Blind Traveler

Blog Bites: 1st Successful Attempt at Gnocchi also the comeback of Ga Xao Xa Ot

2009-10-23T12:54:00.000-07:00

This week was highlighted by 2 great dishes. Dan made an old fashioned favorite of Ga Xao Xa Ot or Lemongrass Chicken with Chilies for Wednesday night's dinner. We ate this with a side of Ginger Garlic Green beans and some jasmine rice. Now, what if that chicken was replaced with grouse? Just a thought.

Thursday night Katie gave her first go at making Butternut Squash Gnocchi which was tossed with butter and parmesan cheese. We washed it down with some instant sangria; the invention brought to you by Katie and San Pellegrino Orange soda. This combination was deadly delicious.

Well anyways, these were this week's blog bites!

On the Road.

2009-10-17T10:48:00.000-07:00

After leaving Vail, we traveled north through Steamboat Springs and into Wyoming. The sweeping landscape was lightly dusted with the first signs of snow from the week before. Maybe in another life, we could find ourselves owning a horse ranch in Northern Colorado or Wyoming. Watching a stunning sunset descend as we made our way in this isolated snowy landscape was transporting. Our first night was spent at the ritzy Super 8 in Jackson, Wyoming. Sorry folks no delectable delights tonight besides a warm cup of hot chocolate from the neighboring gas station, but the Super 8 was very affordable and pretty clean.

The next morning however was beautiful with low lying clouds over a no less than perfect landscape set in tranquility. After scraping off our first frost of the season we arrived to the more historic part of Jackson where we grabbed a delicious breakfast from The Bunnery; we got the Glory Bowl which had 2 eggs, toast, hash browns with sauteed mushrooms and onions. It would have been a great place to sit and people watch while enjoying a yummy breakfast, but we knew a long day was ahead of us so we got it to go. On to Grand Tetons National Park! This set of mountains were just gorgeous. Being our second time, the sight just doesn't get old and the couple inches of snow and teasing clouds only further dramatized the view. After about a half hour just in awe of beauty we picked up the pace to get to Yellowstone National Park. We think that the Grand Tetons has Yellowstone beat this day in terms of majestic beauty. It also did not help that Yellowstone had 40 minutes of road construction and off and on mixed winter precipitation, yuck! Dan's car was not happy about driving on uneven gravel roads with 2 bikes strapped to the back. Anyways, many buffalo later we approached the exit to park with one last stop to the Mammoth Hot Springs. Besides the overwhelming smell of sulfur, we were amazed at the out of this world formations of mineral build-up. Really cool stuff.

After Yellowstone, the long part of the drive was ahead. As we entered Montana, it started to snow, and not just a little bit. Luckily the weather was warm enough to keep the roads clear. Well that is until we hit a small mountain pass just before Bozeman. The snow came down harder and there was slush on the roads. We made it to Bozeman where 20 or so text messages later, we got the go ahead from weatherman Brian that things would clear up further west. We had the best lo mein at a little Chinese restaurant in downtown before getting back on the road. I think the restaurant's name was along the lines of "China Dragon Palace"...I don't know. It had an all you can eat buffet but trust us, if you ever find yourselves there, just go straight for the lo mein. So luckily, our travelers made it past some nasty weather and now the only challenge was staying awake. The sights of big sky and rolling hills were gorgeous, but the sunset happened rather quickly. We stopped in Missoula to get a pick me up. Much to our surprise there was also a Five Guys! (Side Story: Five Guys originated in Northern Virginia in the DC metro area. With that said, Dan will rave about the deliciousness of the burgers and large quantity of fries you get with each order at every opportunity.) We decided to get a regular order of cajun, which by cajun we mean they sprinkle a ton of Old Bay seasoning on it, and by regular we mean that the two of us could not finish the one order. So, coffee and fries, we are ready for the final leg of this drive with a good six hours to go. Things became a little concerning when we noticed that Dan's car headlights started flickering every so often. We drove through Spokane, 4 hours left, we just wanted to be home. Things are going well, we switch drivers every hour. Katie finishes the drive as we roll into the driveway at 3:30am, 20 hours after we left the Super 8. Semi-Home, dog, foldable beds, sleep....

Back to the Rockies

2009-10-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

Since our last blog post we have made a trip from Tacoma back to Colorado. We were fortunate enough to line up several factors to make the trip awesome: (1) Super cheap plane tickets, (2) Friend returning from service work in South Africa at same date, (3) Wonderful place to stay with great friends, (4) picking up stuff from storage in Denver to make the whole trip "practical".

view from the back yard

Not only did these wonderful things line up but we had great fortune in other matters as well. Our friend, the beautiful Jamie, was able to pick us up from the Denver airport which saved us from purchasing the ever expensive CME shuttle ride, and allowed us to have some great catching up time. On the ride up we were so fortunate to see that the aspen's were still hanging on to their fall color, and the mountains all had snow not just dusting the top but working its way down onto the ski slopes. That night we went straight over to Karen and Justin's place to have a small reunion with Christa who had just returned from South Africa. It was great to catch up with her and other friendly faces we had not seen in several months.

We were so lucky on this trip to stay with the lovely Steph and Dan. They own a perfect home in Edwards with the best view and the three best dogs you could ever want to meet. The newest addition is Whedbee who is at that fun puppy age where she does not usually pee and the house but she will still let you love on her nonstop. Which I took full advantage of. Staying there also had the added bonus of sleeping in a real bed in our own bedroom! WooHoo!

