We left Charleston and went to NC to visit with my aunt and uncle. The first day there we went for a walk around the neighborhood. I drove us around to show mike the sights. We stopped at a bar called Molly's for some cocktails and hush puppies (that I had been craving). Mike got up early the next morning and saw my uncles birds that he feeds scattered all on the front lawn. After a little more sleep we went to the beach and collected shells. Saturday late afternoon we went to my cousin Candy and Tony's for their daughter Summer's birthday party. After the party we came back to the house to relax and drink wine in the hot tub. Sunday morning before we left my uncle made us pancakes on the grill. They were served with bananas, peanut butter and syrup.....southern style :)
P.S. I found a wine that tastes just like grapes!
Before heading home to CT we stopped in Stanford, NC to visit Mikes friends Alexia and Charlie he hasn't seen in years. They have two kids Lilly-3 and Calvin-10. Alexia made us BBQ chicken, salad and baked sweet potato for dinner. It was very yummy! After putting the kids to bed the adults played the game life. It was fun.... Mike kicked our butts! Knowing we had a long drive ahead of us for the next day we went to bed. Having a late start in the morning we got to CT at 11:00 pm Monday night.
I've noticed that Laura is slacking on her end of blogging. I do know that she is in CO, probably busy or just having fun. I will be staying in Torrington with my friend Jamie and start work on the December 1st.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Charleston, SC
We traveled 11 long hours to Charleston, SC to stay in a cheep hotel. When we got to the hotel the first room they gave us the key didn't work, so they put us in a second room but the tub was disgusting (no bed bugs!) we finally settled in a clean room about 11pm and went to bed. In the morning we walked to Starbucks then decided we would go to the beach. We walked barefoot in the white sand collecting shells and sand dollars. After being on the beach for a couple hours our stomachs started growling so we went to a restaurant/bar called Loggerheads. I ordered a margarita and a shrimp salad wrap, Mike had a fried shrimp roll and a beer. We drove around after that to see if any of Mike's friends were around from when he used to live down here. Not having much luck we headed back to the hotel where we had a little bite to eat before settling into bed.
The next day we woke up late but still managed to make it to the beach to lay out for awhile. When we got there it was lunch time so we had our sandwiches on our hotel blanket. It was bout 74* with a slight breeze and the only ones trying to get a sun tan. While I sat on the beach I started collecting tiny shells for my scrapbook, which I'll try to complete ASAP. After the beach we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner downtown. As we arrived downtown it took awhile for us to find the parking garage but managed to get there. The walk to the restaurant (The Noisy Oyster) was a couple blocks away. Before sitting down for something to eat we enjoyed happy hour 1/2 off drinks. For appetizers we had gator bites (very tasty) and peel/eat shrimp cocktail. Our main dishes were seafood alfredo and sesame encrusted tuna. When dinner was done we walked around going to different bars and sight seeing along the way. Some of the places down there use real flames for lanterns to light your way. Once finished downtown we headed toward the battery park by the water. The battery was where the town green was during the revolutionary war and that's when Charleston was the capitol. It was too dark for pictures so the next day after checking out of the hotel we went back to take some before leaving town to drive 5 hours to our next destination...
The next day we woke up late but still managed to make it to the beach to lay out for awhile. When we got there it was lunch time so we had our sandwiches on our hotel blanket. It was bout 74* with a slight breeze and the only ones trying to get a sun tan. While I sat on the beach I started collecting tiny shells for my scrapbook, which I'll try to complete ASAP. After the beach we went back to the hotel to get ready for dinner downtown. As we arrived downtown it took awhile for us to find the parking garage but managed to get there. The walk to the restaurant (The Noisy Oyster) was a couple blocks away. Before sitting down for something to eat we enjoyed happy hour 1/2 off drinks. For appetizers we had gator bites (very tasty) and peel/eat shrimp cocktail. Our main dishes were seafood alfredo and sesame encrusted tuna. When dinner was done we walked around going to different bars and sight seeing along the way. Some of the places down there use real flames for lanterns to light your way. Once finished downtown we headed toward the battery park by the water. The battery was where the town green was during the revolutionary war and that's when Charleston was the capitol. It was too dark for pictures so the next day after checking out of the hotel we went back to take some before leaving town to drive 5 hours to our next destination...
