Taking the path less traveled!

August 13, 2021August 14, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

I took a leap of faith. I quit my full time job to pursue traveling. I love what I do as a medical imaging professional and I feel that caring for others is a path I’ve had a calling to do, but I love travel. From the time I was a child my military father would move us around the country and my mother would take me as her travel buddy exploring each new city as well as far flung places. The seed was planted and staying in any one place too long just didn’t sit right. I always thought the only traveling professionals were nurses until 8 years ago when I met another allied health traveler. The timing wasn’t right, but it allowed me to dream of a future where I could combine my career of choice and my passion for travel. Being paid to intensively explore a new area of America every 3 months with as much time as I wanted to take off between assignments was a dream. And thus, I accepted a contract position in southern Oregon. Just about as far as one can get from Florida. I opted to take a weeklong solo road trip across America to get there.

Starting at home we took some time to play to tourist in St. Augustine, Fl. We camped at Anastasia state park, walked the beach, enjoyed some donuts, visited the Alligator Farm, Ripley’s believe it or not, the oldest school house, the old jail and the oldest store, and a few other things. I’ll save that for another blog post.

Early Sunday morning I did the last minute packing and set out for St. Louis. A nearly 13 hour drive along a route I had done many times before. I saw deer grazing along the interstate, watched the sun rise over a Coca Cola factory in Tifton and stopped at a Buc-ees in Macon.

I arrived to my friends house in time for a lovely walk around her neighborhood and then we set of for dinner at a 1920s era restored soda fountain aptly named Fountain on Locust. We’ve been here for dessert before, but I’d never tried their food. I ordered the two cups of soup and side salad special. That nights soup of the day was an amazing curry mulligatawny and my other choice was a white chicken chili with the Stutz special salad. Everything here is made in house and I don’t think you could be disappointed by any of it.

The atmosphere here feels indulgent. Old varnished wooden booths, richly colored walls, ornate lighting and era style music piped in just add to the experience.

Unquestionably, you need to order dessert here. Whether that dessert is alcoholic in the form of a multi-page choice of cocktails or ice cream you can’t go wrong. They are, however, famous for their late night delight. A fantastical sundae meant for sharing. A house made slice of pineapple upside down cake topped with butter pecan, coconut and butter pecan ice creams, drizzled with a bourbon sauce, whipped cream and brûléed bananas.

If you just can’t decide… well, I don’t blame you, but you can order the gambler. They make sure there isn’t anything you’ll either hate or be allergic to and the bartender whips you up a surprise sundae.

I was exhausted and passed out despite the sugar rush. Luckily for me, my friends are also early risers and we set off across town to The Shake for a few laughs over the menu, a chance to scribble on the walls and eat some gut bustlingly, filling breakfast choices.

I had “Ma, the meatloaf “ a bacon wrapped chunk of meatloaf atop crispy hash browns topped with two sunny side up eggs and gravy. It was spicy, savory and a delight. My friends ordered the “make your own dang quesadilla” (a breakfast version they do, in fact, make for you), as well as “why the French hate us”; a sausage hot dog placed in a croissant and topped with scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage gravy. We split the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Belgian waffle.

Fully satisfied I hugged my friends goodbye and drove to my next destination to see another friend. My goal was an easy 7 hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska home of the Cornhuskers. Since I didn’t want to arrive before they finished work I built in a pit stop in Kansas City, Mo.

Here, I was able to take in the WWI memorial and the money museum. The museum is located at the federal reserve. It requires reservations, but it is free and includes parking. It’s a short walk from the memorial. It was a cute little space that had displays of old coins and cash and gives you the chance to watch employees of the reserve count and pack thousands of dollars in cash at a time. You even get to walk out with a bag of (shredded) money for free.

As it was lunch time I followed a few great reviews and drove to Joe’s Kansas City BBQ for a meal. You can’t stop in a city at lunch and not grab a bite of an iconic cuisine.

