tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3021164699173273852024-03-14T10:08:51.919-04:00My other blog's a future blogStuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.comBlogger262125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-31066063570929769672013-09-13T23:53:00.000-04:002013-09-13T23:53:00.904-04:00Crater LakingAlthough unplanned (because neither Andy or I can successfully remember our anniversary), we headed to Crater Lake for our 6th anniversary with friends. We hiked, took a boat tour around the lake, watched the meteor shower (which apparently always falls on or around our anniversary!), played some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchre" target="_blank">euchre</a> and <a href="http://cardsagainsthumanity.com/" target="_blank">cards against humanity</a>. All in all, it was a great weekend (except that in our two games of euchre, no team made it <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euchre#Terminology" target="_blank">in the barn</a>, which is my favorite part of the game). <br />
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Blue lake!</div>
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Wizard island</div>
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Andy and I both packed poorly and had to buy Crater Lake themed items with sleeves. We had a similar problem in Hawaii, where we had to buy Hawaii beach towels AND in Alaska where we didn't bring enough warm weather clothes!</div>
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S&A hiking</div>
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On the boat</div>
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The phantom ship doesn't look as ghostly close up</div>
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The Pinnacles</div>
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I ordered the "tofu vegetable tower" at the national park lodge---this is what arrived.</div>
<br />StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-36327747983898679192013-09-12T20:00:00.000-04:002013-09-12T20:00:02.382-04:00The Real South and Green SandAfter our unbelievable volcano day, we headed towards the Kona side of the island stopping at a black sand beach with turtles, the southernmost point in the US, and a beach with green sand (one of two in the world!). And oh yeah, it was my birthday! So, there were flowers waiting for me at our hotel (ain't Andy sweet?) and we made sure to have a super chocolatey dessert after a dinner of kalua pork spring rolls and fish tacos! Yum!<br />
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Turtles!</div>
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Southernmost point (or very close to it)</div>
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Green sand beach!</div>
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It's not grass green people, more of an olive green due to the olivine mineral</div>
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The walk down to the beach</div>
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Flowers for my birthday!</div>
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I know that my number one priority on my last day in Hawaii should have been to snorkel or swim, but it was actually to eat poke from <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/da-poke-shack-kailua" target="_blank">Da Poke Shack</a>. Multiple types of poke, 5 stars on yelp! And eat poke we did! Between the two of us, we ate one pound of poke (literally), and truth be told, it was not an even split. </div>
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We did snorkel and swim---I even saw a moray eel! Plus, we visited the <a href="http://www.nps.gov/puho/index.htm" target="_blank">place of refuge</a>, which was peaceful and beautiful. And for dinner, we headed to <a href="http://konabrewingco.com/" target="_blank">Kona Brewing Company</a>. We were due to leave the next morning but thought that Tropical Storm Flossie might stop us---luckily (?), Hawaiian Airlines was not fazed and we made it back to Seattle with no trouble (unless you count having to eat at Sammy Hagar's restaurant in the Maui airport!).</div>
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The Place of Refuge</div>
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This pose is not awkward at all!</div>
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Our snorkeling spot</div>
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StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-92103435521375617372013-09-11T19:00:00.000-04:002013-09-11T19:00:03.703-04:00Volcano DayMan oh man, this day was amazing. We spent the whole day on volcano activities (unless you count the time we spent tracking down <a href="http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/spam-musubi" target="_blank">spam musubi</a>, which for the record can be found at 7-11 in Hawaii). <br />
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We started the day at Volcanos National Park, where we hiked across the crater of Kilauea and walked through a lava tube. <br />
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Yup, we walked across that.</div>
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See!?!</div>
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Andy at the mouth of a lava tube.</div>
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After a quick bite for lunch, we headed to <a href="http://www.hawaiistateparks.org/parks/hawaii/index.cfm?park_id=51" target="_blank">Lava Tree State Park</a> where we saw the remnants of trees captured in lava. </div>
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Plants in Hawaii = Badass</div>
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We heeded this warning and came back to tell the tale. </div>
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These use to be trees!</div>
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Even though the day had been amazing and chock full o' volcano, we weren't done by a long shot! The most unbelievable hike of my life was still to come. The current lava flow is all on private property, so the only ways to see it up close are to take a helicopter, a boat, or do what we did, a guided hike. I am not sure how to set the scene because it still seems so crazy to me. There are people who live in houses built on what was recently (by all measures not just geologic time) lava. It's only been a <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1297706/Hawaii-homeowner-watches-molten-lava-destroy-house-volcano-erupts.html" target="_blank">few years since a lava flow</a> took out the neighbors of our guide. We hiked about 3 miles out over freshly created rock to a spot where lava was coming out of the earth. We did poke it with a stick but didn't take any with us (no need to tempt <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pele_(deity)" target="_blank">Pele</a>). Then, we headed to the coast to watch earth be created. We got to sit for about an hour and just watch lava flow into the ocean until dark. Head lamps on, inspired, awed, and amazed, we trekked back in the dark to our guide's house and our cars. </div>
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Our guide's house</div>
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There's another house!</div>
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Lava is so cool!</div>
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Andy's feeling it!</div>
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Hot!</div>
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Earth forming!</div>
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StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-29187353264948930082013-09-10T23:19:00.003-04:002013-09-10T23:22:22.720-04:00You're going to Hawaii? That's so wonderful!Prior to our trip, every time we talked about going to Hawaii we thought about <a href="http://www.imdb.com/media/rm3228801280/ch0009640" target="_blank">Luis Guzman'</a>s <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0009640/filmotype" target="_blank">character from Punch Drunk Love</a> and how excited he was for Adam Sandler to be going to Hawaii. In case you can't tell, we both pretty damn entertained by Luis Guzman (not sure why you wouldn't be!). And if you didn't know, going to Hawaii is wonderful. <br />
