Get active in Cali!

I have lived in California for 2.5 year now. CRAZY! The thing that I love most about it is the ample amount of active outdoor activities that are so close in proximity! For example, Yosemite is only 3 hours away! When we were planning our honeymoon we knew we wanted to something adventurous and also something fun. So we decided to split our time between Yosemite and Disneyland, neither of us had ever been to Yosemite (shame on John!) and I had never been to Disneyland so it was quite exciting for us! We didn't just want to sit around Yosemite and marvel at its beauty, although we DID do that, we wanted to get out there and experience it! So we planned to climb half dome! Several people thought we were weird for wanting to do such a long day trip on our honeymoon but it was perfect for us. After we rented a car for our trip (which ended being a free upgrade to a Mercedes!) we headed south! Or southeast I guess, I'm not good with directions.

The car ride was quite nice and we pretended the whole time that it was so lame that we had to take the Mercedes instead of our nice car. Here is John acting Yuppy with his cup of coffee and his Mercedes. The hike up Half Dome was amazing! And amazingly difficult! But so worth it. We started early in the morning...

By the time we hit the trail head it was around 5:15. We hiked in pretty much silence and darkness for about an hour or so until the sun started to rise. The only noise that could be heard was from a girl (maybe myself) saying "hey bear!" every so often to keep from running into one of the furry creatures. (Next time ill use the bear bell John got me for christmas!) 

The sun rise was beautiful! The uphill climb wasn't getting any easier but we kept going! I was not going to give up on our honeymoon!! So we kept on keeping on. John had to stop and wait for me a couple times, I can never keep up with him, but slow and steady won the race! Before we knew it, we were standing at the foot of the dome! 

If you look close at this picture you can see the ladder leading up the dome. It is relatively empty right now, but what you can't see is the long line of people in front us making their way up sub dome to get to the cables! The cable portion was exhausting because we had to hang and wait while others slowly pecked their way up. But at last, we had done it! We were on top! 

Standing on top was pretty amazing. And even though I was pretty tired, I still had time to enjoy the view. After a snack, some chatting, and some pictures, it was time to head down. It was about 1:00 at this point and we had already been hiking for approximately 7.5 hours. We knew that the trip down though would be faster, so we got up and excitedly made our way down. 

Going down the cables was much easier than going up. I grabbed onto the cables, pointed my butt backwards and walked down butt first. This was the easiest way, I think, to get down the steep slope. The rest of the journey down the mountain was not recorded on film. The trip down proved to be much harder than the trip up, our knees were on fire! Thinking we were young and invincible, the two of us failed to train adequately for the pounding our joints would take coming down the steep trail! By the time we got back to the trail head around 6, we were in need of some food, and some Advil! My feet and ankles were swollen from my new boots and I could hardly walk. Hungry, tired, and stinky, we headed to the Cafeteria at Curry Village for some bland buffet style food. After dinner we crashed in our curry village tent and fell right to sleep.

The next day was the part of the Yosemite portion where we would be lazy and and in love. We sipped lattes on wooden rocking chairs and watched deer and squirrels play. We people watched while we ate pastries and enjoyed the sunny crisp morning. We took the transit through the valley and visited El Capitan where we watched the climbers painstakingly move an inch every couple minutes. 

We had a simple deli lunch and beer and pizza for dinner and talked for hours until we were so sleepy we had to crash. Our Yosemite trip was definitely one to remember and definitely something we will be doing again! Next time, we want to try the two day version on half dome and backpack. 

As we headed out of Yosemite, bound for Disneyland, we stopped to take one last photo. A funny memory of us, a couple, whose car barely runs, posing in front of our Mercedes in the middle of the Great Yosemite Valley. 

*look for our post late this year after we climb Mt. Shasta!!! 

A wedding worth remembering

Now that John and I have agreed to take turns blogging (mostly I had to agree, he is way better at this than I am), I figured it was time to update you on our lives! I wanted to start with our wedding. Which was a complete DIY project including food, decorations, and plans. Although there were some hiccups and the people we hired to cook the food we prepared didn't do it quite like we had planned, we were VERY happy with the end result. I always dreamed of getting married outside, and John, being catholic, wanted to get married in a church, so we compromised and got married in the church and had our reception outdoors. We had the festivities in our favorite small town McCloud, CA. If you have never been there we highly suggest you visit and stay at the Mercantile Hotel. Anyway, we had a (semi)short ceremony filled with laughter and tears (mostly laughter from John and I...oops). Then we headed to the Courtney Family Cabin for the reception. John and I spent months planning how to decorate and our wonderful families made it all come to life the morning of our special day. We were amazed at how great everything looked! And even more amazed that despite an 80% chance of rain on our wedding day, we made it though the whole thing without a single drop! Our theme was rugged simplicity. We decorated the tables with (free) pine cones that my sister and I had gathered the week before (thanks Jess!) and red roses. There was raffia and white lights, glass containers holding candies and goodies, cheese cake in lieu of wedding cake, and good ol' fashion hot dogs and hamburgers. Thanks to our dear friend and photographer, Melody Shirazi we ended up with some great pics! Here are just a few of the highlights!  

