Ecuador Vacation

We spent 10 days in Ecuador.   Most of the time was in the Galapagos, though we did visit Guayaquil and Cuenca on the mainland.

At Parque Bolivar in Guayaquil, also known as Park of the Iguanas

It's feeding time for the Iguanas! 

 We spent time on San Cristobal Island in the Galapagos (2 nights) and also Isabela Island (3 nights.)
We also visited the island of Floreana. 

On San Cristobal.  They call this hamburger rock.  I wonder why? 

Statue of the great Charles Darwin on San Cristobal.  This overlooks the spot where he first touched ground in the Galapagos. 

The cove where Darwin touched shore on San Cristobal. 

Isabela Island, where we hiked to the rim of the Sierra Negra Volcano.   The volcano's caldera is the second largest in the world, with a diameter measuring 6 1/2 miles.  The colorful volcanic rock was spectacular!  The out and back hike was slightly over 10 miles.  It was fairly easy walking.  Fortunately, the weather was not too hot.  Thank goodness for the cloud coverage. 

Making our way toward the rim of the volcano.

Beautiful volcanic rock! 

Gerry's on the edge of the world

We visited Cuenca.   We stayed in a hacienda about 40 minutes outside of the city, called the Hacienda Uzhupud.  It was quite the place, featuring lovely grounds with several walking paths and beautiful gardens and terraces to explore and enjoy.  The furnishings in the interior lobby, hallways and common areas deserved to belong in a museum.

A terrace at the Hacienda Uzhupud

We hiked in the Cuenca area, near the town of Banos.  Beautiful flowers and plants lined the rural road we walked.

Not sure what this is, but it sure was pretty. 

As was this  flower.

A local woman is making her way along the road. 

We approached Banos, and walked by this spectacular blue church. 

We ate lunch at the Piedra de Agua spa.  The grounds featured mineral pools and beautiful sunning areas.  It was a lovely place.  Piedra de Agua is carved from volcanic rock dating back 70 million years! 

We toured the Central Market in Cuenca.  Talk about fresh produce!  Grapes the size of golf balls,  heads of cabbage triple the size we see in USA, fresh mangos, gigantic papayas, etc etc.

A colorful display of produce

A local Ecuadorian woman near the bananas.  The top industry in Ecuador is oil.  Bananas come in at # 2.   

Anyone care for some pig meat? 

A trip in Cuenca would not be complete without a visit to a factory where they make Panama Hats.  Did you know Panama hats are made in Ecuador, not Panama?

Our final day we visited El Cajas National Park.  The Park is at 13,000 ft elevation.  We could see the clouds below us.  The park covers 71,000 acres and contains 230 glacial lakes.  Lake Llaviuco is the lowest point in the Park.  The Park is stunning.  Our guide Henry gave us much information about the birds, plants and animals of this tundra environment. 

Lake Llaviuco

Interesting tree by the lake

Talk about a colorful rock!  

Final day in Ecuador was in Guayaquil.  We visited the Parque Historico, which covers 8 hectares.  Over 50 species of birds, mammals, amphibians, reptiles and fish are present in the Park.

A macaw showing his stuff

Another parrot ? 

We're back in L.A.   Would I go back to Ecuador?  YOU BET!!!

House Progress and keeping my sanity

Our house remodel was to take one year to complete.   Two and a half years later we are STILL not done.  But we are making progress.

The master suite is getting there!

Thank goodness for Griffith Park!  It is my refuge.  Several times a week I am in the park, bicycling or hiking.  I have a Saturday morning hilly 22 mile cycling loop, which takes me to the Observatory and then along the hilly Mt. Hollywood Drive, which is closed to vehicular traffic, over to the eastern part of the park.  It is nearly 2,500 foot ascent during the ride, quite the workout.


Taking a breather at the Observatory on the Saturday morning ride.

Good friends join us most Sundays for a hike.  We walk 7.5 miles, which takes us up and behind the Hollywood Sign.  On a crystal clear day, we have amazing views of Los Angeles and can see ocean in the distance. 

Looking down on the sign.  

I never tire of this view from the trail!

It has been incredibly dry in Los Angeles.  2013 was the driest year on record.  And not a drop of rain fell in January, 2014.  Gerry and I are members of LAMS  (Los Angeles Mycology Society.)  The annual mushroom fair was February 9th at the San Gabriel Arboretum.  Not much mushrooms to view, but it was still a fun weekend.  It is enjoyable to stroll the grounds of the arboretum. 