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We flew into Hilo but stopped only to get coffee (at a nice coffee stand where the iced coffee was made with ice cubes made of coffee) and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_musubi" target="_blank">spam musubi</a>. We headed straight for <a href="http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/vis/visiting-mauna-kea/visiting-the-summit.html" target="_blank">Mauna Kea</a> to check out the sunset and stargazing. As we were driving up the mountain, we hit a cloud bank and wondered if stargazing was actually in the cards, but then we drove above the clouds and all was crystal clear. We didn't go all the way to the observatories partly due to time and partly because there is absolutely no way our rental car would have made it (FYI, the Chevy Spark is only a hair nicer than the Aveo, which means it is total crap). After checking out a lovely sunset, we stuck around the ranger station for the stargazing. They had telescopes set up to view Venus and Saturn (we saw the rings!). <br />
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Afterwards, we headed to our awesome B&B (<a href="http://myislandinnhawaii.com/" target="_blank">My Island Bed & Breakfast</a>) where we spent two nights. They had yummy breakfast and gave us great information on how best to explore the volcano (see tomorrow's post for what we did!). StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-64525711633105655002013-09-07T15:21:00.003-04:002013-09-07T15:21:38.506-04:00A different time zone for 6 straight SundaysIt's taken me ages to blog about our recent trips, and that's because I had a crazy-a$$ summer! <br />
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Here's why: I kept changing time zones like it was going out of style. Here's what July and August looked like:<br />
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Sunday, July 21st - Seattle<br />
Sunday, July 28th - Kona, Hawaii<br />
Sunday, August 4th - Winston-Salem, NC<br />
Sunday, August 11th - Crater Lake, OR<br />
Sunday, August 18th - Wrightsille Beach, NC<br />
Sunday, August 25th - Seattle<br />
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I will blog about Hawaii soon I promise!<br />
<br />StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-8480503572517532512013-08-02T12:59:00.001-04:002013-08-02T13:00:26.837-04:00Big Island Birthday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I really want to blog about and post pictures from our amazing trip to the Big Island, and I will soon, but I am traveling for work and then fun for most of the next three weeks (I am home for a total of about 4 days over that time period---is that right? Aack!). In the meantime, check out this picture of me poking lava with a stick!!</div>
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StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-28149927747319065782013-05-29T23:34:00.001-04:002013-05-29T23:34:41.887-04:00Not Cold in Alaska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We made the trek (i.e., direct flight) to Fairbanks, Alaska for Memorial Day Weekend to visit friends who have lived there for the last year. While cool and rainy in Seattle, Fairbanks was hot and sunny. Even though I checked the weather forecast and knew it would be warm, I still packed my fleece jacket and multiple cardigans and neglected to bring tank tops and shorts. I just couldn't quite wrap my mind around the fact that it would be hot in Alaska. </div>
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We checked out C&B's digs---they spent a year in a <a href="http://www.adn.com/2012/11/16/2695071/the-perks-and-pains-of-dry-cabin.html">dry cabin</a>. Despite the horror experienced by all of their friends at the thought of living in a place where it regularly gets -40 F without hot water, they embraced it. The view from the back porch was pretty unbelieveable. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">C&B's dry cabin (as in no running water)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">C&B's outhouse (it turns out C is WAY tougher than I am)<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">C&B's "back yard"</td></tr>
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Saturday, we went on a kickass hike called Angel Rocks. Then, we stopped at the <a href="http://www.silvergulch.com/">Silver Gulch Brewery</a> for tasty food and beer. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption">C&B on the Angel Rocks Hike</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Andy relaxing at Angel Rocks</td></tr>
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Sunday, we checked out <a href="http://www.creamersfield.org/Welcome.html">Creamer's Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge</a> then headed to <a href="http://www.shopgulliversbooks.com/">Gulliver's</a> for book browsing and sandwiches and to <a href="http://www.hotlicks.net/">Hot Lick's</a> for super creamy ice cream (I had Arctic Refuge Wildberry Snap, which had berry puree and gingersnaps---yum!). Then, we had to check out <a href="http://www.co.fairbanks.ak.us/pioneerpark/">Pioneer Park</a> (formerly known as AlaskaLand!). <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C and me at Creamer's Field</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">C at Creamer's Field</td></tr>
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Monday, we headed the Museum of the North in the morning and then to<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/sams-sourdough-cafe-fairbanks"> Sam's Sourdough Cafe</a> for lunch-sourdough pancakes and reindeer sausage (that tasted like kielbasa!!). We tried to do another hike along the same road as Angel Rocks but were turned away by flooding in the road! We ended up doing a nice hike on some birch-lined cross-country ski trails. For dinner, we feasted on homemade Indian food. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Museum of the North on UAF's campus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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As expected, it doesn't really get dark in Fairbanks at the end of May. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">10:24 pm Fairbanks</td></tr>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-6041917952345341332013-04-13T19:40:00.000-04:002013-04-13T19:40:04.291-04:00Oliver owes us $$So, we (well, mainly I) decided it was time to take down the wallpaper and repaint the house. And by take down and repaint, I meant hire someone to do that (as Bob would say, that's not my job). We are currently in the midst of it...almost all of the wallpaper is down. I thought I'd share some pictures because the choices of the previous owners of the house are pretty damn entertaining. <br />
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The real impetus for this work was Oliver being a menace. It's a good he's such a friendly and cute cat, because Oliver has turned our walls into a scratching post. We have a lot of wallpaper in the house, but most of it is painted over or was pretty innocuous.<br />
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Innocent looking cat</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlAgKC6jbFng_ez_l-E8qghvLmce78vFYpu2F0BZ9X6b3mJBtxBVv9DRc4UodrlZhCIkKHkruEbdiurDjBlfii6d9kSTH4sJ7qe8XxfxQX-dKwycEdfAAmc6IqREBdMyuCHuUlqT4lBzw/s1600/IMG_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDlAgKC6jbFng_ez_l-E8qghvLmce78vFYpu2F0BZ9X6b3mJBtxBVv9DRc4UodrlZhCIkKHkruEbdiurDjBlfii6d9kSTH4sJ7qe8XxfxQX-dKwycEdfAAmc6IqREBdMyuCHuUlqT4lBzw/s320/IMG_0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Plus neutral wallpaper</div>
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Equals shredded mess!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXuFkI23DplKSAOJ5QmGDwFKkBODyvxfwbS4wj0KHnel6jGiN03NQnHeOaaQCXcBJYZT0c0-emn51M2idR7g3iizt7UiskuqpkLX6zbt0PIWYNTqJqd7KLgDs6NkVVdyHBqwSpbs8YZB7/s1600/IMG_0505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqXuFkI23DplKSAOJ5QmGDwFKkBODyvxfwbS4wj0KHnel6jGiN03NQnHeOaaQCXcBJYZT0c0-emn51M2idR7g3iizt7UiskuqpkLX6zbt0PIWYNTqJqd7KLgDs6NkVVdyHBqwSpbs8YZB7/s320/IMG_0505.JPG" width="197" /></a></div>
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Look how high he can jump!</div>
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We can't blame Oliver for all of the wallpaper. He hasn't actually touched the wallpaper that's been painted over...I recently discovered what was under that plain white paint. It's pretty crazy-pants. <br />
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In the dining room, it was a fabric-y & mauve. </div>
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But in our bedroom, it was even more impressive. Rattan? Twine? The 1960's version of island getaway? And you can't see it, but there was definitely a silver metallic undertone. </div>
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I am not sure what they were going for, but it definitely reminded me of one of my favorite videos ever about matching your refrigerator to your mood, hobby, or party theme. I originally caught this awesomeness on <a href="http://www.tcm.com/">Turner Classic Movies</a>.</div>
