tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8028343521029374252012-02-16T20:26:26.715-08:00Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.comBlogger541100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-58303608664521455822012-01-11T22:59:00.000-08:002012-01-11T23:17:35.695-08:00

We haven't updated our blog in a very long time and so much has occurred.  The very, very latest thing to happen is that Mark sent in his video application to our favorite show Survivor on CBS.  The video is less than three minutes long, as required, and it gives a brief update on what has been keeping us so busy. As always we hope to update the blog more regularly, but in the meantime

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-44998409077359925982011-01-26T12:02:00.000-08:002011-03-03T12:00:44.838-08:00

We got married! It was so beautiful. We hiked to the top of a ridge and were wed by our close friend Valerie at sunset. Thank you to our closest friends and family who came despite the short notice. What a lovely surprise! Check out the title link for some photos.

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-58950472520925063662010-02-15T22:09:00.000-08:002011-10-06T13:28:04.202-07:00

This photo really epitomizes a greater part our trip, and the kinds of things which we saw and experienced. It's not an exaggeration to say that we saw a lot of waterfalls, and I mean......a lot! By this point, we had seen so many that I remember almost thinking to myself that I had seen enough waterfalls to fill a lifetime. Even still, you can't deny the beauty and grandeur in this photo, and

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-48953095082669370632010-02-13T15:22:00.000-08:002011-10-06T12:39:01.391-07:00

February in Baños. Decadent. We took a lovely hike alongside a canyon on a trail called "La Contrabandista." The main trail was one of many in a network of trails and caves in which the old-time bootleggers and moonshiners would move their wares and hide them when necessary. Today only small portions of the trail see much use from "los gringos" and we didn't see a soul. At the end of the hike

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-66051639647539252422010-01-24T07:54:00.000-08:002011-10-06T12:40:24.256-07:00

You know where you are? You're in the JUNGLE baby!!!! We left Baños and headed to a sleepy town called Misahuallí. It was very tranquil after the holiday festivities in Baños. Mark played beach soccer in the sand with the locals. One side of the field was the luscious tree line and the other side was the lazy river. He was on the team without shirts and the subsequent sunburn was a

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-78023926655044711562010-01-01T17:42:00.000-08:002011-10-06T12:41:47.244-07:00

We celebrated Thanksgiving in San Gil, Colombia at our favorite vegetarian restaurant (no turkey that night folks). It was wonderful to share a delicious meal and reminisce about our amazing family and friends and this trip that we have been on for almost almost 9 months. Enjoying Colombia as much as we did, we decided that it was time to GET OUT before it was too late because.... "the only

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-81151276658017514732009-12-01T19:07:00.000-08:002011-10-06T12:43:15.762-07:00

After arriving from Venezuela, we decided to stop in Bucaramanga, which is partway along our journey to San Gil, so that we could see the stretch of road during the daylight (we were told that it was dramatic and not to be missed). To our surprise, the following morning I (Mark) woke up with serious nausea and vertigo. The whole room was spinning and I couldn't make any one single item stop. I

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-33976669091590219152009-11-12T17:17:00.000-08:002011-10-06T12:44:44.409-07:00

Ahhh.....Columbia... sun... sand.... Colonial architecture and Coca Cola, lots of Coca Cola to drink here....... One might say that it's snowing in Colombia. There is a loose analogy here for certain, and one in which we would not participate, but in reality, it is a fact that Columbia provides 80% of the world's Cocaine. An impressive fact considering the size of the country. We have been here

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-31928564554452818062009-10-25T11:08:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:46:02.184-07:00

We haven't been around computers in a long while so here's an update from mid-October. While we were in Boquete, Panama we learned that Michelle's brother and sister-in-law were heading to Costa Rica for a 10th anniversary celebration. It turns out that they were going to be only a few hours from us so we decided to crash the party. First, however, several factors came together at once to make

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-57894091110327152132009-10-11T17:32:00.001-07:002011-10-06T12:48:25.254-07:00

We headed inland to Boquete, Panama mid-November and landed at the Pension Marilos after a full day of travel. We ended up taking the one room they had left which was a single with a shared bathroom, thinking we would move the next day when a double opened up. Well, we found the twin bed cozy and we loved the room and the price ($6/night), so we ended up moving in and staying for a month. It's

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-14706617491539277582009-09-13T12:01:00.000-07:002009-10-11T17:30:17.464-07:00

