First day of vacation in Norway and I immediately hit the funicular to explore the upper cliff side of Bergen, known as Floyen.
The views and weather were stunning on a gorgeous September day. There were plentiful hiking trails and I enjoyed the trek to the hidden lake. Then I climbed through troll forest and opted to stroll back down to town. I purposefully got a little lost and enjoyed a quiet afternoon weaving in and out of the colorful block houses lining the fishing town.
I perused the old fort and my clumsiness was in full effect, as I twisted my ankle jumping down from the wall into a full face plant. I rebounded without a soul seeing the embarrassing moment, and limped my way back through town to enjoy a Snickers waffle ice cream while watching all the boats pulling back into port.
Then it was off to a new hotel to meet my 11 fellow travelers for our 7 day Norwegian adventure.
It’s hard to genuinely surprise me. I can usually read the clues and between the lines, so this year’s annual birthday pilgrimage was an unexpected highlight of the year.
Due to recent hurricane damage, being hit by a distracted driver 2 days prior totaling my jeep and a busy fall work schedule, we opted to stay close to home and frequent a favorite watering hole beachfront in Daytona for an extended weekend of girls’ time.
After a morning of pool time and snack picnic overlooking the pounding ocean waves, I was told to get comfortable before catching an Uber to a local restaurant. I was expecting to watch the sunset from a bar table but became instantly giddy as we boarded our own sunset catamaran. AYKM?
They know me too well…. the perfect birthday present/experience to just slow down and breathe in life with some of my favorite people!
The next two hours we soaked in a beautiful fall afternoon with local seafood, calm inter coastal waters, our favorite tunes, lots of laughs and a perfect sunset melting over the horizon.
Being my 97th National Monument visited, it says a lot that this is my absolute FAVORITE to date. I was truly blown away!
Before even escaping the comfort of my car AC, the 23 mile scenic drive was easily one of the best in the country passing by mind blowing natural sculptures and dangerous drop offs.
I had a long list of iconic hikes on my wish list within the monument, so I made time for a second late afternoon visit prior to leaving my Grand Junction home base. Just inside the southern entrance, the Devil’s Kitchen trailhead is an easy trek into the valley below.
Besides passing 2 families heading out, I quickly descended and came upon the short but steep scramble up to the prize. I had a blast jumping amongst all the massive boulders for my own mini photo session. What an absolute pleasure and refresher for the soul!
But I wasn’t done just yet….. I tacked on another 3+ miles down through Echo Canyon and Serpent’s trails, because WHY NOT?!?
3:20am the alarm echos and I break out of bed like a bolt of lightning. Afraid of being late for my Dry Tortugas National Park adventure, I had packed my bag the night prior and was out the door in 11 mins flat.
Being a holiday weekend in the FL Keys, every dive motel is booked solid at outrageous prices so I opted to stay in the quiet haven of Coconut Grove (just south of Miami Beach). With the rooftop pool, big breakfast, super comfy king size bed, racquetball courts and a balcony, the last minute accommodation is an easy win.
However, on excursion Sunday, I had the insanely early wake up call to make the 3 hr drive to the southernmost point in the continental US. Loaded down with Mountain Dew and a killer 90s alternative playlist, it was a pleasant road trip without the hassle of tourist traffic. Added bonus….. I literally only hit 2 stop lights the entire stretch which is a nearly impossible feat.
I passed through numerous pockets of storms and started getting worried that my one shot at this bucket list destination might be in jeopardy. Despite the ominous skies and lightning cracking all around us, our ferry departed on time for the 70 mile jaunt to the most remote National Park in our system.
My vision of tanning on the sun deck was spoiled by more rainstorms, but half way through the voyage, the skies opened up for a bit to explore the fort via a self guided tour. Even with more storms passing through, I enjoyed snorkeling in the rain along the well developed reef hugging the fort moat walls.
Time flew by on this island paradise and, inevitably, we inched out of the small harbor to make the 2 hr 10 min trek back to reality on the mainland. And my slow ride over the famous Seven Mile Bridge back up all the keys was shared with a slew of other tourists signaling the end of another great holiday weekend in the sunshine state.
