Mumbai Central...our first India train station experience.

Trying to describe what a train station in India is like is almost impossible. They are hands down one of the most fascinating places on earth. You can stand in one place for 5 minutes and you would see thousands of people coming and going, people going to the bathroom on the tracks, children crawling on the ground begging, people laying around sleeping, etc, etc, etc. Are first experience with an Indian train station was Mumbai Central. We took a wild cab ride (almost hit 4-5 pedestrians) from the Colaba area of Mumbai to the train station. From the outside it does not look that much different then any other train station around the world. This impression was quickly diminished the moment we stepped inside. It felt like 120 degrees, there were people everywhere and the sights and sounds of people coming and going were overwhelming. We ended up just finding a place to sit to try and digest it all. After a few moments we simply fell asleep on our bags from exhaustion. About an hour before the train departed the officials came and posted a list of passengers and assigned berths. This whole process was quite fun as I got to join the mob of locals trying to read the list. It felt pretty funny to be the only westerner among a whole group of Indians pushing my way through to read the postings. We eventually made it on our night train to Delhi and said goodbye to Mumbai. By the end of our time in India train stations were one of our favorite places to hang out but our first experience with Mumbai Central will be one we will never forget.

Silver Glance Lake

Way up high in American Fork canyon is a small mountain lake called "Silver Glance." I had been reading a few blog posts about it and it sounded incredible. One Sunday afternoon Lindsay and I decided to go and find it. We drove up to Tibblefork Reservoir and then continued up the dusty road to Silver Flat Lake. Just after arriving at Silver Flat there is a trail head that leads up to Silver Creek Lake which is a beautiful (and quite big) mountain lake. The hike from Silver Flat to Silver Creek is easy but very beautiful. Once we arrive at the lake we stooped for a packed lunch to gain some energy. Then we started the unknown hike up to Silver Glance. We knew the general direction of the lake but there is no developed trial and you are on your own to find it. We were very lucky and within an hour or so we stumbled upon this small, hidden and beautiful mountain lake. It is surrounded by meadows, trees and waterfalls. To the north is the mountain White Baldy and to the south is an incredible view of Timpanogas Mountain. We chilled out next to the waterfalls for a good hour but decided to keep "trailblazing" all the way up to the saddle of White Baldy. The view from this ridge was absolutely incredible. You could see Red Pine Lake and Little Cottonwood Canyon to the North and almost the entire Lone Peak Wilderness to the West. (we have always wanted to hike in this area but since dogs are not allowed up Little Cottonwood we had to take this back door approach) We sat on this beautiful ridge and just took in the world class scenery. You don't have to go far to experience some of the most beautiful mountains in the world...it is right in Utah's backyard!

"The Night Before"

Now that me and Lindsay are back from our India trek I had to write about our experience getting ready for this trip. A lot goes into planning a trip to a place like India. You have vaccinations to get, trains to reserve, hotels to find, money to figure out, dog sitters to find, etc. For some reason getting ready for this last trip was the most stressed I had ever been in my life! It was 2:00 am the night before our early morning flight and I was just laying in bed not able to sleep a wink. Here are just a few of the thoughts/stresses running through my mind:

1. India is going through elections...how is the violence this year?
2. Will the anti-malaria pills interfere with our Typhoid shots?
3. Will all of the 3 connecting flights from SLC to Mumbai leave on time?
4. What is it like arriving in Mumbai,India at midnight?...how do I get into the city?
5. Will the Taj Mahal be open on election day?
6. Will the swine flu pandemic affect our traveling...will I be singled out...do I have a fever?
7. Nepal's Prime Minister just stepped down..how will this affect travel to that country?
8. Will our flight from Kathmandu arrive before I have to catch the train to Varanasi?
9. Do I have all the visa's?
10. Will my wait-listed train ticket get cleared so I can go from Mumbai to Delhi?
11. How do I get a taxi from Agra to Delhi if violence shuts down the train system?
12. Etc, Etc, Etc.

