Since I’m bundled up in a cozy wool sweater from the Blarney Woolen Mills today, I thought I’d share this fun pic from our visit to Blarney Castle last fall.
Learning the difference between baloney and Blarney.
Happy hour on the patio at El Zocalo in Chandler, Arizona.
After a romantic Valentine’s Day in Scottsdale, Arizona, we headed to Chandler for a couple of days. Historic downtown Chandler is a gastronomic delight; if you’re dieting, you should not go there. The artsy area is just a few blocks long, but it’s packed with restaurants, pubs and specialty shops. Our intention was to have lunch and do a little window-shopping. We liked it so much that we ended up spending a good portion of our weekend there.
Pretzels and beer at the SanTan Brewing Company.
SanTan Brewing Company was founded in 2007 and is based in a renovated 1954 bank building. There’s lots of seating inside and out, but it was still pretty busy when we got there. I had a Sun Spot Golden Ale, which was light and refreshing. Scott tried the Sex Panther, because who doesn’t want to try a beer called Sex Panther? It’s a double chocolate porter that’s only available in early spring.
Looking for John Wayne in Monument Valley.
Our second major empty nest road trip took us from Glenwood Springs, Colorado, to Scottsdale and Chandler, Arizona, for a Valentine’s Day getaway. It’s a lot of miles to cover in a day, but the topography and scenery vary so much that the drive doesn’t seem to take that long. Especially if you’re the passenger.
It was cold and wintery when we left our home in Glenwood Springs and headed west through Rifle, Grand Junction and Fruita. Our first stop was in Moab, Utah, which is beautiful anytime of the year. On this day, the magnificent red rocks had a coating of snow against a brilliant blue sky. Continue reading
Blarney Castle: Check!
I’ve been spending a lot of time lately checking things off of a non-existent bucket list, so it seems like a good time to get one started. Like all good list makers, I’m including items I’ve already checked off. There’s no shame in that.
These are in no particular order, and the list is subject to change:
— Visit all 50 states
— See wild horses with manes and tails blowing in the wind
— Drive or ride Highway 101 from Los Angeles to Tumwater, WA
— Watch bears catching salmon in Alaska
— Never get caught twerking on video (so far, so good) Continue reading
Our cozy cabin in Lake City, Colorado.
I love small towns, and Lake City, Colorado, is one of my favorites. We spent many happy Fourth of July holidays there camping, riding dirt bikes, watching the parade and the fireworks with the kids. Although the full-time population is just 400, it’s a very popular place during the summer. Campsites became harder to find and our visits dwindled. I hadn’t been back in six years, so we decided it was the perfect destination for our first overnight motorcycle trip.
Waterfall near Redstone, Colorado.
Packing light is not one of my skills, but I was able to squeeze one night’s worth of my stuff into the travel bag that sits on the back of my bike. Actually, there was a little room to spare, and another small bag that fits on the top that I didn’t need, so longer trips are definitely an option. Continue reading
Empty nest camping!
Ready or not, here it comes! The last year of high school passes so quickly and there’s so much to do, particularly the last couple of months … graduation announcements, senior pictures, college visits, prom, senior boards, the last track meet (or soccer game or concert), end-of-season banquets, scholarship applications, choosing a college. Before you know it, you’re buying extra-long twin sheets, mini refrigerators and more storage bins and closet organizers than will actually fit in a dorm room, and dropping your baby off at college.
What now? I have several friends getting ready to enter the empty nest world, some with a sense of accomplishment and some with a good deal of trepidation. Here are three things that helped me during year one. Continue reading
Part of the beauty of the empty nest is that it’s easier to travel. Since I can work just about anywhere, I decided to join Scott on some of his business trips. Our first opportunity was just a couple of weeks into emptynestdom. I started the research and planning early, which gave us both something to look forward to and helped keep my mind off the fact that our lives were getting ready to change pretty significantly.
Scott loves to drive, so my jobs are to generally plan the route, pretend to be able to read a map, find stops along the way and look up interesting facts about the area. I usually take a few involuntary naps as well. Continue reading
Tales From the Empty Nest 