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<object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://img.youtube.com/vi/w9KkT_8VHCo/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/w9KkT_8VHCo&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://youtube.googleapis.com/v/w9KkT_8VHCo&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
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Unbelievably, that was not the biggest surprise covered up in our house. When they took down the terrible 80's-tastic wallpaper in the basement, they uncovered this hot air balloon mural.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpkd8cMuA0zln_Eclm_TleDasvX6oyXYYLqH7lDuloxxkyrl4gmlREy8SP3l7Z32EtVvFrHLptb6KEbulLw7Uq_a_nuVAgDeAogdYJ1jJerOV5FYXGI3EsceUv0FAtbuX11QoEI82na1O/s1600/IMG_0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpkd8cMuA0zln_Eclm_TleDasvX6oyXYYLqH7lDuloxxkyrl4gmlREy8SP3l7Z32EtVvFrHLptb6KEbulLw7Uq_a_nuVAgDeAogdYJ1jJerOV5FYXGI3EsceUv0FAtbuX11QoEI82na1O/s1600/IMG_0511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVpkd8cMuA0zln_Eclm_TleDasvX6oyXYYLqH7lDuloxxkyrl4gmlREy8SP3l7Z32EtVvFrHLptb6KEbulLw7Uq_a_nuVAgDeAogdYJ1jJerOV5FYXGI3EsceUv0FAtbuX11QoEI82na1O/s320/IMG_0511.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I think that our paint choices will be improvements (well...except for maybe the mural). When it's done, I'll post pictures, and you can decide!<br />
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-23987199082591165752012-08-23T00:05:00.000-04:002012-08-23T00:05:08.719-04:00Uncategorized Iceland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We have more pictures, so why not post a few more? </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0YMJnlyl3yXn4ihZvExJje8Bq81-Xog0GYaV-i9jg4w0_Wf8ydus91_a2MEuj_Ykkw7Ua41Srbk7XuvE_wkm3YXbbNs5XMXXQebmrLXF_R3qpiVTphYpKEts-4oEqJaew6lXsA6nq72-/s1600/IMG_1792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW0YMJnlyl3yXn4ihZvExJje8Bq81-Xog0GYaV-i9jg4w0_Wf8ydus91_a2MEuj_Ykkw7Ua41Srbk7XuvE_wkm3YXbbNs5XMXXQebmrLXF_R3qpiVTphYpKEts-4oEqJaew6lXsA6nq72-/s400/IMG_1792.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Akureyri</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh015y8Qt5M3Bs7IwLtAS_EnPSzOGRInrUGo9DgHsFDYdD8GqjnTnBbQhEC_QH1OaFMd0UPN2ehWDX90TeOoXOJthaDVOyzsxXeu0Qy7aes-5B8LJflUAeWSZVPHGG-mEiiJIVzqY3amZUk/s1600/IMG_1841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh015y8Qt5M3Bs7IwLtAS_EnPSzOGRInrUGo9DgHsFDYdD8GqjnTnBbQhEC_QH1OaFMd0UPN2ehWDX90TeOoXOJthaDVOyzsxXeu0Qy7aes-5B8LJflUAeWSZVPHGG-mEiiJIVzqY3amZUk/s400/IMG_1841.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Leaving Reykjavik</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72Cm8CnFwJt5g3mppaW52EwWCVqctaJEaLYwNAklMjk9nNBIfuHidsdPv7I4oA2QAxi3H0IfBD5JXA6d7eJIoeACCdjiPTUPdWnIpk_fj4h6AOrDlZ8-PrEXUE3cc0297y7IyATyhemp6/s1600/IMG_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72Cm8CnFwJt5g3mppaW52EwWCVqctaJEaLYwNAklMjk9nNBIfuHidsdPv7I4oA2QAxi3H0IfBD5JXA6d7eJIoeACCdjiPTUPdWnIpk_fj4h6AOrDlZ8-PrEXUE3cc0297y7IyATyhemp6/s400/IMG_0252.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>I don't know what this poster is for, but I am pretty sure it was awesome.</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiJnprTF2AIF1lu3kwvYAfYWnJpcjSjntOkat2rJj2n7llRSy9QL1mXO0-Wez8O8B84_EXZiU7qs_F0YsY8bdWlxXEuzCnqLFrP-4guy-Lepkvve6oeyGXAZAYusEDXCgIZQzB0T76RyA/s1600/IMG_0397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUiJnprTF2AIF1lu3kwvYAfYWnJpcjSjntOkat2rJj2n7llRSy9QL1mXO0-Wez8O8B84_EXZiU7qs_F0YsY8bdWlxXEuzCnqLFrP-4guy-Lepkvve6oeyGXAZAYusEDXCgIZQzB0T76RyA/s400/IMG_0397.JPG" width="335" /></a></div>
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<i>Successful Apparel</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZL06QV84ACsttatNCWjCL6IWuwvVIpKMw9HcW03O4NiBAHvqqcYSAPcGQ4NDbhtA0RzAr7ezJP269uj_9AYSRm9DYug_kkgNiOP2RwY1Z2JhdUF49r3otiJzssYViS4vK2ty6hTWdGtL/s1600/IMG_1536.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZL06QV84ACsttatNCWjCL6IWuwvVIpKMw9HcW03O4NiBAHvqqcYSAPcGQ4NDbhtA0RzAr7ezJP269uj_9AYSRm9DYug_kkgNiOP2RwY1Z2JhdUF49r3otiJzssYViS4vK2ty6hTWdGtL/s400/IMG_1536.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Iceland is lousy with waterfalls</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsA9nE7JrtcNuzC_6BpTdSxjXA63fNmkfGZj2OPquCF1PGZokWmbv4hnsD-Byp_VY1J3yZq7aF61HVgWGbixBMJhavexRKMBEHs2BSdb69Q9ioKhlbgyDhAsbItJOF0eX6jkc7rbY92L5/s1600/IMG_1777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsA9nE7JrtcNuzC_6BpTdSxjXA63fNmkfGZj2OPquCF1PGZokWmbv4hnsD-Byp_VY1J3yZq7aF61HVgWGbixBMJhavexRKMBEHs2BSdb69Q9ioKhlbgyDhAsbItJOF0eX6jkc7rbY92L5/s400/IMG_1777.JPG" width="400" /></a>
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<i>See what I mean?</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL821yFd2gFIEGRWjLSlbY8_kaf-1YEfIFFEKsZ6fp6MeyYtTl9f1-eFkYDAY3Asq0lzKo1RSRP-DXTu7GZHmBAYnLky1uM28pYOf7Oh8hlSOoUY7WSAjHVtBnBWcmeTQrT2q5vPXZRI4/s1600/IMG_1556.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHL821yFd2gFIEGRWjLSlbY8_kaf-1YEfIFFEKsZ6fp6MeyYtTl9f1-eFkYDAY3Asq0lzKo1RSRP-DXTu7GZHmBAYnLky1uM28pYOf7Oh8hlSOoUY7WSAjHVtBnBWcmeTQrT2q5vPXZRI4/s400/IMG_1556.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Driving to Hofn</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC4vcq4nTz1bB9NPnjcUIRyn0g70euEUmIycdvurLLDfsFGsfTh7rrTNmoESs7KZ9h5I3KpjJF3tJyfJYXSObMnZgpnvLREMfl1JkD88x4YpiyUycUG6G3-lKsSMPjl0Ddz2Mi34RtQ10/s1600/IMG_1558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgC4vcq4nTz1bB9NPnjcUIRyn0g70euEUmIycdvurLLDfsFGsfTh7rrTNmoESs7KZ9h5I3KpjJF3tJyfJYXSObMnZgpnvLREMfl1JkD88x4YpiyUycUG6G3-lKsSMPjl0Ddz2Mi34RtQ10/s400/IMG_1558.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Black sand beach (allegedly good for bird watching...we didn't stick around to find out due to the cold, windy, rain)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCS_jf3JIqaD6USw7SWWXKhcxJIVQuDc8R0NwvyCE08ArlQz2TDi_A4H0ioOor1Ac7kKmgVBz16Szd1u5XOrwSPsD-NQy1Y70moEdnSUwHsuiee2r5ml4gu7r1_GyRAxn0bz3OxtjEB7_/s1600/IMG_1609.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlCS_jf3JIqaD6USw7SWWXKhcxJIVQuDc8R0NwvyCE08ArlQz2TDi_A4H0ioOor1Ac7kKmgVBz16Szd1u5XOrwSPsD-NQy1Y70moEdnSUwHsuiee2r5ml4gu7r1_GyRAxn0bz3OxtjEB7_/s400/IMG_1609.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>the restaurant at our hotel in Hofn had interesting pizzas (according to the guidebook---we didn't actually eat there)</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IHLWFAQxeR348CTisN4KyZDzPJV-isnGZS2_JpcPfyPAWG4tV7l3zxgvZGBr2Fug7F2GAZx7Oz3KyZ8X4ZDQV5Woqu_Ze9ffI7hwrizOqXz79QkTpGNvCGlOrXkU0tf2RxmUo9IzIf4g/s1600/IMG_1677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IHLWFAQxeR348CTisN4KyZDzPJV-isnGZS2_JpcPfyPAWG4tV7l3zxgvZGBr2Fug7F2GAZx7Oz3KyZ8X4ZDQV5Woqu_Ze9ffI7hwrizOqXz79QkTpGNvCGlOrXkU0tf2RxmUo9IzIf4g/s400/IMG_1677.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Ocean near Hofn</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRg6EkL0hRndd1vHni1E92i5ZM6aJpEmF__DTquIStjFj52WZRewpFoKoP_q8F_wvaK1F1GE06IjZZJArIu3wDtJp1uNkWtVM6pnv1CyZFvl8dpWPdije0LzMnkbu09vDDe4RL_5Ruw3qS/s1600/IMG_1737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRg6EkL0hRndd1vHni1E92i5ZM6aJpEmF__DTquIStjFj52WZRewpFoKoP_q8F_wvaK1F1GE06IjZZJArIu3wDtJp1uNkWtVM6pnv1CyZFvl8dpWPdije0LzMnkbu09vDDe4RL_5Ruw3qS/s400/IMG_1737.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Knafla Volcanic Area</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN2k4kdxpsVoFTmDHXWG7gBeoq6NOxiwUwD1qMlJXdhorUIkG1Krv6NDSx9LU4_v2R7kMGHAxa5mCcW9YcFXsO7xnkS7o11sUSi9i5s9die74Iw4ocZTrTJHZ_o6ewWq9RRu0Pj7otLTm/s1600/IMG_1738.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGN2k4kdxpsVoFTmDHXWG7gBeoq6NOxiwUwD1qMlJXdhorUIkG1Krv6NDSx9LU4_v2R7kMGHAxa5mCcW9YcFXsO7xnkS7o11sUSi9i5s9die74Iw4ocZTrTJHZ_o6ewWq9RRu0Pj7otLTm/s400/IMG_1738.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Knafla Volcanic Area</i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh80xitCZANDDJyLBZfRwxI3xCp9S58urGrar1JdHt6_GVeLT8PVCcKEdOOhHWjKcKHG6oBenTgZja5_M27ItRgpE4Me7cEXL9ls3w9SZMnHzIYCHTbg0Az54zTV91nlOzLmQehVx6RHz7/s1600/IMG_1744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh80xitCZANDDJyLBZfRwxI3xCp9S58urGrar1JdHt6_GVeLT8PVCcKEdOOhHWjKcKHG6oBenTgZja5_M27ItRgpE4Me7cEXL9ls3w9SZMnHzIYCHTbg0Az54zTV91nlOzLmQehVx6RHz7/s400/IMG_1744.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>The ground is hot!</i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmsIfpDTZa78km1zCew0D5qsVw4lB9ZnnIWWOSIHJcOCDhj9dvLyrnwqzhYdzjJGtB-M6C-8rQbP6gWNwS0rHbdVbbI-_oVn8Pm8Kjy3obCCww5Ld0nhNPe2nQdcQoXHOHh8Gif0RAwyN/s1600/IMG_1748.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmsIfpDTZa78km1zCew0D5qsVw4lB9ZnnIWWOSIHJcOCDhj9dvLyrnwqzhYdzjJGtB-M6C-8rQbP6gWNwS0rHbdVbbI-_oVn8Pm8Kjy3obCCww5Ld0nhNPe2nQdcQoXHOHh8Gif0RAwyN/s400/IMG_1748.