Needless to say it was very intimidating. However, the morning came and Lindsay and I took off with nothing but our small backpacks, LonelyPlanet guides, Passports and sense of adventure for exploring the unknown. It is always easy to reminisce about trips once they are over but for once I had to write about the stresses of getting ready to go...it takes a lot of planning to backpack halfway around the world and back!

Partying Broadway Style!

When Lindsay and I took our honeymoon we had a nightmare of an experience at the Houston airport. We were delayed by HOURS and it made the whole ordeal miserable. A few months later while working in Montana we received a letter from the airline saying that we had $400 credit as a result of the delays...thus started our newlywed New York Adventure. The minute I received the letter I began planning a trip to the Big Apple. I surprised Lindsay a few weeks before her birthday by telling her we were all set to go. Because we didn't have a lot of money, and because Manhattan is not cheap, we had to spend most of our nights at the Americana Hostel in Midtown. However, the day of Lindsay's birthday we decided to splurge and went crazy Broadway Style! We got a room at the incredible Hotel QT which is an ultra modern boutique hotel right in Times Square. We both got decked out in the nicest cloths we had and hit the town. The first stop was Times Square to take in the sights, sounds and overall feel of this incredible place. Next we found a quite little Italian restaurant in the theatre district. The restaurant was small and when we saw how busy they were we started walking out but were quickly stopped by the owner who told us he had a table. We ended up sharing a pasta dinner in a quite and charming place...it was perfect. After that we topped off the night by heading to the Majestic Theatre for the evenings performance of "The Phantom of the Opera." Although we were young and didn't have a lot of money; for one night we got to live the NYC high life by partying BROADWAY STYLE!

Madrid in 24 hours:

Lindsay and I had one night to spend in Madrid, Spain on our 2008 Middle East/Africa trek. We took a flight from Tangier, Morocco to Madrid and had about 24 hours before we caught an early morning flight. Lindsay had spent time there during a European backpacking trip after high school but this was my first time to this unbelievable city. We started by catching the efficient Metro at the airport and took it right into the "centro district." First stop was the magnificent Royal Palace and then we made our way through the winding streets to the Plaza Mayor. Compared to the hustle and bustle of the Middle East and Northern Africa this city seemed so calm, quite and organized. The only thing that tainted the experience at all was that the dollar was incredibly week compared to the Euro so this was quite the shock:) After taking in the sites of the old city we made our way to Parque del Buen Retiro (a huge park) to stroll along with the locals watching the late afternoon turn into evening. Once the sun was down we went back to the main shopping districts and just took in the scene. We would chill for a minute, hit up a cafe, and then pick another place to stop and people watch. The architecture, temperature and overall vibe was a perfect and relaxing way to end an incredible long and adventurous trek. At around midnight we caught one of the last Metro trains back to the airport and spent the night sleeping on the cold hard floor with our backpacks (can't afford a hotel with the Euro so strong). Madrid is incredible and a city that deserves weeks of time to explore as opposed to 24 short hours, however, we loved every minute of our time there.

Bozeman In a Day:

On one of our MANY trips up to Montana Lindsay and I decided to spend a beautiful spring day in one of the coolest small towns in America: Bozeman, Montana. The 2 hour drive from our ranch in Dillon was absolutely spectacular! The valleys were green and the mountain peaks were bright white with snow. When we arrived in Bozeman we went immediately to the mountain village of Big Sky. Highway 191 or "Gallatin Road" follows a beautiful river and winds through the canyon before opening up to grand Lone Peak. After taking in the views we were interrupted by a spring thunder storm so we headed back to Bozeman to check out downtown. For such a small city Bozeman sports one of the most vibrant downtown's in all the west. There are tonz of restaurants, shops, historic buildings, etc. After strolling along we had worked up an appetite and decided to hit up a local favorite: MacKenzie River Pizza Company. After a great day of chillin we headed back to the ranch and made it just in time to see the sunset over the Pioneer mountains...to put it simply; we LOVE Bozeman Montana.

