Art in Public Places...

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection."

-Michelangelo

Silas and I had some time to kill in Dublin, Ohio this past weekend while Rob performed his groomsman duties for the wedding of our best college friend, Mike. After a quick internet search of "things to do in Dublin," I was intrigued with the Art in Public Places Cell Phone Tour sponsored by the Dublin Arts Council.

I had hopes of hitting some of the highlights, but with a few hours to spare in the morning and then again in the afternoon, we made it to quite a few of the sculptures. At each location, there is a phone number to call to hear more about the piece, usually told by the sculptor himself.

Although Silas slept through the first few stops at Coffman Park, he was a willing photography subject at most of the sites. I used the GPS for directions to some of the stops, but I wasn't afraid to make a u-turn and pull over on the side of the road if we drove by one unexpectedly.

One Scene by Daisuke Shintani

Injection by David Middlebrook

Narrow #5 by Shawn Morrin

Ascension by Brian Russell

Watch House by Todd Slaughter

Leatherlips by Ralph Helmick

Sanguine Standing Stone by Joseph Wheelwright

Tree of Life, Future Tense by Mary Jo Bole

Jaunty Hornbeam by Joseph Wheelwright

Field of Corn (with Osage Oranges) by Malcolm Cochran

The Simulation of George M. Karrer's Workshop by Brower Hatcher

Dancing Hares by Sophie Ryder (not really on the official Dublin Arts tour)

So thankful for this little guy who goes along with my "harebrained" ideas. I hope that he will always be up for adventures like this with me.

Oh this trip... Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains

Oops! I realized I never actually posted this. I'm back-dating it, but don't get confused if it shows up in your blog reader out of order :)

"The beauty and charm of the wilderness are his for the asking, for the edges of the wilderness lie close beside the beaten roads of the present travel."
-Theodore Roosevelt

Considering how this vacation came about and the chaos created as we learned the specific details of the plans, Rob and I were very uncertain about how it might turn out. All of my in-laws (with big, yet highly sensitive personalities) staying in one house for a whole week for the first time had the potential to be explosive. We were very apprehensive as headed toward East Tennessee last Sunday.

As we look back at the week from the other side, Rob and I can both admit that we would consider it a successful trip, although we would not exactly call it a relaxing vacation. We were able to squeeze in many wonderful moments with each other and with Rob's family, and that certainly helps balance out a couple of stressful situations or the fact that I had very little patience all week for disruptive, disrespectful children and negative, whiny conversations.

Highlights of the trip include:

• Getting out on the trail with Rob ... we tackled two long hikes: 8 miles to Ramsey Cascades (plus a shorter hike to Grotto Falls) on Monday and 14 miles to LeConte Lodge via the Rainbow Falls Trail and Rocky Spur on Thursday
• Watching the kids swim and paddle around the river that lay right out the back door
• Eating some really yummy food: delicious wood-fired pizza at Big Daddy's Pizzeria, amazing pancakes at Crockett's Breakfast Camp, lunch at No Way Jose's Mexican Restaurant, and apple fritters at the Lumberjack Feud, in addition to grilling out for dinners back at the cabin
• Hiking with Rob's mom and his sister's family to Laurel Falls ... they're not big hikers, but they made it all the way!
• Hanging out and getting to know Rob's cousins and their families ... at the Aquarium of the Smokies, walking around downtown Gatlinburg, and just hanging out at the house
• Watching the family enjoy the Lumberjack Feud ... the older nephew originally said that he didn't want to go, but ended up having a great time ... the younger nephew started using his silverware as a chainsaw ... Rob's grandpa even had a good time, too
• Meeting up with Rob's mom as she enjoyed browsing the Arts and Crafts Loop
• Playing putt putt with Rob's cousins in the air conditioning 

More photos posted on Flickr... click here

Southern Utah 2013... Adventure on!!

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”
-John Muir

We just returned from one of our bucket list trips! A week of adventures through Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks. We braved the triple-digit temperatures, totaling over 65 miles of hiking and just under 20 miles cycling.

