Surfside Beach is my second home and every visit takes me back to simpler times. That first night I’m always itching to ride a bike the 2.5 miles to the pier and make the walk to the end. It’s my routine. I put in my headphones and sing away, without a care in the world.
20 mins flat.
Being July 4th weekend, an abundance of locals and tourists are intermingling in this hot spot halfway down the eastern coastline. Fireworks are popping everywhere and the sea breeze is a welcome relief from the stifling summer temps.
The band at the cafe sucks in a good crowd, but I always opt to venture onward to the southern point for more live music. It is one of my happy places. When you roll up to the classic “Angel Eyes”, I sink into a seat and love just tuning out from the real world for a few hours.
This particular visit was a doozy.
My bike tires were a little low on air, so I had to dig in for a tough ride (38 mins). No biggie. However….. little did I know that Tropical Storm Colin decided to circulate out of nowhere just off the SC coast AND it graced us with a wave of rain just as the last song (one of my favs “Summer of ‘69”) finished. I laugh it off and powered through (even had a ziploc bag to keep my phone dry). BUT a mile into my trek back home, I’m struggling and finally succumb to a flat tire. I walked the last 1.5 miles in the pour down rain at midnight AND had a freakin’ blast!!!!
Norway had been on my bucket list for at least 5 years but the hefty price tag always had me finding an excuse to choose an alternative trek. But September 2022, it was time….
After a brutal work schedule in August, I was craving some solo time in the mountains far away from reality.
Mission accomplished.
After actually scaling the intimidating cliffs (400m via ferrata – definitely another blog story), we still had to push our battered bodies another 3.5k to reach the elusive Trolltunga and had exactly 60 mins. My legs and lungs were screaming but I dug deep to power through, even mustered up a few leaps and trots.
As we crested over the last ridge, the elusive Trolltunga was glowing in the last rays of sunlight. It was majestic and surreal…. one of those moments cemented in my brain for eternity!
We all took turns practicing our best starfish pose and then finished with a group celebration on top of the world, while the layers of light melted around us.
And did I mention we still had a 3km trek back to our glass dome hut for the night amongst the stars, full moon and hopeful viewing of the northern lights.
This one has been a long standing bucket list location that I’m finally tackling.
I originally envisioned camping at this remote National Park but that is easily a 6-8 month out reservation request that I didn’t have the luxury to attain to.
So I picked a long holiday weekend to take a solo road trip down the 7 mile bridge all the way to Mile 0 in the elusive town of Key West.
With a hefty price tag for either the ferry or biplane to whisk you away 70 miles (or 2 hrs 10 mins) due SW, you have to be dedicated to getting to every National Park or just REALLY want to visit this once in a lifetime remote island. It is a mixture of history and a pristine marine ecosystem.
Crazy fact – there are 16 million bricks making up Fort Jefferson, which is the largest masonry structure in the Western Hemisphere. But this vantage point never saw battle and is slowly succumbing to the rough seas.
Nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in all the hollow corridors and ducking the numerous storm waves that tried to wreak havoc on our day of solitude.
And conquering my 48th of 63 National Parks was a memorable day in the (not-so) sunshine state.
After 33 cruises, I know my way around a floating city and never take it for granted. My child-like curiosity is in overdrive and I always have boundless energy to expend onboard.
What are your favorites and must-dos?
Soufflé x 4 (my record is 12)!
Fireworks…. Seriously?!?
Banana pina colada
Verandah card games
Walking the top deck after midnight
Scrambled eggs, hash browns & a croissant every morning for breakfast
After previously climbing a few via ferratas in the US, I was fairly confident & genuinely excited going into today’s Norwegian cliff side obstacle.
The faint hearted or vertically challenged beware…..
The 6km mountain bike trek along the winding, glacier capped ridges definitely got the heart pumping. Then we had to bushwhack vertically up the ravine for another hour using ropes and scaling boulders to reach our launching point.
We snacked while admiring the picture perfect bay below, being intimidated by the looming steps above and strapping on our climbing gear. After the obligatory group starting photo, our 8 brave adventurers clipped in for 3 hours of intense focus.
With our harness securely on, it is mandatory to attach both carabeeners to the cables bolted in adjacent to each step. Then by guiding your safety line up to the next set of bolts, you can safely transfer each clip individually to the next line. Can you imagine repeating this progression for 180 minutes?
The X factor is the weight of the pack we have on our backs, including our overnight clothes, sleeping bag liners, frozen dinner, next day lunch and charging devices. I diligently tried to be a minimalist but every pound weighs a ton when you are dangling hundreds of feet from safety.
It was slow going until everyone’s confidence kicked in, but the experience was equally exhilarating with each rung that was conquered. I inherited the awesome responsibility of bringing up the rear and capturing the team’s memories from this extreme adventure.
And the best gift I never knew I needed was the extra time to sit and reflect hanging off the side of a cliff. How does it get better than this? Truly a magical experience and one of the best afternoons in my lifetime.
After scaling three rock faces and amassing a string of bruises on the shins, we finally peer over the last rung to freedom and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
As a relative newcomer, Jordan Davis packed a huge punch into his new headlining tour.
Orlando was opening night and I was stoked to have an free evening to unwind. And ohhhhh how I have missed live music, especially in an intimate setting such as the House of Blues.
Being sold out at 2k guests, it was no surprise to see the swarms of people lined up early. We paid the extra $20 to secure a spot in the VIP line and we’re one of the first 30 people in the building….. totally worth it to stake out front row viewing along the stage!