Bike Ride in Bocas Del Toro:

On the Caribbean side of Panama near the Costa Rica border lies one of the funkiest places Lindsay and I have ever been: Bocas Del Toro. This small island has one town called "Bocas" and then everything else is basically dirt roads, beaches, etc. It has a really unique Caribbean feel with colorful buildings, unique people and sunny beaches. While there me and Lindsay stayed in a beautiful guesthouse that had recently been opened by an American women. The hotel was about 45 minutes outside the town and sat high upon a hill overlooking the ocean (I will definitely write more about Hotel La Coralina in another post). The owner rented beach cruisers to the guests and one sunny day Lindsay and I decided to take a ride. We were told about this fantastic swimming hole on the northern end of the island so we decided to go explore. The ride was absolutely beautiful; the dirt road hugged the ocean and the only other people on it were local villagers, children on horses and the dogs that decided to follow us. Every once in a while we would catch a glimpse of the incredible coastline through the thick trees. We would also stop along the way to see if we could spot any "sloths" in the trees and we did eventually end up seeing one. After about a mile of bike riding we came to this small farm house with a gate. Just as we had been told two young kids came running out, we gave them $1 and they opened the gate so that we could ride through their property. Then after another 1/2 hour of riding we finally found the totally secluded swimming hole and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming, snorkeling and taking in this totally undiscovered island paradise. By sunset we were riding back to the guesthouse along the beautiful and winding country road.

Petra, Jordan: City of Stone

For most people in the world the desert landscape around southern Jordan is absolutely unique. However, if you ever ever been to Moab Utah then you know exactly what the area around Petra Jordan looks like. Although the scenery is the same the Bedouin people, camels and cities carved in stone make this place truly unique. Lindsay and I arrived in Petra in late afternoon after a very long taxi ride from Amman (about 3 hours). We arrived in the small village of Wadi Musa and couldn't wait to make the 30 minute hike down into the stone city of Petra. This amazing place was built by the Nabataeans in the 3rd century BC. They carved Temples, palaces and tombs into the red desert cliffs. The area was made famous because the main building is were Indian Jones and the last crusade was filmed. The hike from Wadi Musa down into Petra looks like the "narrows" hike in southern Utah. There is a narrow trail in between tall red and orange cliffs. After what seems like forever the trial finally opens up and you are looking straight at the most magnificent of all of Petra's buildings: The Treasury. When we arrived the evening light was just perfect and we were absolutely BLOWN AWAY by the magnificent structure that stood before us. Not only was the building beautiful but the camels, horses, donkeys and local children playing made the scene truly unique. We spent the rest of the evening exploring the treasury and taking in this amazing place. The next 2 days of our trip were devoted to hiking around and exploring all of the other buildings and sites. We will never forget this one-of-a-kind place.

"Small Riot" in Damascus

One of the biggest differences in culture between the western world and the middle east is the way men communicate with each other. In the west when two men are having a conversation they generally keep their voices down and maintain a very steady demeanor. However, in the middle east even a simple conversation between two adult men can sound like a huge argument. They tend to talk really loud, really fast and get very animated. By the time we made it to Damascus,Syria Lindsay and I had grown quite accustom to this, however, one day while exploring the "souqs"(markets) we had quite the surprise. We saw two men outside of a little shop yelling at each other. We brushed this off as being the norm and were shocked when all of the sudden one of the men slapped the other. We of course could not take our eyes off the scene unfolding in front of us and kept watching from a distance. Eventually the man that was slapped stormed off and we thought the whole ordeal was over...we were wrong. Withing a matter of minutes the scene turned to compete chaos. All of the sudden there was a large crowd of men running towards us and another group of men behind us yelling and calling them on. The scene came to a climax when one man took off his belt and began swinging it over his head like Indiana Jones (honestly). Lindsay went in to "stare" mode and just stood there in shock staring at the complete riot unfolding in front of us. I on the other hand had a moment of instincts and just grabbed Lindsay's hand and started running the opposite direction. The last situation I wanted to be in was to be an American stuck in a Middle Eastern riot. We eventually got our way out of the chaos and within a few minutes the fighting had stopped and people were beginning to get back to normal. We spent the rest of the evening almost laughing at what we had just been a part off...it was an experience we will never forget.