Baby Whedbee

After staying for a couple of days our trip was extended past our planned on length by the opportunity to put in a couple of days work at my former office. It was so wonderful to earn a few dollars and have an excuse to stay with our friends a little longer. This allowed us to squeeze in a few more meals and get togethers with all the people we have been missing. Elk kebabs with a small group at the homestead. Brunch with Jamie and Karen at Etown. Lunch with Jen and Seth at the Bookworm. Also note worthy Steph made us our first test wedding cupcakes, lemon coconut= Delicious! Steph also made the best grouse white bean chili made with grouse Dan J. had hunted with the dogs just a couple of days before, mmmm mmm mmm.

After a wonderful week in Colorado, a couple of snow storms, and a very helpful trip to our storage unit we hit the road back to Tacoma. Now whether to take the short way or the long back to Washington??

Simple Salmon Recipe

2009-09-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

Salmon with a Roasted Vegetable Salsa.

what you need:
1 fillet o salmon (preferably with skin still on)
1 red onion sliced into 1/4" slices
4 large roma tomatoes halved
1 lime
1 jalepeno halved
olive oil
salt
pepper
rice (optional)

what to do:
1. season both side of the salmon with pepper, salt, and olive oil. set aside for grilling.

2. turn on grill to medium-heat, place tomatoes cutside down, onions, and jalepenos cutside down in a grilling pan and cook for about 6 minutes. turn vegetables and cook for another 1-2 minutes. when done, set aside to cool for a bit.

3. place salmon skin side down on grill. cook for 6 minutes. flip and cook for another 1-3 minutes turning the heat on high to get some nice grill marks. as a side note, fillets come in all sizes so please use your best judgement on cook time.

4. roughly chop roast tomatoes and onions. seed and finely dice jalepeno. combine in a bowl. season with 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. squeeze lime and mix the mixture well.

5. serve salmon on a bed of rice or lettuce, with veggie salsa on top. bon apetit!

Weekend with Bilba!

2009-09-28T11:54:00.000-07:00

Bilba ~ noun. ~ 1. happy couple known as Bill and Alba 2. celebrity nickname for Bill and Alba

You Remember Bill and Alba (Katie's brother and his beautiful girlfriend) as our first hosts in Arizona and Mexico when the trip began. They flew in late Thursday night to Seattle where they stayed with cousins, Joseph and Meredith. Friday morning Bilba was ready to get the festivities under way. Katie and I drove up to Seattle mid morning, and I met up with our visitors at Pike's Place Market while Katie had a prior engagement. Completing the last few items on their souvenir list, Dan took Bill and Alba to check out the infamous 'wall of gum' followed by a meandering walk along the waterfront. By the time we reached the end of the picturesque part of the walk, we were again joined by Katie. (Hugs were exchanged) We started to walk back towards the shops and pubs downtown. Meredith met up with the growing party on foot and took over the duties of tour guide. After walking around some historic sites, Meredith's office, and a few urban treasures, we headed to Collins Pub for an early afternoon refresher. The hummus was the best we ever had and the artichoke crab dip was equally superb. We then proceeded to Elliot's Oyster House, where we finally got to experience oyster progressive happy hour. Joseph joined our group here and the party was officially underway for Bill's birthday weekend. The basic breakdown is that we got a whole lot of oysters for not that much money. Though the price was definitely right, everyone was slightly disappointed by the VERY salty oysters. But the view was splendid and some of the menu items being carried to other tables looked superb. The rest of the night was spent at the Capital Club, a Moroccan themed restaurant bar with some tasty snacks. Good conversations were had and memories were shared. Before calling it a night we revisited the Dinette for a herbed frittata toast (unfortunately served with a little attitude this time) and got some braised pork tacos (cheap and delicious if a little small) from Taco Gringos, a late night taco stand with Northwest flavor.

Saturday morning was a much slower day for many reasons. This time, Brian joined in on the festivities. Today's highlight would have to be the ferry ride to Bainbridge Island. Seeing the city from the water was unreal and recommended for anyone who visits Seattle. At the Harbour Public House everyone enjoyed some delicious beers and beverages as well as an excellent early dinner. Highlights included the Killer Shrimp and the Crab Melt. Afterwards we headed back and relaxed in Capitol Hill. Katie revealed the german chocolate cake she had baked as a surprise for her brother's birthday and everyone enjoyed and then went to bed early in order to be ready for the next days activities.

Sunday started off early for the boys. Dan, Katie, and Brian woke up at 4 a.m. to get up to Seattle and pick up Bill and Joseph for a 6 a.m. salmon fishing excursion. After a dedicated effort Katie switched driver's seat with Dan and the boys were off. We got to the boat and were introduced to Captain Steve and deckhand, Austin. Setting off into the sunrise, the boys were about to embark on their first salmon fishing experience. Within the first half hour, Dan reeled up a Chinook, unfortunately it was the wrong season, Salmon 1 the Anglers 0. The morning progressed and we eventually all landed a Coho Salmon. Exhausted, we headed back to the condo to meet up with the girls. They had apparently slept in, made some tasty breakfast and were having delicious coffee. Anywho, everyone lent a hand in preparing for a delicious lunch feast of salmon. We prepared the fillets 2 ways. First, Joseph found a recipe to pan sear the salmon encrusted with ginger, minced garlic, green onions, and olive oil; it was very tasty. Second, Katie baked the salmon in poaching liquid for a classic take on the fish with butter, lemon, dill, and rosemary. Everyone had a sampling of each with a side of spinach and mashed potatoes. Fish just tastes better knowing you had caught it earlier in the day.

