vacation: Olympic National Park, Washington
We spent our last meal in Portland back at Ken’s Bakery. Tom had a craving for a fruity tart, and I was just happy to sit and watch the bakers make fresh bread while sipping cappuccino. We left feeling like we hadn’t scratched the surface of this city, but it was time to venture into the great natural expanse that is Olympic National Park.
Immediately upon entering Washington, we were greeted by mountains in the distance, Mt. St. Helen and then Mt. Rainer. There were rolling hills covered in hugely tall pine trees as far as the eye could see. Most of them were covered anyway; some had been shaved bald by the local lumber industry, leaving a stubbly hill of stumps. We saw truck after truck pass by us carrying massive logs which was a little terrifying… although not as terrifying as the backwoods local Star Wars memorabilia shop.
It was a long journey to get to our first destination, Hoh Rain Forest. We kept stopping for pictures along the way, pine covered mountains and crystal clear lakes, which slowed our overall progress down. We looked for spots to picnic but ended up finding none. After a while, we just gave up on the picnic idea and snacked on our goodies in the car on route. We did, however, a large bush of wild blackberries ripe for picking.
It was about 4:00 pm when we finally arrived at the rain forest. The road that leads back to the park was crowned by hundred foot tall pine giants, many of which were hung with gorgeous green moss. These were all signs of the temperate rain forest environment. Lots of moss and lots of ferns.
We took the trail called “Hall of Mosses” which featured, as you might guess, giant regal ancient trees covered in thick moss. We spent about an hour wandering the trail, which can’t be described, only experienced. Words don’t really do it justice, neither do pictures. Tom kept saying how much if felt like a theme park, and by that I imagine he meant that it just all seemed very surreal.
Next stop, after a quick drop off of luggage at our B&B, was Rialto Beach. This was my planned sunset view for the evening, but a co-worker of mine had forewarned me that it might not be as romantic as I had anticipated… in fact, I might have to beware of dangerous flying trees. It was an unusual warning, but after visiting the beach I understood more of what he meant.
The whole beach was covered in dead wood. While the winds were not very strong that day, I can imagine how dangerous the loose branches could be in stronger winds. Tom and I had fun climbing up and down over the fallen trees and taking a million photos.
We ended the evening at a non-memorable restaurant along the river, before heading back to the B&B for some wine and relaxation. We lit the fireplace and reflected on the days adventures.
Tomorrow: Hurricane Ridge and Vancouver Island
vacation: Forest Park, Portland, Oregon
We woke up bright and early and packed a delicious picnic lunch. Fresh bubblegum prosciutto di parma, creamy sheeps milk “etoki” cheese, and chewy fresh bread topped off with a strange sweet orange chili mustard we got at the Farmer’s Market. Mmmmmm, this was going to be a great day.
The air was chilly, it wasn’t exactly the warmest weather in Portland. That didn’t stop us from taking a venture out into the wilderness today. But first though, we wanted to pick up some breakfast, so it was time for the Flavour Spot, a waffle cart located at various industrial corners of North Portland. Tom had Nutella and raspberry jam and I had Black Forest ham and smoked gouda. It was heaven in waffle form.
We then proceeded to spend the next 2 hours trying to find the “entrance” to Forest Park. We went up and up hills and found random gates with pictures of hikers, but no real entrance, no information huts. Finally we gave up and just pushed our excursion into the wilderness, something we would not regret. Official entrances were not the point of this park. Exploration was key.
The pathway curved around deep valleys of lush ferns and mossy trees. It felt like we were exploring Jurassic Park. The scenery was quiet and amazingly green. I don’t know if I can do this description justice, but Forest Park was probably the most amazing hike we have ever been on. I think we took forty pictures of trees before deciding it was time to stop and picnic.
Picnicking was not the easiest feat. There were no meadows, no flat and dry spaces. Just forest and cliffs. Tom carefully flipped over a piece of a rotten log and we made ourselves a custom park bench.
Finally it was time to head back. We took a short detour to the McMeniman’s St. John’s Pub. Sipping rose and beer in their sunny courtyard, before venturing to the Rose Garden. The wide variety of roses in bloom inspired picnic lunches with families and couples kissing on park benches.
Dinner at Navarre was probably the most unique dinner we will have all vacation. We walked in to the hustle and bustle of a busy kitchen and a crowded communal dining space. Every wine was available via carafe and the menu, which featured small plates or family platters of three dozen or so items, took some major decoding to understand.
