North American Road Trip Pt10 - Sturgis

When I used to hear the word “biker” my brain would conjure thoughts of huge tattooed, pierced, Hells Angel hanging out in a seedy bar doing illegal things. So when we ended up in Sturgis during Bike Week I was worried about gang wars and “rough” people that I may encounter (pardon my ignorance). This was not the case at all in Sturgis. Granted I am sure there was a little seediness…there were a couple of stabbings, and some less than classy moments (wet t-shirt contest? No thanks….And I ain’t showing you nothing. This ain’t Mardis Gras and I’m not a girl gone wild), but for the most part they were just everyday people. I didn’t see any Hells Angels or Satan’s Choice. Instead I saw a lot of Christain groups. There were bikers of all ages. I even saw a 70 year old wearing a bow tie and suspenders with his elderly wife in her granny shoes hanging off his back. They rocked that Harley! There was a lot to see and not once did I feel unsafe. The only downfall was that hotels were stupidly expensive (Motel 8 was $250/night), aaaaaannnnnd I felt a little out of place driving a car. I probably wouldn’t go out of my way to go back for Bike Week (even if I had a bike), but it was a great experience!

North American Trip Pt9 - Devils Tower

Ever since leaving Canada we had been bombarded with motorcycles-- bike after bike we would see, and the further west we went the more bikes we saw. We could not for the life of us figure out why. It wasn’t until we were at Devils Tower when we figured out why... it was Bike week in Sturgis! There were literally thousands of bikes parked outside of Devils Tower. Now I don’t own a bike myself, but I love to ride! So much that I asked some random guy if he would take me for a spin (so Jeff won’t let me drive a moped – see my Cuba post- but he’s ok with my getting on the back of a motorcycle with some random biker dude?? Go figure). The ride was awesome! By law helmets are optional, so we ripped around with my hair blowing in the wind! Sadly I soon said goodbye to the bike and got back into my car. I didn’t know what Devils Tower was until Jeff showed me a picture. I recognized it from the movie “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”. There are many myths and legends surrounding this place, and Native Americans still perform ceremonies here. I would like to hone my rock climbing skills and scale it someday….and check out the view from the top!

Me and random biker guy

North American Road Trip Pt8 - Alberta - Wyoming

Due to work obligations it was time for us to leave, but first we wanted to see a little of what Canada has to offer! We headed over to Jasper and took in the beautiful mountain scenery. Unfortunately we didn’t plan too well and ended up there on a long weekend….hotels were stupidly expensive so after touring downtown we drove 40 min to find a cheaper place to sleep. The next day we drove through mountain terrain and forest and ended up at Lake Louise. Beautiful clear aqua water….I wanted to go swimming but it was freeeeezing (glacier water). Pictures do not do this place justice! After hiking for a bit we set off back across the border to the U.S.A.
I didn’t know much about Yellowstone before this trip. In fact I kept calling it “Jellystone” (I’m smarter than the average bear!). I soon figured out why it was called Yellowstone – there are areas where the stones are yellow…and orange, and red. Breathing in the fresh sulphuric air we saw mud holes and geysers, including Old Faithful (and he was right on time!). It’s interesting to find out that Yellowstone is a super volcano. Many people die there each year because they leave the trail and end up getting scalded to death (if the sign says do not touch, then do not touch!). You can literally feel the heat coming from the ground. Apparently Yellowstone erupts approx. every 600,000 years causing total devastation, and it hasn’t erupted in about 640,000 years….seems like we are a little overdue!

Old Faithful

Hee hee

Rub your magic 8 gently.....does it tell you the truth?

North American Road Trip Pt7 - British Columbia!

So we made it! (despite getting held up at the border at 1 am…seriously, do I LOOK like a drug smuggler? Must have been a slow night at the border). The west coast is Beautiful! I just loved the mountains (so different than the flat farmland that I am used to). We took a couple of days just to rest, relax, and enjoy some home cooking! Our first excursion out was the Capalino Suspension Bridge. Hiking, bridges, and tree top pathways, it was so much fun! We were also introduced to tubing in Lake Chilliwack. I loved it until I hit a log jam. I now have a newfound respect for water current. It is not until you are trying to fight your way to the surface for air do you truly understand its power. I am so lucky and grateful that there were no trees or branches underwater to prevent me from resurfacing. In fact just a week earlier a girl had drowne in that very same lake. On the lighter side, I almost lost my bikini bottoms in the struggle! Two days later we ended up in Whistler. W-O-W. I really couldn’t get over the scenery! I wanted to go white water rafting soooo bad, but my tubing incident had Jeff a little concerned (I have to admit that I was scared too) but I convinced him that I would not fall out of the raft. We had an absolute blast! Our tour guide was awesome and we hit some pretty big waves! (class III-IV rapids). We got to jump into the water. It took my breath away (Literally. I could not breathe until the wetsuit kicked in). I definitely want to try class V rapids.
We had a good visit with Jeffs family. The only thing I wish we did was go whale watching, and check out Vancouver. We can always do that next time tho. After a week it was time to leave. Our trip was winding down, but there was still a lot to see…