I wasn’t altogether hungry so I ordered a brisket sandwich with a side of mac ‘n cheese. Everything was delicious! I waited in line for nearly an hour on a weekday at noon, but I’d do it again. The bread for the sandwich was very fresh, the sauce was tasty and the smell of smoked meats filled the air. While the Mac ‘n cheese side was expensive it was one of the best, creamiest Mac ‘n cheese dishes I’ve ever had. If I ever stop by again I would prioritize this dish. If you come here get yourself some.

As I was leaving I saw the local farmers market arena and stopped to take a photo of the murals.

On the road once again, I had a few hours until my next destination. It went relatively quickly listening to podcasts. I arrived late in the afternoon and caught up with my friends. They took me to the old rail yard area that has been converted to bars, restaurants and shops all centrally located near the college football stadium. I’d begged my friends to take me for a steak dinner which they obliged, but first took me on a lovely tour showing off their great city.

While I’m sure my experience was not typical, I was extremely disappointed by the service and quality of our steak dinner. I feel terrible my friends had to experience such a poor meal when we’d all had such high hopes. Once I’d finally gotten the steak properly cooked, and had a steak knife brought out it was ok. I don’t think I’d go back unless it was for whisky. They have a stellar selection.

After dinner we drove to the campus for dessert at the Dairy Store. An ice cream parlor run by college students. He showed off the building he went to school and they pointed out where they’d taken their daughter for a photo shoot as an infant. By the way, the tractor test toffee was pretty darn tasty. If I ever went back earlier in the day, they also sell coffee and they’re missing a chance to sell affogato, but I’m sure they’d be willing to make one if requested.

Early the next morning, I took a walk in the neighborhood full of charming homes with beautiful lawns. When everyone was up and ready to go we headed to breakfast.

Good Evans is adorable. It’s an insta-worthy breakfast and lunch place for sure. The decision was a tough one, but I was in need of something erring in the side of healthy so I went for the steel cut oats and sourdough bread.

Once again I was packed into my car and on the road with miles of corn fields and rolling hills between me and my next destination. This time I was planning to spend two nights with my brother in Estes Park, Co. my parents drove down to see me as well. We cooked dinner at home and my mom made cannolis for desert. You couldn’t beat the view!

Waking in the morning we savored a cup of coffee on the back porch wrapped up in sweats. 44 degrees in the summer is pretty chilly for me.

Once the sun came out I changed to shorts and we went into town to enjoy a canoe ride on Lake Estes.

My niece works at the Marina so she was able to join me on the canoe. My parents opted to go shopping for that nights dinner instead.

We had a make your own fajita bar and I went for a bowl. My sister in law is from Texas so when she does Mexican food she does all the fixings and some adult lemonade to savor right along with it.

I hugged out my goodbyes and took off down the road just after sunrise. I had a long day ahead but wanted to drive with the sun as there are so many animals that an accident is much likelier in the dark. In fact, big horn sheep were grazing on the side of the road as I made my way down.

Driving west across Wyoming I came across various snow fences and it made me remember my high school years in North Dakota. I realized how removed I am from a way of life where I worry about blowing winds closing the interstate with drifts of snow.

I drove past buttes at the Flaming River gorge as I made my way into Utah.

The scenery began to change from white and green plains to red rocks as I crawled ever closer to the border.

About an hour and half west of Salt Lake City lie the Bonneville Salt Flats. Here you can surround yourself with miles and miles of salt caked to the ground. Not only does the dazzling white crust feel like another planet, the mountains in the background add to the atmosphere. It’s wild driving on a pure white salt road for miles. Arriving a day before the annual speedway races, there were quite a few racers already setting up camp, yet I was able to find a place all to myself.

In photographs the mountains seem so minute. There really is no way to give scale to this much salt. My car was crusted, my feet were caked and the black carpets of my car were all covered in salt. It was 104 degrees in the desert even with rain clouds starting to move in. I’d definitely need a car wash now.

