future winter vacations.

If you ever go to Brian Head, get the tour at Thunder Mountain with Jason, he was rad and definitely made out tour that much better!

Just below Brian Head Peak

Cedar Breaks National Monument

After a long day of snowmobiling, getting wind burnt and nearly peeing my pants from laughter it was awesome to unwind with a few cocktails.  This is where Utah gets tricky...  They have state laws mandating the alcohol percentages...  It kinda sucks, but I was still able to get a cider with 7%.

Alaskan Dreams

Since I was seven years old I have dreamed of exploring the wild that is the great sate of Alaska.  I blame my grandparents as they took my older sister (14 at the time) on a cruise through Alaska and I was promised I would be able to go when I was older.  As time went by I got more and more excited for my Alaskan adventure, but sadly things in life change and I wasn't able to go to Alaska.

VIA

I want to experience all that Alaska has to offer, from the whale watching to craft beers, to the wildlife to the glaciers.  I want to see it all.

I want to walk down the streets of Anchorage from pub to pub

Alaska has been an item on my travel bucket list for awhile now and seeing as I am going to be the big 3-0 next July I figured that is the perfect time to go.  Now comes the tricky part... Cruise or a land adventure?  A week or two?  June, July or August?  Who do I take with me?

The easy part was seeing that one cruise line offers unlimited cocktails and beverages as long as I book before October 31st so you can bet your pretty behinds that I will be booking said cruise, if that is what I choose, by the 31st of next month.  Additionally, with a cruise you do a down payment and make monthly payments up to 75 days prior to embarking.  I don't know about you, but that sounds like an excellent idea to me.

I guess I should quit dawdling and start planning and researching more!

Storybook Fall

There is something so final about Labor Day and it makes me feel as if it is the last holiday of the year.  It really isn't, I mean I live for November and December and the holidays upon holidays of those months.  Maybe it is because it is like saying good bye to summer, but even that feels wrong.  Summer in the Southwest aka Southern California goes year round sometimes.

Labor Day also signals it is time for fall decor, football, hot apple cider, leaves changing colors, crisp air and pumpkin patches.  All of these things make a perfect story book fall to me.  However, there is that wonderful Southern California weather again that isn't too keen on making for a storybook fall and has me longing for destinations that are beautifully fall.

- Boston- I have always been intrigued with the fall colors of the East Coast along with the rich history just screams "perfect fall" to me.  Salem is near by and you can brush up on your Salem Witch Trial history while there.

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- Nashville-  I was fortunate enough to spend five days in Nashville during the fall of 2012 and let me tell you it was absolutely gorgeous.  I think my favorite part was visiting The Hermitage (Andrew Jackson's plantation) with all of the trees changing colors.  If you ever get the chance, Nashville in the fall is the perfect place in my book.  

- Montana-  I drove through the corner of Montana on a bender in November of 2013.  It was absolutely gorgeous and the weather perfect (it then snowed the night and next day).  The colors were perfectly golden.  I have since wanted to trek back and enjoy more time in the Montana fall.

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So while some of you are enjoying crisp weather and leaves changing, please snapchat those images over to me and know that I am extremely jealous.

Third Thursday Travel- Big Bear

It's that time for the Third Thursday Travel link up.

Some of the best traveling you can do is adventures to towns close by.  Living in Southern California my opportunities are endless, but one place I never tire of is Big Bear. 

Last year I spent my birthday in Big Bear on a girls trip and it was such a fun time so much so that I went back multiple times.  I had been there a couple times before, but this time I was able to actually experience the night life and some of the craziness that is a small ski town.

We were damn lucky to find a hotel with a pool area which made for the perfect afternoon of semi swimming, drinking and catching some rays.  Yes I know tanning is bad,  but I fear I may be addicted to the sun, but that is another post for another day.

