Lower 48 Trek

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

I love Halloween, but this just about marks the beginning of our trip around North America last year. (I want to do it again!) Anyway, Tyler was a ninja and Joe a skeleton. Too much candy...and none of it was even dark chocolate.

Summer = Fishing; Winter = Hockey

2009-10-08T15:52:00.000-07:00

Basically, I think the rest of my life is FISHING and HOCKEY.

Joe is FOUR!

2009-09-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

I am playing catch-up w/ the blog and editing the dates, but here is Joe when he turned 4. He celebrated his birthday in Michigan this past summer, once again at the House of Bounce w/ Cole Tasso (they share the same birthday -different year), and then we ate sushi on his REAL birthday! Where does all the time go?

Alaska State Fair

2009-09-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

Big Cabbage, fish painting, and a bucking salmon, Alaska's answer to the the mechanical bull.

Red Shirt Lake

2009-08-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

This may be one of the last few fishing trips of the summer. Wayne took the boys to find pike at a spot where they had to hike 3 miles in AND 3 miles out. He said they were real troopers, but unfortunately NO luck.

The end of summer?

2009-08-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well, life moves forward. Tyler's in Kindergarten at College Gate Elementary, Joe spends two mornings at the Anchorage Cooperative Preschool, and I finally have my own office--Hooray! Wayne's still at ANMC, but I don't have any exciting pictures of his first day at work which was about 6 months ago...

Happy Early Birthdays!

2009-08-18T12:25:00.000-07:00

Because the family couldn't join Chase for his real birthday in Vermont, the boys got to celebrate everyone's birthday a little early in Grand Rapids.

Lake Michigan

2009-08-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

The boys are traveling all over the US (this time by plane). They got to have a reunion with Wayne's extended family and here they are with Grandma, Aunt Jen, Uncle Norm, Aunt Barb, and cousin Chase at the Lake.

Bird Creek

2009-08-06T18:28:00.000-07:00

We're going fishing...instead of just a wishin'

Don't mess with Texas

2009-08-02T11:49:00.000-07:00

We flew through Houston on our way to SC and back home to Alaska. On our way back we missed our flight to Anchorage by twenty minutes. Tyler, Joe, and I now know the Houston Airport very well, and due to an almost 24 hour layover decided to enjoy ourselves and went to the downtown aquarium. Getting stuck turned out to be lots of fun, but boy, oh boy, was Texas hot!

We love South Carolina!

2009-07-31T11:07:00.000-07:00

Goodbye again to our family. We are so happy to have spent time with the Larkbys, Tita Ma and Tito Jun, Jojo and Frank, Jade and Sabrina, Tito Sam and Tita Del, and of course, Victoria, Tita Joy, Nanay and Lolo Tatay. We love and miss you already.

Budding Picassos

2009-07-30T10:43:00.000-07:00

Tay set Tyler and Joe up for some backyard painting.

Fishing Frenzy

2009-07-29T09:48:00.000-07:00

The kids and I went swimming in our pool and fishing almost everyday of the trip, rain or shine, on Windsor Lake where I grew up. They would have been content if fishing was the only thing we did all week. We had all kinds of rods, reels, and lures but in the end, it was all about a cane pole and worms! (Deb, I felt like a great mama this week cutting and putting worms on the line.) On our last day we caught 22 fish: bream/sunfish and perch. I think I still smell like fish.

Fun in Columbia

2009-07-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

Its so great to be in S. Carolina and here are the boys hanging out with their cousins Matthew and Nathan Larkby. Over the weekend, we went to EdVenture with Tita Joy, and then the Riverbanks Zoo and Chucky Cheese's with Lala, Chris, and Frank. Joe really enjoyed Chucky Cheese's but would not play any games; instead he just road the small toddler rides. He loved them.

Summit Lake

2009-07-20T23:34:00.000-07:00

We've been having a great time hanging out all month with the Tasso Family. We followed each other on the ride back from Kenai into Anchorage and Eagle River and stopped for lunch at the Lodge in Summit Lake. What a blast. I hope the summer never ends.

Fishing for Dummies

2009-07-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Dipnetting on the Kenai River is crazy, ridiculous, and a lot of fun- It's like Woodstock for Alaskans, but about the fish and not music. We spent the day with the Perkins and the Tassos. Rob and Wayne did a great job trying to fill our freezers with Reds (Red salmon, that is). And of course the boys (7 of them: Tyler, Joe, Bryce, Cole T., Cody, Cole P., and Camp) had a blast getting dirty and whacking fish on their noggins.