What do you suppose is that fruit in the tree?    Manny is curious.

My sister's husband Jason and his parents Manny and Joanne came to L.A. for the fair.  Months ago the plan was for them to stay with us at our remodeled house....Well, we didn't make that timeline! 
We enjoyed spending time with them.   Manny is 95 years young,  Joanne is 85 years young!

Dinner at our townhouse with Gerry, Joanne, Manny and Jason.   

Next year, dinner will be at our house!  Surely we'll be out of the townhouse and into the house by then.   We better be!!!!!      Dare I say we hope to be back in the hills by the end of March?   

Thanksgiving

We spent four days in the mid-west visiting with Gerry's family.  We stayed with Gerry's 86 year old mother, Ann, who lives in Glen Carbon IL.  It was a wonderful visit.  Mom Hans is doing well.  She gets around fine, though she does use a cane for walking any distance.  Mentally she is as sharp as ever.  Her memory is probably better than mine!

Mom Hans with four of her boys:  Phil, Gerry, Allan and Dave

We began Thanksgiving participating in the 4th annual Edwardsville Turkey Trot.  We started the trot at 8:30 a.m. when the temperature hovered in the 20s.   A mite chilly for this Southern Californian wimp!  I can no longer run, but I enjoyed walking the course.  Gerry ran the 5K in 27 minutes, good enough for 2nd in his age group!  (His age group is males 60 years and older.) 

Gerry after the race holding his turkey trophy

A few of our nieces and nephews joined us this chilly morning.  We even had a grand-niece and grand-nephew along, bundled up to stay warm.

My grand-nephew Logan and my grand-niece Olivia

Thanksgiving was held at Ginny's house.  Ginny is Gerry's older sister who lives in a beautiful house in Fosterburg, IL, near Alton.  This was the 24th annual year she has hosted Thanksgiving!  We had a record crowd this year:  38 people.  Our 38 included 29 adults and 9 children under the age of six years.

Some of the kids....




Jane, Mom and Ginny

Gerry and Jane

The recently engaged couple, Amy and Brendan

Ginny prepared a 25 pound turkey as well as an additional huge turkey breast, dressing, gravy, mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes.  The rest of us contributed wine, appetizers, side dishes and desserts.  It was quite the feast!

Finishing our post-turkey walk, along the corn fields on Ginny's property

You bet, I saved room for dessert!  Pumpkin pie, tiramisu, apple pie, pumpkin logs and more!
 

Owen is quietly content

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It doesn't get much better than spending a full day with a loving family, enjoying delicious food but most importantly, one another's company.

GIRLS On The RUN

I have been actively involved with the Los Angeles chapter of Girls On The Run.

It is a 12-week self-empowerment program for girls in 3rd  - 5th grade.   Running is actually a very small part of the program, though we are training the girls to run, walk or skip their way through The Say No To Drugs Holiday 5K which will be upcoming on Sunday December 8th on the Backlot of Universal Studios. 

The first four weeks the focus is on the individual.  The girls are beautiful, strong and wonderful the way they are.  The mid four weeks we broaden the scope and talk about being part of a team.  The final four weeks we expand even more and learn about communities, and how we can all make a difference in making the world a better place. 

I am proud of my group of 20 girls from Edison Elementary in Glendale.  Last week we came up with our Community project.  On Tuesday, November 19th in lieu of our regular running project, we will host a bake sale.  The girls are responsible for bringing in the store bought baked goods for this afternoon after-school sale.   (school rules - they can't be homemade goodies unfortunately)  All the proceeds will go toward the relieve effort to help the victims of the typhoon disaster in the Philippines.   Thursday, the girls drew colorful posters promoting our sale.  The posters are displayed on the doors and walls of the outside courtyard school yard.  

Here's one poster

Another more colorful  one

I am excited about our bake sale.

I am equally excited about the December 8th 5K.  The girls will celebrate their limitless potential.

Our slogan is true, "Girls on the Run is So Much Fun.  Girls on the Run is Number One!" 

My First Century Was A Cool Breeze !