Bill with the Biggest Catch of the Day

Brian with a close Runner-Up

Lunch.

Everyone had to walk off serious food coma, so we headed over to the neighborhood of Queen Anne and watched the sunset over the sound and downtown. Thinking back, most of the afternoon was a lot of resting and relaxation. We think Dan has also rediscovered his love for the piano, stay tuned for that. Later that evening we went to Via Tribunali for a final delicious meal before Bill and Alba headed back to Arizona. I do have to say the Pizze Salame is our pie of choice.

PICTURES

2009-09-28T11:15:00.000-07:00

Standing on a glacier!

On the trail

Mt Rainier marmot much cuter and more friendly than Colorado marmot

Hike to Panorama Point

A very wet fly fishing attempt

Ruckus has his nails trimmed a bit short

A night out with our old friend Matt

picnic at Point Defiance

Hope you haven't held your breath!

2009-09-28T10:55:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends

Here it is- our long overdue blog post!!

We have been experiencing unusually pleasant weather here in Tacoma. Mid to upper seventies and sunny most days. It has been totally unexpected and wonderful. Today is a true fall day, not a cloud in the sky the breeze is rustling the dried leaves in the trees, and the air is perfect for light sweaters. After our last blog post we kinda dropped off the face of the planet that has been for a couple of reasons. We have been job hunting pretty much nonstop which makes us not want to spend a ton of time writing anything extra after all those cover letters. And we haven't really known what direction we want to take the blog in now that we are trying to settle in Seattle. However even with the lack of posting we have been out and about enjoying Sea-Tac and its environs. Some highlights have included fabulous dinners with Joseph and Meredith in Seattle. We can't say enough good things about how great they have been to us and how wonderful it is to have family nearby. Brian has been unbelievably generous in letting us sleep in his living room for over a month now. He has also introduced us to all of his friends and we have had several fun nights out with them. A couple of weeks ago we went to the Roller Derby which was SO much fun, now Katie wants to be a skater girl (just need to get over valuing all my teeth). We also went for a hike on Mt Rainier one day. That was beautiful and the landscape was really cool. Rainier is compelling. Somedays you can see it somedays you can't. It is huge. There aren't a whole lot of other mountains nearby so to see this 1400 ft behemoth jutting into the sky is cool. Basically you cannot live here without wanting to go conquer it. We have been cooking a ton of course. Some highlights have included an amazing paella prepared by Dan, coq au vin, some awesome tailgate food, and lemongrass beef.

On the job front there is little news. Neither of us ever thought getting a job would be this challenging. The whole experience has been a real eye opener into the reality of this recession and our own susceptibility. Wow depressing stuff not meant for the world of this blog.

Expect a blog post very soon about our wonderful weekend with Bill, Alba, Joseph, Meredith, and Brian. Also we are traveling to Colorado this week to pick up Dan's car and some much needed clothes and supplies. So exciting updates should be on the way!!

AHH, The Swedish

2009-08-25T06:52:00.001-07:00

So we just want to take the chance to thank everyone who have been following our blog, its great to know we have the support that we do.

It has been a while since the last posting so hopefully I can fill in some good details. For everyone that casted votes on places we should live, we have decided on Seattle. The decision of course involved many factors and staying in the northwest seemed to make sense. Anyways, with that fact now stated, we ventured into IKEA a couple of weekends ago so Katie and I could finally sleep in semi-real beds! This was also a special event since it was Katie's first time in an IKEA and was it a hoot. As we weaved through crowds of parents and their college freshmen, we remembered when that was once us. After about an hour of meandering through mock rooms and miscellaneous knick knacks, we found ourselves at the cafeteria. Swedish meatballs were definitely happening today, please don't hold the lingonberry and gravy. After IKEA we then proceeded to a Bed, Bath, and Beyond to find a cereal tuber-ware. After using one at Vu's in San Francisco I wondered what I would do without one. After the BBB, Brian was adamant about purchasing a leather jacket at Wilson's Leather that he had been eyeing for some time. Now if you think we are going to steer this blog towards fashion tips think again...or at least until the next posting.

Sunday was Brian's company party. Katie and I figured we would attend to meet a few more local professionals. Tons of food and a few lawn games made the relaxing day. On a side note: Katie quickly noticed that she has not seen one dress worn by a female since we been in the state of Washington, and she is determined to be the one to change that (Again, fashion will be discussed later). The pinnacle of this gathering was the great 100m dash. This was the accumulation of weeks of trash talking between certain co-workers (eckhmm Brian) and it was going to end here. 4 were willing to race but due to a pulled calf during the warm-up jog there were only 3. Brian and 2 of his co-workers stepped up to the starting line, on your mark...get set...GO! They were off, 40m in, the first guy bails out and it was only Brian and a former HS track runner (now 35). Elbows were flying, I felt like I was watching chariots of fire...why is this race still going....they tied at a blazing 14 seconds. Both men looked like they were about to pop something.

menu updates and other stuff

2009-08-19T23:08:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, we had a night of soul food, oh yes, mac 'n' cheese, fresh tomato and onions, and fried zucchini. I have to say that this was needed for some mental health comfort and just because it tastes so good. Earlier that day, Katie and I checked out some part-time opportunities and found ourselves right next to Pho 38th, so we had to stop in and try! It was the best pho we have had thus far. And to top it off, the fantastic Vietnamese-Pop music and 'authentic' decor set the whole tone. But seriously, if you find yourself in Tacoma and you crave some pho then you should try this place...drinks, 1 appetizer, and 2 entrees for under $20 is hard to beat. After a short food coma break we went to Point Defiance. This is a historic and very scenic spot just northwest of downtown Tacoma which would be an excellent picnic venue.