Another day with Bryce and Cole

2009-07-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

Go Orange Crush

2009-07-12T21:32:00.000-07:00

Tyler played T-Ball on our good friend's (Christine) team, Just Kids. She has been coaching for 9 years! The season lasted only two months, June and July- that is long enough for 5 and 6 year olds. Wayne was assistant coach and is convinced this was all for the parents!!! Because the kids are just too adorable in their uniforms. Many would rather rip up grass than actually go after the ball. By the end of the season, the kids figured out which base was which. Here is Tyler with his friend Johnny.

The 4th of July

2009-07-04T22:20:00.000-07:00

We spent July 4th in Eagle River with the Tasso Family, Rob, Christine, Bryce and Cole. We are all former Nomeites that escaped to what, we debate, may or may not be the real world. But the boys had lots of fun and are true little pyromaniacs.

Summer hockey.

2009-06-25T01:14:00.000-07:00

Summer Solstice

2009-06-20T00:42:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the longest day of the year in Kenai with the Perkins family, Deb, Richard, Cody, Cole, and Camp and another family, Chad, Janet and their daughter Haley and her friend. (I stole your picture, Deb, thanks!) We also went to Summer Solstice Festival in Nikiski. The boys had lots of fun and learned almost all the lyrics to "Bye, bye Miss American Pie." Whew... it's a long song.

Backyard visitor

2009-06-18T00:07:00.000-07:00

Cramped in our condo, but what a view we have on Reflection Lake. Here's a yearling moose. Our summer has been superb.

The Goslings.

2009-06-15T23:52:00.000-07:00

We've been fortunate to watch two families of geese grow up on the lake behind us. They are so cute.

Clamming in the Kenai

2009-05-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

We spent another amazing weekend in the Kenai Peninsula. This time we stayed in Ninilchik and met up with our new friends, the Perkins, whom we met last weekend at the RV park. Deb and Richard have been traveling all over in a bluebird bus on and off for three years and have three boys, Cody, Cole, and Camp. They made the trip up the Alcan in February as well but at the end of the month. So we have a lot of things to talk about and they, of course, are homeschooling (which we keep talking about). You can check out their blog which I will join so you can view it as well.

The clamming was quite an experience. For the record, I am horrible at it, and consider this weekend to be a major learning experience. If it weren't for Richard's clam gun, we would not have one clam. And the clam gun is back breaking. The use of the clam shovel is also a LOT of work, and you actually have to CHASE the clams once you've dug the hole. They are razor clams, and they are BIG, but not so big that they are easy to catch. Everyone has their own way of clamming, and it's fun to learn their techniques.

I look forward to taking on the clams again in June, when the tides are right.

1st trip, of hopefully many, to the Kenai Peninsula

2009-05-17T16:39:00.000-07:00

We're camping in the van again and looking forward to reds, silvers, and clams. I'm just a little excited!

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-10T10:56:00.000-07:00

T-Ball Opening Ceremony

2009-05-08T19:03:00.000-07:00

Tyler's going to play T-Ball this year for Nunaka Valley. His team is the Orange Crush sponsored by Just Kids, and his coach is our great friend, Christine. Wayne is assistant coach. Tyler is already showing signs of being the class clown placing grass in his cap and putting it on his head all goofy like. That's Tyler in the front.

First Rainbow of the season

2009-05-07T12:44:00.000-07:00

Tyler's first fish of the year from Reflection Lake. Here we go again...

Elmendorf Fish Hatchery

2009-05-06T16:25:00.000-07:00

Everything is so low key in Alaska. We drove by the fish hatchery by accident on a Saturday, stopped to show it to Wayne for the boys and I tried to go there once before, and they let us in and let us feed the fish, mostly trout. What a fun surprise.

Reviving the blog...

2009-05-05T14:46:00.000-07:00

So Facebook has taken up all of my computer time, and I've decided that I miss the blog as it's allowed me to keep a diary of the kids and our family life. Not only do I miss the blog, but I sure miss being on the road. (I should've been a rock star. ) So anyway, I'm attempting to do updates once again:

We have been in Anchorage since mid February and are trying to get into a groove since the Big Trip. Wayne is working at the Alaska Native Medical Hospital in Oncology (with Millie Henning from Nome). It is great for him to be working full-time, especially after being Mr. Mom for so long. I am now home with the boys which is a big role reversal for us and I am working on opening up my dental practice which is exciting and scary all at once.

Tyler and Joe have probably become more spoiled, now that I am Mrs. Mom, but it has been super and educational (especially for me). Boy, do I now truly appreciate everything Wayne has done since they were born.

We are considering homeschooling the kids, so now Tyler is learning how to read. Teaching him how is probably one of the coolest things I've ever done in my life.

Both boys (and maybe even me) are obsessed with hockey and we are now huge Alaska Aces (hockey) fans. This is fortunately cheaper than being Chicago Blackhawk fans. The ice is all gone now, so no more hockey until next year.