We said goodbye to Bocas del Drago and headed to Boquete, Panama. Boquete is a tad bit higher in elevation so we are looking forward to busting out our fleece jackets again.Our time on the island was well spent. We reviewed all of the verb tenses and practiced Spanish as much as possible on our little beach.We also tried to pick up a few chords on la guitarra.Mark jammed with Enrique one of our

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-57260410278208600352009-09-03T11:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:49:25.265-07:00

We're in Panama right now......living in the region of Bocas Del Toro on Isla Colòn (Columbus Island). The official name of the beach where we currently live is Bocas Del Drago, but most people associate this region in general with the "Del Toro" part of the name above. It's kind of confusing with all these different Bocas names, but so it goes. This island is part of a string of beautiful

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-51935636595023141932009-08-12T20:19:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:51:58.555-07:00

The last 3 weeks have been well spent travelling and spending time with each other in different places. Michelle and I are slacking a little on our Spanish skills and have already begun losing much of what we learned in Xela! We'll get back on the ball here in a few days. To the right is a photo of Chris and I pretending to use the "laundromat" in the town of Livingston on the Caribbean. This

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-88943186413933305902009-07-27T21:21:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:52:59.753-07:00

We made it to Honduras via the coastal route. It's been a grand adventure and this post will not do it justice but I'll post our general whereabouts and where we've been. From Xela, we took a bus at 4:00 in the morning bound for the SE corner of Guatemala, where the land is jungle and the air is humid. We stayed 2 nights in the town of Rio Dulce and spent one of those nights with some new

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-27233649396893295382009-07-21T18:11:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:53:58.933-07:00

We will be leaving Xela at 4:00 in the morning so hopefully our blogs will become frequent and exciting once again. Cristóbal joined us in Guatemala on the 10th and Mark will blog about their journey to Xela soon I´m sure. They have some great photos. Meanwhile, goodbye to our teachers and new friends. Cristóbal took two days of intensive one-on-one Spanish classes with Oscar and learned an

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-24720020647054761432009-07-20T19:49:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:55:09.834-07:00

Christopher arrived about a week and a half ago and during this time he has adapted incredibly fast (he hops on and off Chicken Buses like a pro) and has experienced so much including collaborating with me on this blog. I picked Chris up on Friday the 10th, and we stayed in a compound of houses heavily guarded by guys with automatic rifles, etc. Guatemala City isn't known to be the safest place

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-9264128155517192202009-07-08T15:48:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:56:03.960-07:00

We are still enjoying life in Xela. Normally, this is the daily schedule: 7-7:15 am: We get up and get ready. 7:30 am: Breakfast--fruit, coffee, and sometimes bread. 8:00 am to 1:00 pm: Mark walks Michelle to her Spanish school Eureka and then heads to the library or other fine place to study until lunch. 1:30ish pm: Lunch. We also use

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-55978120991375118362009-06-10T17:22:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:56:37.555-07:00

I thought I´d supplement Mark´s amazing blog entries with some more photos. Here they are. We have all but stopped taking pictures because we are attending school and studying every day like mad... and... dare I say it... learning Spanish, finalmente! Feliz Cumpleanos, Marcos! Some more photos of our fabulous hike up Volcan Tajumulco. Some more photos of the colorful & fantastic Xela cemetery

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-84470748924034187232009-05-30T09:14:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:00:08.196-07:00

It's good to know that Burger King is alive and well here in Guatemala. It's just what the people need to eat. That, Coca Cola and Lays Potato chips. Truth be told, Lays makes a chip that has less fat than the locally made chips, a tick in their favor.... But Burger King? McDonalds is here also. They have a great marketing campaign.....buy a hamburger and some french fries, and get 30 min of free

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-77616840092141490132009-05-25T21:04:00.000-07:002011-10-06T12:58:13.260-07:00

Moving along in the story.........in the last post, Michelle and I were leaving Tiscao hoping to make it to a hotel on the outskirts of the park before dark (a nice cliff hanger... glad you liked it Candeye!). The short story is that no we did not make it before dark, but it did all work out. We caught the last collectivo of the day, and by the time we got out of the park it was getting pretty

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-90594279952473905892009-05-22T14:42:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:01:17.870-07:00

So, where to begin.......so much has happened since the last post but I'll do my best to give some justice to the last 2 weeks, most likely posting the info in increments starting with the oldest. After leaving San Cristobal, we caught a collectivo bound for the town of Comitan. The drive was beautiful, and we were able to see the terrain change as we descended in rolling waves of