We were not in Portland, we were right back in Europe.
Even after ordering via sushi chit style, checking off the samples we wanted, we had no idea what was coming our way or how much. Our tiny streetside table began to fill up with unusual plates of things, many delicious and some just strange.
We ended our night sipping beers in the movie theater lobby next store, which with 8 microbrews on tap was the best bar on the street. We watched as patron after patron grabbed a large slice of gourmet pizza and an entire pitcher of beer before entering their feature film of the night. A novelty for us, but for them it was natural, it was the way you are supposed to watch movies,¦ and why shouldn’t it be?
Tomorrow: Olympic National Park
vacation: Willamette Valley
Actually, I’d call it our France and Tuscany away from France and Tuscany. If you are in the right sections of Portland and the surrounding Willamette Valley area, looking in the right direction, you can easily trick yourself into thinking you are in a foreign land. Take, for instance, Ken’s Artisan Bakery. While the aesthetic of the baked goods might be a little more rugged and a little more oversized than their French counterparts, if you close your eyes the flaky chocolate croissants and the colorful macarons will send you straight back to the streets of Paris.
We spent the bulk of today exploring the Willamette Valley, Oregon’s famous region for Pinot Noir. We thought it fitting seeing as though last November we had spent a few days in the Burgundy region.
However, the rolling hills of the landscape with the bright green grape leaves reminded us much more of Tuscany, and the wine seemed to follow suit. Sure, they smelled like Pinots and were undeniably rustic in flavor. Even some of the wineries had a location in France. But, these wines were dark and bold and full of a richness that we had not experienced while in Burgundy. This is one area of the wine competition that I feel the New World has a leg up on the Old.
We ventured back to the hotel, happy and hungry. A quick stop at the City Market for picnic supplies was only a teaser. We tasted various cheeses, while our tummies grumbled. It was time to leave the wine behind and immerse ourselves in Portland’s beer culture.
I had a fear that we’d be walking into something touristy at McMeniman’s Kennedy School. I always want to find that hole in the wall, something not in the city guide books. To be honest, after we went there, I think I’d be pressed to find anything “touristy” at all in the Portland area. Everything has been authentic, local, low-key, and enjoyable. Kennedy School was no exception.
The McMeniman’s have made it their business pursuit to take dilapidated buildings and turn them into brew pubs and brew theaters. Kennedy School is an old Elementary school that has been transformed into a hotel, theater, restaurant, fireplace courtyard, and several bars. You are allowed to wander the halls with drinks in hand, but we decided to stay for several hours comfortably seated at the Courtyard Restaurant.
We tried burgers and beer, which weren’t necessarily the best we’ve ever had, but everything tasted better in the ambience. As we stared at the wall of liquor, Tom decided he had never had a cocktail with Hot Damn in it before. We decided to be adventurous and make up our own drinks.
Tom’s Hot Tamale
2 parts Hot Damn and Gin
1 part Rose’s Lime and Triple Sec
Dash of Grenadine
Serve over ice
Marti’s Fudgesicle
2 parts Chambord, Frangelico, and milk
1 part Crema de Cacao
Serve in a martini glass topped with cocoa powder
Tomorrow is Labor Day. We will wake up and have our first wine and cheese picnic in Forest Park. I can already tell this will be a vacation to remember.
vacation: Portland, Oregon
Portland is an unusual place. From the minute we stepped off the plane, we could tell that it was a little different. The airport smelled like moth balls and old musty people, and yet there right at the terminal was a Rogue Ale House with 20 microbrewed beers on tap. The rest of Portland would pretty much be the same as that. A mix of gourmet lifestyle with an edge of rugged rather than pristine.
We started off our journey by visiting the Portland Farmer’s Market. Within a few blocks of approaching the Portland State University Campus, the buzz of political discourse was already in the air. We got approached by a girl evangelizing Barak Obama, which seemed like a waste of time… in Portland… on a college campus… at the farmer’s market. Passerby after passerby uttered the same phrase, “Thanks, but he already has my vote.”
The colors of the market were glorious. Large, shiny and delicious looking produce. I felt bad that we hadn’t rented a kitchenette or something where we could enjoy them. Instead we had to opt for the wood-oven roasted lamb pizza and freshly made raspberry lemonade. Everything around us, from the soda pop and wine to the vinegar and sausage, all shared the same label: “Local”.