And of course fishing has begun. We are living in a condo on a lake, so the kids have caught their first rainbows of the season right in our backyard. And we are prepared for Anchorage combat fishing, which I'm sure will make me surely miss Nome. The weather in Anchorage has been amazing this week, and basically amazing ever since February.

The end and the beginning...

2009-02-14T13:20:00.000-08:00

We made it home safely to Anchorage! I got very choked up as we crossed the Alaska-Canadian border for so may reasons (not excluding fatigue). But now the fun has just begun. It's been 5 days and we stayed at our friend Christine and Cindy's place for a few nights and are now settling into our new temporary condo (Thanks Christine). We have a lot of work and a lot more fun ahead of us as we transition into Anchorage. It will be odd not to take daily pictures of everything. And I'm kind of used to writing the blog, so it may just keep going and going...especially while I still have some free time. I'm already looking at spaces for my own dental practice, but trying to not to be too stressed about it.

Actually I have more pictures I'd like to share once I get some motivation. Thanks to everyone who has been following faithfully. There will be more to come.

Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day. We love you all.

Wayne hits 43 in the Canadian Rockies!

2009-02-08T10:14:00.000-08:00

This is the last leg of our trip, and the drive through Canada has been an incredible experience. Wayne has been driving since Edmonton, because I am too chicken. I keep taking pictures of the "views" which never seem to be any good compared to the real thing. And it has really been a lot fun with the kids, playing games, listening to Joe sing in the van, eating at small mom and pop restaurants, staying at odd hotels, Tyler spotting all kinds of wildlife on the ride. We really did see almost everything from a snowy owl, to mountain goats, buffalo, elk, a fox, lots of moose, and caribou, and most of them just on the roadside.

Also, we celebrated Wayne's birthday although it wasn't quite as festive as Tyler's in LA. We ate at a restaurant with really bad service, and spent the night in Haines Junction, a town that had no open grocery after 5:00 pm, so he got no candles or cake. Tyler made him a very nice card though.

Liard River Hot Springs

2009-02-07T09:35:00.000-08:00

Waaaayyy north in British Columbia we stopped at an amazing place, the Liard Hot Springs. What a relaxing detour on our long journey through Canada. I can't describe how beautiful this place is, and how fortunate I feel to have been here in the middle of winter.

The WestEdMall

2009-02-05T22:09:00.000-08:00

We spent a day and two nights in Edmonton in Alberta. No trip to Edmonton would have been complete without a visit to the West Edmonton Mall. That makes two big malls that we have visited in the past week which is pushing it for Wayne. However, we weren't really shopping and managed to spend 7 hours there. The West Ed Mall is THE largest in North America, and used to be the largest in the world until recently. This mall has everything including two hotels, a huge waterpark, an indoor amusement park, sea lions, a hockey sized skating rink, a miniature golf course, and (no kidding) a life size, to scale replica of Christopher Columbus' Santa Maria. Whew!

Canadian Mint

2009-02-03T20:40:00.000-08:00

We spent last night in Winnipeg in Manitoba and checked out the Royal Canadian Mint today, where they make all the circulating coins for Canada, as well as other countries as well. It was pretty cool, although they wouldn't let us take photos. We did get to hold a $400,000 gold bar (very heavy!) and took these cute pics of the boys!

Minneapolis, MN

2009-02-02T06:32:00.000-08:00

We spent three nights in Minneapolis with Wayne's boyhood friend (since he was 5 years old!), Rich Ragatz and his daughter Joci. Joci is easily Tyler's new love as she is into bugs and wrestling as much as he is. Of course, we had to go to the Mall of America, which was really quite a spectacle. We spent a good part of one day at the Nickelodeon Amusement Park in the center of the mall, and never actually went shopping. Tyler and Joe rode roller coasters and a log ride and met Sponge Bob, and Lenny and Ming Ming, two of the Wonder Pets. We watched the Super Bowl (Hooray Steelers!), and we are headed to Canada.

Rome...Wisconsin

2009-01-29T17:20:00.000-08:00

We are now in the Wisconsin Dells, after spending last night and today in Rome, WI with Brad Lindberg and his new family: wife, Dawn, and 5 month old son, Andrew. Some of you may remember Brad from Nome where he spent a year as the Lutheran pastor intern. We lovingly referred to him as KICY's "Iceman," where he had a morning radio show at the Polar Cafe. Wayne and I were his only faithful listeners. It was another fun visit especially since we were introduced to Culvers, a burger and custard ice cream joint. Wayne's digestive tract has still not recovered. But it was great to meet Dawn and hold Andrew as often as I could. He almost made me want another baby, but I quickly came to my senses. (Brad and Dawn, thanks again for your hospitality and we hope you make it to Alaska soon!)