The first picture below is of Lindsay in the market before the craziness started :)

Charleston, South Carolina

In October of 2008 Lindsay and I took a trip down to Florida to visit her brother. We had a couple of days to explore and decided to take a quick road trip up to Charleston, South Carolina. I have wanted to visit this city ever since taking an "American Architecture" class in college. Charleston is a true American colonial city with a great "southern charm." We arrived in the late afternoon and spent the entire evening exploring the cobblestone streets, southern mansions and beautiful gardens. The grand and pure white St. Michael's church was amazing and the beautiful old southern mansions along Murray Blvd were unbelievable. Almost all of the buildings and houses in Charleston are painted in bright colors and have been completely restored. The look and feel of this city is truly unique among any other city we have been to in the United States. Although its a small city, and one that is easily overlooked, it should not be missed!

Casablanca, Morocco.

Casablanca is a city I have always wanted to visit and I am not sure why. The modern Moroccan capital is a long ways from the romantic Oceanside city we all imagine from the old Hollywood movie. These days the city is filled with crime, religious tensions, extreme wealth & poverty, etc. However, if you look close enough you can still find the charm of this historic city. Lindsay and I arrived in Casablanca around 1:00 am on a flight from Cairo, Egypt. After taking a very expensive taxi ride into the city (can't bargain much at 1:00 am) we checked into our hotel and crashed. The next morning we had about 4-5 hours to experience the city before we caught the afternoon train to Marrakesh. We walked around and explored on our own and eventually picked up a cab to take us back to the Hotel. We ended up really loving our Cab Driver and asked if we could hire him for a quick "whirlwind tour" of his city. What followed was a fun morning of great sights, great conversation and just plain fun. The first place he took us was the old historic fort that used to protect the city. Up next was the beautiful and GIGANTIC Hassan II Mosque that sits right on the edge of the sea. We then "cruised" the upscale beaches, neighborhoods and districts. We finished off the morning at a beach that had a small island just off the coast full of dense, white buildings. It turns out this tiny island is a village full of very poor inhabitants that simply swim, float or walk (during low tide) to shore if they need too. We ended up really enjoying Casablanca and only wished we had more time to experience more of this fascinating city.

"Old Jaffa"

The modern city of Tel Aviv Israel feels like a Mediterranean "beach town." Beautiful golden beaches, skyscraper hotels and clubs galore. Placed right in the middle of this new urban metropolis is an ancient port city called Jaffa (Joppa in the Bible). Lindsay and I discovered this charming little enclave during an evening stroll along Tel Aviv's main beach. In the late afternoon we started walking south towards a small, tight group of buildings on the south end of the beach. As we made are way south the glass skyscrapers were gone and the old streets, buildings and churches of little "Jaffa" began to appear. We arrived around sunset and immediately feel in love with this charming ancient port city. The buildings are all golden brown with small windows and doors painted bright blue. The beautiful main square has a large old Church, a nice park and a number of alleyways that branch off in different directions. The streets are made of stone, large palm trees sway in the breeze and little cafes and shops are on every corner...it is truly a beautiful little town. Lindsay and I enjoyed the rest of our evening sitting in the main square watching the sun go down over "Old Jaffa."

Samoeng Loop:

One of the quintessential experiences when backpacking around Thailand is to rent a scooter. In the beautiful mountain town of Chang Mae Lindsay and I decided to have this experience. I had read in numerous blogs about this incredibly beautiful mountain road called the "Samoeng Loop." I had visions of cruising along this mountain highway watching the little farms, beautiful streams and majestic mountains pass us by. This is exactly how it was, however, we first had to conquer a few hurtles:

1. They drive on the left in Thailand (the owner of the shop kept saying "always on the left").
2. Traffic is incredible chaotic.
3. I have the worse luck in the world with Motorcycles.