Next we decided to take a bicycle adventure to Laurelhurst Park and Mt. Tabor. We walked by what looked like dozens of resistance movements waiting to happen along the waterfront, army clad beard sporting groups gathered in circles under the large trees. We happened upon a bicycle shop without bicycles to rent. Turns out the whole city was rented out. Luckily, a few people came to return their bikes just as we were getting fitted for a tandem, which the shop owner admitted might not be the best bike to get us up the mountain.
We whizzed easily across the river and through the Portland neighborhoods. The backroad streets were owned by bikes. You would hardly ever see a car, unless it was parked. The portrait of a Portland neighborhood between downtown and Mt. Tabor is this… think Ann Arbor only even more so. Craftsman-style houses in various states of repair, landscaped lawns in various states of overgrown, and fairly odd 70s vehicles in various states of rust.
While some houses were purposefully decaying, it was hard to deny the beauty of the explosive bushes of roses and hydrangea on every corner and on every street. The city was covered in flowers.
We made our way up to the top of the mountain, slowly but surely. A couple was having a 1920s themed wedding at the top, and even the little kids were sporting authentic clothes from the decade. The tall trees blocked much of the view, but created a sense of majesty and peace. We soaked it in until we decided it was time to come back down.
We had dinner at Park Kitchen near our hotel. Everything on the menu was, again, local and unique. The strange cocktails featured unusual berries and loads of mint which could be sipped from a metal straw. The food was exquisite. We got to try pig ear and papardelle, something new for us and quite tasty. Blueberry sauce over crispy and tender duck, and a finish with a chocolate plum pudding.
We wandered back to our hotel, tired from the long journey, and feeling connected. Everything we had eaten and touched and viewed today was from this place, and no other.
Tomorrow: Willamette Valley
life: back to your roots, how I came to love wine
I hope that Lenn doesn’t mind, but my Wine Blog Wednesday is actually going to come on a Thursday. I hope I still make the cut!!
I am a day late, but for good reason. Yesterday was Tom’s and my 3rd anniversary. I was out all night having good wine and good food, and, for once, not blogging. But this was an important WBW for me, because this month’s theme is all about “getting back to your roots”, the wine that gave you that great big AHA moment. I wasn’t able to taste that wine last night, but the theme lead my husband and I on a journey about how we got into one and what that AHA moment was.
The fact is… I can’t even talk about wine without talking about my marriage and my relationship with Tom. They are and forever will be linked. It’s not just because we drank wine as part of our ceremony and received wines from our birth year as wedding presents. It’s not just because we honeymooned in Napa Valley. And it’s not just because all the great wines I’ve enjoyed in my life I’ve enjoyed with Tom. It’s all of those things, but most importantly to this theme, it’s because we experienced that AHA moment together.
It was RODNEY STRONG.
Life before Rodney
We knew we liked dry red wine. We were some of those people. Nothing really stuck, one wine wasn’t really that much better than the other, we just liked it red and not sweet. We were okay with cheap… actually super cheap. I remember how excited we were to buy cases of Crane Lake for $2 a bottle at Meijer. That would last us for a couple weeks. Now we only ever use that stuff for cooking.
Then, we had our first bottle of Rodney Strong Cabernet at my dad’s house. It was magical. We began talking about a particular flavor. We couldn’t really put our finger on it. One thing we did know, however, was that we liked the way it made us feel. The “wine buzz” we called it. It was warm and happy and not like any other buzz you could get. It made the blood rush and food taste better.
Life after Rodney
We started buying Rodney for ourselves. At $16, it was the first “expensive” wine we ever bought regularly. We’d save it for special nights. Whenever I would grab the bottle from atop our fridge (not a good place for wine) we’d have to evaluate whether the night was Rodney-worthy. It was in those days in our apartment where we developed our habit for “wine and cheese” dinners, elaborate snacking that would commence while watching movies together on the couch. Life was good.
Then came our wedding, and it was Rodney Strong we drank with our vows.
The Honeymoon and the 2nd A-HA
We closed out the Rodney story by visiting the vineyard on our honeymoon. But, we also visited a lot of other wineries on that trip… 11 in total. For the first time, we were tasting $30 wines, and mostly Napa Valley Cabs. It was an epiphany.
They were delicious and bold. They were big and fruit forward. And they tasted… expensive. We started talking about flavors and colors and textures. We were becoming wine snobs for the first time.