Monday, November 8, 2010
Texas across the midwest
Mike and I continued our journey from NM to Texas to eat at the BIG TEXAN, the steak was very juicy and filling. After eating we took some pictures (which i will show you when i get home). At this steak restaurant if you eat a 72oz. steak with all the side which include a dinner roll, side salad, shrimp cocktail, and a baked potato in an hour or less its free. If not it will cost you $72 and a very bloated feeling. I only managed to eat a 10oz, and mike ate a 18oz. Being well fed we continued to Oklahoma where we spent the night. On our way through OK we stopped off in OK City to visit the capital building. We walked down this long mural painted tunnel to get there. I bought a long sleeve shirt and we were on a mission to find Mike a shot glass (he collects them from each state) but couldnt find one.
Next stop was Arkansas where we were going to go to the Louisiana Purchase Park but the gps brought us to Village Creek. We went on a 3 1/2 mile hike on two different trails. On the second trail it brought us around a lake part of the way, which was called The Trail of Tears. The path was full of leaves and bending trees. We passed by a tree that had a lot of initials carved into it and decided we would carve ours as well. After leaving the park we headed to the eastern side of the state to stay in a hotel before getting up to go to TN in the morning.
After driving only 3 1/2 hrs to TN we arrived there at lunchtime. Mikes uncle Steve just woke up from a nap and we made sandwiches for lunch. Uncle Steve lives on 5 acres of land surrounded by several hundred acres of farm land. He has a work shop where he restores old farm equipment and tractors for a hobby. We played scrabble (uncle steve kicked our butts) and set back to pass the time before going out to dinner. We went to a place called Tom's where salad, soup, and dessert was included with your meal. When we arrived home we watched movies until we got sleepy. Early in the morning uncle Steve went to work trucking so Mike and I got to sleep in. We woke up and went to walmart to get stuff for my scrap book then went to starbucks. On our way back I took a picture of a horse and donkey, while 4 yapping dogs approachd me. When we got back to the house we did laundry and cleaned the jeep out. Exciting I know but necessary to do due to all the traveling. Our next stop will take 11 hours to get too.....
Next stop was Arkansas where we were going to go to the Louisiana Purchase Park but the gps brought us to Village Creek. We went on a 3 1/2 mile hike on two different trails. On the second trail it brought us around a lake part of the way, which was called The Trail of Tears. The path was full of leaves and bending trees. We passed by a tree that had a lot of initials carved into it and decided we would carve ours as well. After leaving the park we headed to the eastern side of the state to stay in a hotel before getting up to go to TN in the morning.
After driving only 3 1/2 hrs to TN we arrived there at lunchtime. Mikes uncle Steve just woke up from a nap and we made sandwiches for lunch. Uncle Steve lives on 5 acres of land surrounded by several hundred acres of farm land. He has a work shop where he restores old farm equipment and tractors for a hobby. We played scrabble (uncle steve kicked our butts) and set back to pass the time before going out to dinner. We went to a place called Tom's where salad, soup, and dessert was included with your meal. When we arrived home we watched movies until we got sleepy. Early in the morning uncle Steve went to work trucking so Mike and I got to sleep in. We woke up and went to walmart to get stuff for my scrap book then went to starbucks. On our way back I took a picture of a horse and donkey, while 4 yapping dogs approachd me. When we got back to the house we did laundry and cleaned the jeep out. Exciting I know but necessary to do due to all the traveling. Our next stop will take 11 hours to get too.....