Capalino Suspension Bridge

North American Road Trip Pt6 - Sequoia, Yosemite

Sequoia was by far one of my most favourite places on our trip. In fact it may be one of my most favourite places ever. To me Sequoia was truly breathtaking – it was almost magical! I regret not spending more time there. There is something about the huge redwoods that made me feel completely at peace and totally at home. We hiked until it was night. Being the silly gal I am I wandered off and got lost...I was by myself in the middle of the forest in the dark, sans flashlight (pumas and jaguars and bears, oh my!). I was eventually found and was sad when we had to leave. I was even sadder when the low fuel light turned on and there were no gas stations to be seen....thankfully we were driving downhill and Jeff coasted in neutral (on fumes) until we found a motel for the night. Good-night Sequoia, good-morning Yosemite!

Yosemite is another beautiful location! Same type of forests and redwoods but it did not have the energy that Sequoia did. I wish we got to spend more time here as well – would have loved to hike more trails, and seen more waterfalls....to experience the beauty that America has to offer. For anyone who loves to camp, I highly recommend this National Park!

Our first tarantula....Jeff almost caused a car accident taking this picture. There were a lot of car honks and middle fingers....

Yosemite

North American Road Trip Pt 5 - Los Angeles

Driving down the highway we saw a sign that said “Calico Ghost Town”. With a name like that of course we had to stop! It is an old abandoned town where they used to mine silver….I can’t remember much else about it but they had a really cool cemetery. The ground is really hard so it’s difficult to dig graves so they just end up putting piles of rocks on the dead bodies. Descendants still use the cemetery today (of course the only thing I would remember is the morbid part of it) Check out more here: http://www.calicotown.com/ .

Grave Stone

Inside the mine


The Town


Lights, camera, action! We finally arrive in Los Angeles. Coming from a small town I always thought that Toronto was big but W-O-W! Nothing compared to this! So what to do in a huge city such as this? Hollywood boulevard of course! (well I did ask Jeff if we could go to Compton…he said no. *sigh* he never lets me do anything fun!). We went on a sightseeing tour where we checked out famous locations such as Rodeo Drive and Beverly Hills (where we maaaay have seen Julia Roberts), saw Harry Potter in the best movie theatre ever-the Chinese theatre where they show the red carpet premieres, and did the walk of fame. It wasn’t long before we had enough of the city and hit up some beaches! The beaches were nice – they reminded me a lot of home—but the water was freezing. We ended up in Santa Monica at the famous pier and ate at Bubba Gumps…yum! We contemplated spending another day and going to Universal Studios but decided that we had had enough of the city life. *queue Willie Nelson* “On the road again”…

Me at Santa Monica beach

Michael Jacksons Star - R.I.P. MJ

North American Road Trip Pt4 - Rachel, Nevada

When you hear the name of the town Rachel Nevada you may think "meh never heard of it". How about driving down the Extraterrestrial Highway to Area 51? Heard of it now? This was one of the most interesting and intense experiences of the trip. Whether you are a conspiracy theorist or not, you would have to admit that SOMETHING very secret is going on here. The security was intense. When we turned down the road to drive to the boundary we were met by an unmarked military vehicle driven by “men in black”. They literally followed us the whole time. We passed by surveillance equipment, and the men in black never let us out of their sight. Now there isn’t anything to see at the boundary but it was still really cool. Surprisingly there isn’t a fence, just stakes in the ground to mark out the boundary. Apparently there is only one tiny little point where the actual building is visible to the public…and you can only reach it by hiking up a mountain. Driving for 2 hours in the middle of the desert with no cell phone or GPS service, no water, then a 2 hour hike up a mountain with poisonous spiders and scorpions (here in Canada we only have Polar Bears…eh), in 40 plus degree heat in late afternoon may not seem like such a good idea but we decided to try it! We drove down a lonely dirt road and almost made it to the mountain….the terrain was in rough shape and we couldn’t make it all the way there without bottoming out my car. We finally came to our senses and decided that one day we will have to come back when we actually had the proper supplies and do it. It would have been just plain stupid and unsafe for us to try it. So we got back into my car and drove back to the highway...

We said our good-byes to U.F.O. country and headed back on the road….we were almost at our destination, but first Los Angeles!

Men in Black watching us

The infamous sign at the boundary

North American Road Trip Pt 2 - New Mexico to Nevada (2009)

So we finally made it to our fist planned destination: Roswell, New Mexico. I am sure that I do not have to tell you what is enticing about this city (if you are still stumped click here). No we did not see any extraterrestrials --which was both disappointing and relieving at the same time (no anal probes for us!). I had an amusing conversation with some Americans at Dairy Queen and giggled at their excitement over the fact that Canada has coloured money and milk bags. We visited some museums, got our pictures taken with aliens, tried to stay indoors because it was HOT!!!