To this day, there is a certain character that we will find in wines that will have us refer to them as “Honeymoon Wines” whether or not they are from California…
“I taste blackberry in this one with a chocolate finish and a hint of honeymoon”
On our anniversary, it has become a tradition to drink big California Cabernets. First it was Spring Mountain, which coincidentally was featured on Conan O’Brien later that summer. Actually it was Spring Mountain for a couple anniversaries. But last night, since we weren’t dining in Canada, where you are allowed to BYOB, we had a new discovery. It was a big bold California blend from Lail Vineyard called Blueprint.
And though our tastes have changed over the years, though we have gained an appreciation of Pinot Noir and subtle flavors from wines around the world… we always have a place for those Big Cabs and for Rodney Strong. And though I wasn’t able to “get back to my roots” last night, this theme has inspired me to make me realize how I really truly came to love wine, and more importantly WHO I came to love it with.
There is no one in the world I would rather drink with. I love you Tom.
travel: Northern Michigan
My blog frequency has steadily declined as my work blog frequency has increased. I don’t anticipate this to change, as I have very recently taken over as Executive Editor of the ThreeMinds blog for Organic. This means a lot more responsibility and a lot more exposure. So, I think I’m going to have an even harder time with RecentlyConsumed, unless I can train myself to write shorter blogs. I’ll try and work on that.
While I haven’t been blogging much lately, what I have been doing is experiencing the wonders of Northern Michigan, which is a pretty amazing reason to live within this sometimes depressed mitten state. It’s easy to forget when you drive the drive from Canton to Bloomfield everyday just how absolutely beautiful this state really is in the summertime. I almost leaped out of my seat the other day when a girl at my work said, “Michigan just doesn’t have any good beaches”. After 2 weekends up North, I have been feeling some major Michigan pride and understanding why SE Michiganders head up their in droves every weekend.
Some of the pictures are not ideal because we forgot our digital camera and bought a disposable for the weekend, but here is a run down of my favorite in North Michigan experiences…
BOWMAN LAKE
For 4th of July weekend, we drove out to Baldwin area, a nowhere town a few miles east of Ludington. We experienced hiking around Bowman Lake for hours without another human being in sight. We did, however, run into two very sleepy and scared baby raccoons lying right in the walking path (adorable). They arched there back like little kittens trying to look fierce as we approached them.
Bowman Lake represented my near ideal campground: highly wooded, highly secluded, a crystal clear lake, hiking trails. We ended up staying at Gleason’s Landing, which was also fairly gorgeous, despite it being mosquito mating season.
ARCADIA BEACH
I love mild weather beaches… I love them more than warm weather beaches. I would take rolling sand dunes with tall grasses any day over flat and sunny Florida or California beaches. Perhaps I’ll find a love for Hawaii beaches someday, but ultimately my heart belongs to Lake Michigan, a constant reminder of my childhood. There is something more peaceful to me about that scenery. Every year, my friends and I will spend a full day at the beach, grilling and swimming (if we dare, it can be chilly), playing trackball, making a fire, and watching the always remarkable sunset.
NORTH MICHIGAN WINE
I can’t believe I’m actually saying this, but Northern Michigan has some great wine. Why I’m surprised is that before these two weekend visits, I had judged Michigan wine solely on some experience with southwest Michigan. The cooler Northern climate does quite well for the off-dry whites, the fruit wines, and the sparkling wines.
While I still find that there isn’t a good red wine to be found, and that some of the drier whites fail to pack much flavor, I was thoroughly impressed by many of the wines I tried… and certainly impressed by the price. Whereas Long Island wine has similar characteristics, good and bad, to N. Michigan, their bottles range from $30-50. At L. Mawby, Tom and I picked up some incredible sparkling whites in the $10-20 range.
LOCAVORE MOVEMENT
This was something I hadn’t even thought to notice before, but after finally finishing The Omnivore’s Dilemma, I was paying close attention. I have been inspired to try and eat more locally grown food, but now that I no longer work in Ann Arbor, my ability to buy local food has been greatly diminished to my own backyard. As soon as you step up North though, you will start to see signs everywhere. It’s all about sustainable restaurants and locally grown, seasonal cuisine. Restaurants and shops proudly feature foods and wines from the area. Even the gas station in Arcadia had bottles of local milk (the chocolate milk tasted like melted ice cream, yummm).
