Not my favorite layout artistically, but the point was to get it down on paper and not obsess (much).
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Triathlon Layout
Despite only doing 1/3 of a sprint triathlon, I'm still pretty dang proud. Therefore, scrapbook page:
Not my favorite layout artistically, but the point was to get it down on paper and not obsess (much).
Not my favorite layout artistically, but the point was to get it down on paper and not obsess (much).
Friday, August 27, 2010
Reading
When I was in elementary and middle school, I used to read a lot. A lot. That dropped down once I got to high school and, especially, college. Now that I'm done with school and the CPA exam, I'm going to tackle a reading list I've been slowly adding to as I come across interesting reads. I'm also thinking about re-reading books of my youth.
Since Blogger now allows pages, I'll be keeping a reading list here. Woohoo!
I'm open for any book recommendations, too.
Since Blogger now allows pages, I'll be keeping a reading list here. Woohoo!
I'm open for any book recommendations, too.
Is This My Car? Layout
Greg's all about the surprises. Earlier this year, he concocted an elaborate plan, after scheming with Mako (our exchange student at the time) and Stephanie, to surprise me with dinner + gifts in celebration of finishing school and our anniversary (it was early for both, but I'm not complaining). Such effort deserves to be immortalized in the form of a scrapbook page!
The sketch is from the Cosmo Cricket blog.
I used wrapping paper on the layout from all the random junk Greg gift-wrapped as distractors. I can't help but save stuff!
What's funny about the whole thing is that the night before the shiz went down, I started to walk into Mako's room to talk to her and she quickly pushed me out and asked me three times in the span of about five minutes if I wanted any water. I thought it was weird at the time and even told Greg about it. He chalked it up to Mako being a teen. I came to find out the next day that all the goods were being hidden in her room as the least likely place for me to find them and Mako's ONE job was to keep me from finding it. And then it all made sense! The end.
The sketch is from the Cosmo Cricket blog.
I used wrapping paper on the layout from all the random junk Greg gift-wrapped as distractors. I can't help but save stuff!
What's funny about the whole thing is that the night before the shiz went down, I started to walk into Mako's room to talk to her and she quickly pushed me out and asked me three times in the span of about five minutes if I wanted any water. I thought it was weird at the time and even told Greg about it. He chalked it up to Mako being a teen. I came to find out the next day that all the goods were being hidden in her room as the least likely place for me to find them and Mako's ONE job was to keep me from finding it. And then it all made sense! The end.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Balsamic Strawberries
We decided to try our hand at making our own balsamic strawberries after having it at Amano Bistro and I must say, it turned out quite delicious.
We used this recipe from Allrecipes.com:
Ingredients
16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and large berries cut in half
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Place strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar over strawberries, and sprinkle with sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour but not more than 4 hours. Just before serving, grind pepper over berries.
It was super easy! Also a relatively healthy dessert if you don't have it with vanilla ice cream, but in my mind, that's like having bubble tea without the tapioca. Unacceptable.
We used this recipe from Allrecipes.com:
Ingredients
16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and large berries cut in half
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Directions
Place strawberries in a bowl. Drizzle vinegar over strawberries, and sprinkle with sugar. Stir gently to combine. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour but not more than 4 hours. Just before serving, grind pepper over berries.
It was super easy! Also a relatively healthy dessert if you don't have it with vanilla ice cream, but in my mind, that's like having bubble tea without the tapioca. Unacceptable.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Horseshoe Bend
I'd seen pictures of Horseshoe Bend before, but I hadn't realized it is just south of Page, right off the main highway. You do have to trek (it's really not that bad) 3/4 of a mile to get to the lookout point from the parking lot, but so worth it. Because this picture is, like, amazing. I smell scrapbook page.
I'm scared of the edges. There are no railings or anything - you could fall right over! Thus I only agreed to sit, not stand, near the edge. I'm okay with being a wuss.
I'm scared of the edges. There are no railings or anything - you could fall right over! Thus I only agreed to sit, not stand, near the edge. I'm okay with being a wuss.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Yellowstone & Montana - Day 15 & 16
Drive home!
We left early Saturday morning and stopped in West Yellowstone for breakfast at the Running Bear Pancake House. Greg loves him some blueberry pancakes.