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Knafla Volcanic Area</i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4_kpmmsG6-_wHK9dLEK9JprJlIL0PfZ3yTf_Fhg477y7ZPjMDmfFKrQV4Fx-p5S8dI1blmdOS6BMUJcsiMQZ19f0VEmY3yyhJgFe71ANNjIViHU5D6RBM06IkCgLlBA1YKCDU7Lf76W4/s1600/IMG_1761.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc4_kpmmsG6-_wHK9dLEK9JprJlIL0PfZ3yTf_Fhg477y7ZPjMDmfFKrQV4Fx-p5S8dI1blmdOS6BMUJcsiMQZ19f0VEmY3yyhJgFe71ANNjIViHU5D6RBM06IkCgLlBA1YKCDU7Lf76W4/s400/IMG_1761.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<i>Knafla Volcanic Area</i>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-47923068870940161782012-08-22T16:17:00.000-04:002012-08-22T16:17:00.584-04:00Sheepers and Icelandic Horses I certainly didn't expect this to be the case, but a major highlight of the trip was seeing Icelandic sheep and horses. The sheep have very expressive faces, and some are even <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_sheep#Breed_history_and_leader-sheep">leadersheep</a> (which are bred to be smart and help the farmers out--they tend to be thinner too). The horses are smaller than average and have awesome 90s skater hair.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDd8qY9WmrmOvCFxqy-9O7UzqPv7qztEjRkm-rcT1smvpspctV4yW8nhiQOczs-9bOAWNwk_LBQrvw1i7xmLsilsnGSZsLIf6-6xivT72Q8lRdiTzmmcpXibN3wF9So5DhlgLvUfDhhtWA/s1600/IMG_1591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDd8qY9WmrmOvCFxqy-9O7UzqPv7qztEjRkm-rcT1smvpspctV4yW8nhiQOczs-9bOAWNwk_LBQrvw1i7xmLsilsnGSZsLIf6-6xivT72Q8lRdiTzmmcpXibN3wF9So5DhlgLvUfDhhtWA/s400/IMG_1591.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6_ovq9CLeNpuA9QuI8am24n91iz0f9jZkCDoUu2KIE1ZCNepWwyJ5eQrU9szaagct33bL_DgO9bAi1qx4lcu3Z7eVvUE7g7q3cCnNPaX8672E8xf_Xm6DBDpCGJlKtfk6nCvsEiupoZm/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6_ovq9CLeNpuA9QuI8am24n91iz0f9jZkCDoUu2KIE1ZCNepWwyJ5eQrU9szaagct33bL_DgO9bAi1qx4lcu3Z7eVvUE7g7q3cCnNPaX8672E8xf_Xm6DBDpCGJlKtfk6nCvsEiupoZm/s400/IMG_1589.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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fat and in the road---definitely not a leadersheep!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j58pcpWqZda6Uz3BrRFsCUM4vYCeuXerim69MkWxMxuSQ8Sl_lFWLa79eRv4Flex2kzq36OO8NyVYfXHSqXGa75xJ4h4hE3rufPi6vj8m-wFIO_Rp3yiw3pL3ZlasbNrrT6YFoy9qtw0/s1600/IMG_1588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5j58pcpWqZda6Uz3BrRFsCUM4vYCeuXerim69MkWxMxuSQ8Sl_lFWLa79eRv4Flex2kzq36OO8NyVYfXHSqXGa75xJ4h4hE3rufPi6vj8m-wFIO_Rp3yiw3pL3ZlasbNrrT6YFoy9qtw0/s400/IMG_1588.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDjBjhkNOFzZ6Xt4g_muZzQw91F8AFqbhUtloUeUNgsI3EdJaQ5tdfCqwdSXVUijoHAPLncW19Mz_oU0FJIqV3j8o5mP19l3W3gP6k6V7UyD3PAd0Us_zGvM0cVca3emGFu1Ow_hTFBit/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNDjBjhkNOFzZ6Xt4g_muZzQw91F8AFqbhUtloUeUNgsI3EdJaQ5tdfCqwdSXVUijoHAPLncW19Mz_oU0FJIqV3j8o5mP19l3W3gP6k6V7UyD3PAd0Us_zGvM0cVca3emGFu1Ow_hTFBit/s400/IMG_1590.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I wasn't kidding about liking the Icelandic sheep and horses....</div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-35705709710046564622012-08-21T16:25:00.000-04:002012-08-21T16:25:00.112-04:00Icelandic Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Iceland is known for some pretty odd foods, and although I enjoyed having sardines with my continental breakfast (seriously!), we stayed clear of fermented shark meat, whale, and puffin. I did eat lobster (well, technically <a href="http://www.icelandictimes.is/section.php?id=9804&id_art=10097">langoustine</a>) sauteed in garlic (not pictured), on pizza. and in a sandwich. </div>
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We also ate some amazing fish---arctic char and <a href="http://www.icelandonline.is/fiskar/eng_catfish_steinbitur.htm">Icelandic catfish</a>, both of which were delicious. The catfish was quite a surprise---definitely not what I expected. One of my favorite foods was something called "mashed fish" which was essentially a really thick stew served over Icelandic rye bread (it's that yellowish stuff in the picture below). Also pictured on this plate is some A-M-A-Z-I-N-G rye bread ice cream. Seriously, it was scrumptious! It's apparently an old family recipe (which they more or less let me in on once we declared we were going to try to get <a href="http://fulltilticecream.com/full_tilt/Full_Tilt_Ice_Cream.html">Full Tilt</a> to try to make it). <br />
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We didn't eat any of these...</div>
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-32677241657550775362012-08-20T23:33:00.000-04:002012-08-20T23:33:07.101-04:00The Ring Road to Akureyri<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We headed out of Hofn, driving along the coast and then over the mountains into the cold desert and finally past Lake Mytvan and into Akureyri. It was amazing the difference in the landscape throughout the day. </div>
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Our trip across Iceland took us on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Route_1_%28Iceland%29">Ring Road</a>, which is the main (and often only) route around the country. Because most of the population lives in Western Iceland (two thirds of the ~300,000 in Reykjavik alone), the roads in the eastern half of the country are small typically two lanes with frequent one lane bridges. To get from Hofn to Akureyri, we traveled on an even less developed portion. I repeat that this is THE MAIN ROAD! <br />
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Waterfall (foss in Icelandic) along the road<br />
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Cold Desert<br />
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The Knafla volcanic area<br />
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Our indie rock cover album</div>
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Godafoss Waterfall<br />
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Akureyrarkirkja, the church in Akureyri done by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gu%C3%B0j%C3%B3n_Sam%C3%BAelsson">same architect</a> as the one in Reykjavik.</div>
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(yes that is a boat hanging in the sanctuary)</div>
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The Botanical Garden in Akureyri:<br />
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My dream for the front yard<br />
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In the cafe at the botanical garden<br />
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Hof, the Music Hall<br />
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<br />Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-25281475255308190132012-08-19T15:10:00.000-04:002012-08-19T18:40:53.815-04:00Iceberg Lagoon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Monday morning, after an Icelandic continental breakfast (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skyr">skyr</a>, toast, cheese, meat, cucumbers, etc), we took off for the southeastern coastal town of Hofn. </div>
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On the way, we saw the pesky <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_eruptions_of_Eyjafjallaj%C3%B6kull">volcano Eyjafjallajokull </a>that caused all that trouble with flights a couple years back. </div>
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Plus wreckage of a bridge from a different volcanic eruption.<br />
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Hofn is famous for its computer-literate crustaceans as demonstrated by their welcome sign (or maybe it's the lobster capital of Iceland, one of the two).<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">About an hour from Hofn is Jokulsarlon, a spectacular lagoon created from a melting glacier. Apparently, it's the proximity to saltwater and not global warming that causing the melting. We spent a lot of time here both walking around and taking a boat tour. We saw seals swimming around hunting for salmon. </span></div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-44327490060907827592012-08-18T14:44:00.000-04:002012-08-18T14:44:50.650-04:00Iceland!To celebrate five years of marriage, Andy and I took off for a week-long tour of Iceland stopping for a couple nights each in Reykjavik, Hofn, and Akureyri. The scenery is amazing---if you don't like what you are looking at (and you'd be crazy not to!), all you have to do is drive a few kilometers and there is something totally new. <br />
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First Stop: Reykjavik and surroundings! <br />
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After spending the morning of our first day at the <a href="http://www.bluelagoon.com/">Blue Lagoon</a> (ridiculously amazingly awesome) and then wandering Reykjavik in the afternoon, Sunday we drove <b>The Golden Circle</b> starting with Þingvellir,<br />