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-43703626804527018542009-05-18T11:24:00.000-07:002009-05-18T11:54:11.484-07:00

We are leaving our beautiful casa in San Cristobal at this very moment to head to beautiful Lagos de Montebello and then to Quezaltenango (aka Xela, as the indigenous people call it), Guatemala. We will arrive in Xela by Thursday and will enroll in one-on-one intensive Spanish language school for five hours per day beginning in exactly one week. We also hope to live with a Guatemalan family in

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-14749871521017424722009-05-15T14:07:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:03:09.211-07:00

I know...I have to stop referencing movies. It's almost like I'm obsessed. Maybe it's because of our inability to see a good flick where we are living. The release of Wolverine has been postponed due to the Swine Flu, and the only other movies playing here are Mall Cop and Fast and Furious which has been dubbed over in Spanish.....painful. Anyway, there is some relevance to my title.

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-52715484959840264212009-05-08T12:00:00.000-07:002009-05-08T13:50:32.273-07:00

It's good to know that some things are translatable from one culture to the next. For example.... a midget in a mask kicking a large guy, also with a mask in the groin is just funny, no matter how you look at it. Apparently it's also funny in the Mexican culture. Enter the world of Nacho Libre, or Lucha Libre as they call it here. After receiving an invitation from some of our friends to

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-9855092728205466192009-05-03T14:14:00.001-07:002011-10-06T13:04:17.127-07:00

I think if we took a poll and had people guess who has the most patience between Mark and Michelle the consensus would be that MARK is the most patient of the two. That is why he has been in charge of the blogs--I'm not very 'into' computers at the moment. I think the last several years of school have cured me for a spell. But, Mark is studying en la casa right now so I'll share a couple of brief

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-51412613691027311152009-04-25T20:03:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:05:45.587-07:00

Let me just start by saying that we're safe and healthy. Neither one of us are currently carrying the Swine flu, although Michelle thinks (jokingly) that I may have been the first person to carry the disease! Many people were in San Cristobal on vacation from Mexico City during Semana Santa and I did get really sick around that time. Factoring in the incubation period, and my symptoms matching

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-85127283131283215462009-04-17T08:14:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:06:39.915-07:00

Last week was Semana Santa, holy week, and it is a big vacation time for all Mexicans. San Cristobal is a tourist town, and so many natives flocked here to celebrate the holidays. On Friday, Sat, and Sun, there were large events around town that were part of the festivities. Friday featured the Crucifiction of Christ and procession through town which I covered in the previous post. Saturday

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-36576237668403396002009-04-13T10:20:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:07:49.543-07:00

What a procession! It took us awhile to find the genesis of this event. In our quest, we asked many people on the street and everyone seemed really vague, or just said the name of a particular avenue. While looking, we ran into our friend Nancy from the school who was also looking for the event, and with her help, we were able to narrow down the exact location. With some luck, we caught the event

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-44962042802582045122009-04-09T14:30:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:08:53.309-07:00

This is a photo of Michelle near the zocalo which I understand to be the central square. Most cities that we have visited have a zocalo, it´s a typical city structure. The woman walking in the other direction has a baby wrapped in a shawl behind her. This is a very common way of carrying babies in this area. Indiginous women especially, will carry a baby while carrying out their work, sometimes

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-36560209379728313562009-04-06T20:16:00.000-07:002009-04-07T08:06:42.447-07:00

Today we began our formal schooling in a local language school here in San Cristobal called La Casa en el Arbol (house in the tree) www.lacasaenelarbol.org . There is actually a tree house on the property which apparently was built with no nails into the tree itself. There was lots of symbolism with the support beams being mankind, and the tree being nature, the ground being the earth, etc, etc,

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-41982331997159481552009-04-04T10:09:00.000-07:002009-04-06T20:16:52.000-07:00

We took an overnight bus to Palenque and almost immediately caught another bus to Ocosingo, thereby bypassing much of the treasures of the state of Chiapas, but you can't do everything! Upon arriving in Ocsingo, we wound our way through the market place where the indigenous and local peoples sold their goods, eventually making our way to a VW bus colectivo which took us out to the Mayan ruins of

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-56232750266291108372009-04-01T21:23:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:10:26.551-07:00

I´m happy to say that this is my first official post on our blog. Thanks Michelle for all the hard work you´ve put into this over the past year. So, we´re finally here. It´s funny how an idea can feel so different when you actually put it into action, and also how you don´t realize what it will take to accomplish it. Selling things, moving essentials into a storage unit, and