With the quaint towns and the vast amounts of nature and available land, it’s hard not to fall in love with up North. The locals show a good amount of pride and for good reason. As winter comes and as the snow makes my already ugly drive even longer and harder, I will look back on this blog and remind myself of just a few of the reasons why living in Michigan is still worthwhile.
technorati tags: lake michigan, locavore, northern michigan
This weekend marked the culmination of several weeks in planning. Well, actually, for happy couple, it was many years in the making, but for the part that the rest of us played, it was relatively short and involved. On Wednesday, July 2nd, Nick asked Carrie to marry him in one of the most interesting ways that I have been a part of: a strange scavenger hunt leading her all over Manistee County. I was personally excited, because ever since Amélie, my friends and I have had fun crafting several citywide (Chicago) hunts involving sets of mysterious clues.
It all began with a fake website for the 3rd Annual Arcadia Mystery History Hunt. I sent an e-mail around claiming that I had found an exciting Arcadia activity for us to participate in over the 4th of July weekend. Carrie, as Nick suspected, took the bait. She is a total geek and loves scavenger hunts. Over the following week, I sent out a few e-mails as a fake scavenger hunt organizer, enough to make it seem legit before our very first clue came in the mail.
“Four original schools of thought contemplate flight, furniture and old toys. Find your first clue “
This was the fun part for the rest of us, the game had begun. Nick had come up with a series of clues that Tom and I were to stealthily place around Arcadia and Frankfort in preparation for the big hunt. Even though we had to get up at the crack of dawn and tie ziplocked envelopes to precarious public landmarks in the pouring rain, it was well worth it for the thrill of what followed.
“The first King reigned over his North Breakwater castle with a luminous stare. He reigned with a cast iron fist and his Sixth Order colored the waters red. Find your second clue”
Even though we thought Nick’s clues were pretty hard, and quite unbelievable for the old ladies that run the Arcadia Historical Museum to have come up with, Carrie was able to nail clue after clue in a few minutes time. We were off to the lighthouse in Frankfort, where she was prepared to walk to the very end of the pier in heavy waves. Luckily, we had put it further inland.
“My blood runs red and white. I was bludgeoned and left for dead in this 80 year old catacomb. Find my brethren and find your third clue.”
While the first two clues were broke open and signed, as if another team was ahead of us, we coordinated the next clue to make it look like we were ahead. Everyone was playing their part. The girls were excited and interested in winning, the boys were interested in slowing down for a couple glasses of beer. Carrie promised that once we got ahead, THEN we could have our first drink. The next clue led us to the wine bar at the Bestie Bay Inn. Unplanned genius!
“200 slain Ottawa Indians defy death and pull towards the center of their burial mound. A famous alchemist and founder of calculus’s head would not need mending. Find your fourth clue on holy ground.”
The next clue took quite a while to figure out, so it was a good thing we were chilling at the bar. The mobile internet was coming in handy for me to prove to Carrie that she was on the right path. We were off to Gravity Hill. Every time the group split up to take two separate cars, we’d be dying in laughter. Carrie was getting mildly upset that Nick wasn’t taking the hunt seriously enough, if only she knew. We were all anxiously awaiting the big finale.
“This hallowed hall of wood with heavenly roofs and bramble walls has seen 1 suicide, 3 car wrecks, 2 ship wrecks, and countless youthful kisses. Pace yourself, look to the lake and find your fifth clue.”
As we approach the lookout point, we notice something strange… a gold van that we had seen at the last few places was beginning to follow us. Later we find out there was some other weekend scavenger hunt going on for the town of Frankfort and the Bestie Bay Inn had given some team our clue by mistake. Man, those people must have been pretty confused when they reached the end.
“The spirits of “the Chief†and “The Mom†still haunt this place. Youths find happiness and a spiritual guidance of a different kind here. Find you sixth clue.”
Camp Arcadia for the last and final clue. The boys wait outside while the girls plant the seed with Carrie that we might have better luck splitting up, something she wasn’t terrible comfortable with. This was the end, the winning clue, and why was everyone now being so disorganized!!
“This is not the board game Clue, but the real Colonel Mustard was murdered in 1815 by his mutinous soldiers in this exact spot. Legend says his blood stained the ground for 50 years. Today his gravestone has been erected. Find me north of STATE, south of LAKE, east of FIRST and west of SIXTH/22.”