Oct. 25th - Nov. 1st
Ok, so thanks to the kick in the butt from Heather, here is a recap of the last few days we spent together, and an update on what happened after that will be coming shortly... :)
Oct. 25th we arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah around noon, after driving straight through the night. We spent a few hours in the city doing some sightseeing, and taking in the amazing views of snow-covered mountains that surrounded this Mormon capitol. We got to see the State Capitol building with its guardian lions, Temple Square with its golden trumpeter, and the City Library with its green roof and amazing view of the entire city!
We left SLC and took the Southern route to Colorado, through Moab which is famous for its natural rock formations and beautiful multicolored desert landscape. We also got to witness another gorgeous sunset in the desert before we hit Colorado and the mountains.
Sometime around 9-10:00pm, after miles of winding mountain roads, the snow started. By the time we made it to Vail Pass, we were in 4WD, going about 20mph past 18-wheeler trucks that were pulled over to put their snow chains on! Fortunately we made it in one piece to Dillon, where we stayed in a Super 8 motel because it was 11:00pm and the leasing office for Breckenridge Terrace was closed. We hightailed it out of there around 9am on the 26th because it was still snowing and there were rumors that they might be closing the pass, and I had to get to my new apartment before that happened!
I checked into the Terrace around 11:00am and it is actually pretty nice for temporary, seasonal employee housing! Only a few moments after arriving, one of my roommates arrived- Courtney from Chicago, and we put together a shopping list of things we would need to get settled (like food, kitchen utensils, cleaning supplies, etc.), and it was a little disappointing to find that our “fully furnished” apartment didn’t come with a TV or a microwave! As we were heading off to the store, the leasing office informed us that a 3rd roommate was on her way in, so we shopped quickly and hurried back to meet Amanda, from Australia.
We spent the next few days getting settled, bonding, and meeting the few neighbors that were scattered around and lonely because none of them had roommates. Thanks to Heather’s generous use of the jeep we were able to pick up all the random things we discovered were needed over the next few days, including a modem for internet, and a post office box in town. We also visited a few of the local , including the Breck Brewery, Jake’s Dive Bar (yes, that’s the name of the place!), the Gold Pan, and Clint’s Café. We even got a little karaoke in, and took advantage of free keg night at Jake’s. J
Some of the more notable events were visiting the Glenwood Hot Springs, where we didn’t actually go to the hot springs- we climbed down the side of a highway on-ramp embankment, and found a giant pipe that dumped hot water from the hot springs into the river! It was free, and verrry hot, and with the river right there, we were able to do some hot-cold plunges until we couldn’t feel our feet anymore! We also went on a hike around Hoosier Pass, where we found an old mine and made our first snowman of the season.
Saturday, Oct. 30th we dressed up for Halloween and went to a few costume parties, and on Halloween (Sunday), we stayed in and watched The Omen because we had to be up early on Monday. The best part of the movie was making Amanda jump every 15 minutes because she hates scary movies, and the best part of the entire night was the baked ziti & meatballs that Heather cooked for all of us!
Monday morning, Nov. 1st, was pretty rushed because none of us were used to getting up so early (we had to catch the bus to orientation at 7:23am!!), so we said a quick goodbye to Heather as she headed off to Denver, and we ran to the bus stop for our 1st day of work.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Heather moves on
I notice that Laura is behind on the blogging. We arrivid in Breckenridge, CO....days ago. I met Lauras roommates, Amanda:AKA-Aussie, and Courtney: AKA- Blondie :)...I had a blast for the few days that I was visiting. I learned alot of new meanings(from Amanda) for different things such as slippery dip-is a slide, thongs-are flip flops, jumper-is a hoody, and g-bangers-are thongs. Lol.... We had many laughs. We could have ate frozen pizzas every night if it was up to Courtney...Lol. Making dinner for all 15 of us was alot of fun. I am going to miss all of you!
I decided to move on from CO and head home. I got mike to meet me in CO on the Nov. 1st. We made a round about trip and went to Arizona, trying to find large cactus in the dessert but had no luck :( I did get plenty of pictures of all different kinds of cactus, i have no way to post them so i will show u all when i get home. We are in Roswell, NM staying the night (with the aliens) and heading to Texas in the morning.