Wedding Week Prep!

More Prep!

Church where the ceremony was held

Everyone who attended the festivities!

Before everyone arrived

After!

Olive Bar!

our wedding "cake"

Fresh Fruit Bar

Candy Bar

Shot for the groom and groomsmen!

Brenden's Toast 

End of the Night!

Happily Ever After.

Back!

Hello!

We have been away and so much has happened since we last blogged! I am going to try and update this more often. A list of the few things have happened since my last post...

We got new jobs

We got MARRIED!

We went to YOSEMITE for the FIRST time

We went to Disneyland (my first time)

and We got a dog!

Those are just the big things, I wont bore you with all the little details. Our wedding was amazing. We decided to have it at the family cabin in McCloud, CA which is near Mt. Shasta. Following are a couple of the pics. All of our close family and friends were there and we were very blessed to have such an amazing time! Thanks to all who made the drive! 

                                         

Shasta, A Blue Bottle, and Some TRX'n!? Oh Yeah!

     Alright, so it has been a little while since our last blog, but not to worry!! Christian and I have been hard at work with the wedding and jobs, but NEVER too busy for some time at the cabin. We headed up north early Saturday morning (April 17) after Christian's short shift at the gym and made our first stop on our weekend vacation: coffee! I have found that, since starting to enjoy coffee, trips to various coffee shops, cafes, and bakeries have provided inspiration for some of our more fun and active adventures (more on that later!). When you enjoy something, you quickly realize how many other great things are attached to that one activity and, if you are willing, it can lead to great things! For instance, I love mountain biking. Simple enough, right? But enjoying a great ride comes not only from being on my bike and exercising, but also because I'm usually on some beautiful mountain or riding through a grove of trees that I would have never discovered otherwise. It is awesome how, when you take the time to enjoy something and really DO it right, other enjoyable things follow. Okay, WAAAAY off topic. Where was I?
     Oh yeah, the cabin! So, Christian, my dad, and I got up to the cabin in the early afternoon and were treated to fantastic weather. Christian explored the surrounding property while my dad and I took to clearing some brush around the property (by the way, it is a lot of fun watching a pick-up yank brush right out of the ground!). That evening, we all treated ourselves to Say Cheese Pizza and salad in Mt. Shasta. What a way to start the trip! The following day, we headed right for the 7 Suns Coffee Shop to give us a bit of a boost for the hiking that lay ahead. Once again, a simple trip to a coffee joint provided more than just caffeine. We talked for over an hour, enjoyed one of the best breakfast burritos we have had since Tucson, and were inspired by the high number of people we saw who were either headed out to do something active or had just returned from an adventure. It was awesome.
     We took to the truck and headed into the woods to find the trailhead for Black Butte, a local mountain whose summit is accessible by a 5.2 mile long trail and about 4 hours worth of effort. After quite a bit of looking, we finally found the trailhead and a couple who were heading up the mountain as well. Although the views from the first part of the trail were gorgeous, we were quickly halted by snow. The north face of the mountain was blanketed and the trail had all but disappeared. With intelligence (Christian) prevailing over any ill-conceived attempt to press on (Dad and I), we turned around and headed back down the mountain. We met up with the couple again, who were quite relieved and not the least bit disappointed in our scouting report. We chatted for awhile and discovered that they were from Chico. We passed on some of our favorite local outdoor spots to them and moved on. As far as traveling goes, I think that is the best way to do it! Get out there, start trying something you've heard about, and talk to local people about it. You really never know what cool insights you will discover along the way. If you want adventure, you've got to be willing to HAVE an adventure! Getting out of your comfort zone can reap great rewards! Okay, enough soap-boxing for a little while! Hahaha
     We wrapped up the trip with some great BBQing, a trip down to our favorite waterfall, a little more hiking, and of course, more coffee. Oh, and did I mention the snow?! On our last morning, as we were leaving, it started to snow! It was beautiful. As always, the trip was way too short. But, as always, we have great plans for when we return. That is what is great about this and other blogs or journals: you remember what you've done and look forward to what is coming. It is a great way to stay motivated.


