Zion National Park Adventures

I flew to Las Vegas via Detroit on Saturday the 16th.  I arrived in Vegas around 9 and after renting a car, met my fellow Couch Surfers at a hotel in Vegas around 10:30 p.m.  Meera is a girl from London who has been teaching Math in Upstate NY on a Fulbright teaching exchange program. Jarod is a guy from China who works for an American company working in Chad (in Africa) and is a wireline logging engineer.  (Look it up).  But he was a geology major in school and so is fascinated by stuff like rock layers.  lol

Anyway, they went out that night, but went straight to sleep since it was 1:30 am my time.  They didn't get back until 2 and we woke up between 6 and 6:30 to leave by 7.  We drove to St. George which is the closest "big" city near Zion where we stocked up at a Super Wal-Mart with food and more camping supplies.  I then made an executive decision to have BBQ for lunch at a nearby restaurant that smelled amazing.  Per usual, I was done before they'd taken about 3 bites.  The place's name was Dickies - apparently a chain out of Dallas - and they had free soft-serve ice cream, which made me happy.  We then continued on to Zion, at which point I realized, I had forgotten my national park pass - the pass which expired at the end of this month that I wanted to use before it expired.  The entire reason I planned this trip.  So I had to buy another one for $80 since we'll be going to enough parks to make it worth while in just this one trip.

On the positive side, even though we didn't arrive until after 1 p.m. (UT time - an hour later than Vegas time), there were still camp sites available. We found a great spot with some trees and close to the bathrooms.  But the drama continued when I took out the tent I hauled all the way here in a $23 checked bag - I lent it to a friend a while back and she returned it.  I figured all was in order - but no.  The stakes and tent poles (that pop  it up) were missing.  So Meera and I went on a search for tent poles at three nearby outdoor stores.  None had any that would work with my tent - so we had to buy a new tent.

However, after figuring out how to put it up, it turned out to be pretty nice for only about $58 total.  Bigger than mine too.  We were so hot by this point, we walked down to the Virgin River which runs right behind our camping ground and swam/waded in the water which had a surprisingly strong current.

Meanwhile, Jarod, who has (let me re-phrase, HAD) a digital water camera was taking awesome shots of all of us.  I kept telling him to put the camera in his velcro pocket of his bathing suit, but he didn't.  Then, as he was wading upstream in the strong, strong current, I hear "I dropped my camera."  He said he was actually trying to put it in his pocket and that's how he dropped it - but who puts a camera in one's pocket (under water) while going upstream with a current??  Anyway, we immediately began the search.  The camera was bright pink so we figured it wouldn't be too hard to find (he bought it that color for this very reason).  But where he dropped it the current made seeing through the water very difficult and there were many different sized rocks on the bottom.  My guess is that it got lodged under one of the rocks - if it had gone downstream we would have seen it. Jarod kept diving down while holding a heavy rock to keep him down, looking for it with borrowed goggles from sympathetic onlookers, but to no avail.  All  his photos from his time in America - DC, Vegas and here.  He handled it a lot better than I would have though. 

By the time we were done, we looked like drowned rats - we were so cold and tired.  After changing into dry clothes, we took the Zion shuttle up to the River Walk trail that is about 2 mi round trip and follows the river.  It is a beautiful walk and pretty easy.  After that, we went to the weeping rock trail (at about 7:30 pm) which was very short.  At the top there is a big overhanging rock and water continuously drips off  it, so that when you stand under it you feel like you're taking shelter from the rain.  That is where we met Eric.

Eric, 22, is from Santa Barbara, Ca. and was in the park with his parents who were resting after their earlier hikes.  He was taking photos on his very cool DSLR so we started comparing shooting techniques and next thing you know we're all sitting down and talking under the watery overhang.  We told him about CS and he was thrilled.  He was also excited that I was from NC, where he hopes to relocate soon.  Eric was a geography major and he develops topographic maps, though he hoped it would involve more outdoor endeavors than it does.  He mostly sits at a desk..  He has not been to the East Coast even - so I hope he'll come visit soon so can show him why NC is so awesome! lol

We all went back to the Zion lodge with him where we sat on the comfy couches and chatted for a while.  We left about 10:15 because Meera and Jarod were exhausted (no kidding!).  We got to bed around 11 and woke up again at 5:30 a.m. to prepare to go watch the sunrise on the Temples of the Virgin (three giant mountains that the sun hits as it appears from behind the opposite mountains).  It didn't actually start showing until about 7:15, when the golden sun looked to be melting down the mountains, as though being poured on slowly from some invisible giant.  It was incredible to say the least.