Hopefully Laura will read this and realize that she has catchup to do on blogging. : )
I decided to move on from CO and head home. I got mike to meet me in CO on the Nov. 1st. We made a round about trip and went to Arizona, trying to find large cactus in the dessert but had no luck :( I did get plenty of pictures of all different kinds of cactus, i have no way to post them so i will show u all when i get home. We are in Roswell, NM staying the night (with the aliens) and heading to Texas in the morning.
Hopefully Laura will read this and realize that she has catchup to do on blogging. : )
South (belated)
Many apologies for the delayed entries... a LOT has happened in the last week or so, which has left minimal time for blogging, but when you read the next few posts (as they come), you will understand!
We left Washington on Sunday, Oct. 24th in the evening (around 9pm), and drove through the night toward Utah. Sometime around 3am, I awaken, having slept for an hour or so, and instantly notice that Heather is a little on edge... reason being: the needle on the gas gauge is in the red zone, and she hasn't seen any towns, much less any gas stations since I fell asleep! So I pulled out the 'trusty' GPS, only to find that there are absolutely NO gas stations anywhere nearby! As the needle slowly crept closer and closer to the bottom line, and we became more and more nervous about the fact that we have no cell phone service, and roadside assistance probably doesn't even exist out here, we finally spot a sign for a gas station off the next exit! What a relief... right?!? Well, turns out that the 3 gas stations on the main road in this small town are all closed at 3am, so we pull into one, resolved to sleep for a few hours until the place opens. However, at this point we now have a little cell phone service, so I begin googling gas stations in the area and calling every single one to see if there are any 24-hour pumps within a 5 mile radius (because the needle is now below the E line!). After a few unsuccessful attempts and after waking the owner of one of the really local spots, we finally found the ONLY 24-hour station in the entire town- And when we got there, practically coasting in on fumes, the attendant informed us that the next 24-hour station along our route is approximately 75 miles away!! We definitely had angels pushing on the back of the jeep that night...
Once the tank was full, we continued on, through Idaho, (which smells like potatoes, by the way), and watched the sun come up as we crossed over into Utah. On several occasions the song "America the Beautiful" came to mind as we passed by breathtaking sights of purple mountains, amber plains, and everything else that nature creates to make us go, "WOW!!!"
We left Washington on Sunday, Oct. 24th in the evening (around 9pm), and drove through the night toward Utah. Sometime around 3am, I awaken, having slept for an hour or so, and instantly notice that Heather is a little on edge... reason being: the needle on the gas gauge is in the red zone, and she hasn't seen any towns, much less any gas stations since I fell asleep! So I pulled out the 'trusty' GPS, only to find that there are absolutely NO gas stations anywhere nearby! As the needle slowly crept closer and closer to the bottom line, and we became more and more nervous about the fact that we have no cell phone service, and roadside assistance probably doesn't even exist out here, we finally spot a sign for a gas station off the next exit! What a relief... right?!? Well, turns out that the 3 gas stations on the main road in this small town are all closed at 3am, so we pull into one, resolved to sleep for a few hours until the place opens. However, at this point we now have a little cell phone service, so I begin googling gas stations in the area and calling every single one to see if there are any 24-hour pumps within a 5 mile radius (because the needle is now below the E line!). After a few unsuccessful attempts and after waking the owner of one of the really local spots, we finally found the ONLY 24-hour station in the entire town- And when we got there, practically coasting in on fumes, the attendant informed us that the next 24-hour station along our route is approximately 75 miles away!! We definitely had angels pushing on the back of the jeep that night...
Once the tank was full, we continued on, through Idaho, (which smells like potatoes, by the way), and watched the sun come up as we crossed over into Utah. On several occasions the song "America the Beautiful" came to mind as we passed by breathtaking sights of purple mountains, amber plains, and everything else that nature creates to make us go, "WOW!!!"
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