On our way home through Milwaukee

2009-01-28T16:48:00.000-08:00

Visiting old friends has truly been a very special part of this trip. I just wish we could've seen everyone and visited longer with everyone that we've seen so far. We are actually heading home now to Alaska via Wisconsin and Minnesota. Here we are in Milwaukee with Wayne's friend, JT, and his children, Josh and Jaden. Tyler and Joe are making a lot of friends all over the US now.

Biggest Lobsters in the World

2009-01-26T05:37:00.000-08:00

We spent the weekend in Cape Cod (Massachusetts) visiting yet another Goucher friend, Lisa and her family. I was lucky to overlap our visit with her mother, Chris, who is always a pleasure to see. Tyler and Joe had a lot of fun with her kids, Eric, Evan and Carly, and it was great to finally meet her husband Rick, who was in charge of somehow cooking the lobsters that were each over ten pounds. Thanks again for a great time, and we left on Lisa's birthday, so "Happy Birthday."

Boston, Mass

2009-01-25T06:28:00.000-08:00

We only spent a short time in Boston. As we are somewhat weary of world class natural history museums, we opted to check out the museum at the Harvard Medical School Library. Here we saw Civil War amputation kits, some interesting conjoined twin skeletons, as well as the skull of Phineas Gage, a man from the 1800's whose skull was impaled with a metal rod from his cheekbone out through the top of head. They say he could speak coherently right afterward, and although he survived for about 12 years, he never had the same personality. This was a medical milestone in that the scientific community learned a lot about the frontal lobe from his accident.

We also drove around Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. Fenway is a lot like Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs). We befriended a Boston Policeman, who let us park illegally and took our picture in front of the Ted Williams statue!

Maine

2009-01-22T18:25:00.000-08:00

We spent a day in the state of Maine to visit another Goucher friend, Candice. We met her husband, George, and her two sons, Noah and Lucas. I actually met Noah 12 years ago when he was just a baby. Much to my dismay, I forgot to take pictures of the family, but I am so happy to have spent time with them, and enjoyed George's pasta carbonara! Thanks again.

Although we didn't get to eat any Maine lobster; based on Candice's suggestions, we did make it to Becky's Diner in Portland (the clams in Maine are the best) and stopped at DeLorme (a map/cartography/ GPS company) to see Eartha, a giant globe. And of course no trip to Maine is complete without heading into Freeport to check out L.L. Bean. Anyplace with trout is a must see for Tyler and Joe.

Hockey Mom

2009-01-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

It appears that my fate is sealed, and like another well known Alaskan, hockey is going to be a big part of my life. Joe absolutely loves it, can actually skate and shoot a little, and cried when I said, "Time for cocoa," because he did not want to leave the ice. He and Tyler have improved markedly with their ice skating, just on this trip (granted it's been three months). I've even improved quite a bit and played a little with hockey skates which are much more fun than figure skates. Here we are with Uncle Norm, Aunt Barb, and Cousin Chase and some Rochester, VT locals.

Back at Smith

2009-01-21T05:38:00.000-08:00

Bye Victoria, we love you.

New York City

2009-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

I love this city...We stayed in my brother, Victor's, studio apartment: all of us, including Victoria who is heading back up to college in Massachusetts. There is just so much to see and do, and we tried to do as much as we could despite the freezing temperatures. And I noticed it was 47 degrees in Anchorage this past week!

Happily we got to visit my high school friend, Jeff Rotter, and his wife, Margaret, and son, Felix. We ate dinner in Brooklyn with his parents who were up from S. Carolina. The visit was too short, but fun, and unfortunately I forgot to get a picture of his family. For all you Cardinal Newman alum, Jeff just published his first novel, so be on the look out for it.

Besides the Museum of Natural History, we also saw the provocative "Bodies, the Exhibition." This was an educational, yet creepy show of cadavers, open to the paying public. Cadavers were shown in all types of way: posed with a basketball, cut in different planes, you name it. Real organ systems were shown in their entirety. The procurement of the bodies remains questionable, with a disclaimer before you enter that they could not "independently verify that the human remains you are viewing are not those of persons incarcerated in Chinese prisons." So it was definitely disturbing, but the boys, were honestly just bored after a while, and didn't really get it.

Of course it was great seeing my brother and hanging out in his bachelor pad watching movies (even a 3-D one). And it was great going out to eat (lots of sushi) and fun running around on the subways to get around. In fact, riding on the subways was definitely Tyler and Joe's favorite part of the whole visit.

from Glen Rose, TX to Manhattan

2009-01-16T04:29:00.000-08:00

Well, we know we've been to a lot of places on our trek now. Today we visited the Museum of Natural History in NYC to see the dinosaur exhibits. Being the dinosaur "experts" that we've become with two little boys, this place blew us away- the best collection of dino fossils we've ever seen. Anyway, a LONG track of river bed like the fossil tracks we saw in November from the Paluxy River in Texas was removed in the 1930s, and brought to the museum and we saw them today. I think that's pretty cool.