On our way through Idaho, we saw a sign next to the freeway for a huge Army surplus store, so we decided to stop and take a peek. Imagine how excited I'd be if you replaced the words "huge Army surplus store" with "huge scrapbook store," and that's how excited my dad was. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but he was excited. I have to admit, I was a little bit too. They had some interesting stuff in there - used cross country skis/boots/poles, old snowshoes, used canteen covers, excess medical supplies, used sleds, ammo containers, etc.
We stopped the night in Cedar City since we planned to make a detour at Bryce Canyon the next morning. Last time we were in Bryce Canyon, it was the middle of winter and there were very few people at the park. It was much more crowded this time around, though not like Yellowstone. Spent a few hours at Bryce Canyon before continuing our drive back. After passing through Page, we stopped at Horseshoe Bend just south of it. It was quite scenic and pretty easy to get to.
It's so nice to be home, though the vacation was fun. I was getting pretty antsy in the car the closer we got to home. And we missed the kitties. They are person cats.
We left early Saturday morning and stopped in West Yellowstone for breakfast at the Running Bear Pancake House. Greg loves him some blueberry pancakes.
On our way through Idaho, we saw a sign next to the freeway for a huge Army surplus store, so we decided to stop and take a peek. Imagine how excited I'd be if you replaced the words "huge Army surplus store" with "huge scrapbook store," and that's how excited my dad was. Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration, but he was excited. I have to admit, I was a little bit too. They had some interesting stuff in there - used cross country skis/boots/poles, old snowshoes, used canteen covers, excess medical supplies, used sleds, ammo containers, etc.
We stopped the night in Cedar City since we planned to make a detour at Bryce Canyon the next morning. Last time we were in Bryce Canyon, it was the middle of winter and there were very few people at the park. It was much more crowded this time around, though not like Yellowstone. Spent a few hours at Bryce Canyon before continuing our drive back. After passing through Page, we stopped at Horseshoe Bend just south of it. It was quite scenic and pretty easy to get to.
It's so nice to be home, though the vacation was fun. I was getting pretty antsy in the car the closer we got to home. And we missed the kitties. They are person cats.
Yellowstone & Montana - Day 12, 13 & 14
Wednesday 8/4/2010
Woke up to an overcast day, so we didn't think we could go tubing as originally planned. We went to Billings instead, where we:
- drove by Greg's old house
- went to the mall
- stopped by Softie's for a dipped cone (yumtastic!)
- went to a sporting goods store
- stopped by Costco
At the Gap in the mall, I noticed that they now have premium pants (a.k.a. dress pants) in several different cuts and lengths. I'm excited whenever I can find good-looking dress pants in short sizes. I didn't actually try any on, but the three cuts that I liked best: Perfect trouser, Modern boot, and Curvy.
I'm also ogling the Gap city flats, which have padded soles (unlike most other flats that - as the name implies - don't have any cushioning). But I'm not about to shell out $40 for flats (at least not yet), even if they are padded. Shoot.
I bought a pair of jeans from Aeropostale, though I didn't really need another pair of jeans. It's been a long time since I've been in Aeropostale since I'd written it off as a pre-teen / tween store. For the most part, I'm still of that opinion, but they were having a sale on jeans and they had short lengths. $18 for the non-holey version, which is what I went for: Hailey Dark Wash Jeans. $24 for the "destroyed" version of the jeans, though in my opinion, destroying it yourself is free.
While in Billings, we passed by a Mattress King store. I wonder if they have a sister store called Sofa King?
We got back from Billings in the late afternoon and Greg convinced me to go tubing down a longer stretch of the river. The whether was cooler a) that day and b) in the late afternoon, so it made for much more chilly experience overall. Even after a hot shower, I was still brrrr.
Thursday 8/5/2010
We hiked to Mystic Lake in the morning. 3 mile hike each way, about 1200 feet elevation gain. I was kind of grumpy going up because I hadn't really been in the mood for a hike, but oh well. Downhill is much better. Lake was pretty and there was a chipmunk who clearly equated humans with food.
We stopped at the Cowboy Bar in Fishtail for a late lunch and it was actually quite tasty. On our way to Fishtail though, we came across what is best described as a small-scale cattle drive on the road, complete with cowboys on horses. It was kind of fun to watch. Moo!