My final destination for the evening was Elko, NV. You could see the silhouette of mountains looming but the smoke from forest fires hundreds of miles away kept them from being defined shapes. I checked into my room and walked down the street to Wingers and ordered a half Cobb salad and ate about half of that. This thing was loaded to the brim with goodies! A quarter of an avocado, half a grilled chicken breast, a whole egg, loads of bacon bits and cheese. It was amazing. I was more tired than hungry and didn’t manage a photo. I gulped a bunch of water and headed to bed.

My original plan had me waking early as usual with a several hour pit stop in Lassen Volcanic national park, but the park was closed due to the Dixie wildfire so I relaxed in bed for a bit longer. Breakfast was included at my hotel so I ate a decent enough meal to ensure I wouldn’t have a need to stop for lunch if that became iffy. Who knows what is closed when wildfires abound.

I started seeing sides of the road all the way up the nearby hills with charred trees and scorched grasses. These were old, but the smell of fires clung to the air.

Further up near the top of the hill passing through the Lassen national forest the smoke got intense blotting out the sun and firefighters had roads roped off.

It felt truly eerie. I said a silent prayer for all those affected by the fires and the people fighting them. I can’t imagine what they’re feeling. As I came off of the mountain the sky had regained some of its blue color and the sun started to shine again. Dropping into Redding, Ca the smoke is still around, but it’s comparatively less intense. I happened to drive right past a wonderful $10 car wash with attendants that use brushes to hand scrub your car before sending it through the wash and finish by hand drying it with a chamois. I didn’t even have to wait in line, although, there was one when I finished. I unloaded my things at the hotel and stopped at Trader Joe’s for some frozen Indian food I could microwave back at the room. If you haven’t tried it, the channa masala is wonderful with their fresh naan. One thing did catch my eye and I had to grab it.

A very tangy, sweet crunch of popcorn. I’m a sucker for key lime and this version is so good.

After spending the evening stretching out in my hotel room I fell asleep early and woke up to the last leg of my trip. A drive through Northern California up I-5 through Ashford, Oregon; a town known for their Shakespearean festival, and Medford on my way to the coast. My final destination was a small coastal town a few miles from the California border. I took in as many sites of this gorgeous coastline as time allowed, but I had to meet my landlord and take care of a few items to be ready to start my new contract here in southern Oregon.

I’ll have plenty of time to explore the beaches and river in my new “home”. I hope you’ll join me on some more adventures in the PNW.

The outdoors is calling in Park City, Utah

August 6, 2021August 6, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

Salt Lake City is an easy to navigate airport with flights coming in from all over. It makes for a simple starting point to any vacation out west. We arrived late in the evening and picked up our rental car then drove up the mountains to our Airbnb.

We stayed at the Silver king resort. A ski resort that backs right up to the parking lot of one of the local ski resorts. It’s a perfect location for skiing in the winter and trail running in the summer. In the off season it’s supremely affordable with 2 large rooms, 2 bathrooms, a full kitchen, living room and in unit washer and dryer. It also includes underground parking and an indoor/outdoor pool (as well as hot tub) for year round fun. With a 7 year old we got daily use of this awesome pool.

I woke up at sunrise and was happy to find the weather in the low 60s and the sun just starting to come up as I made my way out for a short run around the town and golf course.

The beautiful downtown is in full bloom with each storefront having their own brilliant display of floral arrangements.

The Phoenix theater was worthy of a stop. The Egyptian details are colorful and abundant.

If you’re from a flat state this quaint town will give you a run for your money. Even my daughter had a tough time just walking. Between elevation and decent hills, it’s a good workout.

In town there’s a lovely bike bath, sound garden, skating park, restaurants and lots of stores. There is also a local distillery if you’re a whisky fan it’s a great place to check out. There are lots of photo worthy stops to take in. We enjoyed the art galleries and sculptures around town.

We opted to pick on activity for each day so we had something to look forward to, but also allowing us some downtime since we were on vacation after all. The first day was horseback riding at Deer Valley. I had to do some research to find a place that allowed younger children and 7 was the minimum age for this 1 hour tour. At first, my daughter was scared but after 5 min she asked if we could buy our own horse. Now it’s an activity she requests on every vacation.