Wednesday, Katie got the full experience of public transit using to the bus system to get from Tacoma to the University of Washington in Seattle. I stood by to be her on call GPS. It was definitely a warm day here in Tacoma, I was glad to see the sun go down and the breeze to come in. Tonight, we had some delicious Orzo-Stuffed Peppers compliments of our host, Brian, and it pretty much taste like it sounds...delicious!

Victory

2009-08-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went back packing northeast of Seattle. Joseph and Meredith led the way on one of their favorite easy hikes up to an alpine lake with Dan, Brian and myself in tow. It was a great entry level packing experience (necessary as we have not trained all summer). The hike was really diverse considering it was only three miles (six miles round trip). We used logs to cross a stream, passed through creek beds, meandered alongside low elevation lakes, took a break at a waterfall, and hugged a GIANT tree. The best was yet to come though. Due to sworn secrecy I will not divulge the location of the lake we were at, but we were the only ones up there and enjoyed some amazing views and really good times. Thanks again to Joseph and Meredith for taking us.

Time for victory beers and margaritas

Lasagna for dinner

Our bid for an REI advertisement

The most photographed campfire ever

Good Morning!

On the way down

When we got back on the road, the only intention was to find a good breakfast spot since we quickly evacuated from a bug invasion that morning. The first stop was at the Pub and Eatery, which had that eerie feeling that we should have not stopped in the first place. After one refreshment we quickly moved onto the next stop which was in Everett. At this point it was lunchtime. Afterwards, we parted ways. That evening with one last ounce of energy Dan with Brian as sous-chef cooked up a dinner of grilled flank steak, a salad with sauteed sausage bits from a local market, Dave's Meat and Produce, and a starter of grilled chilies stuffed with fontina, monterrey, and queso con seco cheeses wrapped in bacon and a soy-lime dipping sauce. This week, the job search continues as we hang out in Washington a little while longer.

Some Extra Pictures of Washington!!

2009-08-11T23:17:00.001-07:00

amazing wall mural in modern art museum.

richard serra's art close-up.

wall of gum.

floor in Seattle library.

Katie and Brian in library.

Rem Koolhaas' Seattle Library.

Homemade Poutine!

A Few Minutes.

2009-08-06T23:17:00.000-07:00

After spending a day @ Brian's sending emails and recuperating from the extensive 2 hour drive from Portland we were ready for some more fun. After a spaghetti dinner we at Brian's headed over to Doyle's (a neighborhood Irish sports bar) to watch the Sounder Vs. Barcelona. To say the least, it was a ludacris performance by the Sounders, who lost 4-0. Props to the Sounders though for becoming MLS and also to Barcelona for having Thierry Henry, Katie's personal pick for hottest man in soccer (Ladies I highly recommend the link). Talented, conscientious, attractive athletes aside we had a great time and got to meet some more of Brian's friends here in Tacoma.

Thursday, Dan had a meeting with the firm that Brian works for, unfortunately they had no current openings but it was just nice to get in the door and talk to people in the industry. Thursday also happened to be Joseph's 30th birthday, so we went that afternoon to Seattle. It was a fabulous introduction to the Seattle scene as Joseph, Meredith, and their good friends. The friends blog for their neighborhood, so they have a good eye on where to go for a great time. We started off at a new speak easy called Knee High Stocking Co. All things seemed to imply that we were about to have a good time: door that does not look like an entrance to anything, cozy atmosphere, daily punch selection. We had some very delicious drinks and Dan and I split the Chicago "style" Dog, who no relish, cucumbers and peppers on a hot dog could be so good? After that we transferred to Dinette, a local eatery up the street with some very local color (Tranny with a head scarf, makeup, and mens clothing). The best thing about this place was the Herb Frittata Toast. For all of the Colorado readers imagine Larkburger's Parm Truffle Fries... but better and in toast form.

Friday was spent back in Tacoma on the job hunt path again. Nothing interesting to report there of course so straight to our evening entertainment... We met up with Brian after work for his monthly emerging leaders happy hour. It was held this time at a relatively new bar called the seven oh one. Great happy hour as they had $3 Martinis until 6 pm, which was a really good deal considering the Martini selection and quality. I was the only one of our group who actually got a martini so I figured I would need to get two in order to take advantage of the cost and get to try new things. My first was the Thanksgiving which was a cran- ras concoction and pretty good. The second was a dirty gin martini and was probably the best gin martini I have ever had. That night some of the friends from happy hour met us back at Brian's for a fire. Dan and I recreated our poutine from Portland and it turned out pretty good for a first try.