After 2 opening acts, one of which was excellent and the other was easily forgettable, Jordan’s energy radiated onto the crowd and we responded by belting out all the lyrics to his rapidly growing list of country hits.
My face legit hurt from smiling and singing all night, as I really didn’t want the experience to end.
After being front row 2 weeks in a row for both of my favorite performers (Garth was the other legend), I am certainly spoiled for any future gigs as it will be nearly impossible to top the rush of these performances!
Facebook yearly memories popping up in my feed are always a welcome reminder of the crazy amazing places that I’ve been blessed to visit. But what about those places lost in time prior to 2009 and the digital age?
I have boxes of printed photos that are still waiting to be sliced and diced into my stacks of empty scrapbooks adorning my office shelves. Once upon a time, I would host scrap parties and spend the day creating masterpieces on paper trying to tell the story of each destination and aim to make each jump off the page like I was back in that moment. It was definitely a creative outlet that I needed at the time to escape from the day to day stress of running massive sporting events. And I still have all the fancy scissors, stamps, cutters, decorative papers, stickers and letters shoved in the spare closet (the entire closet at that).
I’ve been able to scan a bunch of the “best of the best” pics and added a little motivational flare. I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
I’ve summited the highest peak in Africa and touched the rock at Everest Base Camp both at over 19,000 feet, yet I am still in awe with the view from my back porch.
Over the pandemic, I just started really appreciating the solitude of my own back porch. I had wisely chosen the lot upgrade when building, but hadn’t taken advantage of the calm atmosphere often enough. That had to change….
I sold my 15 year old rusting table and chairs in lieu of a comfy L couch that I miraculously constructed. But not after half of the structure sat in my living room for 3 weeks, through no fault of my own I swear, as two of the frame pieces arrived mangled.
Giving away my rarely used grill, adding in a new workout tower and reconfiguring mood lighting, the transformation was complete.
My home is my safe haven, so the porch is now a viable extension of that genuine sense of peace. It doesn’t even seem odd now that my first order of business each morning is to unlock and slide open the door to a bright new day full of opportunity.
A normal day isn’t even in our vocabulary. Be prepared to wear many hats and ready for anything.
I typically would start my day with a complete walk through, saying hello to our regular members, checking in with all the staff and scanning for any potential safety issues or hazards. Mornings are jam packed with energy and activity, so there is no time to get complacent.
Mid day was my only opportunity to grab a workout while the halls were semi quiet, which also meant stealth mode in taking a shower and getting ready for evening prime time. I usually skipped lunch, as I needed the physical release for my sanity.
A good day could get derailed very quickly, as a staff call sick could hijack your entire day trying to find coverage or barely making due like a game of chess. From the high maintenance to the newbies, you are constantly trying to keep the peace and squash problems before they become massive issues.
We have truly seen it all.
From snakes crawling in the hallways, to light bulbs blowing out, to celebrating a 100 year old members birthday, to kids being bullied on the basketball court, to hosting special daddy daughter dances, to a brand new AC unit cutting out for the third time in the same week, to a baby learning to walk for the first time, to pipes bursting in locker rooms, to birds getting injured by flying into the front doors, to kids puking on the playground, to an 80 year old learning to swim for the first time, to bikes getting stolen from parking racks, to cat fights in the group exercise classes because the seniors don’t like the way the new guy looked at them, to lightning delays closing the pool again, to lots of baking taste testers, to a weight machine pin busting, to a Special Olympics athlete high five-ing you on the way out after making their first basket in the gym, to someone accidentally pushing the fast button on the treadmill and falling off the back, to celebrating a regular couple’s 50th wedding anniversary amongst gym friends, to cars getting hit in the parking lot, to local prison escapees running loose in the area forcing a facility lockdown, to cheering on our members at a local 5k for crossing the finish line, to the helivac landing on the sports fields to transport a critical patient from a local near drowning, to cutting off locks of guests who forgot their combos, to receiving a bushel of ripe avocados from a caring member, to intervening when guests wear offensive shirts, to passionate staff volunteering to clean up local beaches/parks, to kids trying to workout in flip flops after you’ve kicked them out for the same offense at least 50 times, to claims money was stolen from lockers left unlocked, to raising a new banner for the adult basketball league champions, to water drips along the entire hallway from swimmers who forgot their towels causing a safety hazard….. and the list goes on and on. It is always a lesson in thinking on your feet, being compassionate yet tough, and ultimately being a problem solver.
When all the stars aligned, you truly could get out into the community and work on new partnerships that could be mutually beneficial. Those were the days you cherished.
Some days you feel like Wonder Woman, while others your house of cards is just one breeze away from all crashing down. If you get some sleep prior to the madness all starting over again, you push all the chaos down and get ready to attack another day with gusto. The work is tireless BUT very satisfying to see come to life every day.
With the trailhead immediately off the highway, I didn’t have high expectations for my first hike of the day. However, I met only one other soul in the parking lot and he was on a return trip, so that typically is a good sign.
I snaked along a sandy wash for just under a mile and was rewarded with a massive hoodoo overlooking the multi-colored valley. And my first thought…. time to climb!
Then I snaked off to the right to get up close and personal with the towering white walls lining the canyon. It was truly humbling to see how small we are in this world.
A few single track paths wove up the narrow ridges and I climbed to the peaks overlooking even more hoodoos in the Mars-like valley.
I wasn’t ready to leave so I veered off left to what ended up being up my favorite playground, jumping between boulders until I reached the end of a massive plateau resembling a mini Canyonlands National Park.
FearlessAdventures 