A quick recap:
Day 1 | Saturday: Flew into LAS. Drove to Zion National Park. Hiked the Watchman Trail.
Day 2 | Sunday: Hiked to Observation Point, Hidden Canyon, and Weeping Rock. Rode the Zion Shuttle to the viewpoints.
Day 3 | Monday: Hiked the Zion Narrows.
Day 4 | Tuesday: Hiked to Angels Landing and Emerald Pools.
Day 5 | Wednesday: Rode bikes through Zion Canyon and Springdale. Hiked to Canyon Overlook. Drove to Bryce Canyon National Park. Stopped at the overlooks on the auto tour.
Day 6 | Thursday: Hiked the Navajo/Queen's Garden/Peekaboo Loops and the Fairyland Trail.
Day 7 | Friday: Hiked to Lower Calf Creek Falls and through Willis Creek Slot Canyon in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument.
Day 8 | Saturday: Drove through Cedar Breaks National Monument. Drove around St. George, UT. Flew home from LAS.

Favorite hike in Zion National Park:
J: 8-mile round-trip hike to Observation Point
R: Also, Observation Point

Favorite hike in Bryce Canyon National Park:
J: Peekaboo Loop
R: Navajo/Peekaboo Loops

Least favorite hike of the week:
J: Fairyland Loop
R: Zion Narrows

Favorite non-hiking activity of the week:
J: Flying down Zion Canyon Road on the bike
R: Riding roadbikes in Zion

Favorite meal of the week:
J: Carnitas flautas at Bit and Spur Restaurant and Saloon in Springdale, UT
R: Burger and sweet potato Smashfries from SmashBurger in St. George, UT... he planned our last vacation day around this meal

Best after-hike snack:
J: Coke and Pringles
R: Diet Coke and a nectarine

Favorite hiking gear:
J: The rented canyon shoes, neoprene socks, and hiking stick... don't know how we would have made it through the Narrows without them
R: A bandana filled with ice or drenched in water and wrapped around his neck

Most extreme temperatures:
J: The hot hot heat reflecting off the sand on the Fairyland Trail
R: The cold cold water of Lower Calf Creek Falls

Scariest moment of the trip:
J: Tripping and falling over rocks in the Zion Narrows, especially knowing that I had the dSLR camera in my daypack. I panicked while in the water, unable to get myself upright. Rob says I cried, but I don't remember that. But I did bring home nasty bruises and scrapes on my right calf as a souvenir.
R: The 2.5 minutes [sic] I was on Angels Landing... as well as trying to beat the storm on the unpaved Skutumpah road back from Willis Creek.

Biggest disappointment of the trip:
J: Realizing that we had only climbed half of Angels Landing... and knowing there was no way I would get Rob back out on that ledge 
R: Realizing that we could have biked further into the canyon because it was such a quick descent  

Proudest moment of the trip:
J: Every time Rob congratulated me on how well I was holding up to the hiking challenge... I think he was impressed.
R: Just knowing how many miles [upwards of 90!!] we did this week... in our multi-sport adventures

You can see more photos on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/janaandrob/collections/72157634415451857/

Trip Planning 101... [part 4 of 4]

“Like all great travelers, I have seen more than I remember, and remember more than I have seen.”
-Benjamin Disraeli 

The final aspect of my planning...
[Find the other parts of the Trip Planning series here: 1, 2, 3]

Our trip planning file from our 2011 Yosemite trip... not the greatest photo I've taken, sorry!

The expanding multi-pocket file.

Right before we leave for our trip, I print and organize paper copies of many reference materials. Some of it I may never look at on the trip, but for me, it's better safe than sorry. I admit that this part may lean towards OCD, but it certainly calms my nerves.

Store all of your documents in a plastic expanding pocket file (like this).

• Why a file rather than a folder? Because it's enclosed... I can throw this to the backseat and not worry about papers flying everywhere.
• Why plastic? Because it's somewhat waterproof... No need to worry about a water bottle spilling in your backpack or getting caught in a rainstorm on a hike. 
• Why multi-pockets? Because I can organize the documents by type or by date, whatever makes the most sense... I don't have to sort through my driving directions to find my hotel reservations.