The rest of us stopped back by the house to grab a chilled bottle of champagne. Nick and Carrie set off in the pouring rain, little did she know he was leading her to their property. We took the back roads and then began to sneak up in the bushes just at the right time. “Oh MY GOD!!” said Carrie. At that point she was staring at a dumb Halloween gravestone planted in their property. She knew something was fishy, someone had been tricking her, but it was not sinking in.
As we peered through the crack in the bushes, we saw Nick hand her the “final clue”, a card he had written to profess his love before getting down on one knee and proposing. Tears were shed, we ran out from around the bush, popped the Champagne. Everyone was happy and laughing. About three minutes later, Carrie asks, “Wait, so the scavenger hunt wasn’t real?” We had done such a good job that it was still hard for her to believe.
The pictures and videos of the event will end up showing up in many places… this blog, my Flickr, probably even at the wedding when that day finally arrives. Definitely a unique experience that has be incredibly excited to start building scavenger hunts for little kids. Yeah yeah, I know I just wrote that baby blog article, but things change all the time. Tom and I even started picking out some prospective names this weekend. But nobody keep their fingers crossed 
life: family planning
I’m not pregnant, but someday I will be. Tom and I have been talking lately about how soon that “someday” should be. He had a biological clock moment a few weeks ago, perhaps due to a round digit birthday approaching in a month (the big “3-0″). Out of nowhere, he suggested that maybe 2 years, a number we had been throwing around, was too far away. Yikes!!
After I got over my shock, part of me agreed with him and part of me didn’t. Really, what are we waiting for? We are never going to feel financially ready. We are never going to be 100% willing to give up our current personal freedoms. I’m never going to get excited about a year without regular wine consumption. And we can’t control what time all of our friends are going to be ready either. Someone is just going to have to go first.
So… I’ve started my bucket list for having a child aka things I feel I need to do, or at least try to, before deciding to let nature take its course. Some of these might seem strange, but I think having experiences as a measure instead of time or money is wiser. At some point I will decide that going on another trip is not as important as having a child to me in my life, and then the list will go out the window. But as of right now, here is what I’m thinking…
TRAVEL
1. I want to go on another vacation out of the country (Ontario doesn’t count)
2. I want to go on a vacation with friends (Arcadia doesn’t count)
3. I want to go camping outside of Michigan
List items #1-3 could be combined in any shape or form. Perhaps a road trip with Nick & Carrie to Quebec, with a night camping near the Finger Lakes in New York. I just know that we are going to have a different kind of vacation when we have a child, and I want to embrace that. Sure, we could go alone and find a family member to babysit, but I think I’m actually going to be excited to show my child new experiences. I just want to make sure I get one more adult vacation in before then.
CAREER
4. I want to speak at a conference
5. I want to write a blog that gets more than 1000 page views
List item #4 is going to put me way outside my comfort zone, but it is a personal accomplishment I just feel like I need to do before my career becomes a lesser priority. I’m putting my career on a pretty high importance level in my life currently, and I don’t think it will be that way in 2 years, I don’t think I will want it to be.
COOKING
6. I want to cook a multi-course wine paired menu
7. I want to have used every spice in my cabinet at least once
In coming up with list item #7, I actually thought I would have more spices to list, but it turns out there are only a handful: cardamon, nora pepper, pink salt, ras-el hanout, tumeric, za’atar blend, paella blend. I probably have used each of these with an array of other spices before, but I really want to make something that features each of these spices. Looks like I’ll be trying paella again… hopefully it will go better this time around.
ENTERTAINMENT
8. I want to spend an entire day in pajamas watching movies
9. I want to make one more Strickland brothers production
Five years ago, neither one of these would seem like odd requests, but they have been increasingly more and more rare. With Lon & Roxy in LA and weekends dedicated to actual household tasks, these are certainly events that don’t come often and should be treasured. I’m sure that my husband will be more than happy to comply with list item #8, especially if it includes wine and cheese.
HEALTH
10. I want to bike for an entire day
I’m not a marathon runner or a tri-athlete. I wouldn’t even say that I would want to go on one of those across the state biking trips. I am just not that serious of a biker. But, I would like to try and push myself more than I am. Even if it was a leisurely trip that included picnics and stops at wineries along the way, I’d just like to say that I spent an entire day biking around.
So that’s it. Doesn’t seem like a lot, but it will probably be 2010 before they all get accomplished. Now if I can just convince a few of my friends and family members (looking in the general direction of Roxy) to get started with their lists 
RECENT WINES