Headed into NYC

2009-01-15T17:50:00.000-08:00

We decided to go into NY and sadly left Bo in Vermont and left our van in New Haven, CT and took the train in. We had a short stop in Massachusetts to see Wayne's old high school buddy, Dave Perkins. Lots of reuniting going on and this has been great. Here are the boys in the New Haven Union Station.

Christiansen boys!!!

2009-01-13T07:36:00.000-08:00

We are lucky to spend some time in Rochester, VT at Wayne's brother, Norm's house, so we got to see cousin Chase, and Aunt Barbara again. Their house up in the Green Mountains is big and lots of fun with tons of toys, a turret, and a jacuzzi. We got our van stuck trying to turn into their snowy driveway, and it was our only semi-worrisome incident with the van so far. I got to go snow shoeing with Barb one day around her friend's farm and the "big" boys played hockey another day as well.

Sweet Caroline

2009-01-11T07:20:00.000-08:00

We made it to Burlington, Vermont, and I visited my friend from Goucher, Caroline, whom I hadn't seen since her wedding--I don't know how long ago. It was a great reunion, and here we are having fun with her kids, Carl and Elizabeth. You can tell Elizabeth is in one of the pictures because of her girlie tights...

Freezing in Montreal

2009-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

We spent Tuesday and Wednesday nights in the van, 1st at a Canadian Walmart, and then at an RV park that said it was open year round, but wasn't (so it was free). Since we can't put the top up anymore on the van, we are all sleeping together "downstairs." It gets a little crowded especially with Joe thrashing around. However, it does stay warmer, which was fortunate because we hit a snow storm in Montreal. This has changed our plans to go to Quebec City and we headed to Vermont today.

The provinces of Ontario and Quebec speak mostly French, so it has been fun and challenging. Wayne's knowledge of French is mainly the names of hockey players and actors (" Guy LaFleur" and "Gerard Depardieu") and mine is equally as inadequate. "Merci" and "Bonjour" can only get you so far.

The weather was so icky yesterday, that we were unable to actually see tall buildings in the city! So we spent the entire day at the Montreal Biodome, a cool zoo-type place that showcased different ecosystems. Tyler and Joe could have stayed forever. Then this morning we went to the Montreal Insectarium which was very fascinating. They had live beautiful scarab beetles, stick and leaf bugs, scorpions, this amazing ant exhibit, and also spiders.

Being in Montreal makes you feels like you are in Europe, and like everywhere else we've been on this trip, I can't wait to return. I feel like we missed out on too many things already...

Niagara Falls

2009-01-05T16:48:00.000-08:00

We spent two nights in the Canadian side of Niagara mostly to spend a day at the Fallsview indoor water park--way fun and fortunately not busy while we were there. Tyler was able to ride almost everything. Wayne and I actually have been to Niagara Falls over ten years ago, and also in January. I'd sure love to see it not frozen.

But it is very beautiful in the winter and the closer you get to Horseshoe Falls, the mist from the falls freezes all over the railings and buildings and anything close by.

Niagara has changed a lot in ten years, and has casinos, a ferris wheel, haunted houses, and Ripley's Believe or Not-type attractions. It can definitely suck all the money out of your wallet if you aren't careful, especially with little boys. Thank goodness Tyler and Joe can't read yet.

Ann Arbor

2009-01-04T06:10:00.000-08:00

We weren't ready to leave Michigan yet, and had to spend some time in Ann Arbor, home to Wayne's alma mater, University of Michigan. The kids and I were subjected to a tour of Wayne's frat house, other fraternities and sororities, and all the bars where he used to hang out. He did show us other buildings where he may have had classes. Actually, it was a lot of fun driving around campus, and we tried to sneak into all the sporting arenas. The football field was definitely off-limits and we were kicked off the Yost Ice Arena rink.

And, fortunately for me, Ann Arbor is home to the world-famous Zingerman's Deli, another must visit-and-eat destination for me, where we grabbed lunch and sampled olive oils and breads. This place was fun, even for Wayne, or so he said. Seriously check out www.zingermans.com for foodie fun.