Greg tried to convince me to go tubing again, but I declined. I was way cold after the other day. Instead, he and my dad went tubing (same long run as yesterday). They made it down faster than we did the other day.
Friday 8/6/2010
Pretty chill day. Slept in a bit. Took my time getting ready. Chilled on the couch with the laptop. Greg went shooting again with his dad and my dad, but just the smaller caliber guns this time. I blogged (reading and writing) and read. Woohoo.
Woke up to an overcast day, so we didn't think we could go tubing as originally planned. We went to Billings instead, where we:
- drove by Greg's old house
- went to the mall
- stopped by Softie's for a dipped cone (yumtastic!)
- went to a sporting goods store
- stopped by Costco
At the Gap in the mall, I noticed that they now have premium pants (a.k.a. dress pants) in several different cuts and lengths. I'm excited whenever I can find good-looking dress pants in short sizes. I didn't actually try any on, but the three cuts that I liked best: Perfect trouser, Modern boot, and Curvy.
I'm also ogling the Gap city flats, which have padded soles (unlike most other flats that - as the name implies - don't have any cushioning). But I'm not about to shell out $40 for flats (at least not yet), even if they are padded. Shoot.
I bought a pair of jeans from Aeropostale, though I didn't really need another pair of jeans. It's been a long time since I've been in Aeropostale since I'd written it off as a pre-teen / tween store. For the most part, I'm still of that opinion, but they were having a sale on jeans and they had short lengths. $18 for the non-holey version, which is what I went for: Hailey Dark Wash Jeans. $24 for the "destroyed" version of the jeans, though in my opinion, destroying it yourself is free.
While in Billings, we passed by a Mattress King store. I wonder if they have a sister store called Sofa King?
We got back from Billings in the late afternoon and Greg convinced me to go tubing down a longer stretch of the river. The whether was cooler a) that day and b) in the late afternoon, so it made for much more chilly experience overall. Even after a hot shower, I was still brrrr.
Thursday 8/5/2010
We hiked to Mystic Lake in the morning. 3 mile hike each way, about 1200 feet elevation gain. I was kind of grumpy going up because I hadn't really been in the mood for a hike, but oh well. Downhill is much better. Lake was pretty and there was a chipmunk who clearly equated humans with food.
We stopped at the Cowboy Bar in Fishtail for a late lunch and it was actually quite tasty. On our way to Fishtail though, we came across what is best described as a small-scale cattle drive on the road, complete with cowboys on horses. It was kind of fun to watch. Moo!
Greg tried to convince me to go tubing again, but I declined. I was way cold after the other day. Instead, he and my dad went tubing (same long run as yesterday). They made it down faster than we did the other day.
Friday 8/6/2010
Pretty chill day. Slept in a bit. Took my time getting ready. Chilled on the couch with the laptop. Greg went shooting again with his dad and my dad, but just the smaller caliber guns this time. I blogged (reading and writing) and read. Woohoo.
Friday, August 6, 2010
Costco Self-Checkout
Behold, the Costco self-checkout:
"Costco self-checkout? It's like my two favorite things, colliding together." -Greg
We discovered that the Billings Costco had self-checkouts. Self-checkouts! Commonplace in grocery stores and the like, but not observed as of yet in the Phoenix area Costcos. I mean, I guess I haven't actually been to every Costco in the Phoenix area, but . . . get on the bandwagon, Tempe and Avondale Costcos! Self-checkouts are the shiz (when I'm not stuck behind slow people using them).
And yes, the Costco lady on the right is wondering what the heck I'm doing taking a picture of the self-checkout.
"Costco self-checkout? It's like my two favorite things, colliding together." -Greg
We discovered that the Billings Costco had self-checkouts. Self-checkouts! Commonplace in grocery stores and the like, but not observed as of yet in the Phoenix area Costcos. I mean, I guess I haven't actually been to every Costco in the Phoenix area, but . . . get on the bandwagon, Tempe and Avondale Costcos! Self-checkouts are the shiz (when I'm not stuck behind slow people using them).
And yes, the Costco lady on the right is wondering what the heck I'm doing taking a picture of the self-checkout.
Yellowstone & Montana - Day 9, 10 & 11
Sunday 8/1/2010
We went to Slough Creek in the morning, an area that's known for wolf sightings. We didn't actually see any wolves, but we were told they were in the area and had made appearances earlier in the morning.