We found a cute little rental place right in the center of the city, I handed them my passport and 10 minutes later we were cruising along on a little red scooter. Although I had read a lot about this loop I was not entirely sure how to get there, all I was going off of was the memorized "google earth" images in my head. On one of the busiest roads in Chang Mae I was not paying attention and all of the sudden I felt Lindsay squirm; when I looked up we were headed right for the back of the car in front of us...we literally skidded to a stop inches from the car! Anyway, after a lot of turns and dead ends we finally found our way to the Samoeng Loop. It ended up being everything we had imagined and more. We took our time stopping at the occasional waterfall and valley view. The hills were dotted with little huts and farms and the green forest surrounding the road was spectacular. We will simply never forget it!

Road Trippin to San Francisco:

A couple of years ago it was labor day and Lindsay and I were anxious to go somewhere. My sister Allison also had the travel bug as her husband was out of town and she had time to hang out. Thanks to Hotwire.com we found an incredible deal on a downtown hotel and at the last minute decided to take off and head on a road trip to San Francisco. We spent the first evening in a shady Reno motel but by the next morning we were crossing the Bay Bridge into one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Once in San Francisco we hit all the major sites: Fisherman's Wharf, China Town, Golden Gate Bridge, etc. We also spent an afternoon hanging out around the hippy district of "Haight & Ashbury." In the 60's my father Ken was a missionary in this area and we went and found his old flat on Carl Street. We also spent some time checking out the Marina District and the Ebarcedero as we have had both a brother and sister live there. At nights we hung out in North Beach and Coit Tower and by day we cruised all the major shopping districts like Union Square, Market Street, etc. We ate at good restaurants, enjoyed the architecture and just all around had a fantastic weekend in the "city by the bay." If you live in Utah then a weekend adventure to San Francisco is an unbeatable roadtrip!

Speed Boat Around Thai Islands:

During our 2006 backpacking trip to Thailand Lindsay and I spent about a week down around the beautiful coastal town of Krabi. This part of the Thai coast is absolutely gorgeous with sandy beaches, blue water and huge rock cliffs that shoot straight up out of the water. After a few days of just hanging out we got "anxious" to see more of the islands around this beautiful country. We decided to pay $60 to take a speed boat tour around the islands. Considering we were on a backpackers budget this was quite the splurge. When we first got on the boat and met the other passengers (mostly Chinese tourist) and the Captain (a Thai version of Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Carribean) we were quite skeptical. However, this boat trip turned out to be an incredible experience! We stopped by the Phi Phi Islands, when to Maya Bay beach (were the movie "The Beach" was filmed) and snorkeled around a reef that was in the middle of the ocean! This last experience was exceptionally memorable; the boat was in the middle of the ocean and then all of the sudden it just stopped. It looked like we were just sitting on top of hundreds off feet of water but when the captain told us to put on the snorkel mask and jump in we were shocked to see that we were actually on top of an AMAZINGLY colorful coral reef. We were also blown away by the color of the sand and water around these islands. The ocean has a turquoise color and the beaches are pure white. This speed boat tour ended up being a great way to see a lot of the coast without having a lot of time; we will never forget it!

Sunset Beach:

In March 2007 we went with Lindsay's mom Pat to Hawaii. Thanks to my sister and her husband we had a beautiful house to stay at and we just couldn't resist taking this short trip to the beautiful islands. Every time we go to Hawaii we try and take off to the North Shore to play and hang out and this trip was no exception. The first full day we were there we took a drive along the "Kam" highway and arrived at the north shore right before sunset. We decided to chill at "sunset beach" to witness what it was famous for...the sunset. We just hung out, played in the water, watched the surfers and witnessed one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen. When it got really spectacular we busted out the camera to take as many pictures as we could. It doesn't get much better then hanging out with family (Pat, Lindsay, Allison and Marriott) on Sunset beach on the North Shore of Oahu!