This past Saturday August 17th, Gerry and I bicycled 100 miles.  It was my first Century ride.  And, it was "almost" Gerry's first Century....it was his first Century since 40 years prior when he was a mere college lad.

The ride started and finished in Ventura, CA.  

Along the ride....at mile 80.  Feeling the cool ocean breeze.

We left home Friday afternoon and drove to Ventura, 66 miles north of L.A.

Cool indeed!, I thought.  Here we are driving 2/3 of the distance we would be pedaling the very next day!  We got a room via Priceline at the Crowne Plaza Hotel which was located right on the beach, minutes away from the Ventura Pier.

The Pier dates back to over a 100 years ago - fitting into the Century theme. 

I'll admit I was a bit nervous about attempting to ride 100 miles, though we had heard the Cool Breeze Ride was an "easy" Century.   Easy???  Century???  - aren't those 2 words mutually exclusive?  I would soon find out.

We got into the saddles at 7:00 am with the game plan of re-grouping at each aid station.  Gerry is a much faster cyclist, so it is best we ride at our own pace, mine much more pokey.  The bike ride was very well organized with  five terrific aid stations (Mile 15, 30, 50, 70, 82).   Aid station at mile 50 was the Lunch Station, where we were treated to a buffet line to build-your-own-sandwich, with fresh bread, a variety of meats and cheeses, vegetables and all of the fixins'.   Very "cool"  to take a long relaxing break at the half-way mark!

A popsicle sure hit the spot at the final aid station, mile 82.

Gerry cooling off with a popsicle.  

We finished the ride at 4:00 pm, and then enjoyed a delicious post race BBQ, featuring tri-tip steak, grilled chicken, pasta, salad, steamed carrots and fruit. 

Here's proof... A very happy me crossing the finish line of the ride. 

Although the Crowne Plaza didn't have a hot tub, they did have a heated pool,  (hot enough in my mind to be  almost categorized as a hot tub.)  It proved the ideal post ride recovery - to soak the body and relax.  

View of the Pool from our room on the 10th floor at the hotel.

Saturday evening we walked along the beach to the pier, where we viewed the sunset and the locals fishing from the pier.  Then we took a stroll down old town Main Street, stopping off for a delicious gelato at a local spot, Palermo's. 

Sunday morning we went to Ventura Harbor to view the art show, Arts In The Park.  Many vendors were set up,

Booths set up on the grassy area near the Harbor. 

but the main draw were the thirty chalk artists who participated in this fund raiser, raising money for FOOD Share.   Their chalk art was something to see....A "Cool" ending for the Cool Breeze weekend.

The chalk artist at work.

A colorful mermaid. 

My favorite....the artist was working and putting on the final touches while we were a few feet away enjoying brunch at Le Petit Café Bakery. 

Outdoors of Le Petit Café, a fine setting for a relaxing brunch.   The finale of the "Cool" weekend. 

Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park

We spent a week in Estes Park with my family.  It was a grand reunion and a celebration of my parents 80th birthdays.  My mom turned 80 in January and my dad will turn 80 in November.  We came from far and wide and also close:  Paul and Corinne travelled from Anchorage, Eileen and Jose came from Charlottesville, VA.  Anne and Jason, Dylan and Nell were the "locals" and drove from Denver.    We took possession of both the Ranch House and the Guest House.  Both houses were very spacious, with plenty of room for the 12 of us to live comfortably for the week.  Plenty of places to gather, both inside and outdoors.  We spent many hours relaxing on the porch outside, watching the deer and other wildlife.  Being in the mountains refreshes the body and soul.  Nothing like the crisp Rocky Mountain air and the picture postcard views.




Enjoying a meal together inside.

 

Relaxing on the spacious porch. My 80 year old dad with Dylan and Anne

 

As lovely as the houses were, we didn't spend much daylight time here, because our priorities were to hike and explore Rocky Mountain National Park.   We experienced some fantastic hiking.  Beautiful waterfalls, gorgeous alpine flowers and mountain vistas were our rewards every day.



It doesn't get much better than this!



My nephew Dylan takes a rest. 



Nell and Anne take a break, too.



Nell and Dylan scale the rocks above Gem Lake. 



 

Gem lake was indeed a gem. 

A pretty scenic fishing spot. 
 

Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved road in the USA.  The air is thin at the highest elevation on the highway, 12,183 feet.  Plenty of photo opportunities abound.