We travelled further south and visited the White Sands National Monument . Miles upon miles of pure white sand. It literally looked like snow! We trekked along the dunes but didn’t stray too far out. It is easy to get lost and people have died out there before. On a lighter note, you can rent sleds and go tobogganing down the dunes! One thing I did find odd was that the park closes down during the week so that the military can conduct tests…..of what I have no idea….do I smell conspiracy??

Playing in the sand

Continuing on our journey we took a little detour to check out the astronomical radio observatory Very Large Array. This is where some of the movie “Contact” was filmed (are you starting to see a trend here? Look out Area 51!). These things were HUGE! Unfortunately we arrived later in the day and it was closed so we didn’t get to go on a tour. It was starting to get dark so back on the road we continued our journey. Next stop, the Grand Canyon!

"Hi Mom!"

I'm in the bottom left corner

North American Road Trip Pt 1 - Missouri to New Mexico (summer 2009)

Laid off for 2 months….hmmm what to do? How about a 5 week road trip across North America? Why not!

With passports in hand and suitcases in tow my partner and I decided on a last minute road trip across North America. How last minute? We decided 3 days before we left….just enough time to renew our passports. Destination: British Columbia to visit his family. It was a beautiful day when we left….cruisin down the highway. Cruisin a little too fast –my bf got a speeding ticket before we even reached the Canada/U.S. border….oops.

Our plan was to save money by buying groceries and sleeping in the car (that idea lasted half a day lol). We ended up driving to Missouri and spending the night…first stop Stanton. We checked out Meramec Caverns, an underground cave system that was once a hide-out for Jesse James. Seeing rock formations that were billions of years old was quite amazing!

Underground rock formations at Meramec

Taking famous Highway Route 66 we saw tons of amazing things.The landscape was just breathtaking! I love Canada but we do not have the diversity of land that the U.S. has. One minute you are in farmland, the next you are in desert! We stopped along the way to check out Billy the Kids Tombstone (which now lives in a cage because of vandals).

Ckeck here to learn more about Billys Tombstone

We didn’t have a specific route planned out, but we had certain “must-see” spots….next stop? Roswell New, Mexico, “Dairy Capital of the Southwest”……….

Because Dairy Captial is the first thing I think of when I hear Roswell....

Cayo Coco Cuba

In Jan 2009 I visited an all inclusive resort in Cuba. Although the weather wasn’t super hot, it was sunny and warm and a lot better than the snowstorms they were having back in Canada!

The resort was still in the process of recovering from a hurricane, and the food….well let’s just say I had to have a little visit with the Dr (I believe that I got the food poisoning from the snorkeling excursion, not the resort)….other than that the trip was great! The resort was situated on the beach and on the first day of arrival I went parasailing. It was fab-u-lous. Even though I am afraid of heights, I managed quite well!!!

We did a few excursions such as horeseback riding on the beach and snorkeling (which was interesting...The water was kind of rough and I had a panic attack since it was my first time in the ocean and I’m terrified of sharks…and I was chased by jelly fish). We also spent the day in the city of Moran (missed out on Havana because of the food poisoning). I wish I got to experience more of the culture, but for the most part I had a blast! If you rent a moped and drive an hour there is a beau-ti-ful beach with white sand :)

Here’s some pics:

View from Parasailing

Beautiful Beaches

Kissing Crocs at the Crocodile farm

I had to beg my partner to let me drive the moped. As soon as I got on I drove straight into the bushes (and that would be why he didn't want me driving lol). My moped days are over.

Yikes! It's Happening!

Soooooo it's going to happen! And quick. Due to circumstances in my life the opportunity to take the time to travel the world has come up....and come up it has! Plans are to leave in August (I wasn't planning on taking this trip until 2012/2013) Yikes. That only gives me two and a half months to plan a trip, save money, get my house finished and rented, and get my belongings packed all while working a 60/hour week (rotating days/nights).

Sure I cooouuuullddd let this pass and stick with my original plan but I am starting to believe that things happen for a reason. And face it, who knows what my life will be like in a few years time --maybe my circumstances will change and I won't be able to travel. It's best I do this now :)

So where am I going you may ask? Well this ain't no Euro trip that's for sure. Sure I love adventure, sure I love the thrills but I have to admit there is a hidden agenda. I am on a quest. A quest for truth...to discover the spiritual and mysterious places of the earth, all while having the time of my life! This blog will be dedicated to the lighter side of me, travel plans, touristy things, excursions and all of that fun stuff. I have a seperate log dedicated to my spiritual journey which you can follow at: http://sacreddivine.blogspot.com/

I have to admit that I am feeling really overwhelmed but super excited!!! Since I still have a bit of time before I leave I will post Blogs on the adventures I have taken in the past 2 years to whet your apetite.

Enjoy!