For dinner we had a quick pizza on a balcony at Red Banjo pizza parlor in a restaurant that had been established in 1962, but the building has around since the late 1880s. The view of Main Street from the balcony as the sun set was better than the pizza.

The next morning started with a trail run. The first mile or two was tough, choosing to go straight up the slope instead of the switchbacks in order to hit the best parts quickly. There was more walking than running but it was still exhilarating. Taking in the elk, the wild flowers and aspen trees was literally a breath of fresh air from the swampy heat of summer in florida.

This morning instead of eating in the info we visited Riverhorse provisions for a light breakfast. It’s an old fashioned grocer style. You can buy items to go or order at the counter and have them brought to your table. The breakfast burrito was a big hit and the m&m cannoli was impossible to resist with my latte.

Today’s activity was river rafting on the Weber river. It involves a decent drive out of town so we threw on our swimsuit, packed the sunscreen and water shoes and took off for an afternoon of fun. The rafting ride includes a drink and even younger children can enjoy themselves on this quiet part of the river. There is one very small section with milk currents they can enjoy, but this is not whitewater. Our guide was a knowledgeable college student who pointed out all of the formations, encouraged us to hop out when it was safe and led us crouching under a very low bridge. It was an adventure we all enjoyed.

As we were close to town I had been eyeballing some milkshakes at Burley burger in south weber and it was a perfect dinner stop. If you’re really hungry then have a massive burger, fries and shake food challenge. I don’t think we could’ve finished it between the three of us!

We spent the remainder of the day splashing at the pool and then had an early bedtime.

This morning we, again, drove up to Deer Valley for paddle boarding around the lake. We opted not to go further out as a small pond allowed my daughter to captain a board all by herself. It was a fun way to enjoy a few hours on a lake that doesn’t have waves or gators. Both of which I’m thankful to enjoy.

After getting cleaned up we headed out for a hike. Donut falls was calling our names! This is a very easy hike through some great forest areas with an end at a waterfall that flows through a donut shaped rock formation. It was a very popular spot for both family hikes and family photo sessions.

We finished the hike later in the evening and we’re stunned by a beautiful sunset yet again.

Our last day in Park city. I went for another, longer trail run. 9 miles just flew by and I wished I’d had all day to explore.

Today’s fun activities were all located at the Olympic village; host of the 2002 Winter Olympics. We enjoyed the museum and watched people do the ski jumps. All of the fun stuff here is included with a wristband for limitless fun during a 2 hour session. We tried tubing, the ropes course, the alpine sled and that was about it, but is a bit more to see if you don’t spend too much time in any one place.

We had an early dinner at an Bartolo’s; it’s only a few miles from the village in the little shopping area.

Goodbye Park City! We loaded the rental car and drove out of the mountains into Salt Lake City. We would’ve had more fun exploring downtown, but everything of interest was closed due to Covid. I was glad we didn’t book a full day there. We did enjoy a great brunch at Sweetlake biscuits & limeade.

While downtown we did get some pictures in front of the spectacular Mormon church and around the square despite it being under construction. The flowers here were so plentiful it scented the entire square.

We then drove to the airport for our next adventure with plans to return to see more of Utah.

Sedona isn’t just for hikers

July 30, 2021July 27, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

As one drives into Sedona the red rocks appear almost out of nowhere. This was our first view of Sedona and it was everything I had hoped it would be. A few days of glorious spring weather and tons of breathtaking scenery.

We stayed at the Orchards inn right in downtown Sedona. It’s tucked back down an alley on the corner by the pink jeep tour company and includes free parking making it especially easy to navigate downtown. Besides the amazing location the lobby includes free, cold bottled water and hot specialty coffees. All of these rooms have outstanding views from the balcony and are renovated. The pluses definitely outweigh the negatives, so while it is renovated you can tell this is an old hotel. There is very little noise insulation if there’s a door to an adjoining room, the bathroom is small and you can see the wear and tear and they never have towels at the pool. When they do, they have holes. That said, it’s a good location and price so the value is there for a peak season Sedona hotel.