Fireflies in North Carolina:

In the summer of 2007 Lindsay and I took a trip back to Charlotte, North Carolina which is my old "mission field." After a few days taking in that cosmopolitan city we headed north to the small town of Thomasville which is were I started my mission. It was a beautiful southern summer evening and we were just driving along some of the cute country roads around Thomasville. We eventually stopped at a field and noticed that there were a lot of fireflies. The scene was beautiful: sunset, green hills and fireflies everywhere...it was just how I remembered it. We spent a good hour just catching fireflies, frogs and enjoying the beautiful "south."

Sunrise over Saudi Arabia.

There is a very unique part of the world were the countries of Egypt, Israel and Jordan come together and border the Red Sea. On this narrow strip of land each country has developed their own little “beach town” such as Aquaba in Jordan, Eilat in Israel and Taba in Egypt. After traveling for 2 straight weeks in the Middle East Lindsay and I decided to “splurge” on a hotel close to the beach in Eilat. This hotel would be comparable to something like a Hampton-Inn by western standards but compared to the small hotels/hostels we had been staying at it might as well have been the Ritz. Upon arrival we learned that for some reason we were being bumped up to a top-floor room overlooking the ocean. When we got to the room we were amazed by the view. We could see the Red Sea right in front of us and the desert mountains of Saudi Arabia in the distance. We only had one night in the hotel as we had to wake up early the next morning to catch a small flight to Tel Aviv, thus, we set our alarms for early in the morning and went to bed. The next morning we awoke to one of the most beautiful sunrises we had ever seen. The early morning sun cast shades of purple, blue and red on the normally brown desert landscape. The sea was calm and the countries of Jordan and Saudi Arabia sat still in the distance. We took a few moments to enjoy watching the world wake up and felt lucky to have witnessed the desert “come alive” with color. It was a sunrise that we will never forget.

"The Decapolis"

Lindsay and I are very big fans of modern architecture and design...especially with hotels. This translates into us always trying to find unique hotels to “splurge on” every once in awhile. (We learned this art from my older sister Allison who is the design “pro”) The most modern and unique hotel we have ever stayed at was “The Decapolis” in Panama City, Panama. Surprisingly enough this hotel was owned by Radisson but it was nothing like the other hotels of that brand that we had seen before. It was located right in downtown Panama City and was a 20+ story tower made of steel, cement and glass. The lobby was an atrium that went up 10 floors and had stairs made of steel/wood with lights running along the bottom. The pool was on the 5th floor deck and the bottom was made of glass so that in the restaurant below you could see the people swimming above you (a little creepy but really unique). When we checked-in we were given a room on one of the highest floors and when we opened the door we were blown away. The room had a platform bed, floor to ceiling windows and modern décor all throughout. It looked out over the skyline of downtown, The Pacific Ocean and old historic Panama City. The only thing we thought was weird was the wall size nude photos of the local Indian populations (tasteful but really weird). This hotel should have cost lots of money but since we were in Central America it was quite affordable. If you want to go modern, go Decapolis!

Sunday Afternoon in Central Park

One of the first trips Lindsay and I took when we were married was a quick long-weekend trip to the "crossroads of the universe" New York city. As it happens the Big Apple was having one of the wettest weekends in years and it was constantly raining. After 2 days of being soaked we woke up to our last day (Sunday) and were very disappointed, but not surprised, to see that it was cloudy and wet. We decided to take a walk down to Central Park anyway and by the time we got there the clouds had parted and the sun was shining! All of the sudden people started heading to the park in droves! The rest of the afternoon we just ate hot dogs, walked along the winding paths, people watched and enjoyed the greatest park on earth. It was a refreshing and bright ending to a very cloudy and wet weekend!