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then to the Great Geysir area (where the word geyser actually originated),<br />
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And finally checking out the amazing waterfall Gullfoss.</div>
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We spent some time wandering around Reykjavik checking out the Hallgrimskirkja church,</div>
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spying a disc golf course, and<br />
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learning three ways to tie a necktie! </div>
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Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-80130251030639699142012-06-09T22:10:00.001-04:002012-06-12T23:44:28.619-04:00Back in Time in ButteI am spending a couple of weeks in Butte, MT for work and have been exploring some of the local landmarks and more importantly the restaurants. Luckily, I have a couple co-workers here with me, so I have some company! <br />
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For those of you not in the know, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butte,_Montana" target="_blank">Butte</a> is a mining town in Western Montana---today, it's probably most famous for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berkeley_Pit" target="_blank">Berkeley Pit</a>, which we visited after work one day. It is very impressively large---over a mile across and filled with [acidic and metal-filled] water more than 1800 ft deep! <br />
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Anyway, back to the food. We found a little piece of Seattle right in Butte---a great lunch spot/coffee shop called the <a href="http://www.thehummingbirdbutte.com/" target="_blank">Hummingbird Cafe</a>. It's definitely the place to go if you are traveling with a vegetarian! We've also sampled <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/christinas-cocina-cafe-butte" target="_blank">Christina's Cocina</a> and <a href="http://www.uptowncafe.com/" target="_blank">The Upland</a> and enjoyed both. But nothing compares to the time capsule that is <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/lydias-butte" target="_blank">Lydia's</a>. What a great place. The inside has lots of crushed red velvet and a sunken portion in the middle of the dining room and it's just amazing and awesome, and everyone should at least visit. As far as I could tell, the only vegetarian option on the menu was "vegetarian pasta dish." <br />
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Here was our introduction to Lydia's:</div>
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Hostess: "Have you ladies been here before?' </div>
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Us: "No, we haven't"</div>
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Hostess: "Do you want anchovies? They are optional."</div>
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Us: "...."</div>
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So, it turns out that all meals come with sweet potato salad, iceberg lettuce salad, green onions (two whole raw green onions that we didn't touch because we didn't know what we were supposed to do with them!), canned beets, salami and "special" cheese (which tasted like american cheese) and three large containers of salad dressing (thousand island, french, and house, which was blue cheese). Anchovies were available on request. I ordered "the choice dinner" steak (when in Montana, order beef!) and was shocked that it came with spaghetti with meat sauce and meat ravioli! I have never pasta come as a side to a steak let alone two pasta options (and both contained beef)! My steak was, as promised, very, very choice by the way, and the pasta was pretty decent. The meal came with delicious huckleberry ice cream too! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcNWaS4DKSd6jvgFaqEX3tkzmoEjTNRiYnEVPLS9YG7WkREvWLAV71sdg8UZbPP0MTzihFPLOXYD8JoXdHK7DZrD-mE-51pSU1prZQO92YyStk-iGbRrj6nvdM-bcOmpGLYPCkWvwabY/s1600/photo4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfcNWaS4DKSd6jvgFaqEX3tkzmoEjTNRiYnEVPLS9YG7WkREvWLAV71sdg8UZbPP0MTzihFPLOXYD8JoXdHK7DZrD-mE-51pSU1prZQO92YyStk-iGbRrj6nvdM-bcOmpGLYPCkWvwabY/s320/photo4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>StuckeySpalthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11445894996873629479noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-11558060892994679392011-12-08T20:09:00.001-05:002011-12-08T20:09:00.703-05:00Going out with a whole lot of class<div>For Sean's last stop in town, we headed to Seattle's oldest fine dining restaurant, <a href="http://canlis.com/">Canlis </a>(which is amazingly still in the Canlis family after 60+ years). Built on top of a hillside overlooking Lake Union, Canlis is known for its amazing service and atmosphere. If you aren't pleased by the service here, you are impossible to please (or maybe you don't like following a dress code). Andy and I had actually eaten here once before but not since they got a new chef who shook up the establishment and started serving some more modern dishes. Although we enjoyed a lot the last time around, I would definitely say the food was more memorable and delicious than last time. </div><div><br /></div><div>As guests of Sean (aka Mr. Big Shot), we were served a fixed menu. For a couple of the course, they brought two of us one dish and the other two a different one, so we got to try extra dishes. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here's the roundup:</div><div>Sweet potato two ways: soup with cranberry and cinnamon and sweet potato chip topped with shrimp and cranberry</div><div>Risotto with a duck egg and white truffles <i>(OMG-YUM!)</i><br /> Young Beets with Sheep's milk yogurt sherbet, pumpernickel, and blueberries<br /> Smoked Sockeye Salmon with Yogurt, sorrel and lobster coral / Hamachi two ways: sashimi and tartare <i>(these were two of the top dishes---the smoked salmon melted in your mouth, and well so did the hamachi....Mmmmm)</i><br /> Foie Gras with a rabbit rillette served with warm brioche <i>(fancy pants, rich but delicious) </i><br /> Chicken: Prosciutto, salt-baked celery root, and matsutake mushrooms <i>(Andy's favorite dish of the meal--this was not your average chicken dish)</i><br /> New York Strip Steak - 28-day dry-aged with carrots, curry, and cauliflower / strip steak with black truffles and deliciousness <i>(loved this---some of the best beef I've had)</i><br /> Pineapple with White chocolate, passion fruit, and coconut<br /> Crème Fraîche Custard with Oatmeal streusel, Granny Smith apple sorbet / Mille-Feuille (Banana caramel, peanut butter, and dark chocolate cake) <i>(I skipped the peanut butter dish---luckily this was another split course---the custard was amazing and the apple sorbet had so much flavor)</i><br /> peanut butter truffle / rosewater raspberry macaroons</div><div><br /></div><div>As with the other two restaurants we visited, the head chef at Canlis, Peter Franey, seemed really nice and genuine (though less West Coast relaxed than the other two). I asked Sean and the photographer if all chefs are nice, and they both very quickly and unequivocally said NO! Maybe it's a Seattle thing! </div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-35272904638236595162011-12-07T07:57:00.000-05:002011-12-07T10:29:46.245-05:00Rustic and HomeyFor our second stop on the Seattle Food Tour, we headed to <a href="http://sitkaandspruce.com/">Sitka & Spruce</a> in Capital Hill's <a href="http://melrosemarketseattle.com/">Melrose Building</a>. I had never been to the Melrose Building and was excited to find a cheese shop, a butcher, a bar, and more located in the same space as Sitka & Spruce. The atmosphere is open and fun and really chill. I was worried that after eating at the Willow's Inn, I would be disappointed by all other meals (for the rest of my life??), and while the meal we had Sitka & Spruce does not live up to the amazing 21-course dinner at the Willow's Inn, it was lovely in a totally different way. The food is rustic and served family style, but is still creative and fun. <div><br /></div><div>Most of the food comes from the chef's farm on Vashon Island, and the menu is constantly changing. I definitely want to go back and would like to try his other spot, the <a href="http://thecorsonbuilding.com/">Corson Building</a>.<br /><div><br /></div><div>Here's what we ate:</div><div>Bread with butter and duck pate-ish<br /> Alsace style sausage<br /> Sauteed leeks with egg and mustard <i>(this was super delicious)</i><br /> smoked manila clams with roasted beets<br /> Salmon with some sides...can't remember b/c the rabbit was so good...