Mark Catohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11393507068092100700noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-86841091531792302362009-03-25T02:03:00.000-07:002009-03-25T02:19:04.808-07:00

Well, we're off to experience beautiful Central America and points beyond. Our primary goal is to learn Español and to find volunteer positions. We will post photos and updates here so our Moms know that we're still alive and for everyone else to see and comment on. See you soon!Love, Mark & Michelle

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-53030028909867181452009-02-09T04:04:00.000-08:002009-02-09T04:11:02.283-08:00

Mark swears he'll update this blog soon and put up all our Christmas photos. He just finished the GRE (Mark rocks!) and is getting to a list a mile long of 'Things Postponed Until After the GRE' and I think the blog is pretty low on that list. I'm studying myself for Friday the 13th so wish me luck. Then it's off to meet the new niece! I can't wait to find out her name!

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-19881068068871037532009-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:002009-01-22T12:15:13.229-08:00

Our noses are buried in books--Mark's for the GRE and mine for the NCLEX--but we came up for air on Tuesday to celebrate our new President. On day one in the White House Obama has already made important changes and has again reaffirmed our trust and hope in him.Obama stated, "I will also hold myself, as president, to a new standard of openness," as he signed the Presidential Memorandum on

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-79913690094915955452009-01-01T15:02:00.000-08:002009-01-01T15:16:54.073-08:00

We're home but we're self quarantined due to some crazy virulent cold virus. Utah for Christmas was a ball. Chris joined us and we all had fun with the Morris family. What a Christmas! The drive to and from Utah was sunny and clear but most of the days in Utah were incredibly snowy. The valley was pristine and chilly. Mark and Chris spent a day in snowshoes up American Fork canyon. We all got

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-8571643131144680992008-12-11T00:16:00.000-08:002008-12-11T01:05:48.203-08:00

We just watched the film Bella and all we have to say is WOW! What a poignant film. It really touched both of us deeply. The soundtrack, the cinematography, the storyline.... touching and beautiful. Besides the fantastic movie which we recommend wholeheartedly, we also loved the following musicians in the film: Nina Simone (obviously that goes without saying--we already have about everything

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-63045770378128476762008-11-04T12:13:00.000-08:002011-10-06T13:12:06.500-07:00

Remarks of President-Elect Barack Obama : Election Night (Link to the live speech) Chicago, IL | November 04, 2008 If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy, tonight is your answer. It's the answer told by lines that

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-63568175382116230972008-11-03T12:19:00.000-08:002008-11-03T12:21:39.449-08:00

Happy Voting Day Eve!Don't forget to vote.Mark is in Colorado right now working like mad to get Obama elected.Go Obama!

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-27185188963538280842008-10-25T13:54:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:13:02.017-07:00

Where do I start? I'm holding off on any catch up blogs to give a current update. This is a big one. . . Mark and I drove to San Francisco over the weekend to meet my beautiful 19 year old birth daughter Mary Angeline. She is 19 years old and is absolutely the most brilliant and charming young woman I have ever met. She came with her awesome Dad Kirk who treated us all to a luxurious and fun

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-86013874831786983182008-09-06T12:33:00.000-07:002008-11-21T12:47:57.059-08:00

Our great friends Dave & Leona got married this evening. What a beautiful and FUN wedding. They wed on a train in McCloud, California. We're getting photos via email so we'll post them as we get them. Meanwhile, here is one which shows Cato's beard in all its glory. . . Enjoy!

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-29851674633123216872008-06-27T21:46:00.000-07:002008-10-28T16:17:57.659-07:00

I can't believe how few photos we took in Moab! We both LOVE Moab so much. It was my first time there and I thought it would be all desert & grit but it was amazing. Neither of us wanted to leave and we can't wait to go back.