After Slough Creek, we started making the drive to Greg's parent's cabin, by way of Cooke City and the Beartooth Highway. We stopped at Clay Butte Overlook off the Beartooth Highway, which was recommended in our guide book. Views were great, but the mosquitos were vicious. We stopped in Red Lodge, where the Montana Candy Emporium was a must (it's an old timey kind of candy shop). We walked around the rest of Red Lodge as well, and poked around a neat little antique shop. I could've spent more time there, but I was with Greg and my dad, so that wasn't really an option.
After Red Lodge was Absarokee, where we stopped to partake in the Montana BBQ Cook-off. There were a bunch of different BBQ places from around Montana who brought their BBQ'd goods, and you could buy tokens ($1 = 1 token) to use at each of these places to sample their goods. It was fun, having the option of trying a bunch of different BBQ places. And it'd be cheap to make it a meal - $15 to $20, maybe? If they had something like that in Phoenix, I think Greg and I would be all over that.
After we got to Greg's parent's cabin, we did a bit of wading in the river before a yummy dinner of lasagna.
Monday 8/2/2010
Hiked Woodbine trail to Sioux Charlie Lake. Went tubing down a short run of the river.
Tuesday 8/3/2010
Greg, his dad, and my dad went shooting at a nearby range. That meant I got to spend a good chunk of the day reading in the cabin. It was great - it's been a while since I've just sat down and read.
We went to Slough Creek in the morning, an area that's known for wolf sightings. We didn't actually see any wolves, but we were told they were in the area and had made appearances earlier in the morning.
After Slough Creek, we started making the drive to Greg's parent's cabin, by way of Cooke City and the Beartooth Highway. We stopped at Clay Butte Overlook off the Beartooth Highway, which was recommended in our guide book. Views were great, but the mosquitos were vicious. We stopped in Red Lodge, where the Montana Candy Emporium was a must (it's an old timey kind of candy shop). We walked around the rest of Red Lodge as well, and poked around a neat little antique shop. I could've spent more time there, but I was with Greg and my dad, so that wasn't really an option.
After Red Lodge was Absarokee, where we stopped to partake in the Montana BBQ Cook-off. There were a bunch of different BBQ places from around Montana who brought their BBQ'd goods, and you could buy tokens ($1 = 1 token) to use at each of these places to sample their goods. It was fun, having the option of trying a bunch of different BBQ places. And it'd be cheap to make it a meal - $15 to $20, maybe? If they had something like that in Phoenix, I think Greg and I would be all over that.
After we got to Greg's parent's cabin, we did a bit of wading in the river before a yummy dinner of lasagna.
Monday 8/2/2010
Hiked Woodbine trail to Sioux Charlie Lake. Went tubing down a short run of the river.
Tuesday 8/3/2010
Greg, his dad, and my dad went shooting at a nearby range. That meant I got to spend a good chunk of the day reading in the cabin. It was great - it's been a while since I've just sat down and read.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
After-Hike Treat
Ooh. Hello there, box of dozen Wilcoxson's mint ice cream bars that Greg's mom so kindly stocked in anticipation of our cabin visit.
Why yes, you would make a delicious after-hike treat.
And you'll taste quite yummy, with all your minty-ness and chocolatey-ness together. Mmmmm. If only they had you in Phoenix . . .
Why yes, you would make a delicious after-hike treat.
And you'll taste quite yummy, with all your minty-ness and chocolatey-ness together. Mmmmm. If only they had you in Phoenix . . .
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Yellowstone & Montana - Day 7 & 8
Friday 7/30/2010
Took a short hike to Wraith Falls in the morning, then drove through the Lamar Valley and spotted some animals - bison (of course) and a black bear.
Back in Gardiner, we visited the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center. Apparently a bunch of historical documents and artifacts were moved there from the leaky basement of the visitor center in Mammoth (the old bachelor officer's quarter from the Army days). We couldn't go into all of it since it wasn't so much a museum, but they had some interesting exhibits in the lobby.
We also stopped by the Yellowstone Association store in Gardiner. The building used to be a general store that was first opened in the early 1900s.
Saturday 7/31/2010
Got up at 6:00 to take a dip in the hot spring-fed Gardner River. It was sweet! And not very crowded early in the morning. By the afternoon, it usually gets super crowded since it's a popular swimming area.