Friday ended up going into the wee hours of Saturday for Brian so we had a bit of a late start on our plans that day to meet up again with Joseph and Meredith. After some restorative pho from What the Pho (we had to go just to say we had been) we made the rest of our way up to Seattle. We figured a little sight seeing must be in order since I hadn't done that yet. First we headed to Rem Koolhaas' masterpiece, the Seattle Central Library,

followed by Pike Place Market. We watched the obligatory fish fly, passed by some incredible flower stalls, and then high tailed it out of there. Saturday afternoon in summer is not the time to see the Market. It was crowded to the point of not moving and I was overwhelmed. I do look forward to returning on a weekday morning when it is not so over wrought. We then headed to the waterfront and walked to the Olympic Sculpture Park where we saw a super cool Richard Serra piece and some other notable work. If you are in town it is definitely worth a meander.

That evening we met up again with Joseph and Meredith, this time for Meredith's birthday. We grabbed drinks at Havana, another wouldn't have known it existed without well acquainted guides location. The bar tender was super friendly and helpful, really some of the best service at a bar I have ever had. We were there early so he put on our music request, made Meredith a tasty birthday beverage, and set up dinner reservations for us. After some drinks and conversation we then headed to said dinner reservations at our illustrious guides' favorite pizza restaurant, Via Tribulani. The pizza was really good, and surprisingly enough Meredith's pepperoni was my favorite, proving that high quality, local sausages rein supreme. After dinner we returned to Joseph and Meredith's pad for some Wii Resort Sports and lots of laughing.

Sunday had Dan and I returning to Seattle to meet up with J and M for a hike in the Cascades. After 4.5 mi and 3500 ft elev, gain we summitted McClellan Butte. Being at such lower elevations was a a definite benefit to our lungs, being in the car traveling for over a month was no help to our muscles. Dan summitted just fine, I however was sorrily lagging behind. I am proud I made it to the top (sans scramble to the top of the rock outcropping). After the descent and an obligatory post hike beer we headed back to Brian's to recreate Bill and Alba's carne asada tacos. They were delicious and were quickly followed by an early bed time.

So what's next? Some home cooked meals at Brian's, what I am hoping will be the best oyster happy hour I have ever been to, and much much more!

En Route to Tacoma.

2009-08-05T08:04:00.000-07:00

Slight traffic and heavy hearts leaving Portland but luckily clear roads to Tacoma. We arrived right around dinner time to Brian's house and did a quick turnaround for taco tuesday at the Corner Bar about 3 blocks from his place. It should be a fun time in the state of Washington. Hopefully, we will be seeing Katie's cousin Joseph and Meredith as well as our friend Ely while we are here. This is Katie's first time in the Sea-Tac, so we will have to see some fun sights like the troll, the first Starbucks, Rem Koolhaas' Seattle Library, Gehry's Museum of Rock n Roll and maybe... just maybe even La Push/Port Angeles/Forks for all you Twilight fans out there. Not to worry though, all reactions will be documented.

So now we are in the final "planned" stage of our adventure. Over the next week some executive decisions will have to be made.

How will this story continue? Will it be...

a. the Northwest

b. San Francisco

c. Denver

d. moving back East

Cast in your votes now!

More of Portland.

2009-08-04T15:53:00.000-07:00

After some record high temperatures (104-106 degrees) here in Portland, it was time to explore more of the city. This takes our travelers to Sauvie Island, 20 minutes outside of Portland proper. Sauvie Island is an agricultural treasure chest of fresh organic produce and is highly recommended for any visitors. We picked about 10 pounds of blueberries and 7 pounds of raspberries and marion berries (blackberry / raspberry hybrid). After Sweltering in the heat, we headed to the beach to cool off in the water. After a few hours of lounging we headed home to make some fantastic cobbler with our freshly picked berries as well as some marion berry mojitos to wash it all down.

A pleasant surprise, we found out that we had another SCAD friend in Portland, it's Porter! Not only was he in Portland, he lived in the adjacent neighborhood to where we were staying with Anna. We met up for a glass of wine in his neighborhood to catch up that night. Thursday was designated as girls' day meaning Katie and Anna spent the day taking the dogs for a hike in the gorge, getting a much needed hair cut and wedding dress shopping. Before the girls left the boy, we all met up for breakfast at Voodoo Donuts where you can get everything from a normal glazed donut to one that is shaped like a doll with needles in it. What did Dan do all day? Well, first he spent some time on the internet sending more resumes out at the library, laundry, and finally meeting up with Porter for a drink at Amnesia Brewery in the Mississippi District. Dan and Porter followed up the beers with a mid afternoon snack at a local oyster bar, EaT. That night everyone met up again for Alberta Street's Last Thursday which is an event where artists, musicians, and food vendors set up on the street extending several blocks for an evening of festivities. We all had a late dinner at Mississippi Pizza Pub and listened to a bluegrass band perform.

Friday we grabbed some Dutch Tacos at the delicious Flavour Spot. We then walked to the Rebuilding Center, where we could have wondered for hours looking at all the old windows, doors, beams, hardware, fixtures and more that had been salvaged from area homes.