Dinner on night one was Cowboy Club Grille. Walking distance from our hotel and had a kids menu. We had no wait and my daughter was thrilled with her cheeseburger. We saw lots of families enjoying the outdoor patio and views of the rocks during sunset.

Still in east coast time we walked back to our room and enjoyed our two Queen beds of space. In the morning, I made a cup of coffee in our room with the keurig that was provided and got ready while my daughter slowly woke. We had big plans and that meant getting up before sunrise.

First stop was a healthy dose of carbs and sugar before our hike. Lucky for us, Sedonuts opens at 5am. We grabbed a couple treats then made a beeline for the devils bridge trailhead. By 6am the lot was half full. You can park much closer if you have a 4 wheel drive & we had a jeep but I still didn’t think it wise to risk. So we walked the extra 1.5 miles each way.

My daughter was less than thrilled with both the early wake up or the extra 3 miles roundtrip. She was; however, a trooper and made the entire hike. Of all the trails I wanted to do here, this was the big one. The first part was relatively easy, but once you hit the trailhead and get closer to the bridge the scramble and incline gets real. There were several sections resembling poorly made, steep steps with an obvious drop if you misstep.

Still, the 360 degree views even partway to the bridge made up for the effort.

We arrived at the top closer to 7am and had a 30-40 min wait in line for photos. My daughter refused to go out onto the bridge and instead offered to take my photo instead of using the tripod. The bridge has a long drop off but it’s about 5 feet wide so it’s not as treacherous as it appears. That said, if you have a fear of heights, make someone’s day and offer to take their photo on the bridge. Then take a few minutes to rest your legs, because getting back down is going to take some effort too.

There’s more to see than just the bridge but my advice is get there early and go straight to the bridge. Explore the rest on the way back.

Once safely back to our jeep we decided on an early lunch and Wildflower cafe was perfect. It had a short line but reminds me of a Panera. Order at the front then grab your food at the table. They have a great couple of options for kids meals and a decent variety for adults. I settled on the fig and ricotta toast with pistachios and honey and it was out of this world!

What’s vacation without ice cream? Since we had to walk back into the heart of town anyway we stopped in to the Black Cow cafe for a treat. Fully intending to sample the prickly pear ice cream; upon tasting it I decided on chocolate instead. We took them back to enjoy on our patio.

In exchange for a morning hike I promised afternoon pool time. Later in the afternoon the pool empties out while guests explore the town so we enjoyed a pool and hot tub to ourselves. There’s even a fireplace located by the pool once the sun goes down if you’re not interested in further water sports. We showered and drove a little while out of town to Cucina Rustica. A beautiful white linen tablecloth Italian restaurant with delicious food.

Full bellies and a long day meant another early bedtime. When we woke the next day I grabbed a few bottled waters and some coffee from the lobby and we walked down to the Tlaquepaque arts district. Along the road there are signs telling you about each rock formation on the horizon as well as informative bullet points about the various western movies film in Sedona.

It’s a small area but packed full of cute little shops and a few eateries. We were lured into a bakery with the most adorable gluten free muffins and jaw dropping cakes.

We wandered upstairs to a jeweler and were beyond thrilled to talk with the owner, whose husband creates the pieces. She told us all about each piece and even let my 8 year old try some pieces on. She was more than patient and full of information and a highlight of our time here.

We continued down the road a little further taking in the bridge overlooking the river that runs through town then made our way back to the room to cool down. Even though the weather was a perfect 70 degrees, the bright sun does get quite hot. Sometimes as a parent taking kids on a trip you have to give in to their meal desires so we hit up the only turquoise arches in America. She was happy and I had a unique photo op.

After lunch we hopped in the car to head 45 min south to the tiny town of Cottonwood, to Dead horse state park. Horseback riding is my daughter’s number one goal on any vacation. We paid the small state park fee and drove a piece down the road to the corral. We were fitted for hats and a horse, signed some waivers and off we went on an hour ride. Our tour guide was informative. She grew up here. And the short ride was pleasant. We enjoyed a couple of river crossings and uncovered an old gravesite. It made my daughters day.