Goodbye, Grand Rapids

2009-01-02T06:39:00.000-08:00

Grand Rapids was a lot of fun, but now it's time to move on and continue our trek. We feel fortunate to have had a chance to sleep in a real bed, cook on a real stove, watch some TV, join the YMCA for a week, watch a Grand Rapids Griffins hockey game, and play in the snow---lots of it... We got to spend a nice time with family and Wayne's high school friends, the Tols and the Krupps (Hi, Carly!). Thank you all for your hospitality, and Grandma and Aunt Jen we will miss you!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-01-01T06:18:00.000-08:00

On New Year's Eve, Wayne and I ran a fun 4 mile road race, called the Resolution Run near Reed's Lake in East Grand Rapids, so we are all ready for 2009. We had a pretty calm rest of the day, because we were a bit TIRED... We went out to eat with Grandma and her friends, the Markhams and the French's which was relaxing, and then Tyler, Joe and I crashed before 10:00 p.m.

We are looking forward to another great year and hope it is productive and fun for all our friends and family!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T14:33:00.000-08:00

Santa gave the kids almost everything they wanted. Here they are opening gifts and playing with cousin Chase and Aunt Barbara and Uncle Norm. Hope everyone is having a great holiday season! We miss you all especially everyone in Alaska...

Christmas Eve

2008-12-24T14:19:00.000-08:00

We spent the day before Christmas at the Van Andel Museum Center where the boys rode a carousel, learned about Grand Rapids, and got arrested at the Whodunit? exhibit...

The Windy City

2008-12-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

We have been in Grand Rapids, Michigan for a while and will spend the rest of the holidays here. However, we left for three days and visited Chicago. We stayed right next to my old stomping grounds (the now defunct, Northwestern University Dental School), on Lake Shore Drive at the W Hotel. The W Hotel is quite sexy and modern especially for a family that lives in a van, but they welcomed Bo...

We got to see the Ryans and were surprised by Wayne's old volleyball buddies, Pat and Susan. It was great to be back in Chi-town and the boys loved the Field Museum (we saw Sue, a T-Rex) and the Shedd Aquarium (amazing every time). On our last day, we went up to Andersonville for breakfast to get Swedish pancakes and cinnamon rolls at Ann Sathers (yummy). And we went to the Swedish Bakery to visit my favorite cake, although we only left with a box of cookies...

I miss Chicago (snowstorms and all), but I think Wayne was only a little sentimental (he did meet his wife there after all).

Christmas Tree Farm

2008-12-16T12:38:00.000-08:00

Here we are with Grandma freezing at a Christmas Tree Farm in Rockford, Michigan. Boy, was it ever cold that day (it felt like a day of tom-codding in Nome). We finally picked a white pine, but after 10 minutes outside, they all started to look like the perfect tree.

Kentucky Horse Park

2008-12-10T05:54:00.000-08:00

We drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and through Tennessee and then into Kentucky last night. Luckily we found an RV park right in Lexington, at the Kentucky Horse Park. The place is a huge mecca for horse lovers and has many stables for training and riding. It is also a nursing home and a final resting place for famous race horses ( I only recognized the name of Man o' War). We tried to feed some horses apples, but they weren't interested.

Leaving the South is sad :(

2008-12-08T05:33:00.000-08:00

Well, I've relaxed and caught up with my family and friends (although unfortunately, not everyone). This trip has been great, but my underlying thoughts (which I must try to stop having), is that we just don't have enough time. I was so glad Tyler and Joe were able to spend some quality time with my sisters, Joy and Tina; and of course with their grandparents, whom they call Nanay and Lolo Tatay. Tay made his usual pancakes for the boys almost every morning, Tita Joy took them to EdVenture, and Tita Tin "tricked" them into wanting snakes for pets! And we visited with my friends from high school.

And of course, I've gained my normal 5-10 pounds from just crossing into the S. Carolina border. Not just because it was Thanksgiving, but also I had to eat all my favorite Southern and Filipino food at a frenzied pace: blue crabs, Chik-Fil-A, a Lil' Joe's barbecue sandwich basket at Piggie Park, etc., etc.....

It's always difficult to leave home.

South Carolina!

2008-12-04T17:51:00.000-08:00

I've been extremely delinquent in my blogging duties, because now that I'm home (i.e. where I grew up), I have reverted to lounging around and doing absolutely nothing. I haven't even taken many pictures this week. But we did leave Columbia (my hometown) for a few days and went to the coast to St. Helena Island where my family has a vacation place. And of course this means...more fishing and creature-finding for the boys. There is a pond on the property complete with large mouth bass and lurking alligators close by. We were right on the Beaufort River where it is so relaxing and sunny. The boys and Wayne even saw two dolphin swim close by them off the pier. We're all doing great.

The Bible Belt

2008-11-26T18:01:00.001-08:00

For the last few days we've been driving and driving and driving and staying in hotels...through Louisiana, Mississippi (where we stopped for barbecue), and Alabama, and then finally took a real break at Stone Mountain Park, Georgia, which is just outside of Atlanta. There is a giant sculpture in the mountain of three Confederate Civil War heroes: Stonewall Jackson, Jefferson Davis, and of course, Robert E. Lee. We had a relaxing night camping and checked out the mountain in the morning. We're finally in South Carolina.