I had been looking forward to this stay since I originally added Norway to my bucket list six years ago. Knowing that it endcapped a week of trekking in the majestic highlands towards the end of the 2022 season, it was to be one of the highlights and rewards for the 50+ miles conquered.
After the stunning Trolltunga sunset, we slowly meandered the 1.5 miles back to the three glass dome huts adorning the top of the gorge fighting the end of twilight. Our frozen dinner we had all carried in our day packs was now coming to a boil and we hunkered down to a nice meal at 9:30pm in the warm confines of our home away from home.
Being a night owl and not wanting this night to end, I frequently popped outside to get lost in the sea of stars and breathtaking full moon. The wind brutally ripped through my scarce wardrobe, so I always quickly retreated to our cabin and continue to lookout through the glass panels in hopes of catching a glimpse of the northern lights. While I was unsuccessful in my quest, I was able to finish my book in this majestic place while snuggling into my cozy sleeping bag on top of the wool animal skins adorning the massive bed my fellow travelers were all sound asleep in.
I eventually dozed off after 3am and obviously missed my coveted sunrise. With eye mask and earplugs, I staved off rising until breakfast at 9am. Porridge and toast filed our bellies prior to one last, long trek taking us back to civilization.
My thoughts wandered as I realized my last vacation of 2022 was coming to an end, but I also was so proud to have ventured out once again to test my limits and be reenergized by my love of nature.
It was a 102 degree scorcher in late July but I was determined to conquer this 9 mi very remote trek. With 35+ arches gracing this path, the eye candy was amazing!
I knew getting to the start of this remote trek was going to be tough and I did end up getting lost in my first & second attempts, but FINALLY found the dirt path turnoff after a beautiful 10 mile drive of the Colorado National Monument rim road (a must do if you are in western Colorado).
It was slow going in my rented small SUV for 15 miles, as the potholes were ginormous. The trail map cautions you to go as far as you feel comfortable, so it was inevitable I had to hoof it about 2.5 miles from the actual trailhead. No problem since it was a steady downhill grade, but I tried to block out the fact I would have to climb this beast upon my return. More on that later.
I was ecstatic to find the trail marker and beelined to the right to begin the loop down the steep cliff side perch. It was a nice, meandering trek around the back side of the canyon and not a soul in sight. Fortunately, most was semi-shaded and I soaked it in.
As soon as you reached the curve, the arches started popping around every turn and it was mesmerizing…. all different shapes and sizes!
The crown jewel was waiting for me just prior to the hike back out at Cedar Tree Arch. The trail dead ends here and the only way out of the canyon is to head straight up it’s belly. At first glance, it seems very doable but as you start your 80 degree ascent, the jitters definitely kick in as the slippery red rock is hard to grip and there are no ropes to assist. Omg. What did I get myself into?! And I’ve scaled quite a few sketchy cliffs, but this one had me downright terrified.
But there was absolutely NO WAY I was returning the way I had dropped in as I was running low on water, so I slowly gained traction and CONQUERED this beast!
I thought the hardest physical & mental challenge had already been eclipsed, but I still had to scale the cliff to get out of the bowl & then make it back out to the car another 3 miles in the 110 degree heat without any shade. I literally had to take 2 sit down breaks under the smallest branches you can imagine just to get some reprieve. Secretly I was hoping 1 of the 3 trucks, that had made it further down the gnarly path than I, would come plowing up & feel sorry for me. Needless to say….. that didn’t happen & I struggled to get back to my coveted AC.
After 3 days of 30,000 steps each, I was DONE….. but as I headed back to the Salt Lake City airport, my car steered itself to another iconic trek along the Utah border & I somehow mustered up enough energy to squeeze another hike in!
Even though I’m blessed to have already been on 23 Disney Cruises, it’s been over 8 years since my last sailing! Who is over the moon excited?!?
And to be able to twist the arms of some of my favorite people on this planet to hop onboard together (of course I exaggerate because it was an easy sell), it truly is a gift. Now that the 3 day ship leaves port Friday at 4pm and returns Monday by 7am, it’s a no brainer since we don’t have to miss any work.