On Sunday we all decided to head to the coast to try our luck at clamming. Waking up at 6:30-ish we drove to the coast with much enthusiasm. The first spot we arrived to was in Netarts Bay. After digging for a good hour and no luck we decide to head further south to Pacific City. After grabbing some lunch at a little beach shack of a restaurant called Fat Freddy's. We took the dogs out onto the beach where they were allowed to be off leash and let them have at. With a serious case of food coma, we decided to go sit on the beach and watch the surfing competition which evidently led to all of us passing out on the beach. Waking up with one thing on our mind we headed to another clamming spot just north of Pacific City. This time, we had a new weapon...a clamming gun. To say the least, we hit the jackpot; collecting 8-10 pounds of varnish clams, cockles, and gaper clams. That night Katie started the long process of cleaning the gaper clams as Anna and Dan prepared the varnish clams. Dinner was varnish clams poached in a garlic butter white wine sauce with a loaf of sourdough to scoop it all up with. Absolutely exhausted we all collapsed after dinner for a much needed sleep. The following day Katie (with some help from Dan) continued to clean the rest of the gaper clams for clam chowder, made blueberry pie with Anna's delicious homemade pie crust, and had some much needed beer. Sadly, by the time it was all done, we were just so clammed out that we had ramen instead....and of course, the pie was delicious, a la mode. Chowder for lunch the next day though!

Drink of the Day: Vodka Tonic w lime twist and splash of berry syrup over ice...shaken not stirred.

Next on the agenda: Tacoma-Seattle, Brian here we come!

Stump Town

2009-07-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

Record highs, temperature-wise here. We have been in Portland for a few days now and got here just in time for a heat wave. Today until Wednesday we should reach 101 degrees! Who knew the northwest would get that hot! Katie and Dan: since we arrived indulged ourselves in the wonderful food and beer culture. The 2nd night we attended the grand opening of The Woods including a folksy, indy portland band and yes, more brews. Afterwards, we checked out the food carts on 12th and Hawthorne for some delicious Poutine (google it). We also went to the Saturday farmers' market and had one of the best tamales ever from one of the carts.

To much surprise, we found out that an old friend from SCAD Lacoste, Joe, resides in Portland! He was a year above us. We all met up for a great bowl of pho and some brews at the Brass Horse Pub. Well thats it for now...tune it next time for something crazy...like clamming!

Upward

2009-07-24T10:43:00.000-07:00

When we last left off we headed out of San Francisco and up to Portland, Oregon! We had a two day side trip to return to Audrey and Luke's where we were met with great hospitality. Then we headed north towards Portland. A few hours up Interstate 5 took us past tons of agriculture including olive trees and a road side stand with yummy peaches. Then it was back to the Pacific Coast Highway. We passed through Redwood National Park in the evening, the massive trees being shot through with soft light and fog was truly a magical experience. That night we camped just outside of the park in the town of Crescent City.

The next morning we hit the road again and were soon in Oregon. As the fog burned off the ocean went from steel to soft blue. We passed through many small coastal towns and enjoyed eat your heart out views the whole way. We arrived in Portland last night to Anna's cozy apartment and a delicious beer at the Concordia Ale House. Plans for Portland include the rose gardens, excellent beer and food, time with Anna, and whatever comes our way.

Some Extra Pictures!!

2009-07-20T13:42:00.001-07:00

California Coast: Part 3 It's a Wedding!

2009-07-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

We arrived Friday morning in San Francisco at Vu's place (Dan's cousin) and pretty soon after met up with Dan's family. In typical wedding fashion everything we rushed to get ready and then head over to Berkley for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Who's getting married?>>Dan's cousin, Khanh and his fiance, Leslie...beautiful couple. The whole Mai clan (plus me) did a little exploring in Berkley once we arrived, as we had over anticipated the traffic and were about an hour early. After a pick me up coffee and a stroll we returned to the church for the rehearsal, which was on campus. The after rehearsal dinner was held on the church grounds and they server delicious pizza. Because this is California of course it was not your average pizza. It was probably one of the tastiest pizzas I ever had. I can't remember the name of the pizzeria, but it is a co-op, vegetarian and locally supported restaurant...there is only one type of pizza made each day, oh, and they make their own cheese...CHEESE! We had a cilantro-lime white pizza and it was soo good. Saturday was the wedding which was a simply beautiful ceremony followed by a great little reception in Berkeley.

Before the wedding, on Saturday morning, we went for a walk with Isla at Fort Funston beach off of Skyline Drive. The the San Fran fog was rolling over the beach and the fisherman were out in force pulling in massive sea bass right from the surf. The weather was a bit chilly and the water was freezing, so the men braving the waves were in full waders trying to stay warm enough to pull in there awesome catch. Afterwards we met up with the Mai's at their Condo over by the Cliff House, which is where we enjoyed a delicious brunch while looking out to the mighty Pacific. The Cliff House has a super cool history and I highly recommend checking out their website. Our food was pretty good at the restaurant but the view to the ocean was the most special part, watching the surfers, fisherman, seals and birds.

Sunday the Mai family, Vu, and Katie went to Mass at Vu's church where a samoan choir was leading the singing that day. A fun and different experience. Mass was followed by brunch at Aperto, a little corner cafe in the same neighborhood as Vu's apartment. We then proceeded to Golden Gate Bridge and Twin Peaks that afternoon for tons of pictures. That evening after plenty of convincing, we all went to a Thai Restaurant in Potrero Hill, LingBa, for a huge dinner Monday, was a day of wine tasting in Sonoma and a tasty Peruvian dinner at Fresca, for the last night before Dan's family headed back east.

