China Revisited

With Scott and Bing in town from China this past weekend, I've been reminded of our trip to Asia this past March during which we shared in their wedding. I went back and revisited my blog coverage on this trip, and feel as though it grossly undervalued our travels. At the time I was challenged with condensing a 2 week trip into sensible posts, and while I did write about some of the top highlights I feel like a lot of the details were shoved to the back burner.

Which means...I want to write some more about China. About the little things that I didn't mention. About how we had to use squat toilets:


About how we wanted hats to look like all the other tour groups in Xian, so Ruth our guide mysteriously came up with matching navy ball caps for all to wear and joke around about:


About how the driving in Xian will make you have a heart attack. Lanes? What lanes? Get in a taxi at your own risk. Look at their power lines. This is a good symbol for the lack of organization throughout the area:


About how people looked at me like I was an alien while taking an exaggerated touristy pose in front of a Chinese Wal-Mart with Heidra:


About the really good rice cakes we ate on Mormon street after indulging in kidney and tendon kabobs with prune juice:



About kung fu in the Forbidden City:


About the freshly cooked peking duck that they carved right by our table in Beijing:


About the fake building covered in plastic to make it look as though people are truly riding up and down the elevator and working inside - a facade to cover up the construction behind it all:


About the guards surrounding the Forbidden City with Mao's picture in the background, still a reminder of his rule as recent as the 60's - frighteningly not that long ago:


About the vibrant flowers throughout the city:


About the lights at night with people crowding the streets, along with amazing architecture:



About the wedding we saw after lunch one day, proudly displaying Hello Kitty dolls tied to the front of a Mercedes with gaudy pink ribbon:


About the dragon show and kung fu show that we saw in Hong Kong and near Big Buddha, respectively:



I could go on. The point is that we experienced more amazing things than I can humanly express. I'm grateful to Scott and Bing's visit for reminding me of such a once in a lifetime adventure...

It's That Time of Year Again!!!!!!!

So for those that know me, you can attest to the fact that The State Fair of Texas is one of my most favorite events in the entire world. Every year my family comes up to Dallas, and we spend the whole day walking through literally every single exhibit. We know the cheapest place to buy beer (in the pavilion), we have our regular stand from which we typically buy corny dogs, the dog show is a must. We lived in Rowlett when I was younger, and I was even on TV while at the State Fair years and years ago!!!! My mom tells me that the newscaster asked what my favorite part about the Fair was. Apparently I batted my eyelashes and said shyly, "the rides."

It really is fantastic. So fantastic that this year Oprah has chosen to partake in the extreme greatness of The State Fair of Texas. My mom and I both just about fell out of our chairs when I found this article in the Dallas Morning News. The fact that October 12 is Columbus Day, an official bank holiday, provides me with all the more ambition to be a member of her audience when she films that day on fair grounds. While I have no idea how to get tickets, I'm sure that I will figure it out and be chosen to observe Oprah as she experiences this amazing Texas tradition. She will love it, I know she will.

And on a completely unrelated topic, I would like to send a shout-out to all the corporations out there that are "saving costs" by buying smaller cups, i.e. coffee sized, only. While you may think that you are saving money by cutting out the expense of buying larger cups, I can assure you that you are not. Employees are now forced to use 2 small cups to equal what they once were able to get with 1 large cup, which means that a) more cups are being used more quickly, causing you to spend more money replenishing stock more frequently and b) employees are much less productive because they are leaving their desks to fill up their smaller cups with more water twice as often as they would if you'd provided big cups. So really - keep the big cups, please. Healthy Americans are required to consume at least 8 cups of water a day. You'll make our jobs much easier and more efficient....

Jackson Hole / Yellowstone Recap: Day 5

DAY 5 -8/24 (Monday): The weather this morning was seemingly threatening, so we slept in and picked up breakfast to eat in our room from Terra Café. Eventually the clouds parted, and we made our way to the Death Canyon trailhead. We hiked up to the Phelps Lake overlook (again – beautifully breathtaking), then down to the shore where we ate a power bar in the sand near the water. The incline was rather steep, but worth it. The high altitudes were difficult, but I felt my lungs saying thank you for the fresh air and exercise. We saw several moose tracks, but no moose. We also came across a marmot sunning himself on a rock.






Today’s MRE was rather random to the extent that I believe there may have been a packing mishap at the plant. The outside label stated BBQ Pork Ribs (which secretly I’d been saving for last because it sounded so disgusting), but the contents were: granola with blueberries and milk, Mexican style macaroni and cheese, fried rice, beef ravioli, and a tootsie roll. We ate the granola and mac and cheese. Tried the fried rice but it was foul and inedible by my standard. Finished off with a Power Bar which hit the spot. MMmmmmmmmm.


After the hike we went back to the hotel and had a glass of wine with Ritz crackers and PB on our patio, showered, then walked around the shops at Teton Village. We ate dinner at a place called Rendezvous Bistro. It was good, but a little pricier and not as tasty as Trio unfortunately. We shared fish tacos as an appetizer, I had veal marsala, K had meatloaf, and we got a side of mac and cheese. TONS of food, but we were hungry! That night we were relatively lazy and watched Dating in the Dark (lame, I know) while packing up. Hit the sack early to get up at 5 for our 8:00 departure back to the Big D.