The types of papers that are stored in here will depend on what type of trip we're planning. But some of the things that make it into my trip file include:

• Driving directions from the airport to the first destination... Would hate to arrive and realize that our GPS is on the fritz, and we don't know where we're going.
• Flight/hotel/car reservations... Yes, I know I have it all stored in my TripIt app, but I'm not quite convinced that the rinky-dink motel in the middle of nowhere is going to trust my iPhone.
• Tickets to any prepaid activities... Wouldn't want to show up at our Bryce Canyon ATV tour with no record of our ticket purchase.
• Trail maps... For each big hike that we know we're going to do, I try to print a trail map and directions... It only takes being lost on a trail once...
• Printable coupons to attractions or restaurants... Occasionally in my research of tourism bureaus, etc. I run across coupons for 1/2 off a meal or $2 off admission... While a showing at the Zion Canyon Giant Theater may not yet be cemented on the itinerary, I'd be kicking myself knowing that there was a coupon out there to save me a couple of bucks.
• Brochures, ticket stubs, etc.... This is also where I store the random memorabilia that I pick up throughout the trip. It makes a great keepsake after the trip is over. I have a whole shelf filled with pocket files from each of our vacations. Just flipping through the pockets is a trip down memory lane.

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What do you do with the "stuff" that you gather from a trip? Before the trip begins? While on the road? After you get back home?

Trip Planning 101... [part 3 of 4]

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.”
-Robert Louis Stevenson

[Find the other parts of the Trip Planning series here: 1, 2, 4]

So how can you be sure that your plan includes all of the must-sees around the area? How can you be sure that you've packed sufficiently for the tricky weather? How can you be sure that you've got your activities in a logical order? Just like everything else, ask the experts.

Itinerary feedback.
I've already mentioned that I love TripAdvisor for reading real reviews about hotels and other activities. But I also sing the praises of the TripAdvisor forums and community.

TripAdvisor forums

• Run your tentative plan by the Destination Experts on the TripAdvisor forums. Be sure to give them plenty of details about what kind of trip you're expecting (age and activity level of trip-goers). I have always been so thrilled with their answers... How else would I have known about the one-of-a-kind roadside attraction on the way to Bryce Canyon called the Rock Shop?!?
• Ask more specific questions on the forums where needed... When I asked what we should do on our last day at Bryce, I was rewarded with plenty of ideas from locals and people who had just returned from trips to the area. Now it's just a matter of choosing what we want to do (and more likely, how much energy we have at the end of the trip)!
• Pay it forward by writing a trip report on the forum after you return and writing reviews about all of the places you stayed. If you can upload photos of the hotels, restaurants, and sites from your trip, all the better.

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Would you feel more confident after getting feedback on your itinerary, or do you think this step is overkill and a sign of worrying too much?

Trip Planning 101... [part 2 of 4]

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” 
-Henry Miller

Next up on the travel agenda...
[Find the other parts here: 1, 3, 4]
 
Airline tickets/hotels/rental cars.
Although I usually start the "grand plan" document as soon as we begin considering a vacation, I don't nail down any firm plans until we book a flight. Once we've bought tickets and determined our arrival and departure dates, next I need to define where we'll be each day and reserve hotels. Finally, if the destination requires a rental car, I can't forget to rent a car. I don't want to get stuck at the airport with no (or only really expensive) transportation options.

• Use Kayak price alerts to get updates of the current prices of flights. I usually set up alerts for each of the local airports... Atlanta and Charlotte are usually much cheaper than Greenville/Spartanburg or Asheville.

Kayak trip alerts come to your inbox daily.

• Before actually purchasing tickets, check the airlines sites themselves. I don't think we've ever purchased our tickets through an airline aggregator (like Kayak, Orbitz, etc); it seems we've always found the tickets for the same or cheaper price on the airline's website... Southwest Airlines had even more options for ATL to LAS, and they cost considerably less (especially after you count baggage fees).
• Keep list of potential hotels, current prices, and web links in your "grand plan" document. I have found that it's best to even list the ones that have no vacancies or are out of your price range... When Ruby's Inn is recommended by another website, I want to remember that I've already ruled it out because there are no rooms available for our dates. 
• Once you get to a short list of possible accommodations that meet your date and price requirements, search TripAdvisor for customer reviews and more importantly real photos of the rooms. It's eye-opening to see that rooms that guests photograph don't always match the professional photos highlighted on the hotel's own website. In my experience I have found TripAdvisor to be generally unbiased... you get both good and bad reviews. You just have to read through and decide whether it will bother you that you can hear through the walls or that the advertised breakfast is just cold cereal. 