Later in the morning, we hiked Mt. Washburn. It's a 3 mile hike to the top with a 1400 ft elevation gain, but it really wasn't too bad of a hike. There is a fire lookout at the top that a ranger still staffs. The views at the top were fantastic - 360 degree views of the park. Near the top of the Washburn hike, there was a big herd of bighorn sheep just chillin' on the trail. You had to walk past them to get to the top, which meant that you had to get pretty close to them, so that was neat. We started back down when a storm rolled in and got caught in the rain/hail/wind. As a result, the trail was uber muddy to hike down.
On the way back to Gardiner from Mammoth, we took the Old Gardiner Road, which is an old stagecoach road. It was quite scenic, though we didn't see any animals like the guidebook said we might.
For dinner, I wanted to try out Helen's Corral Drive-in, which had been recommended in the guidebook. Greg and I had burgers while my dad had a buffalo burger. The burgers were good, though not out-of-this-world, but given the other options in Gardiner, probably one of the better options in terms of not feeling like I got robbed.
Took a short hike to Wraith Falls in the morning, then drove through the Lamar Valley and spotted some animals - bison (of course) and a black bear.
Back in Gardiner, we visited the Yellowstone Heritage and Research Center. Apparently a bunch of historical documents and artifacts were moved there from the leaky basement of the visitor center in Mammoth (the old bachelor officer's quarter from the Army days). We couldn't go into all of it since it wasn't so much a museum, but they had some interesting exhibits in the lobby.
We also stopped by the Yellowstone Association store in Gardiner. The building used to be a general store that was first opened in the early 1900s.
Saturday 7/31/2010
Got up at 6:00 to take a dip in the hot spring-fed Gardner River. It was sweet! And not very crowded early in the morning. By the afternoon, it usually gets super crowded since it's a popular swimming area.
Later in the morning, we hiked Mt. Washburn. It's a 3 mile hike to the top with a 1400 ft elevation gain, but it really wasn't too bad of a hike. There is a fire lookout at the top that a ranger still staffs. The views at the top were fantastic - 360 degree views of the park. Near the top of the Washburn hike, there was a big herd of bighorn sheep just chillin' on the trail. You had to walk past them to get to the top, which meant that you had to get pretty close to them, so that was neat. We started back down when a storm rolled in and got caught in the rain/hail/wind. As a result, the trail was uber muddy to hike down.
On the way back to Gardiner from Mammoth, we took the Old Gardiner Road, which is an old stagecoach road. It was quite scenic, though we didn't see any animals like the guidebook said we might.
For dinner, I wanted to try out Helen's Corral Drive-in, which had been recommended in the guidebook. Greg and I had burgers while my dad had a buffalo burger. The burgers were good, though not out-of-this-world, but given the other options in Gardiner, probably one of the better options in terms of not feeling like I got robbed.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sigma Ultra Telephoto Zoom Lens
Greg called me over the other night to show me this Sigma 200-500mm f/2.8 Ultra-Telephoto Zoom Lens he "wanted."
As soon as I saw it, I laughed at him, not because I'm a mean wife who won't let my husband buy things, but because this lens is ridonkulous (I got that word from my brother) and I figured out pretty quickly that Greg didn't actually want it. It was a good deal though - only $28,999, down from $38,000, with free Super Saving Shipping!
I was surprised that this massive thing had 20 reviews (because really, 20 people bought this thing?), but when we started to read through the reviews, we had some good laughs.
Here are a couple good ones, but you'll have to check it out for yourself.
"Well worth the sacrifice..."
"My advice - leave safety on and finger off the shutter button at all time!"
I'd also like to point your attention to the "Customer image from Nathan Barr" - the one of the guy holding the lens up and looking through it. Look at that guy totally using his "guns" to hold up that massive lens! Hilarious! It looks like he's holding a bazooka or something! Hilarious x 2!
As soon as I saw it, I laughed at him, not because I'm a mean wife who won't let my husband buy things, but because this lens is ridonkulous (I got that word from my brother) and I figured out pretty quickly that Greg didn't actually want it. It was a good deal though - only $28,999, down from $38,000, with free Super Saving Shipping!