The "Girls" - Mom, Anne, Eileen, Mary and Nell. We're taking a breather at a rest stop on Trail Ridge Road. 

The alpine tundra is it's own micro-ecosystem.  The temperature can be 30 degrees warmer near the surface of the ground than it is 6 feet above.  So, when you are cold in the mountains, hunker down to warm up.  

The delicate tundra.  Tread carefully, please. 

Wow! Photo opportunities around every corner along Trail Ridge Road.  


Always be camera-ready.  Who knows what wildlife may cross your path!

 

My mom did much work in advance preparing for this trip.  She planned meals and packed supplies months in advance.  She is a real trouper.    Thanks, Mom! 



Mom, you're on top of the world! 





Bryce Canyon and Capitol Reef Adventure

Gerry and I took the Prius on yet another long road trip.  The Prius is a great touring car - it is both comfy and very roomy.  We packed our hiking gear and headed east with the final destination of Estes Park where we would spend a week with my family.

The first part of our vacation was the road trip through Utah.  Several friends have raved about Bryce Canyon, and the surrounding area.  It was about time we checked out the scenery for ourselves.

Bryce Canyon;  viewing the Canyon from the Fairyland Trail.

Gerry turned 62 on June 7th, just a few weeks before our road trip.  We were both thrilled when he forked over $10 for his National Parks Golden Pass, which gains him free admission to all of the National Parks for the rest of his life.  Now one of our goals is to see how many National Parks we can visit.  We visited 4 National Parks last week...Bryce Canyon,  Capitol Reef, Colorado National Monument, and Rocky Mountain National Park.  We're off to a good start!

At the entrance gate Bryce Canyon, as Gerry receives his Golden Pass to the National Parks.

Bryce Canyon is famous for its hoodoos.  Hoodoos are tall thin spires of rock that protrude from the bottom of the canyon.  They can range from 5 to 150 feet tall.

Spectacular Hoodoos along the Navajo & Peek-a-boo loop trail. 

 
We were fortunate weather-wise.  It can be brutally hot in the summer time here, often over 100 degrees.  We had relatively cool weather - mid 80s.  We did 2 hikes on Friday.  The longer hike was our a.m. Fairyland Loop (9 miles.)  After a lunch break we hiked the Navajo & Peek-a-boo Loop trail  (5 1/2 miles.)   The photos don't do this place justice!  I have the feeling we'll be back here again someday.


Saturday we drove to Capitol Reef National Park, for another full day of hiking.  We did 3 hikes, ranging from 2.5 to 3.75 miles: the Cohab Canyon hike, Cassidy Arch hike, and Capitol Gorge hike.

A vista point shortly after arriving in Capitol Reef Natl Park. 

 

Starting off at on the Cohab Canyon hike.

One of the many narrow passageways we encountered.  It was challenging to squeeze through this crevice!  You might say we were caught between a rock and a hard place. 

Our second hike was the longest and most challenging hike of the day.  We hiked to Cassidy Arch, named after Butch Cassidy who allegedly hid out in this area.   We passed through spectacular scenery as we followed the footsteps of history's famous outlaws, gaining nearly 1,200 feet in elevation as we reached the top of Cassidy Arch.

Gerry at the top of Cassidy Arch.  This gives perspective of how large this arch is!

Late in the afternoon we hiked the Capitol Gorge trail, which is mostly level walking in a narrow wash bottom with sheer canyon walls.  Within the course of a mile the trail passes a petroglyph panel, and the Pioneer Register, which is the rock panel that contains hundreds of inscriptions left by settlers and travelers in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

We finally left Capitol Reef National Park at 6:00 pm, and drove toward Grand Junction, where we would spend the night.  All of this hiking worked up our appetites.  We stopped off in the small town of Green River UT, close to the UT / CO border for dinner at Ray's Tavern.   It was quite the happening local joint; very casual so we felt right at home with the group of river rafters and other hikers who were enjoying cold beers and hot sandwiches. 

Sunday morning we left Grand Junction and did a driving tour of Colorado National Monument National Park.  Once again, we used our Golden Parks Pass.

Another beautiful place!

 We took the long but scenic drive up to Estes Park, and arrived in the early evening to begin part two of our vacation - the 6 days with Mary's family in Estes Park.