The fun part of meeting friends in Joshua Tree is no cell reception. We rely on the old fashioned method of leaving notes on the back of campsite information boards. Just after midnight on Friday, we found our note, drove to our campsite, and discovered that someone else had parked their car and pitched their tent where ours was supposed to be.
Author: elizabethbauer
Horseshoe Meadows with a 16 month old
I don't know why I was nervous. The backcountry is about as uneventful as a place can get. In all the miles we covered the most exciting thing that happened was leaving Sage's wipes by a log and trying to figure out how to change future poopy diapers with just a few squares of toilet paper.
Washington D.C.
Sage and I tagged along for Peter's work trip and had such a great time exploring the city. We flew out a few days early so Peter could spend time with us over the weekend and we must have walked at least 20 miles in one weekend around the city. I forgot how fun cities are with children and it makes me miss living in New York. With all the stimulating sights and sounds Sage's words practically doubled.
Nicaragua
We arrived at our secluded jungle bungalow around 1am after an exhausting but exciting 14 hour travel day. Chasing a toddler around two busy airports, keeping her from climbing up the chair in front of us, and constantly worrying about who she might be disturbing is draining. There are only so many rides you can take on the moving walkway, with her twisting herself up, shrieking and refusing to walk on her two feet before you are ready to hand her off to a stranger and hit the bar.
Wisconsin round two!
We had so much fun last time we visited Twin Lakes Wisconsin that we decided to return! Lucky for us, Brian's family extended a second invitation and didn't mind that we were returning with one more in tow.
Lake Lopez
This summer's Lake Lopez kick off included Jason, Veronica, and Jacob. We were actually lucky enough to spend the night at their house before arriving which broke up the long drive and gave us some time to play in their pool. Lake Lopez is a very kid-friendly camping spot. They have a playground, warm water, [...]
San Bernardino Mountains with a 13 month old
This weekend, we took Sage on her first overnight backpacking trip in the San Bernardino Mountains. Our hike in started on Saturday late afternoon. We climbed 6.5 miles, 2,700 feet, and arrived at our campsite just before sunset.
Munich
We drove just outside the city to the lovely village of Deisenhofen where my relatives live. The Kreb family has phenomenal country home covered in and surrounded by thick, lush, green vegetation where they grow all kinds of vegetables, currants, grapes, raspberries, flowers, and herbs. They compost and have a chicken coop that rivals anything featured in Sunset magazine.
Czech Republic
In my opinion, there are two ways of looking at international travel with a two month old. View number one: Don’t do it. You might as well just kick a dead horse (me) over and over again for fun. View number two: You are already a dead horse so what’s a little more kicking? You feel like crap anyway, so what’s a little more sleep deprivation? How much worse could you actually feel?
Lake Tahoe & Mammoth Lakes, CA
Sage's 2 month birthday was made even more special because it marked the beginning of Peter's 6 week hiatus from work. To kick off the vacation we were honored to be included in two beautiful weddings which was the perfect celebration of true love and the official start of our summer! Sage partied like a [...]
First family hike and camping trip!
Four weeks after Sage's birth my body finally felt good enough to go on our first family hike. We revisited the lower portion of the Holy Jim trail at the base of Santiago Peak. We also took Sage on her first camping trip to Lake Lopez with Jason, Veronica, and Jacob. Sage was wonderful and [...]
Sedona, Arizona
Because Christmas landed on a Sunday this year, Peter had Monday off! So, we decided to take a road trip to Sedona. One of the few active things we can still do together, and something that still feels great to me, is hiking. So we picked a place that wasn’t too cold and had lots [...]
Joshua Tree, Biking, Sailing, Vegas
This fall has been exciting and busy. September-October was filled with some wonderful weekend trips but due to being in the throws of weeks 9-17 of my pregnancy, I felt too sick to blog about most of it. Now that I have come out of the pregnancy fog I am excited to share some highlights. [...]
Cactus to Clouds-Pregnant
Cactus to Clouds. It’s a 26 mile hike with a 12,000 foot elevation gain… pretty much one of the toughest day-hikes in the United States.
Boulder, CO
The last leg of our honeymoon was spent in lovely Boulder Colorado with our friends James and Rebecca. If there were an award for the “awesomest outdoor couple” these two would win.