A Boarder Crossing to Remember:

About 2 weeks into our Middle East trek Lindsay and I found ourselves needing to cross from Jordan to Israel. Border crossings anywhere are never really "easy" and when your in the Middle East it quite the experience (especially going from an Islamic Country to Israel). We started in the little beach town of Aquaba, Jordan and took a cab to the border and then started the exiting process. We began by paying the "exit tax" in Jordan and then discussing "Obama" with the friendly guards while they took 20 minutes to stamp our passports. We then were led through a series of gates until we found ourselves face to face with the last Jordanian guard holding a huge gun..he was very intimidating. He took our passports and then said "I cannot give you back your passport...unless you promise to come back to Jordan!" He then started laughing and gave us a huge smile! We continued to chat with him for a few minutes about how much he loved Americans and wanted us to come back, it was a great ending to a beautiful country. After that he pointed us down a long road surrounded by barbed-wire fences. We walked along this (very) deserted road for about 100 yards before finally seeing the large Israeli flags. The border in Israel was a much different experience. It was full of serious guards, lots of weapons and very intense security measures. When they noticed the Syrian visa in our passports they became very suspicious and set us aside for "further inspection." This ended up being a 3 hour ordeal that consisted of interviewing us separately, calling the US Government to verify identity and lots of waiting. Eventually we were cleared and headed off to the beach party town of Eilat, Israel. This border crossing was such a unique experience, the contrast between these two countries and the intensity we will never forget!

Portland = Urban Paradise

As an Urban Design major in college I was constantly reading case studies and examples about Portland, OR. This relatively small city is the "poster child" for good Urban Design. It was a Friday afternoon labor day weekend 2008 and Lindsay and I were dying to go somewhere. At the last minute I thought "lets load up the Mini-Cooper and head up to Portland"...and that we did. We drove from Salt Lake City to Boise for the night and then on to Portland the next morning. The drive is beautiful; riding along the Columbia river with Mt. Hood in the background is fantastic. The highlight of the trip however was the city of Portland itself. As we drove across one of the many historic bridges I began to realize why this city was so famous amongst urbanites. Portland has all the ingredients for an urban paradise: Narrow streets, very small blocks (you can fit 9 Portland blocks in 1 Salt Lake City block) and lots of "districts" with varying personalities. We spent the weekend exploring the neighborhood markets, hanging out in the trendy "Pearl District" and riding the streetcars from place to place. The city also has a huge park with the world famous "international rose garden" which was simply beautiful. For this trip we decided to really enjoy our hotel room by renting movies, sleeping-in, etc which felt great because we rarely take the time to do this. Portland is definitely a city worth visiting; for us it was everything it was hyped up to be. If you want a "big city weekend" with a "small town feel" head off to Portland!

Canada or Bust!

In the summer of 2007 Lindsay and I attended her family reunion in Yellowstone. We were there for about 3 days and then had 4 more days of vacation to use. We know we wanted to go to Canada with the extra time but there was a number of unanswered questions: were would we stay? Can we take our dog across the border? Any campgrounds left in Banff? The last day of the reunion we decided to just load up the jeep and head north! Normally we are very obsessive and meticulous about our trip planning but this time we just went! As a result of no time to plan we ended up sleeping in the back of our jeep in a rest-stop somewhere near Missoula, Montana. All in all it ended up being one of the funnest road trip adventures we have ever had. We watched summer storms come across the beautiful wilderness of Montana, took the "road to the sun" in Glacier National Park and ended up in the beautiful Canadian Rockies! This taught me and Lindsay the value of the "spontaneous road-trip" and was a memory we will never forget.

Miami Beach: Architecture, Style, Sun & Fun.

In October of 2008 while visiting Lindsay's brother in Florida we took a quick trip down to Miami Beach. I have never wanted to go anywhere near Miami until I took a "History of American Architecture" class in college and became fascinated with the Art Deco architectural style. As we pulled into the city and began exploring I quickly realized that I had underestimated Miami, especially Miami Beach. The white washed art deco buildings, the posh shops, the Caribbean/Cuban vibe, the palm lined beaches and the eclectic mix of people gave for a very exciting experience. We got a room at the "Colony" which is one of the most photographed hotels in Miami. In the 1st picture below you can see the top left room light on in the blue lite building; that is actually our hotel room. For just a couple of days we hung out on the beach, admired the architecture and took in the scene. We would sit on the beach during the day and walk the scene on "Ocean Drive" at night. For us Miami really was a pleasant (and fun) surprise!