After Dan's family left, Dan and I buckled down to start some serious job hunting. Hopes were high but after looking at the dismal job listings we were not sure if there would be anything for us here. We had the pleasure of meeting up with our friend, Audrey, Wednesday night for a night on the town. The four of us headed for some much needed pho and afterwards drinks at the Casanova. Friday with renewed hope after finding a few new job openings we spent the day preparing packages to send to potential employers. That evening Vu treated us to sushi and ice cream at a local San Fran ice cream parlor, Mitchell's. The line was out the door for ice cream despite the chilly evening air. But with flavors like Kahlua Mocha Cream, White Pistachio, and Claire's Pie (chocolate ice cream with almonds, fudge, and graham crackers) it was worth the wait, and no surprise to see a police officer in line while his car was parked in the street blocking two cars in with his yield lights on...

Vu finished up the evening with a tour of the city, going to Crissy fields, driving down Lombard Street, and through several of the neighborhoods. It was a great way to see the city, no traffic, all the buildings lit up and people on the streets for some Friday night fun. Saturday, Dan and I spent the night at Luke and Audrey's in order to have a little more time with them. Audrey and Luke first took us on a a drive to nearby Santa Cruz. We enjoyed some excellent conversation, good beach time, and yummy coffee at LuLu Carpenter's. The rest of the evening was to say the least besides a blur of Wii bowling, Bob Marley, and New Belgium Biere...it was a good night. Sunday at an all too early hour we headed back the city to get in some real tourist action. We decided to check out the Fisherman's Wharf, Pier 39, and of course get some yummy clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl. That afternoon was spent with a serious nap (needed due to the night before) followed by some deep conversations with Vu, and a real homemade dinner!

So with a hard realization that our time in San Fran was coming to an end, we started prepping for our next journey. We are ready and able...to infinity and beyond!

Special Note for all you coffee lovers out there: Blue Bottle Coffee, could be among the best coffee: taste-wise and philosophy-wise.

California Coast: Part 2

2009-07-13T00:44:00.000-07:00

Saying goodbye to warm San Diego, we continued up Pacific Coast Highway 1. We started in the late morning to bypass the excruciating traffic of L.A. (inevitably we got stuck anyway). After two hours of LA traffic, Katie and I decided that this was not the place for us especially considering the added bonus of a nice layer of smog over the city. At this point, we had been on the road for 4-5 hours and we had a couple of priorities: (1) bathroom break (2) lunch at In and Out Burger. Without much stopping after that we headed for San Luis Obispo where cousins Carolyn and Rich reside. Our hosts welcomed us with open arms and introduced us to their cats trouble maker Scooter, chill Oreo, and the elusive Snuffy as well as their dog Sephora. That night, Carolyn made us a delightful to all senses seafood dish consisting of orzo pasta, spring greens, grilled squash, eggplant, shrimp, and scallops. Unfortunately, we only got to stay one night here and had to move on the next day. Before we left, we attended the soft grand opening at a local chocolate shop and grabbed some tapas for lunch at an amazing restaurant, NOVO. The Korean Short Ribs and Indian Samosas were favorites.

Back to Route 1. Epic views, curvy roads, and lush landscapes await us. I drove first so that Katie got to appreciate the view being this was were her first experience. This would easily be one of our top picks for road trips that one must take at least once in their lives. We stopped whenever something caught our eye: kite surfers do their thing, a secluded beach to dip our toes in the cold Pacific, and of course, snap some shots for the blog. Other stops included Cambria and Carmel River Beach which was listed in Sunset Magazine as one of the top beaches of the summer. After 6 hours of driving we are about an hour outside of San Francisco at our good friends from school, Luke and Audrey's mountain house. They live just southwest of San Jose. Insanely windy roads that barely fit one car but allowed traffic in both directions led us back to their cabin! Unfortunately, Audrey was out of town but Luke was there to greet us and feed us corn beard! After a relaxed dinner, we all watched the fog roll through the mountains and caught up on some missed time. Morning was a perfect time for me to take some photos and for Katie to paint. Then back to the road and on to San Francisco!

California Coast: Part 1

2009-07-10T13:56:00.000-07:00

The first night, after a quick orange blossom hefeweizen homebrew and dropping off our bags, we headed to North Park to a local beer bar. You can't beat $3 delicious beer. A couple brews later, we headed over to the Linkery, where we ate some tasty appetizers before heading back to Michael's and turning in for the night.

Tuesday morning...since Katie had never been to San Diego, the 3 of us decided to do the tourist tour of La Jolla Village area and view Seal Rock which is a 'must-see' for anyone visiting. Afterwards we checked out an exhibit at the Museum of Contemporary Art featuring local San Diego Architects which was a nice refresh of creativity and innovative design. At this point, lunch was calling our names so Michael whipped up some tasty carnitas with refreshing gin and tonics to wash it all down.

After spending some time 'being responsible' job hunting and the like we went for a quick walk with Isla to enjoy the always perfect weather. My cousin Long and friend, Jules, came over that evening for steamed lemon butter and rosemary artichokes, and pan-seared cashew encrusted ahi accompanied with fried rice and a fresh salad. The beer of the night was some good ole New Belgium Fat Tire. It was a great way to end the first part of our Californian odyssey.