I was surprised that this massive thing had 20 reviews (because really, 20 people bought this thing?), but when we started to read through the reviews, we had some good laughs.
Here are a couple good ones, but you'll have to check it out for yourself.
"Well worth the sacrifice..."
Some may feel that this lens is a tad pricey but many forget about the needless things in their life that they can sell in order to purchase this beast. I immediately sold my vehicle because I was finally able to convince myself that I only use my vehicle a couple hours out of the day. It was sad that I even had to contemplate selling my car for this camera attachment but to somewhat justify my hesitation in selling it, I do drop off my children at school and use it as transportation to and from work every day. So, once I sold it, I realized that I had to come up with another $21,000.
I tried selling my apartment, but my landlord indicated that I could not legally do that. Whatever, Jim (Because I have learned not to burn bridges from past experiences, I stopped having open houses. Plus, the lawyer and court fees would put a damper on my upcoming Amazon purchase). Where was I going to come up with this $21,000? That's when a Sigma light bulb went off in my head.
I sold my two children to the Pesticide & Insecticide Testing Corporation. I feel it was a solid move on my part because they explained that my (now their's) children would always have enough to eat, exercise every day, and have a doctor present 24/7. With the money I made with this no-brainer sell and the under-the-table cash my wife was getting from working on the prestigious corner of Main Street and Almond Street, I was finally able to make the purchase of a lifetime.
I even had some extra cash leftover, so I decided to buy my first digital camera. This green monster looks great on my brand new Canon Rebel XSi. Thanks Sigma!
"My advice - leave safety on and finger off the shutter button at all time!"
This is a great lens and there's no doubt about it. The price is way beyond my salary and I had to sell one of my kidneys and take a personal loan just to get the down payment for this baby but it is well worth it.
My advice - follow Sigma's instruction and always leave the safety on. While I was reading the instruction and I removed the safety, my cat jumped onto the lens and I was startled and pressed the shutter by accident. The lens was pointing towards the floor and the blast from the photon cannon immediately turned my living room into a 12-foot deep crater. The extreme heat from the laser cut off my left toes cleanly just like what Luke Skywalker did to Vader.
Now I have to deal with my home insurance and they do not cover the damage from cannon blast. I have to pay for the repair cost out of my own pocket. I tried to return the lens to cover the repair but the original package was incinerated from the cannon blast. I am now sitting here with missing left toes and a big hole that looks like King kong has just mated with my living room floor. Not to mention that I still can't find my cat.
I highly recommended the item, only if you know what you are doing like the dude in the picture.
I'd also like to point your attention to the "Customer image from Nathan Barr" - the one of the guy holding the lens up and looking through it. Look at that guy totally using his "guns" to hold up that massive lens! Hilarious! It looks like he's holding a bazooka or something! Hilarious x 2!
Monday, August 2, 2010
Yellowstone & Montana - Day 5 & 6
Wednesday 7/28/2010
We got up at 4:00 am to make it out into the park and try to spot some animals. We saw a black bear (but it was brown in color - name is quite misleading).
We stopped by the Lake Lodge on Yellowstone Lake to use the potty and get some caffeine since we'd been up so early. There are pit toilets throughout the park and I try my best not to use pit toilets if I can help it, so I make a point of using flush toilets at the lodges when possible.
Highlight of the day:
Sipping on a mocha cappuccino, sitting on a rocking chair on the porch of the Lake Lodge overlooking the lake.
Quote of the day, after Greg took a picture of me:
S: I don't like this picture. My eyes are squinty in it.
G: Newsflash. You're Asian.
After the Lake Lodge, we visited the Mud Volcano area, then stopped by Mammoth where I was able to write up and mail some postcards. The Mammoth Hotel has a map room that has a giant map of the US, made out of all different types of wood, which is kind of neat to look at. I also chowed down on a Wilcoxson's ice cream bar at the Mammoth general store (mint of course), which Greg has a pretty good action shot of (though it's not the most flattering picture of me. The phrase "chowing down" doesn't really mesh with the phrase "good picture").
Thursday 7/29/2010
During the day, we:
- went to Mammoth Hot Springs and walked around the terraces
- saw the Artist Paint Pots
- visited the ranger museum that used to be an Army outpost in the early 1900s
- saw the Fountain Paint Pots
- hiked to and climbed up the hill behind Grand Prismatic to get a better view than what we got from the boardwalk (we saw what looked to be a raven land on the waters of the Grand Primastic - did it not know the water is hot?)