TripAdvisor reviews

• If you're looking for a hotel in a major city, be sure to check out Hotwire and Priceline. You can choose a hotel based on its location, discounted price, amenities, and star rating. On previous vacations, we have been ecstatic to find 4-star accommodations for less than $85 per night. [Also from experience, the time we booked a 1.5 star hotel from Hotwire, it was absolutely awful... so I'd recommend sticking to 2.5+!]

Hotwire hotel search

• Reserve a rental car through Payless Car Rental as soon as your trip is booked. Their prices are usually as cheap as it gets, but you don't have to put any money down to reserve a vehicle... Which is totally awesome if we happen to score an even better price from somewhere else at the last minute and need to cancel this reservation. Fingers crossed...
• Name your own price for a rental car at Priceline.  Take a guess at how low they'll rent you the car of your choice. Once you're rate is approved, you're locked into buying... but it's great for low-balling especially at the last minute (as mentioned above). Priceline advertises that you can save up to 40% on car rentals, but there are some good tips here on how to save even more.
• Access all of your reservations numbers, flight information, check-in times, etc. in the ever-so-helpful TripIt app. When you receive a confirmation email from anywhere you book, simply forward it to plans@tripit.com, and it "magically" appears in your itinerary.

TripIt iPhone app

 
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What tips do you have for finding a great flight, hotel, car, or even just a great deal?

Trip Planning 101... [part 1 of 4]

“A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.”
-Lao Tzu

[Find the other parts here: 2, 3, 4]

Rob and I are counting down until vacation!! Just less than a month away until we head out of town for a week out West hiking the trails of Zion and Bryce Canyon National Parks.

While I admire my friends who can take spontaneous trips without a specific itinerary, that's not how I roll. Rob's and my vacation philosophy is to go, go, go and to see as much as we can because it may be the only time we're there. (a.k.a., we don't like to waste time looking for a hotel,  backtracking as we drive, or paying an arm and a leg for things that could be cheaper.) And, therefore we need a plan. Don't get me wrong... we're definitely flexible with our plan and are willing to make adjustments if something better comes up or if we're over our heads. But, we start with a plan.

I'd love to share some of my tried and true tips for trip planning... This will be the first of a four-part series. Even if you're an on-the-fly traveler, there may be a tip or two that you can use, too.

The grand plan (aka always a work in progress).
When we start really planning for a trip, I start an Evernote document (I've also used Google Docs in the past) to keep track of the ideas. I really like Evernote because I can access it and edit it from my phone and without an internet connection which can come in handy mid-trip.

So, what do I write in my grand plan?

• Keep an updated summary at the top, so I have a quick reference where we're staying and the main activity for each day.
• Organize the document with headings for each day, like Day One: Saturday June 22. The activities under each day are just ideas and often get moved from day to day, especially in the beginning... Maybe the Angel's Landing hike works better on Wednesday instead of Monday...
• Add web links wherever I can so that I can reference the information later to see more details, find contact information, check prices, etc.
• Add timing notes as I see fit.  Especially for driving times between places or mileage/estimated times for hikes... It's helpful when planning other activities to know that the drive from Las Vegas to Springdale is 2 hours and 40 minutes or that the Navajo Loop Trail is 3.5 miles round-trip and takes 1-3 hours.
• Record any ideas that seem neat, even if there may not be enough time to accomplish them all. While on the trip, we usually sit down each night to make the final decisions of what we want to do. 
• Make notes about any tips and hints that I've read about each activity... Don't want to forget to "lace your shoes tightly on the return to prevent your toes from constantly jamming into the end of your shoes" when we're hiking to Observation Point. Such a little thing could make a really big difference in how much we enjoy each activity.
• Keep a list of local, can't miss restaurants as well as lists of great places to watch the sunrise/sunset. These don't necessarily have to be planned in the itinerary, but will be great to reference when we're driving around town starving because we're not sure where to eat.

 
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Do you travel with a set schedule planned in advance, or are you more spontaneous than me?