Dinosaur Valley

2008-11-24T06:08:00.000-08:00

We really are on our way to South Carolina, but had to stop in Glen Rose Texas, just outside Dallas/Fort Worth to see REAL dinosaur tracks at Dinosaur Valley State Park. The river bed is full of these fossils made 105-113 million years ago. Controversial fake human tracks have been sculpted into the limestone as well, and a Creationist Museum is also located nearby.

I think I was the most excited about the footprints, and Tyler and Joe were happy just throwing stones into the footprints and playing with the minnows. This was way cool.

Big Bend

2008-11-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

I wish we had an entire month just to spend in Big Bend National Park in Texas. Unfortunately we had to settle for two nights and we only saw a fraction of the park. This place has everything: deserts, mountains, and not just any river, the Rio Grande. We drove in at night and it was kind of scary, it was so big and endless. And the night skies were so clear because there are no cities near Big Bend.

We saw deer, roadrunners, huge bugs: beetles, caterpillars, butterflies, grasshoppers, and even a tarantula crossing the road. Wayne swears he heard coyote. But we were eluded by the javelina (a wild pig) and the chupacabra (the mythical goat blood-sucking wolf creature). We also tried to catch catfish in the Rio Grande with no luck, although we did find an amazing hot spring right on the river. It's amazing how narrow the Rio Grande appears, and how easy it looks to cross the border.

Big Bend is also full of fossils and we got to touch a hadrosaur and pteranodon fossil, and Tyler even found some seashell fossils (in Texas!). This place is truly special...

Carlsbad Caverns

2008-11-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

Trying to take it slow which is impossible... We visited the caves in New Mexico and were 700 feet below the ground. I'm not sure the boys really understood how far underground we were. I'm not sure I understood either...The pictures just don't do it justice.

Grasshoppers!!!

2008-11-19T18:43:00.000-08:00

Today we went to Guadalupe Mountains National Park which is actually in Texas which we crossed into just for a little bit. We took a little nature hike, because obviously the kids can't do anything for too long, especially Joe. We did get lucky, however, and saw three deer cutting across our trail just as the sun was beginning to go down. And we can't seem to escape from the kid-friendly grasshopper, which in Texas are huge! Tyler loves them, and I'm glad we know how to work the macro feature on the camera.

What little boys are made of...

2008-11-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

We've spent a day and a half in Arizona. We had a great night stargazing at Catalina State Park and toured around Saguaro National Park during the day. The Saguaro cacti are very cool, and we have learned a lot about the desert. Tyler and Joe spent all morning chasing grasshoppers and at breakfast Wayne caught a Regal Thorny Lizard, aka the "horny toad." The poor reptile spent 30 minutes being examined and having it's belly rubbed by Tyler and Joe. I was sure Joe was going to kill it, but we did finally let it go.

Joshua Tree

2008-11-17T10:47:00.000-08:00

It's so great to not be in busy traffic again. We're finally able to take it slow, and we've spent the last two days in Joshua Tree National. Park. It's two deserts here (Mojave and Colorado deserts), and this odd tree only grows in the Mojave part. It really seems like Dr. Seuss got some of his ideas from the flora in this area. The Colorado desert area looked very similar to Nome's tundra--very vast and desolate. This is a haven for rock climbers, and the boys, especially Tyler, did their fair share of rock climbing. They also "hunted" for lizards, but we only saw one the whole time.

We're actually in Arizona now and we're not missing Nome's 14 degree weather right now--it's a balmy 76 degrees here.

Happy Birthday Tyler!

2008-11-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

Today is Tyler's 5th birthday.
We started the day at the Rancho La Brea Tar Pits which is an area right in the middle of LA where there are sticky asphalt ("tar") pits. The asphalt has preserved thousands and thousands of fossils such as mastodons, sabre tooth cats, and wolves. When you walk around the museum's park and sidewalks in the neighborhood these "tar pits" actually surface to the top of the earth and they are black and gooey.

Then we went to Grauman's Chinese Theatre to people watch. Joe and Tyler imprinted their feet and hands into the cement (okay maybe into Harrison Ford's hand and footprints) and Bo checked out her favorite stars' stars.

Finally we went to Anaheim and had Tyler's birthday celebration at the Rainforest Cafe. Tyler was so happy at bed time and we stayed up reading one of his birthday books, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea."

Whew...it was another busy day. We are going to need a vacation from this vacation soon.