<br />Rabbit with chard and potatoes <i>(loved loved this...so flavorful and amazing)</i><br /> Hot chocolate and cookies (Mexican wedding, almond, buckwheat with cocoa nibs, chocolate chip, ginger) <i>(super fun, and I loved the almond cookies which happily did not have any almond extract in them)</i><br /> persimmon bread with goat cheese sorbet <i>(Sean was a big fan of this...I was too full of cookies to enjoy it)</i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><div>After dinner, we spent some time talking to the super nice chef (how did I get here??), Matt Dillon (not that <a href="http://www.swotti.com/tmp/swotti/cacheBWF0DCBKAWXSB24=/imgMatt%20Dillon1.jpg">Matt Dillon</a>!) and found out that he is a big <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami">Haruki Murakami</a> fan (he was reading 1Q84). He even has a Murakami tattoo, but I didn't get to see it! </div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-49358728210961773662011-12-04T19:33:00.001-05:002011-12-04T19:33:00.260-05:00But wait there's more...I am positive I can't do this dinner justice in a blog post, but I have to try. Okay, before I start though, if you have the means, stop reading this post and go book a room (the only way to get dinner, except under unusual circumstances) at the <a href="http://www.willows-inn.com/">Willow's Inn</a>. You will not regret it. You can read this post after you book a room. <div><br /></div><div>The Willow's Inn is not in Seattle...it's on the most accessible San Juan Island-<a href="http://www.lummi-island.com/">Lummi Island</a>, which is about 1 1/2 to 2 hours from Seattle including a very short ferry ride. For us, getting there added to the fun and excitement of the meal, especially the ferry ride, which was on a boat that held about 20 cars. We were right in the front, so I felt more like a captain than a driver. We arrived in the dark so I can't tell you what the view was like, but I have it on good authority that it is lovely. The Inn itself is cozy and had a nice fire going. We enjoyed pre-dinner cocktails while we waited for dinner to begin. </div><div><br /></div><div>Here are the courses that were served to us during this amazing meal. Keep in mind that the menu we got only listed 5 courses (in <b>bold</b> below), so all of the other courses (yeah, all 16 other courses we surprises!!). </div><div><br /></div><div>Smoked salmon served in a still smoking wood box<br />Salmon roe "crepe"<br />Black cod with homemade sauerkraut served on a potato chip<br />pickled oyster (served in a bowl of frozen rocks)<br />kale chip with black truffle and pumpernickel crumbs <i>(this was fantastic)</i><br />veggies with hazelnut "dirt" and herb dip <i>(the presentation on this was lovely---served in a basket)</i><br />light cracker with edible flowers (and other greens)</div><div>celery root with horseradish mousse <i>(delicious)</i><br />grilled oyster <i>(the best oyster I have ever had)</i><br /><b>organic grains with pickled mushrooms</b><br />herring roe with kelp <i>(traditional Native American delicacy)</i><br /><b>fresh king crab with bread crumbs, kale, and a mussel foam</b><br />bread with amazing grass fed butter <i>(seriously folks, grass fed butter tastes amazing...so much better than regular butter...it was my downfall b/c I kept eating it and was so incredibly full by the end of the night)</i><br />pickled smelt<br /><b>cabbages with apples</b><br />herb chicken jus for the bread <i>(this was a little like crack)</i><br /><b>slow roasted beef cheeks with cauliflower and celery</b><br />aged goat cheese with pumpernickel toast<br /><b>pears with walnut ice cream, toasted walnuts, sugared lemon verbena leaves</b> <i>(if I saw this on a menu, I would never order it...but it was amazing...the walnut ice cream was so delicious) </i><br />roasted chestnuts with hot apple cider (spiked)<br />flax seed caramel</div><div><br /></div><div>Another fun twist---in addition to wine pairings, they also offer juice pairings. As the DD, I was all about this and was very happy with my decision (Andy and our friend Heather did the same, while Sean wine'd it up). With our five scheduled courses, we got cucumber, carrot, granny smith apple, huckleberry, and elderflower juices, and they were all delicious. I am not sure if this comes across as a good idea, but it was really fun and definitely added to the meal. </div><div><br /></div><div>During the dinner service, the whole team (waitstaff and chefs, including the amazing head chef Blaine Wetzel) serves the food. Although it is clear that Blaine is the head chef, they really do work as a team and the atmosphere in the dining room reflected that. </div><div><br /></div><div>In an amusing turn of events, after a long, lovely, leisurely dinner, we ran out of the restaurant as if yakkity saks was playing. The ferries only run once an hour, and once we realized we were getting close to the 10 pm ferry, we started getting antsy. We paid our check and literally ran out of the dining room. I may have driven faster than the posted speed limit. And in the end, we got on the ferry with almost 10 minutes to spare! </div><div><br /></div><div>I am sure I could go on and on, but I think that's enough for now. </div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-3205217425029753452011-12-01T19:14:00.002-05:002011-12-01T19:33:47.229-05:00Culinary CrazinessWhew---what a week! After indulging in a delicious Thanksgiving dinner with friends, I picked up our friend Sean who flew in from hipster mecca Williamsburg (Brooklyn) for some serious eating. Because he works for the book-ish <a href="http://www.getartc.com/">Art Culinaire</a> magazine, part of his job is visiting restaurants around the country and doing profiles of them. With only a little arm twisting, we got him out to Seattle to see what the PNW has to offer. It was great to catch up and hang out...and I am not complaining about the fantastic food we ate either! He (and his boss) selected three amazing yet very different restaurants: the <a href="http://www.willows-inn.com/">Willow's Inn</a>, <a href="http://sitkaandspruce.com/">Sitka & Spruce</a>, and <a href="http://canlis.com/">Canlis</a>. My plan is to do a blog post on each, so I am going to focus this post on the restaurants we took Sean to prior to his official business. <div><div><br /></div><div>After flying in Friday morning, we headed to the Junction to walk around our hood. Sean picked up a mini cupcake from <a href="cupcakeroyale.com">Cupcake Royale</a> and then we grabbed turkey and havarti sandwiches and chocolate croissants from <a href="bakerynouveau.com/">Bakery Nouveau</a>. Next, we walked around Capital Hill stopping at <a href="www.elliottbaybook.com">Elliott Bay Books</a>, stopping for a quick taco snack at <a href="marinationmobile.com/station">Marination Station</a>. For dinner, we headed to our new favorite pizza place <a href="www.bardelcorso.com/">Bar del Corso</a>. We had a pizza with chantrelles, speck, and caramelized onions that was out of this world. Oh yeah, and their fried risotto balls are heavenly (or maybe evil good). </div></div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday started at <a href="http://www.toppotdoughnuts.com/">Top Pot</a> doughnuts, followed (not immediately!) by our first time at <a href="http://uneedaburger.com/">Uneeda Burger</a>. After taking Ramona for a walk in Fauntleroy Park (in a desperate attempt to burn enough calories to be hungry again), we headed to <a href="http://sushiwhore.com/">Mashiko</a> for some sustainable sushi (and my first geoduck---which I think makes me an official PNW-er!). </div><div><br /></div><div>Up next---the best meal I've ever had...</div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-19434470730117615232011-08-19T14:47:00.010-04:002011-08-19T15:58:07.739-04:00Indiana is devastated by Oliver's departureFor those of you who don't know my brother, he is ridiculously creative and funny. After visiting us in Indy last summer, he determined (rightly so) that similarly to many indie rock bands in Japan, Oliver is HUGE in Indiana. When we moved back to Seattle, we received a series of post cards documenting the impact of Oliver's departure from Indiana. For those of you who don't know, the backstory behind the third postcard relates to our former next door neighbors in Indy. Let's just say that they were crying in their tea bags the day Obama won Indiana and the presidency. Then, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/24/health/policy/24health.html">the day Obama signed the health care act into law </a>(Obama-care if you will), they turned their everflying American flag upside down and left it that way until Memorial Day. Yup, they flew their flag upside down for more than TWO MONTHS because we were expanding health care coverage!