- took the Firehole Lake drive
- walked around the geyers in Norris
- saw a grizzly bear
- saw bighorn sheep
We've been using this Rough Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons and it is actually a great guidebook. It has snippets of history in it, which I'm a fan of. I'd really be set if I had access to Wikipedia as we were going through the park, but - surprise! - data service is not available throughout the whole park. Too much nature all up in it.
On our way back to our rental towards the ends of the day, we were kind of nervous about the gas situation. In Norris, we had 21 miles to go in order to make it to Mammoth, and our car only showed 22 miles of gas left. We ended up being able to make it all the way to Gardiner since there was a lot of downhill between Norris and Gardiner. WIN!
For dinner, we went to the dining room at Chico Hot Springs. It's apparently a popular and fancy place to eat in the area. We ordered BBQ Bison Short-Rib Ravioli for an appetizer. Although it was super delicious, apparently you only get four ravioli. Lame. But, the actual dinner entree portions were decent enough to make me feel like we weren't being robbed. I ordered filet mignon, Greg got prime rib, and my dad got duck. All pretty delicious as well, as expected for such a relatively nice restaurant. Compared to how much you'd be paying to eat in Gardiner for shiz, Chico Hot Springs was a pretty good dinner value.
We got up at 4:00 am to make it out into the park and try to spot some animals. We saw a black bear (but it was brown in color - name is quite misleading).
We stopped by the Lake Lodge on Yellowstone Lake to use the potty and get some caffeine since we'd been up so early. There are pit toilets throughout the park and I try my best not to use pit toilets if I can help it, so I make a point of using flush toilets at the lodges when possible.
Highlight of the day:
Sipping on a mocha cappuccino, sitting on a rocking chair on the porch of the Lake Lodge overlooking the lake.
Quote of the day, after Greg took a picture of me:
S: I don't like this picture. My eyes are squinty in it.
G: Newsflash. You're Asian.
After the Lake Lodge, we visited the Mud Volcano area, then stopped by Mammoth where I was able to write up and mail some postcards. The Mammoth Hotel has a map room that has a giant map of the US, made out of all different types of wood, which is kind of neat to look at. I also chowed down on a Wilcoxson's ice cream bar at the Mammoth general store (mint of course), which Greg has a pretty good action shot of (though it's not the most flattering picture of me. The phrase "chowing down" doesn't really mesh with the phrase "good picture").
Thursday 7/29/2010
During the day, we:
- went to Mammoth Hot Springs and walked around the terraces
- saw the Artist Paint Pots
- visited the ranger museum that used to be an Army outpost in the early 1900s
- saw the Fountain Paint Pots
- hiked to and climbed up the hill behind Grand Prismatic to get a better view than what we got from the boardwalk (we saw what looked to be a raven land on the waters of the Grand Primastic - did it not know the water is hot?)
- took the Firehole Lake drive
- walked around the geyers in Norris
- saw a grizzly bear
- saw bighorn sheep
We've been using this Rough Guide to Yellowstone and Grand Tetons and it is actually a great guidebook. It has snippets of history in it, which I'm a fan of. I'd really be set if I had access to Wikipedia as we were going through the park, but - surprise! - data service is not available throughout the whole park. Too much nature all up in it.
On our way back to our rental towards the ends of the day, we were kind of nervous about the gas situation. In Norris, we had 21 miles to go in order to make it to Mammoth, and our car only showed 22 miles of gas left. We ended up being able to make it all the way to Gardiner since there was a lot of downhill between Norris and Gardiner. WIN!
For dinner, we went to the dining room at Chico Hot Springs. It's apparently a popular and fancy place to eat in the area. We ordered BBQ Bison Short-Rib Ravioli for an appetizer. Although it was super delicious, apparently you only get four ravioli. Lame. But, the actual dinner entree portions were decent enough to make me feel like we weren't being robbed. I ordered filet mignon, Greg got prime rib, and my dad got duck. All pretty delicious as well, as expected for such a relatively nice restaurant. Compared to how much you'd be paying to eat in Gardiner for shiz, Chico Hot Springs was a pretty good dinner value.