We came back of course with that feeling of being in love all over again. Vacations really are a lifeline in our relationship, and I’m so appreciative and blessed to have a travel companion with like mentality when it comes to globetrotting. Had K not enjoyed experiencing different cultures and places at a similar pace, I feel it may have been detrimental to our marriage. Maybe not detrimental, but I can’t imagine not sharing the closeness and intimacy we have when completely away from the stresses and monotony associated with daily routines and real life in general. The chance to reconnect is invaluable, and I’m more in love with my sweet husband than I’ve ever been before...

Jackson Hole / Yellowstone Recap: Day 4

DAY 4 - 8/23 (Sunday): Despite the rock hard beds at Old Faithful Inn, we slept relatively well and were once again lazy at getting up when our alarm clock went off at 6:15 am. We packed up again and checked out of the room, then had breakfast at the fountain bar we’d dined at the night before. There’s nothing like greasy eggs, hash browns, and sausage to give you a morning burst of energy for the day. We semi-hiked around the geysers nearby before loading into the Kia and trekking to the Grand Canyon of Yellowstone. This was one of the most beautiful and memorable hikes we’ve done. We started near the Wapiti trail head and took the South Rim Hike to Artist’s Point. The beginning of the trail followed Yellowstone River before entering the canyon. I have to confess it was relatively barren and a part of me was extremely nervous of being attacked by a bear in the middle of nowhere. Nonetheless, we made it to our final destination and the views were absolutely breathtaking. We could’ve driven to Artist’s Point, one of the most photographed areas of the park; however, would’ve missed out on so much beauty along the way.




As a side, I would like to point out that I absolutely love my hiking boots. I've had them for 2 years and worn them quite often, but every time I put them on I'm more convinced that they're my favorite pair of shoes, completely beating out my cute flats and heels.


We stopped for MRE #3: chicken pesto pasta with tabasco, New England clam chowder, granola with blueberries and milk (just add water!), peanut M&M’s, and cherry blueberry cobbler. The anticipation of unveiling the contents in each brown plastic bag has become one of our most favorite surprises each day.

Post South Rim, we decided to hike Clear Lake, most of which would through a peaceful open meadow, complete with wildflowers and picturesque views of the mountains in the background. It sprinkled lightly on our way back, and the weather was noticeably cooler and cloudier compared to yesterday’s summer heat. I know K was praying for rain so we could test out our new rain gear he bought us from Whole Earth. I agree that it’s nice to be prepared, but had absolutely no desire to be required to don a waterproof suit in the middle of nowhere during a torrential downpour. Thankfully the storms held out.


We took a picture with my new favorite gadget: Joby Gorillapod. Those that know me know that I'm all about taking pictures on timer. This thing is a photo lovers dream for wilderness trips!



After a brief stop at mud volcano (complete with humorous buffalo interatction - i.e. husband and wife separation due to wildlife blocking the path - poor guy was waving to her as she stood staring angrily at him with hands on hips, waiting for buffalo to pass in hopes of a safe reunion), we made our way back to Jackson Hole.





No buffalo blocking the road unlike this morning (these beasts cause serious traffic jams), and we were even lucky enough to spot 2 wolves – one grey and one black – through a kind man’s telescope on the crest of Hayden Valley. It was incredible!! On top of that, we saw a MOOSE on the way back to the hotel on Moose-Wilson Rd.!! We had an amazing dinner at Trio in town, sat next to Frank from Dallas (oil and gas guru – small world), picked up a bottle of wine, and retired to our same urban studio at Hotel Terra – room 562.

Jackson Hole / Yellowstone Recap: Day 3

DAY 3 – 8/22 (Saturday): Our ambition to get up at 6:00 am and hit the road this morning failed as we decided to sleep through our wake-up call. We rolled out of bed an hour later, ate our breakfast croissants from the Bunnery (which turned out to be delicious), then packed up and checked out of our room. Due to construction along the route, it took us probably about 2 hours to get to the South entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Once we passed through the gate we made our first stop at West Thumb Geyser Basin. Our initial experience of such natural wonders was truly breathtaking, and as the day went by I found myself continually amazed at God’s creativity in piecing together this Earth. We saw a female elk and her baby wandering through the steaming field of water with shimmering Yellowstone Lake in the background. So many different shades of blues and greens tarnished by the lovely scent of rotten eggs aka sulphur. Despite the odor, it all meshed together into a memorable 1st glance at what the park has to offer.




We continued along Grand Loop past Yellowstone Lake, past Hayden Valley, stopping at various look-outs such as Fisherman’s Bridge, Upper Falls brink, etc. I snapped pictures out the passenger window while K drove. Note to self: bring CD’s on next trip to Wyoming as radio stations are hard to come by in national parks.




Our final stop before making our way back down south was Mammoth Hot Springs:



While it was a lot of driving in one day, we saw many sights and honestly preferred viewing it all sitting down instead of hiking due to the limited amount of sleep we got the night before. In Mammoth we consumed MRE #2: chicken and noodles with vegetables, New England clam chowder, crackers and cheese, and Skittles again for dessert. After a short hike around the springs, we headed back to Old Faithful Inn, our resting spot for the night...



While it was one of the most expensive hotels we’ve ever stayed in relative to quality, it was worth it for the ambiance. Checked in and ate cheeseburgers and fries as a fountain shop just down the road before watching Old Faithful erupt.



This to me is such an iconic American landmark – kind of like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, for example – and to be seeing it in my own country in person made me feel proud and honored in a weird way. We finished the evening with a beer on the upper porch looking over the geysers, then hit the sack early on our uncomfortable double beds hiding mousetraps underneath. Yes, ambiance...