     A few days later, Christian and I were at it again. Motivated by our trip to the mountains, we sought a more urban adventure. Christian now has her own computer (yay! a lap top she can take with her and find even more coffee shops.... with WiFi! ;) ) and needed a bag to carry it. So, knowing that bag manufacturer Timbuk2 was made right here in the Bay Area (San Francisco actually!), we hopped on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit- if I haven't explained it before) and headed in to the city. We got of downtown and made a mandatory stop. Prior to departure, Christian had found the address of a place that we had wanted to try for sometime, The Blue Bottle Cafe. We had definitely tried Blue Bottle before but the cafe was new. The coffee, as always was delicious but the food.... was AWESOME! We had small sandwiches and a chocolate cookie to dip into our coffee. Perfection. With that, we headed out on our urban hike through great San Francisco neighborhoods and found Timbuk2. Christian found the perfect bag and we walked back to BART. All together we walked about five miles, discovered some great food, and enjoyed a new part of one of our favorite cities- I'm not sure that a short half day trip gets much better than that!


     With that, we finally arrive at the present! Yesterday, the little lady and I went in to Berkeley to drum up some more adventure. What better place, right?! We made our first stop at a Chilean restaurant called Cafe Valparaiso (does everyone else realize that most of our adventures involve food? :) But they also usually involve a workout, walking, riding, or something so that makes it okay right? Haha). Christian was immediately excited when she saw Lomo Saltado and Inca Cola on the menu, two of her favorites during her stay in Peru. I had a delicious sliced beef sandwich on homemade bread with an awesome cilantro sauce. I also enjoyed my own Inca Cola (they aren't kidding when they label it the "Golden Cola"! I have never seen a more fluorescent soda!) to wash it all down. It was delicious! After our meal, we walked around the local shops, all the while keeping our eyes open for some ice cream to really finish off the meal. Not twenty minutes later, we were greeted by a sign that promised organic ice cream. Since it was Berkeley, we were expecting a twist. And did we ever get it!! Immediately we noticed flavors like Avocado, Cardamum, and Bay Laurel. We were in! Christian ordered up a double scoop, Blueberry Mint and Ginger Caramel, in a black sesame waffle cone. It was amazing! Definitely not vanilla! (Although, for you less-daring types, they do have chocolate and vanilla flavors) I ordered myself a double scoop of Blueberry Mint and White Pepper Chocolate Chip. Crazy right?! The White Pepper was a sweet and spicy mix that was incredible. A definite must if you are ever in the Berkeley area (Tara's Organic Ice Cream, Berkeley, CA). After some more walking around and scoping out places for return adventures, we jumped back in the car and headed up to Tilden Park in the Berkeley Hills.
      Our original destination was the Botanical Gardens at Tilden Park, although they closed before we could get there. Nevertheless, we had a great time driving through the Berkeley Hills neighborhoods, admiring the views and the amazing homes. As the day came to an end, we stopped at Inspiration Point on the Contra Costa County side of Tilden Park and admired the view (not to mention Christian made a friend in a busy groundhog near our bench). Another great half day trip!


      This morning, Christian and I met two friends of hers from Oakwood for a workout at the local high school. Christian and one of the other girls brought their TRXs to incorporate some suspension training to our track workout: yeah baby! I love combining different workouts and making a whole new training regimen. We all used the track and the TRX to their fullest extent: 6 different TRX workouts, the track itself, the bleachers, AND the football field. Needless to say, the workout kicked all of our butts but it felt great. The weather was beautiful (80 degrees, clear blue skies) and it felt great to get out in the sun on the first REAL spring day we've had. We all headed to Jamba Juice for some refreshment and post-workout protein, and enjoyed the sights and sounds of downtown Walnut Creek. Christian and I parted ways with the other two girls and headed out to do some wedding prep. What a day! I love being able to keep the day changing, constantly exploring  and finding new things right in our own backyard. Weekends like these definitely keep Christian and I motivated to try new things and keep bloggin' it up! Thanks for reading!