Just in time for an early dinner, we drove to Main Street and found a cute little cafe called Cream craft Kitchen & Bar.We had a 30 min wait that we spent exploring the adorable shops dotting the main road and then sat at an outside patio. My daughter claimed this was the best grilled cheese ever and I went for the pancakes. They don’t have a kids menu but the grilled cheese was perfect. I was disappointed in the pancakes and when I saw the French toast I was sorry I hadn’t ordered that.

On our last day in Sedona I was determined to get in one last hike. We got a later start and couldn’t find parking at several trailheads. Most of them fill early and are very small. All of that despite the fact that they have fay use parking fees for nearly every one. If you have the national parks pass this exempts you for several trailhead parking spots. We lucked out finding someone leaving when we got to Cathedral rock trailhead and so we set out on this easy hike. With very little effort we were able to take in some really awesome views.

On the way back to our room we followed the signs to the church in the rock. Officially titled the Chapel of the Holy Cross. It’s a very tiny chapel located on a hill. We didn’t have a problem finding free parking within an easy walk to the top but it is busy. The chapel itself is small, a step inside with probably suffice for most tourists. The patio area outside are where it’s at. Take it all in, revel in the views, because they are breathtaking. As a free sight it’s definitely something you should put on your list.

Tonight’s dinner was a well earned burrito. I would’ve eaten Mexican food every single night if that were an option in my daughters mind, but we hit up the hotel associated restaurant, 89 agave cantina. One of the perks of our room was two coupons for free margaritas. They also have a kids menu but you have to ask specifically for it. I went for the red rock burrito and it was delicious. My daughter chose chicken tenders. I took a prickly pear margarita to go and enjoyed it poolside while my daughter swam.

Saying goodbye to Sedona was tough for me. My daughter was very worn out and ready to head back. Along the way we found a rest area with a fabulous view.

We also used our America the Beautiful pass to get into Montezuma Castle national monument. This is a small walk and has some really neat history. It makes for a great stop along the drive home and isn’t far off the main highway.

One last stop for gas, bathroom and pie in Rock Springs. The gas station has a large assortment of slice options packed individually for an easy car snack.

Rocky Mountain national park in a day

June 7, 2021July 27, 2021 / Julia / Leave a comment

Are you limited on time, but long to find a perfect getaway? RMNP is a great fit. Denver international is a 90 min drive from Estes Park, the gateway to this magnificent national park and it has flights routinely coming in from all over the country. As a Floridian I long for cool weather and mountains when I vacation. I was able to snag a 4 hour direct flight after work Friday from MCO to DEN. A quick drive to Estes Park and off to bed. Breakfast was at the Donut Haus located inside the Sinclair station. It’s a do-nut miss stop for these lovely fried pieces of dough! With an early wake up time we wandered around the cutest little downtown shops picking up the collectible pins we’ve come to love and indulging in the best huckleberry waffle cone I’ve ever tasted. I got to enjoy said cone on a picnic table by the babbling river with the scent of lilacs filling the air. Our next stop was the Mustang alpine coaster. 10 min wait and it provides a breathtaking view of the town. We waited until after 3pm to enter the park because we didn’t purchase timed entry tickets and wanted the best chance to view animals. We drove past amazing mountain vistas, 8 foot walls of snow (yes in June!) and numerous hiking paths. We encountered moose, elk and deer all along the drive. We spent a glorious 5 hours in the park taking it all in. Dinner was back in Estes Park at the Burger & gyros on Morraine. I ordered the gyro which was absolutely PACKED with meat, we shared a few orders of seasoned fries and everyone else got some pretty amazing burgers. We hit up Safeway for a variety of dessert options. The next morning we had a splurge reservation at Dunraven. This fabulous restaurant serves epic Italian dinners and a variety of brunch items. I chose the blackberry mimosa and breakfast burrito complete with chili verde, my sister in law enjoyed the French toast, while my brother got the denver omelette. Everything was enjoyed on the fresh air deck overlooking the lake. We had plenty of time to make our way back to Denver to catch a 4pm flight back home. How much can YOU pack into a weekend?