Mexican Holiday

2009-07-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

We traveled to Mexico over the weekend with Bill and Alba. Friday afternoon we crossed the border (Dan's First time). Alba Rushed passed a blur of political ads in Nogales as we winded our way out of the city and into the Sonoran desert. Shrines and road side stands dotted the landscape. At one stand Bill insisted on buying the local cheese famous to the town. A man handed us the fresh made cheese and tortillas for a few pesos. The cold cheese was the consistency of mozzarella and you could taste the grass the cow had fed on. Singing The Killer's songs at the top of our longs we entered Alba's hometown, Hermosillo. Alba's ever

gracious family welcomed us with open arms and made quesadillas with the fresh cheese and tortillas from the road. After a chat we went to the Zenil's favorite

neighborhood burrito stand. Featured in the photos above the Zenil brothers (minus Santiago) from left to right: Juan Carlos, Miguel, and Benito. Dan is shown with his arm sized burrito filled with delicious meat (yes he ate the whole thing).

Saturday morning we woke up and drove to San Carlos. One of Bill's friends was getting married and Dan and I were about to crash our first wedding. Before arriving at the hotel room we stopped off at a cliff view and got a few snap shots of the Gulf of California.

We then hurried to the hotel and then to the beach in order to get out of the heat and into the

beautiful water. The water was perfect, clear, warm, and clean. The air temp however was quickly climbing and any more than few minutes

outside of the water was enough to send you straight back in. After basking in the water for a few hours we went to a Mariscos restaurant for lunch and gorged ourselves on delicious seafood. With some serious food coma, we then got ready for the wedding. In typical beach wedding fashion, the overall mood was casual. The wedding consisted of several rows of chairs, an altar, and a sunset in the background. It also included a few thousand mosquitos... The couple was very happy and all the friends and family were ready to celebrate. Exhausted Dan and I tucked in early and got some rest for the next day.

On Sunday we all woke up early and headed back to Hermosillo. Sunday was election day in

Mexico and everyone was excited to vote. Alba was voting at her old kindergarten one block from her parents' house. Bill, Dan and I decided to wait across the street and watch the process while Alba waited in the line that wrapped around the block. Everyone in the community was out to cast their vote and it was interesting to see the neighbors interact during the voting process. 2 hours later in 100 degree heat the interest wore thin. Vote accomplished our last stop in Mexico was to Taco Fish. Which had absolutely delicious fish tacos in an out door stall environment. It definitely left a wonderful flavor in our mouths as we made the journey back to

Arizona.

Monday morning we left Rio Rico and headed for San Diego, driving through the Arizona and California deserts before finally arriving in San Diego County. The heat sizzled up to 115 degrees. At one point there were warning signs to turn off your AC to prevent your car from over heating. Talk about a nerve racking 10 mile stretch. When we let Isla out to "make a pit stop" in Yuma the ground was scorching her paws and she jumped promptly back into the car.

We are now staying with Michael (Dan's friend from grade school) in the pleasantly mild suburb of La Jolla. We are looking forward to a few good meals, beers, and conversations before we hit the road again up the coast of California. A big thanks to Bill and Alba for a great

week north and south of the border.

Dinner: Sunset Included

2009-07-02T08:31:00.001-07:00

Day 3: Not much to update but I just wanted to share a few photos from the past couple days of life in Arizona. In a time span of 20 minutes the sunsets have changed with exceptional brilliance. We enjoyed this series of colors right before we sat down for dinner that consisted of: Roasted Red Bell Pepper stuffed with white rice, chicken, mushroom, and cheese, and accompanied by Cerveza del Sol (lime optional). Yummy!

Start of an Adventure

2009-07-01T09:32:00.000-07:00

Days 1 & 2:

Katie and I have left Beautiful Colorado. The story behind this decision is not so extraordinary and rather a sad story directly correlating with the economy. Yes, I had been let go from my job and with a "less than practical" solution to the problem we have decided to embark on a much needed road trip. Katie has resigned her two jobs and now we begin the search for "what's next?" Everything seemed like it was moving at the speed of light for the last month and now that we started, the full realization of the situation has set in... we are jobless and homeless.

Oh well, C'est la vie. It sounds whole lot worse than it feels right now.

We left Vail Monday morning, drove through Utah (Moab and Monument Valley) and into Arizona. Our first night was spent camping at Navajo National Monument. If you are in the area we highly recommend this campground. It was one of the few national parks/monuments that are still free. Free entry and camping! The campsites are nice and they have water and restrooms. If you can spend more time there, the park features cliff dwellings, canyon hikes, and cultural info at the visitor's center. There were also a lot of pesky flies this time and no bug spray so do come prepared for that. The definite highlight of the first day was the sunset at the campground.

Tuesday morning we left the campground and started heading south towards Rio Rico, Arizona. After hearing wonderful things about Sedona, we planned a detour, expecting to find a quaint artist town. Breathtaking views abounded, but what seemed like the Gatlinburg of Arizona was not what we were looking for. The natural beauty was totally worth the detour, and staying in one of the retreats in the park would be an excellent vacation. Passing through Phoenix, the thermostat on the car read 107, which was a little too hot for comfort. Further south the rainstorms of monsoon season rolled in and the temp dropped as we arrived at Bill's Casa late that afternoon. He and the delightful Alba prepared a feast of: grilled peppers stuffed with cheese and wrapped with bacon, still warm tortillas fresh from Mexico with queso fresca, and carne asada tacos. Delicious!