Crossing the river to Sherwood Forest[/caption]
Wisconsin- Go BIG or Go Home!
Brian won't make you rich, but he will make you fat, tan, and happy!
Off On Safari
At 8am, in front of our hotel, we were met by our guide, Humphrey, and personal chef, Severini. After a quick stop at the Bushmen office, we were off to Arusha. Arusha is a very big city, one which serves as a jumping off point for the big Safari parks in Tanzania. It was the first large city we’ve spent any time in since arriving in Africa.
6 days on Kilimanjaro
June 16th - Day 1
Liz: Watched by curious monkeys, we commenced our hike in the thick, lush, rainforest. Being from southern California, the depth of green in places like this never ceases to amaze me.
Africa: Rwanda Gorillas
Today was a once-in-lifetime kind of day. One of those days that make you stop, take a deep breath, and say “take this in, you are not going to experience something like this ever, ever again.”
Africa: Rwanda Genocide Museum
After a restful day in Moshi, we hopped on a plane early this morning for Rwanda. The air travel here is a bit like riding a bus. On the way to your destination, the plane stops, and you wait while other people get on and off. Our bus stopped in Kenya, then Burundi, and finally [...]
Arrived in Moshi
After 25 actual hours on airplanes and 42 total hours of travel time, we have made it to Moshi the town that sits at the base of Mt.Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. We are both deeply exhausted but happy to finally be here.
San Gorgonio Mountain
During our 16 miles and 6,000 vertical feet together, Gorgonio threw some good punches. First it tried to get me with an achy left hip flexor followed by my own tears as I pondered whether or not this was a result of my age. My present for my 31 ½ birthday is achy hips?
Pre Gorgonio Mountain Hike
It’s 4:30am and I know I need to kick my own ass again before we attempt Kilimanjaro and Last night at 9:40pm, outside a restaurant, I picked up some crampons and an ice axe from Ryan Dahlem (the amazing climber from my school who summited Everest). I don’t know what the hell to do with [...]
Maui Engagement photos
We are in fervent anticipation for our wedding pictures so to stop our nail biting, Mike our photographer sent over the pictures we took the Friday before we were married. We had so much fun taking these!
Joshua Tree
After a long week, knowing I am heading into nature always rejuvenates me. It’s like an instant second wind.
Santiago Peak 1 point. Liz 0.
Peter and I, both sick with colds, decided this morning at 6:00am that we were still going to attempt getting to the top of Santiago Peak. Standing at 5,689 feet, Santiago Peak is the highest peak in the Santa Ana mountains. My motivation, is to get in shape for Kilimanjaro, and Peter is just the [...]
San Clemente-Temecula Bike Tour
I have been mourning our wedding week and its absolute perfection for almost a week now. It was our dream come true and then...with some hugs and tears... it ended.
But, as with all big events in life, I learned something about myself.
Laguna Beach Bachelorette weekend
After this weekend, I have caught myself in daydreams, reflecting on family, reflecting on friends and more keenly, on friendship. The one positive outcome of my Father's death 13 years ago is that I have tried to focus on a few special people in my life and have rarely taken them and my relationships with [...]
Thailand: Chili-squid flavored Lays
Every good gas station has a horned bull, and every good 711 has chili-squid flavored Lays potato chips.
Thailand: Kittens, spice, and diving
We have been in this tiny area of East Railay for over a week now and are getting very comfortable. The biggest surprise is ... kittens! There are kittens everywhere. All different colors, some with tails, some without.
Thailand: Bangkok
We started our trip with an adventurous day in Bangkok. I say adventurous because it was adventure figuring out whether or not I was going to pass out or throw up at any given point in the day.
Thailand: Made it Railay
Hi! We are in Railay in the south of Thailand. I have so much good stuff for my next unofficial blog post but it will take some time for me to put it all together. Nothing like an "off the beaten path backpackers paradise" for some good comic material. Best part of today was rock [...]
Thailand: The Sun Rises In Bangkok
We've arrived. At 6:00am I jumped out of bed and was ready to bust a big Bangkok day. Peter informed me that he would be ready to bust his big Bangkok in approx. two more hours of uninterrupted sleep. I love you Jetlag! You make me feel like a 6am natural! Whoohoo ready to rock! [...]