wndrlst13

What a week it has been! I know that NYC is huge, and I am quite certain there are plenty of things we didn't get to see and do, but I can't imagine what they are! One member of our group had a pedometer and estimates we logged over 20 miles on our guided walking tours alone. Empire State Building, check; Rockerfeller Center, check; Grand Central Station, check; Times Square, check; Central Park, check; subway rides, check; Statue of Liberty (seen from afar), check; Staten Island Ferry, check; Brooklyn Heights, check; walked the Brooklyn Bridge, check; Hotdog and pretzel from a street cart, check; FAO Schwartz, check; Trapeze Class on Pier 40, check; Harlem, check; I could go on and on... I don't really know what I expected of New York, my only frame of reference ... read more

Quick entry today.. We have seen several parts of Riverside Park now. Wednesday, we worked clearing a fence line and forging a path in and around the new Pavillion at Grant's Tomb. Which, by the way, is HUGE. The tomb, I mean. Now I think I understand why the question is always asked "who's buried in Grant's Tomb?" I'm sure he was a man of stature, that that thing is larger than the Lincoln Memorial in DC! Anyway, it was very hot and very muggy and the work was very physical. Porcelain Berry is a very unforgiving vine that invades and kills most things in it's path. A few of us almost fell victim ourselves, I think! Yesterday was the northern part of the park along the Hudson. Again, clearing fence line and overgrowth in hopes ... read more

Though it may not seem like it, we actually came to New York for a purpose greater than just boosting the local tourist economy. A group of 24 Sierran Club members met here from all walks of life and all over the country to clean a park. Riverside park, specifically. It's more recognizable big brother, Central Park, is a few blocks East and has a wonderful budget for maintenance and upkeep. Riverside park, however, relies on state funding and volunteers for upkeep. So the Sierra Club hosts a service project every spring to give us something to do inbetween tours and shows! Home to Grants Tomb, a Joan of Arc statue, and many other unrelated and obscure memorials also boasts a few miles of walking trails, a bird sanctuary, anda great view of the Hudson river! ... read more

Good Morning! Forgive the double posting. I have come to grips with the fact that my iPad is incompatible with this blog site. I'll have to find another blogger for my next trip, as I LOVE my iPad!! Anyway, yesterday was a FULL day of walking, sightseeing, and eating. We logged over 15 miles according to the gps tracker belonging to the tall guy. Kevin, I think is his name. But it doesn't matter his name, you just have to make sure you keep following him, because he can see the leader, who is not so tall and moves really fast! We started with a group of about 20 at 8:30am yesterday and ended up with 12 of us going to the top of the Empire State Building at 11:30. It was an awesome tour with ... read more

I've been reminded of a few things that are important to keeping your sanity while traveling. The first is that if you are traveling for enjoyment, then nothing should really rattle you. If the experience that you are having, good or bad that is different from your day to day, then you should consider it a good one. Now, I totally get that losing your wallet, or getting kidnapped by rebels would not be that much fun, but I'm talking about the little things. Like slow wifi, five roommates that all have a different idea of what a comfortable temperature is, ATMs that don't work, and even those pesky blisters that will happen no matter how well broken in your shoes are! Even the limitations of blogging from the iPad won't dampen this trip. The rain ... read more

The last few weeks sped by. Getting ready for vacation is almost like work sometimes, but I think I'll take the bad with the good! I'm giving the iPad a try to see if I can actually blog from it. A few hiccups so far, but manageable. Still not quite sure how to get the pictures posted, but if there's a way, I will find it. In the meantime keep watching facebook for the mobile uploads. Boring, but necessary post, I know. But the real fun starts tomorrow. Our flight from Atlanta to Newark leaves pretty early, so we are doing the park-sleep-fly thing and heading up tonight so we don't have to get up so early in the am. And for those concerned about our furry friends, we've thought of them too. Not just for ... read more

I've always wanted to be an NYC tourist. Standing in awe at the tall buildings, gaping at the crowds and people moving en masse to important places, playing the piano at FAO Schwarz like Tom Hanks in Big, finding out first hand how disgusting the subway really is, and don't even get me started on the variety of food! But I will admit that planning, and being able to afford, such a trip has always intimidated me. Yes, me. I can plan a four-week four-country backpacking trip across Europe with a 13 yr old, but the Big Apple scares me! I can't explain it. It just is. Having spent time on a few other Sierra Service trips and outings, I jumped at the opportunity to join a service group in New York - City! This time ... read more

We started the day out with a short stroll down the wrong trail, then a fantastic hike up Chief Mountain in Evergreen, Co. The summit is 11,709 ft and offers an astounding view of the plains, the front range, and the Rockies all at once! On the hike, me, kiddo, besets girlfriend and her boy child. We were all a bit out of practice, not having hiked in ages, but we did the 1 mile up in just at an hour!! So proud of all of us. Especially the boys that got up early on a Sat without complaint. Can't currently load the pics here...maybe on FB. After spending some fun time scrambling around the summit, we headed back down in search of lunch. Found a great place in Evergreen that makes awesome Paninis. And now...a ... read more

So, we're off on another trip. This time, a last minute trip to Colorado to visit friends and find some cooler temps. As we set out for the airport, I remarked to someone that at least we wouldn't get snowed in this time. The last few trips out there have been during the winter months and usually resulted in getting stuck at the airport in one direction or another! The only worry in the summer is the pop up thunderstorms you get in the Southeast. But things were looking great. We made it to the airport and even managed to take off almost on time. No chances to bump this time, but that's ok, we were anxious to get there since it would be such a short visit. Sitting in front of not one, but TWO, ... read more

Well, we made it! Sorry I didn't blog about it sooner, I'll get to the excuses later! So, after four hours of bag packing, I am happy to report that we didn't forget anything, didn't really take more than we needed, managed to actually carry it all the whole way, and actually had a great time! Here's a link to the park Pedernales Falls State Park . and here's the long version: Our morning started out at 6:30am with an IHOP breakfast (this has become a bit of a tradition - gotta start the day off right!), then a short drive to our meeting point. As mentioned before, we were going with a beginner's group led by two veteran hikers. A very diverse group, at that. An older (60ish) woman with a defiberlator implant, a former ... read more