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<br /><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-54283306975044627222011-08-05T17:28:00.005-04:002011-08-05T17:46:18.985-04:00<div><div><div><div>Okay, so I haven't been so great about keeping up with this blog! It's been a busy month with our stuff arriving (no, we are not completely unpacked yet) and my parents visiting. August is going to be busy too---we have a trip to the Oregon coast, a visit from Andy's mom, and a wedding. Then, September comes in with a roar with another wedding and Andy's first day of school. </div><div> </div><div>We are still loving our house. It's really great and in amazing condition. According to our next door neighbors, the original owners (who were here until 2003) had <em><strong>weekly</strong></em> cleaning tasks that included wiping down all of the windowsills and mopping the garage! Apparently, the walls in the dining room had <font color="#ff99ff">mauve fabric</font> on them for a while! </div><div> </div><div>I thought I'd post a few pictures of our kitchen, partly because I just spent a long time cleaning it today and partly because I want to show off the new, more appropriately sized knobs. Oh yeah, and I am thinking of replacing all of the appliances. The oven is really small, and I need to be able to make copious amounts of cookies!! Any thoughts on whether stainless appliances would look okay with the 1950s style cabinets?? We may be upgrading to a taller, slimmer fridge in order to accomodate the wider oven, which in addition to more $$ means stainless may be the only option. I can live with our current appliances for a while (although the ~25-year-old dishwasher and I frequently have words). Andy and the microwave aren't on good terms because the beeping sounds it makes are incredibly loud. It really is crazy loud---it's not good to be standing next to it when it goes off. Not sure who needs that... </div><div> </div><div align="center"><em>Here are the old, large, white ceramic knobs:</em></div><div align="center"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637488932476584562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrH2KvJxlb5Et2dgSkA8c4pncjfmzcLISOBYg-MZG0f8BT3RnSvDwz149QUu-EFQkumZLehX2mXmQLadufj-QB0SCkiGHGXSW548xToFDtNC34vC5BuIxDh-KpWIDXqVKxUEX6LcPEoZcO/s400/IMG_1382.JPG" /></em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em>And here are the new, smaller, metal knobs:</em></div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637488498108747010" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsdSmn0gs5dEsX0a83BwHXBRRRam8i_kKMrRV2PJfQeZyMHs1XuD8B4hrINGXId_pHXx0ECeUgpihJSXJZ7Rfqp8rDCTPQFuTamAiytnsdrGUjdrPah-Tr-UOJ_5nriGlj1DoO-WquCGwQ/s400/IMG_1400.JPG" /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div align="center"><em>My tiny wall oven</em></div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5637490595997127506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDzah0ruHz2LvkWH5Yzy9uJIuteSG4vbkM9OEQqaU0HFnwIaLzHJVrwK0QtOASDsUS1MYbSeRKNLEioReZB_zjxGhBCTImx_XJsFVQ05sKC8JB5y34BVUfD5ewbiq21hrb0_lXX4RxueAz/s400/IMG_1401.JPG" /></div><div> </div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-83637332996753365022011-07-08T17:23:00.010-04:002011-07-08T17:39:31.408-04:00House!<div><div><div><div>So, we've been slacking about posting pictures of the new house....partly because we didn't have our stuff yet. With our stuff finally moved out of a warehouse in Indianapolis and theoretically moving westward, I am finally motivated to post some pictures of our partially furnished house. <div><div><div><div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627096280764701970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gAT6Rlz5ged-xTE7M9xUJIFPCYzSCjdz8d15Q1wwJ2E8XbiJq_CcVdLBQif1BJbHw7rPjNBCoZURIJE3HxjSQ-yx8jXdCTsBJh4b6xsFA2kLkRyfED1YaFwqBI3byudvqpscsdK2dEYG/s400/IMG_1389.JPG" /></div><div align="center"> <em>Our bedroom with our 1950s/60s bedroom set</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627095973576991458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnxAn8CBY70rfyiVeKh-QsffyoOkmiSIjUK9Sywc36mXGc-ydRfMMEPXBz2Kpf7-yjzP1a1SBAt9mpAj5DUiQk8fRiOgFOT0m4W6_jwXuEEjeUcsYsKMs9Co1bOlgYi6mR8lEmr9zEYzx1/s400/IMG_1381.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><em>The Hallway (check out our kickass floors!)</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627096614683287266" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsDqJI4OKPDOtkKpi9Sa7mHRnd7xRXSwX3aqMJC06jOlA8Vl2jEsmxr-rYTGNq4GQP2k4buMOqTnqbo4jNy3XZuEpp7wCBoEuNmsSecocsPyOi6NIdNP0HuIqPhu5Q1RLBD2t0Y7GM3W8/s400/IMG_1393.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><em>Our elevated an seemingly small oven</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627096984824378850" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYv5YGXVFZzSxzXX8n8XerhL-5hl7jWbCAQpfXQvVQ4ig3ueyZ6b410uFOpZWg2pE5QUIgmIN2MBZAXvQlsOUFNaI20lsy5sOyhIrQ7xi0lkwJU2LmIYNIaKU80IATuyvlN_JgxZW_KCQH/s400/IMG_1387.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><em>Our 80s-tastic mirror by the front door</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div> </div><div>In lieu of having lots of personal belongings, I have been spending time on Etsy and the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Antique-Mall-of-West-Seattle/153204251402995">West Seattle Antique Mall</a> shopping for 1960s glasses. We have this glass cabinet that <em>needs</em> cool glasses on display. I found amazing Seattle World's Fair Glasses on <a href="http://www.etsy.com/">Etsy</a> (set of 4, apparently, there are 8 of them total...hmmmm...). I found some more cool glasses and pretty turquoise bowl at the West Seattle Antique Mall. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627097187113715858" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZoy6hxTYDAsTETj1lUU9MoV3xWgiTJfeDh-7tlWfwdk-5bZbE4nKPvmOTJxbG6vFd-JA1rT3X2atHK8qQHkmxgNE7G6DvU8tqYSTB3uI1-HrScEH9kVwe4wwX45g1O-2ORp4KUYpg-W29/s400/IMG_1383.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><em>Seattle Worlds Fair Glasses</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627097457426621330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLeqvsAAZw2zrEw_W1yAwfMUXtHPJ27xPoIbPflpWi4SmDAHkPJpTbLP1ob3TioItn2Tx6XIN-k6IJyBK1kT3hddoC-inMlFNMCUdJEUrzMww7szuN5ih-x8YpmTLHD5D_S388XEphtaxU/s400/IMG_1384.JPG" /></em></div><div align="center"><em> The glass cabinet in all its glory</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627097883125400914" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbD3hGoXc0JsjS5xf8-332Ls-TULzz-hy6X4SP1gkBizD4W64xJozPeQABuNfd8MJFz51dyBCytKKkI2J6PZcwVP5rfzikMas1xQqdNASkn7Lz1YH8avftggfdG8MOnKL7_wMO3raa2Af/s400/IMG_1395.JPG" /></div><div align="center"> <em>Indiana and Yellowstone glasses</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 300px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5627098175226894210" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuKhMSahqVONF6ZX2xek1xy2_pOxXNR4fu_wWZ-B6Uz032n1ospdxbzSuabD8xR9eJ8ggjgNroyZJPC9q33f_VO9jFOifwzoAx1k-s3xK6YlSusqUKfaFNN1ViPr-1Gv1dmjUW5PEzIvzg/s400/IMG_1396.JPG" /></div><div align="center"><em>Indiana is known for....wait for it...a turnpike!</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-31841127325159645502011-07-01T19:31:00.007-04:002011-07-01T20:38:33.915-04:00It's good to know that you can drive from Jackson to Seattle in one day<div><div><div><div align="left">We have a <a href="http://stuckeyspalt.blogspot.com/2008/02/whats-so-great-about-plains-anyway.html">history of running out of patience </a>towards the end of our drives, so it's not a major surprise that we decided to go straight from Jackson Hole to Seattle on Sunday. We didn't leave super early either, hitting the road about 9:30 am. We got to our new house just after 11 pm. Ramona was not amused for the last few hours of the ride standing up and giving us dirty looks periodically. But when we got to the new house, she seemed to know right away that she was home!<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624536978495112226" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ7FxdR2QUjpNC2rUtkIqgErnZ5IZi3OggbWlB-YvSMcufV4xOI8S8dROQ-SBHcA6JFZXeT1Y2bUd4ZTLM4qd0rILhQSZSNHEwpXRuXh41U3betDS5LqJdfBxyJdyFofSPmGBKnvktun_4/s400/IMG_1369.JPG" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><em>In Wyoming<br /><br /><br /></em></div><div align="center"> </div><div> </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 369px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624536057529889106" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh89phnV7Lf788_Ocxi2-XMQpPKm-Czc2831KyQLme8twRUBCJ0NSVL9YXjdxQh6f_AXEegKFmdeEbHUx0Pgah8tAYF6ojQHKO8TSmODP319CI353kUIdlaoNnYG2txlCSHl0wcyQLLeq51/s400/IMG_20110626_201101.jpg" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><em>Really guys? Still in the car?