John

San Francisco Giants, Polish Keilbasa, and TRX

I work from 5:45 to 12 noon on Saturdays. I usually roll out of bed around 4:50 so I can fall into the shower and be ready to leave by 5:20, which is when my amazing fiance picks me up. He is a little bit crazy in the head for wanting to take me every Saturday morning when he could easily be sleeping in until 11, but I would be lying if I said I didn't love it. Who wouldn't want their fiance to pick them up for a quick cup of coffee before an annoyingly early shift? Spoiled you say? Totally! I am not afraid to admit it!
Anyway, after setting my alarm on Friday night and pleasantly drifting off to sleep, I was awaken by a phone call from my man. "How cute," I thought, "He is calling me to say good morning before he comes to get me." I answer and he asks "Are you up?", I reply with "No, should I be?"
Oh No! Apparently I had set my alarm for 4:45 PM instead of AM. Not a good way to start my weekend but thankfully John saves me again! I slowly rise and get ready in a record ten minutes so we can still grab coffee before work. Work goes well but what I am really looking forward to is the Giants Game!
I always love a good Giants game, heck I love a bad Giants game because what it really means for me is a Giant Grilled Polish Keilbasa! With EVERYTHING on it, and a cold beer of course. Unfortunately, the Giants did not win this time, but they still ended the game with the most amazing fire works show I have ever seen. Plus, I got to see Tim Lincicum win his second Cy Young award in a row! History in the making! And as if that was not enough, our seats were right behind home plate in the special section where there are NO lines for the women's bathroom! I know, you think I'm lying, but its true! No lines! The game ended around 10:30, fireworks around 11, and because we are so fitness minded, we still had to walk back to bart! The 1.5 mile walk put us back to the bart station at 11:30, not bad for a regular Saturday night. Oh yeah, what I forgot to tell you was that this was no regular Saturday night. It was the night before my TRX training in the city, which I needed to be at around 8:30 the next morning. SO, I rode bart back to walnut creek FROM the city, only to turn around and ride it BACK at 7:00AM the next morning! Or so I thought...
Turns out Bart doesn't operate until after 8 on Sundays! Who knew! Well probably plenty of people except me and John. Oops, poor John, the amazing fiance who already drives me everywhere, has to take me into the city after only FIVE hours of sleep. Needless to say, caffeine was in order so we made a quick stop and were on our way. The roads were empty, which was nice, and we made great time! I was a little nervous starting out but I immediately warmed up and pushed thoughts of sleep and tiredness aside. Doug, the TRX master, triathlete and ironman was leading the class; his functionality principles and movement philosophies took me back to being at Providence Fitness in Tucson. (If you are ever in the Tucson area, check them out! They are truly amazing!) All of my frustrations of machine based exercises and indoor training routines were banished. Could I really use these straps of webbing to get a great workout outdoors? Well, I know now from my aching muscles that Yes I Can! After a short, but intense workout, some lecturing that made me excited for training again, an amazing sandwhich for lunch (if you are ever near Van Ness and Pacific in San Francisco, try Cheese Plus, super cute little place and great food!), and some practical application, I had completed my TRX training! I can now use this tool to show people how to get a great resistance workout while still enjoying the outdoors! I can now show people how to get up and get out! How to stand more, move more, and enjoy life! (The average American spends 10-16 hours a day sitting by the way! INSANE!) So even though I only had 5 hours of sleep, and I had to spend 8 hours of training on my day off, I am excited to use what I learned and can't wait to get started on my new workout routine! Guess my weekend wasn't so bad afterall! =)

Dog Dayz

So today is day two of Christian and my dog watching assignment for a couple we are friends with. We both love dogs, so it was an easy favor to take on. However, this of course makes our desire for our OWN dog that much stronger! Lucy, the dog, is a great dog to have to watch, and because of this, is a great dog to be active with!

She and I headed out this morning for a trip to the dog park while Christian stayed behind and made a delicious breakfast. Lucy and I hit the park running, and she had to fight me for the ball. The park had a great setup: Paved pathways for the bipeds and plenty of trees, ivy, and dirt to satisfy the canines. The park itself is built into a hill in a semi-urban neighborhood in Piedmont, CA and actually feels like a nice escape for a half hour or so. The park also provides some well-loved tennis balls and Chuck-It ball-tossers for the play-fetch-minded mutt (Lucy and I definitely got our playtime in! Although, here is a secret: If you want to avoid throwing a tennis ball over the 30+ foot wall at the back of this particular dog park, make sure that you keep the Chuck-It low and you control your velocity. Those suckers fly! Sorry to any passing motorist on the roadway above us!).

Aside from getting our morning exercise in (and various other morning routines!), I realized that having a new dog for a week was going to provide a whole new set of adventures and discoveries. It is very likely that I would have never discovered this whole side of Piedmont and the challenging running hills that it had to offer had we not signed up for this Dog Watching assignment. So at the risk of sounding like I know best (I can assure you, this is probably not the case... unless it has to do with Legos...), I would like to offer a follow up to that sage piece advice, "take the road less traveled:" Take the stairs. Take the long way home. Offer to watch a friend's dog for a week. You really really never know what sorts of opportunities will arise from it. And if that is always your attitude, I challenge you to NOT run in to adventures at nearly every turn! This week is going to be a little more stressful with the added responsibility, but with a positive, adventure seeking, healthy living attitude, it IS going to be a lot of fun!

-John

New Pages! New Links! We're Movin' on Up!

Hey! I just wanted to let everyone know that we added some pages to our blog. You can use these to get some additional inspiration or offer up some of your own. I hope everyone's day is going well and you are all looking forward to your next adventure! Get out there and find something new!

-John