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-65415133615331196642008-06-25T18:26:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:14:35.045-07:00

Glenwood Springs, Colorado is famous for the hot springs spa located on the outskirts of town. We found it to be a bit commercialized for our tastes so we searched out the secret hot springs on the other side of town instead. We enjoyed them by ourselves for a spell and then had an adventure meeting a couple of locals who were as different from each other as two people could possibly be. That

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-23768010120275873672008-06-24T19:19:00.000-07:002008-09-01T00:21:11.637-07:00

The Rio Grande Trail from Aspen to Glenwood Springs was finished only one or two days before we rolled into town. We were so lucky! I was especially lucky because I got to ride it the whole way. Mark took a turn shuttling.Thank you Mark!Mark rode with me for the first 15 miles or so of the 44 miles total. It was fantastic!He rode back to get the car so he could meet me in Glenwood Springs.The

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-42651091446959227202008-06-23T01:21:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:15:42.911-07:00

After Fraser we headed toward Aspen, Colorado. Mark had been there ages ago and wanted to see if it was as amazing as he remembered. We drove the back way along Highway 82. It was stunning and there was surprisingly little traffic. On our way we encountered one of Colorado's infamous afternoon storms. Let me tell you, it goes against every survival instinct to drive straight towards black, black

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-24492240633572123912008-06-21T01:01:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:16:41.300-07:00

While we were in Fraser Michelle went hiking and Mark went mountain biking. I got the camera that day. Fraser was amazing in all directions despite the damaged trees from the Mountain Pine Beetle.I saw an otter swimming at the edge of this beautiful pristine lake on the way up to the trailhead. Unbelievably, Junior made it nearly all the way to the trailhead which, by the way, was at 10,045

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-52058286623234289052008-06-21T00:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:18:04.786-07:00

After Rocky Mountain National Park we cruised to Fraser and Winter Park, Colorado. Of course the first thing we spotted as we rolled into town was a Thai restaurant. What a treat while camping! This is a glimpse of my trail rash left over from a sweet little mountain bike crash near Fort Collins. Yep, I'm a beginner. Many, many of the trees in this part of the country have been affected by

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-9965893516772853872008-06-20T23:39:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:18:45.400-07:00

Mark and I absolutely loved the Rockies. On our way out we traveled Trail Ridge Road which crests at 12,183 feet! It was a bit brisk at the top. The views were amazing. This monument had lines which pointed in the direction of various mountains and listed their elevation.Very cool. Our friend, the yellow-bellied marmot, kicking it at the top.

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-24933767104073562882008-06-18T17:28:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:19:47.845-07:00

We cruised to Boulder, CO after Fort Collins. We were there for all of one afternoon before heading west toward a unique alpine village called Nederland. We camped nearby in a secluded campground under the full moon and headed into the Rocky Mountain National Park the next day. Wow!!! We met a great guy named Jerome who joined us on our first trek into the beautiful National Park. It was

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-17890856962687165192008-06-15T00:35:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:24:11.192-07:00

Horsetooth Park Wildflowers Chris has chosen to live in a very beautiful area of the country. He was teasing us about how hot it gets in Redding by the time we left. I was hiking to the "waterfall" so I got dibs on the camera that day Mark and I were able to explore the area while we were there. We must have brought up the idea of moving to Fort Collins at least twice a day because the

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-16762288588869436422008-06-12T00:02:00.000-07:002008-08-13T00:33:32.071-07:00

Ahhhh. Fort Collins, Colorado. What a beautiful place.All of us--Mark, Chris, and Michelle--have been meandering this way for over a week. We left home and have spent the last week or so in Utah. Unfortunately, we're pretty sporadic picture takers who can take a vacation and not shoot a photo for two weeks and then can turn around and take thirty-two self portraits in front of the same beautiful

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-91451937499123282322008-06-05T23:53:00.000-07:002008-08-13T00:02:11.290-07:00

This was the vegan goodness we cooked up right before we left. I call it the "cook up all the veggies in the fridge 'cuz we're going on a road trip" dinner. It was tasty and I discovered a food setting on our camera. Cool.

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-15264719063226738702008-05-31T22:23:00.000-07:002008-08-12T23:48:24.623-07:00

I don't know where to begin. We have had a fantastic summer.Mark and I went kayaking down the Trinity River from Lewiston to Steel Bridge to celebrate both his birthday and my completion of school for the semester. (Poor Chris was still studying away.) We remembered this section of the river as meandering and lazy from a previous trip which we'd taken during late summer. Sure it was now early

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-802834352102937425.post-66253902459719878172008-05-30T12:38:00.000-07:002011-10-06T13:25:48.330-07:00

Singletrack Nirvana (Shasta Lemurian Record Searchlight article) Mark upgraded to Semi-Pro this year and has been racing for team Visenka. Race training included a two-day ride from Redding to San Francisco along the coast (crazy talk!) and a lot of rainy day rides in Whiskeytown. 2008 Race Schedule April 5 Boggs Mtn III 8-hour race 5th(?) 2-person team April 13 Napa Valley Dirt

Mark & Michellenoreply@blogger.com0