I found a new favorite bar in Murray's Saloon.  They have nightly karaoke, in which I was some how roped into signing, a great menu (bacon wrapped jalapeno shrimp are the things this girl dreams of) and memories you won't forget... Unless you drink too much fireball like I did!  I mean who doesn't like walking into a random bar, drinking out of a pitcher and being BFFs with everyone at last call?

I can't tell you how much fun it is to get "away" and still be so close to home.  It is another world there, but not one that makes me feel weirdly uncomfortable like city and scene bars do.  What can I say, I am a mountain girl at heart.

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Third Thursday Travel- Mammoth Mountain

Way beyond being "tardy to the party"!

Three years ago I embarked on a journey to Mammoth Mountain, a ski town in the Sierra Nevadas, sort of near Yosemite.  It was an amazing trip, one I will never forget, but not for the reasons you may think.

Growing up in the mountains of Southern California, I should have been an avid skier or snowboarder... That was not the case.  I sure could sled.  I learned to snowboard around 20.  It wasn't too bad, but I also was too keen on the lifts and all that other nonsense.  That Christmas, I got a snowboard and all of the gear.  Everything was tucked neatly away in my closet until the winter of 2012, when my little sister asked me to go to Mammoth.  I didn't think twice, I immediately said "yes".  

We embarked on the 5 hour road trip early on a Friday morning.  The rest of our group wasn't leaving until much later in the day, but we didn't care.  Snow was supposed to be coming in so the earlier we left, the closer we would be to Mammoth by the time the snow was falling.  

The journey up was full of music, beef jerky, Rockstars and giggles.  We both were super stoked.  We arrived around 3 pm and immediately went for pizza and beer after driving around the town for approximately 30 minutes looking for a grocery store, followed by looking for a pizza place.

Friday night we hit the little town and got completely smashed in true travel style.  We somehow ended up with a $250 bar tab, but that didn't stop us from meandering through the snow, bar to bar.  It resulted in a couple wet butts and a Sorel imprint (that is still there) on Taylor's calf.  She hugged/tripped me and we slid into a heap on a busy snowy street.... Safety first kids, safety first.  

We somehow managed to be up and at 'em first thing Saturday morning.  We woke up to something like 5 or 6 feet of snow.  I couldn't find my Jeep anywhere, but honestly I was really worried about it.  The mountain normally opens around 7 and we were on the shuttle and in line for our passes and on the mountain by 8ish.  Being a complete inexperienced boarder, I have to say this was the worst yet best day ever.  We boarded through whiteout conditions, ended up on some way too advanced trails and jumps/  I got stuck waist deep and thought I was going to die.  

I still don't know how I made it back down the mountain without killing any of the other people on the slopes and I had never been more thankful for a half day ticket.  I crashed and burned then of course recovered through many liquid refreshments.

Mammoth is definitely a friendly place for friends, families and couples.  I am sad to say I haven't been back, but eventually I will head back that way.  I loved every moment of my epic snowboarding adventure!

 

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Third Thursday Travel

It is the third Thursday of the month which means it is time for a travel link up!

Ever have those weeks where things go to poo so fast that you can't get your head on straight?  That is my week this week and I promise to share more about that tomorrow.  However, today is all about travel since it is the third Thursday and all that jazz!

Over the last few days I have been longing for a road trip with no real plan except heading north.  I have a few road trips under my belt, but I have never actually planned out my own road trip,  nor have I ever jut gotten into my Jeep and just taken off, which I am starting to think is what needs to be done.  I mean there is an entire world of possibilities, so why not embrace it?

The whole idea of a road trip came to me (although I was think a road trip would be fun, I blame Britney and "Crossroads") once I read this article.  It seems like an amazing time, but truthfully I don't think that this trip would be up my alley at this point in time.

Here is what you need to plan out an "epic" road trip-

Road Map- I love using MapQuest and Google Maps.  I even like to bust out the navigation on my iPhone to help me out.

Budget- Having a gas / hotel room/ meal budget really allows you to figure out how far you can go and where you can stay.

Special Budget- I always do a separate budget for souvenirs or entrance fees to things I want to see.