<br /><br /><br /></em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"> </div><div>Since then, we've been visiting with friends, exploring the woods behind our house, hitting IKEA, ordering a new couch, buying a used elliptical (to help balance out the dangerously delicious <a href="http://www.bakerynouveau.com/welcome/">Bakery Nouveau</a>).<br /><br /></div><div> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 300px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624532780517491090" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkALbof42whJPyONmjWspY2ItCVpoZhWndNHqMrbtBh6eR_BnrnR0CqttSthXS7XTLfOLvvQ_KvXe6X9l1Y_PuGtAL-agbJRlq7CaC_vZQwlC1FjfixlWY1FlqWTRemcMJ4z-z6wnUP6tV/s400/IMG_1376.JPG" border="0" /></div><div align="center"><em>Our IKEA-furnished living room<br /><br /><br /></em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 299px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5624536390480286818" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGqr-zj2HNBXO9w918m2Rjg0-WTKbrYAh_erETZ_A4gPuL1vSXsPGHIlWBsCGlxruyoVViN4GTBj4hyphenhyphenn9KWq4RR-3WwiVVlU08Bhnv7s8C4stpWcAi87C-1KXJqrrAqR4Dg7KsTJtmjeE/s400/IMG_20110630_144441.jpg" border="0" /></em></div><div align="center"> <em>The woods behind our house</em></div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-25750527047395965342011-06-27T17:58:00.002-04:002011-06-27T18:04:53.872-04:00Seattle!!!i am posting from the phone, so this will be short and sweet. for some reason it will not let me add symbols or capitilize...annoying. anyway, we decided that taking two days to drive from jackson was entirely too reasonable. instead we did it all in one day arriving at our new house just after eleven last night. ramona was super pleased. pictures and more details soon.Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-302116469917327385.post-30169567281539415642011-06-25T18:13:00.013-04:002011-06-25T18:55:07.222-04:00Snow After the Solstice<div><div><div>With Andy and Ramona taking a post-hike nap, I thought I'd take this time to blog about the last couple of days. We drove through most of Wyoming yesterday ending up in Jackson Hole. We decided to spend the weekend in our <a href="http://www.snowking.com/default.aspx">dog friendly hotel </a>(a ski resort building built in the 1970s while mostly updated still has some amusing 70s touches like this weird fiber optic chandelier hanging from the ceiling in the lobby). </div><div><div> </div><div> </div><div>If you haven't been to Wyoming, there are two things that stand out: 1) the natural beauty and 2) the impressive lack of people. The whole state has about 500,000 people, and after driving through Gillette, we were shocked to learn that it was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyoming#Cities_and_towns">4th biggest city in Wyoming</a>!! This wasn't our first rodeo, so we made sure to stop for lunch in Casper (the 2nd biggest city in Wyoming). We found this great little coffee shop on yelp in a bizarre little strip mall. The skies were threatening, but we decided to eat outside so that Ramona wouldn't have to wait in the car. Our food definitely exceeded expectations: my tuna melt was light and flavorful and the cold couscous sald that accompanied it was just plain delicious. Andy's ham and bean soup was not your typical cafeteria fare containing three types of beans and high quality ham. Perhaps this was more information than you needed, but I do love food! </div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Most of our driving was on US highways and we saw some spectacular scenery. </div><div> </div><div> </div><div><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 239px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622289118194304690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihHPBWyFTyttYYa53tkMPCLtBo2bgD2z4L5DTPR62FT3kYNQeusOkyylYhO3w_PLouleHUoqpRrkKoI8POZEBxMy-BgVFPNuCRq2qrQdV7ptwkRLHJcNQUdOmkgq_Z_OZUI3GJCnYLj9HH/s400/IMG_20110624_165955-1.jpg" /></div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 384px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622288799151273186" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhua1LtIvdr_nbj-Lu2Uk5_5BHtFmiutTnSlqhD02ADfx6IspcB64Y4ubyzi9ZusYxZVhlzYeA3657u9xu935nE9ytead0z1B9UMGdQjdkI7c7LDex7GgpTO7zTcvUeOHSnnHIfDcBDi97w/s400/IMG_20110624_124138-1.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>Driving in Wyoming</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>We drove through Shoshoni National Forest where Ramona encountered her first snow of the summer (but not her last...). We got spectular views of the Tetons especially as we got closer to Jackson. <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 176px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622289655701997538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP3AkV2ezBvFWdc2EBmImLabM-2kXD7ft34R3hhwf7TZuNzL6GUTQ0eRabmir7Rxyvk3BNdqqWuwYCEssjZZ0dhr2I4tok_ZXm_67mrrnADideKxLvpKzJLpUMtHPTFXczUeUbdChGkuV8/s400/IMG_20110624_183355-1.jpg" /></div><div> </div><div>For dinner, we checked out the <a href="http://www.snakeriverbrewing.com/">Snake River Brewpub</a> (no pets on the patio, so Ramona had to wait in the car). We both got beer and burgers and left incredibly full but pleased. </div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 299px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622290053921673794" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuCk8w51ynKRjSbU0_SH0tsb-fA5Y4vLHojJ54AEfPOPeF6pwdSTpb4Z_ZfrWZAA6NaqMfquKO1I2LDjnSPE6U9jNj7G5O8pwFP3DoqNZgr_-msPT17p9097tkXaJ7MAOPcnheKDS28Np/s400/IMG_20110624_195314.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>Andy with his beer sampler</em></div><div> </div><div> </div><div>Today, we headed into Teton National Forest for a dog-friendly hike. The plan was to end up at an alpine lake and even let Ramona swim, but snow got in our way...at first, snow periodically appeared on the path, and then the whole path was snow covered, and when we decided to turn around, the snow was thigh deep! It was a beatiful hike with mountain views plus forest, and we were bummed not to finish, but we definitely made the right decision. We were only about halfway to the lake, and the snow was crazy deep! We were not expecting to encounter so much snow in late June.</div><div> <img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 299px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622291300251345554" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-Ga_C67HMiYI8QEqTzm8ZCtQ4Pv3g7DxcTE_-BGXsuAnLx2GJL9gLyxxwfxBVBnDvm9X8IgCIOMWtIVQWvk_prPS8Cy0WAjIjq5sGkP3WYRT0-oNheB4xuVLlJsYLeMMrUnDWe4jXfKE/s400/IMG_20110625_130304.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>This was near the beginning of the snow covering the trail</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 299px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622291888865252690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh-Xi4J1dKi9f_YeGvr5cMzHCcNOy5hiGM6vkJ8WFm0-a7U-LFeWep2EqnhYWoYdhyzbNYgUpLeChFbQPB4NWVoOzqayoYIvXyNWJvUAc2nn8lz-1RXpMam34c1bddxoSvZl2ni6byJk2H/s400/IMG_20110625_130532.jpg" /></em></div><div align="center"><em>Deeper snow farther along</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"> </div><div align="center"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 400px; height: 309px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622291681909647250" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNP-4FTyHZc_eXevH9U1n-5_VyOuo18huYON3bCW22PSIpRqF-ahmWxr9Gvg1tUXE62lIaOU2sB5w6v7bKFy7EIX96M33Hs5hJunxdDYbJK4HX7HXpkxWrAOA85pl3DWEpGflWlFRAZ0EA/s400/ThreeofUs1.jpg" /></div><div align="center"><em>Three of us on the way down</em></div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em> </div><div align="center"><em></em><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; width: 299px; height: 400px; text-align: center; display: block; cursor: pointer;" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5622294252487722530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwFF4LgPAEI1ZtGM_tIpLHVRKQ1Vq5WlxmYROeJrKPiSs3qUJhDvB7Gwhdrvr3BydKhRSj71Vie9PY9JM-QBAxG-j1MGREj0Bqxl2Qfs7_g99e6X8orIHmhndMQoG3wpiof3Qnv6URyqu/s400/IMG_20110625_143625.jpg" /><em> Views of the Tetons along the hike</em></div><div align="center"> </div><div align="left"> </div><div align="left">On the way down, we stopped and ate the box lunches we brought with us. They came from a bakery called <a href="http://www.eleavenfood.com/">e.leaven</a> that oddly has locations in Jackson Hole and Chicago! The sandwiches were delicious and huge and came with yummy homemade (!) potato chips and a brownie. This place is definitely worth checking out whether you are in the Windy City or near the Tetons. </div></div></div></div>Elizabethhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12598512977862652118noreply@blogger.com1