Fresno to San Carlos to LA

2008-11-13T23:11:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy few days zig-zagging around Cali to see friends. We went to Fresno to see my Aunt Purple Violet and I was glad she finally got to meet the boys. Then we drove back up North to see my good friend, Dr. Frank Hsu, from dental school who has a beautiful practice in San Carlos with a very friendly staff (Hi Tyson!). And for NUDS alumni, Frank also has two children (a boy, Conrad, and a baby girl, Naomi).

Then we drove south along the coast to the Monterey Aquarium, had a short stop in Santa Barbara, and now we're finally in Los Angeles, visiting Wayne's friend Scott Chism. We spent all afternoon in Santa Monica and we rode the ferris wheel, played skeeball (Joe just walked to the target and threw the balls in), and just played on the beach. The weather is getting warmer now!

Berkeley and San Francisco

2008-11-11T21:40:00.000-08:00

I knew we should not have entered California at all--too many things to do and too many people to see. And we still have to get to South Carolina by Thanksgiving...

But I finally got to eat at my dream restaurant in Berkeley, Chez Panisse, a mecca for those who read about food and eating...It's the birthplace of California cuisine and preparing locally grown foods. It was a pricey, but yummy, lunch and Wayne wondered if we were the only patrons who had slept in a van the night before. Tyler also spit out about a $4 mouthful of oysters while Joe ate the ice upon which the oysters sat.

Then we went into San Francisco and walked around Chinatown and the Fisherman's Wharf. We saw a fortune cookie factory and watched sourdough bread being made. We grabbed a crab sandwich and fried fish and shrimp on the wharf for dinner The boys loved the sea lions that moved into one of the piers. It was another incredible night and I recommend that everyone take some serious time off.

Crabs at Bodega Bay

2008-11-10T21:02:00.000-08:00

We spent two nights in Bodega Bay. It just happened to be the beginning of Dungeness crab season in California so Wayne bought a fishing rod, this little crab trap that you tie to the end of the line, and some frozen mackerel for bait. Tyler and Joe each caught one, and we ate them both for dinner (which for all the gear cost us $40.00, the price of a pizza and a salad in Nome).

From the Redwood Forests...

2008-11-08T11:28:00.000-08:00

We've spent the last two days in Redwood National Park along the Northern California coast line. The Sequoias truly are gigantic. Tyler rescued some banana slugs, we went hiking, and we checked out The Trees of Mystery, a campy tour of the Redwoods complete with a Giant Paul Bunyan and Babe, the ox.

Leaving Oregon

2008-11-06T08:24:00.000-08:00

This was our last day in Oregon, and although it drizzled a lot, it was so beautiful. We ran into a sea lion on the beach (you can see it on the right in Tyler's picture on the rock). He wouldn't have lasted very long if he was spotted in Nome... and we went to the Sea Lion Caves, where hundreds of these animals gather often, just not while we were there! However, with binoculars, we did see about twenty or so out in the ocean swimming.

President Barack Obama

2008-11-05T11:09:00.001-08:00

We saw this in Portland...

Tillamook Cheese Factory

2008-11-04T10:49:00.000-08:00

We can't escape Oregon! There is so much to do and today we're on the Oregon Coast now and had to see the cheese factory. It was cool watching the cheddar getting processed. We're staying at a hotel tonight to watch presidential election coverage as we have no TV in the van.

Multnomah Falls and Fish Hatchery

2008-11-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

Here we are taking the loop around Mount Hood /Hood River. Tyler and Joe climbed the 1 mile hike all the way up to the top of the Falls (with only minor whining and some piggy back rides). And then Tyler was in heaven as we stumbled upon this amazing fish hatchery where Silvers and King Salmon were being collected for egg and milt (sperm) harvesting. The hatchery is also home to Herman the (gigantic) Sturgeon.

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T07:42:00.000-07:00

We spent Halloween in Portland with Minah and Dave DeAinza and their daughter Emma, the turtle. Tyler is the knight and Joe is the tiger.

Seattle to Bainbridge

2008-10-30T20:00:00.000-07:00

We spent our second night with the van Houte's in Bainbridge Island . We had to take the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge, and here are the boys hamming it up.

The boys enjoyed hanging with the vanHoute girls, Alyshia, Annika and Annelies.

Our new home!

2008-10-30T15:48:00.000-07:00

Oct 30, 2008

Well, we are doing it. We quit our jobs and are going to tour these United States!

After looking for our ideal vehicle in Anchorage with no luck, we flew to Seattle yesterday to pick up our new conversion van. It's a 2006 Pleasure-way Traverse, which is basically a Ford van complete with a fridge, sink, microwave oven, and a back seat that converts into a bed, and the pop-up bunk bed. Tyler and Joe love it and it is perfect for our family.

We spent our 1st night in a Marysville, WA Walmart parking lot! We picked up some supplies and all got haircuts at the Walmart (of course).