Ultimate Playlist- I use Spotify and iTunes to create amazing musical playlists to boogie down to while driving so naturally those would be there for my playlist.

Emergency Kit- I am not just talking about band aids, I always make sure I have an extra blanket and pillow along with granola bars and water because you never know what could happen.  While you're at it, be sure to pack some biodegradable TP just in case.


Once you've got all of this, I dare you to jump in the car and go!  I'm itching to go!

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Stuck In A Rut

I hate when I feel "stuck" and that is how I have been feeling lately.  Not down in the dumps or eager for anything... I just feel blah about pretty much everything.

It's not like I don't do things, I mean hello, I am pretty much gone every other weekend for a trip or concert... But I just can't help this feeling that there is something I am missing in doing all of that.

Maybe my wanderlust is pounding on the doors of my soul begging for a new adventure, but with the responsibilities of work, bills and commitments I don't see myself just packing a bag, going to the airport and buying a ticket.

Maybe I need more spontaneity in my life?  Maybe I need to find something that fulfills my heart and soul more the repetitive motions of my everyday life?

I am not an overzealous planner, but I rarely throw caution to the wind...  Maybe I need to pick one and try that out for awhile.

Maybe I need to stop working to live and just live life.  Cleanse myself of material items and get back to the simplicity of a good life.  I don't need a new pair of boots or an iPhone 6.  Maybe I just need a worn in 2nd hand book, a quiet day and self reflection.   I need to tap into my creativity and worry less about being perfect and embrace my quirks that I have been ignoring in the last few months.

Take Me Away!

Last week I mentioned sharing my bucket list with you, but the truth is: that list is freaking LONG and ain't nobody (but me) got time for that.  So I have improvised with my travel bucket list!

I have so many places I want see, people I want to meet, sunrises and peaks to greet and I will do it all!  I don't really have them organized, but someday I may or may not get around to that.

~Travel Bucket List~

    Yellowstone, WY

      Ellis Island, NY

     Cape Cod, MS

    Glacier National Park, MT

      Galveston, TX

   New Orleans, La

  Red Rocks/Stanley Hotel/ Denver, Co

    Carlsbad Caverns, Nm

  Bobby Mackies, Wilder, KY

   Moab, UT

   Jackson Hole, WY

Chippewa Falls, WI

   Coeur ‘d’Alene, ID

Devil's Tower, WY

   Vancouver, BC

   Alaska (all of it)

Chicago, IL

   Raleigh, NC

 Myrtle Beach, SC
Hawaiian Islands

Austin, TX

Banff, Alberta, Canada

   Alcatraa/San Francisco, CA

   Niagara Falls, NY

 Sturgis, SD

   Branson, MO

   Boston, MS

Tombstone, AZ

Jerome, AZ

Sedona, AZ

 Cabo San Lucas, Mexico
Deadwood, SD

   Dubrovnik, Croatia

   Paris, France

Napa Valley, CA 

   Dublin, Ireland
Yosemite, CA
Mammoth, CA 

   Bavaria, Germany
Tahoe, CA

San Antonio, TX

   Venice, Italy

Grand Canyon, AZ

   Athens, Greece

Nashville, TN

   Vienna, Austria

   London, England
Catalina Island, CA

  Scotland

Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

  Washington, DC

   Bar Harbor, ME

Cozumel, MX

   St. Paul, MN

   New Zealand

Calgary, Canada

   Sydney, Australia

   The Grand Canyon Hotel, Arizona

   The Canadian Rockies Train Ride

You may have noticed that I don't have that many places in other countries and that is because I want to see my country.  We have some of the most beautiful places in the world, not to mention the National Parks system (thank you Teddy Roosevelt!) and those alone could be their own bucket list.  The beauty of a bucket list is that they are adjustable to YOU!  I may not see everywhere on this list and that is ok with me, but at least I have goals of the places I want to see.  As long as I continue to travel I will continue to enrich my life and have stories to share.

Have a happy weekend!