Post pandemic, everything looks and feels different as the first change comes with COVID testing at the port garage via the comfort of your own car. After 15 mins of patiently waiting & hoping for clearance for our party of seven, we bounce through security quickly and start our maskless journey.
Nothing can replace taking that leap from the bridge onto the ship and hearing your family name come over the loudspeaker. It signals your escape from reality into vaca mode!
First order of business is always the massive lunch buffet (jumbo shrimp) and enjoying the moment on the outside deck during a picture perfect, cloudless May afternoon.
A noticeable change is the omission of the dreaded boat safety drill. Yippee!! A quick walk through of your assigned station and your party is cleared for sail away.
Our ship looked to be only half full, so we enjoyed pools and parties without much of a threat of overexposure to crowds. From fireworks at sea, pirate night, daily drink specials, plentiful self serve ice cream visits, late night big screen movies on the deck under the sea of stars, verandah card games, signature broadway shows, new cruise line apparel, frequent character sightings, spectacular sunsets, karaoke parties and sooooo much more, it was good to be back in Caribbean waters!
Volunteering to work guest services for our suites on the biggest concert ever hosted at Camping World Stadium, I really had the mindset to just be ready for anything amongst the 70,000 guests.
I had seen Garth for my 40th birthday and it was over the top amazing (even though I was an emotional wreck after having to announce just hours prior to my very special staff at the DPY that I was leaving to pursue my goal of becoming an ED in Titusville).
So a few days prior to event day, we got the exciting news that he was going to add a sound check performance the night prior AND we had the exclusive opportunity to be there with only 1,000 guests that had won tickets via our local radio station. AYKM?!?
Tessa and I joined the entry line an hour prior to opening, knowing that seats were first come first serve. We beelined for the left side of the stage & low and behold we snagged 2 stand alone seats FRONT ROW.
The next 2 hours was a whirlwind and I’m sure most of it involved me staring at Garth in complete awe at his stage presence. Every song it felt like he was singing only to me and it was an amazing performance. He read homemade signs and serenaded the crowd with some old classics. It was a very intimate and unforgettable experience.
This was the crazy adventure I didn’t know I needed.
After strapping on 3 inch crampons, helmet, harness and grabbing an ice axe, we got secured to our teammates via rope. Who would entrust me with an axe and what did we just get ourselves into?
The daunting 300m vertical ice field ahead made us break a sweat immediately, but we plowed ahead at a painstakingly slow pace, zig zagging the mountain. As we stopped for a crampon issue and a dropped water bottle, another team overtook us BUT their rear person had a mental & physical breakdown so we had a front row view of a mountain rescue. After the delay, we finally eclipsed this behemoth and got rewarded with lunch atop.
Then the real badass fun began…..
Our wonderful guide challenged us by taking us down into a crevice. AYKM?!? It was a pivotal moment that we all bonded over. How many people can say they’ve taken a leap of faith over an ice ledge and used an axe to climb back out? It was surreal and so empowering.
With all of us gaining an extra dose of confidence, we were disappointed the adventure was ending and we had to scale another uphill to climb back out of this cauldron of ice.
Only one slip and we all finished unscathed after a crazy, one-of-a-kind adventure.
I can count on one hand the number of times my body has completely shut down and said “nope, you are not 22 years old anymore”.
This day, I was 90% sure I was going to skip this iconic trek but my adventurous side won over as I passed the exit and I found myself cruising down beautiful Hwy 128 into Red Rock Country. After eclipsing 30k steps each of the last 3 days in all new territory (Western CO), my tank was nearing empty so I just put one foot in front of the other with no other expectations.
Famous last words.
I was blown away by this rugged landscape and somehow got more energized with every corner I passed. It was slow going but it was the most fun I had all weekend. This is a must do trek for any avid hiker.
While the massive spires provide ample shade throughout, the exposed sections are absolutely brutal in the July late afternoons. Half way through the route, a small ladder assists the serious adventurer down an exposed ledge prior to another steep incline. I opted to spend some quiet time at this beautiful vantage point to reflect on the AWESOME weekend I had literally pulled together just 72 hours prior.
FearlessAdventures 