From there we rested a bit at the camp and then prepared for the Angel's Landing Hike - a 5 mile or so round-trip straight up to an overlook that is indescribable.  The top .5 mile you are clambering over red sheer rocks and you have to hold onto heavy chains in order to not fall to your death (which 6 people have done since 2004).  Meera didn't want to go on that part, but Jarod and I went up - and it was worth every step!  The view over the canyon was breathtaking, the breeze sweet, the company....amusing.  There was a group of more So. Cal guys up there - but distinctly different from Eric.  They were all loud, very "male," college kids who were smoking and doing daring moves that freaked me out.  They were nice, and also loved the whole CouchSurfing thing (which they also had not heard of), but man, it made me think "were guys this dumb when I was in college?"  Oh, and none of them had been to the east coast either - what is it with Californians?

When we met back up with Meera, we continued a different direction on the West Rim Trail which goes for 3 miles, of which we prob. did 1.5 miles.  From there, we had a great view of the trail we'd just hiked up to Angel's Landing.

The way back down was tough.  My knees were not happy and I felt like my legs were swollen.  When we were almost back to the trailhead, we saw a path down to the river and I was like "I'm going swimming - now."  They humored me and we went down to the river where I stripped down to my running shorts and sports bra and they waded in.  My legs felt a bit better after soaking in the frigid water.

Jarod and I were done after that, but right near the trailhead another trail to Emerald Pools starts - it is about 2 mi round trip.  Meera went on that and Jarod and I took the bus back to our campground.  I went to the part of the river by us and "bathed" with eco-friendly soap, then washed clothes.  After that, Jarod and I just rested and waited for Meera.  She finally returned and Jarod and I left for the lodge which is where I am now writing this.  Jarod just asked if I was writing a novel.  Well, I'm a writer - sue me. 

So, tomorrow we'll leave by 6:30, go to an amazing overlook to watch the sunrise on the way to Bryce Canyon, and do more hiking.  If I can find internet there, I'll update again soon. :)

Meera, Jarod and Met on the River Walk Trail.

On the Weeping Rock trail as the sun set.

Meera, Eric and me at the bottom of Weeping Rock trail.

Sunrise on the Temples of the Virgin.

Sunrise - I'm looking a bit rough.  It's very early.

Sunrise gold dripping down mountains.

In a little cave on the trail to Angel's Landing.

Sitting atop Angel's Landing - my shoes, and a giant monolith.

Atop Angel's Landing.

Jarod and me jumping on the West Rim Trail.

Meera and me doing yoga poses on West Rim Trail.

The trail we hiked to the VERY top.

Mountain Weekend Before 4th of July

Colene and Danny on the hike to Hawksbill

On Friday, July 1, Colene and her husband Danny drove down from Raleigh, ate dinner with us, and then took me with them to my grandparent's mountain house in Jonas Ridge, NC.  It was about 10 p.m. when we arrived and soon after we walked down to the Keith's place a few houses down the mountain.  My old friend Weston was there with his band staying at his parents' house. 

Weston and I met when I came to the mountains for the first time.  I was around 10, he was 8.  As one of the only other children on the mountain (when his family was there visiting their mountain house), we played together frequently.  Our games usually consisted of 1) hide-and-go-seek/tag combination, 2) war, 3)gorilla war.  Sensing a pattern here?  Weston made guns out of sticks and, having no one else to play with, I was roped into the game along with my little brother and cousins who live down the mountain.  Weston usually wore camouflage and was outside constantly.

The three of us on Hawksbill

Today, Weston is in a band that is going places - literally.  They frequently travel to NYC, London and all sorts of other places.  Weston's hair has more product than mine ever has and his pants are tighter than mine as well.  The v-neck t-shirts and dog tag necklace complete the rocker look.  I can't help but smile internally when I look at him now - where did that 8-year-old camo-wearing little boy go?  Now I'm looking at  22 year old Steven Tyler wanna-be (well, you know, without the crazy face and former drug problems).  It makes me wonder if I've changed as much, though somehow, I doubt it. 

At the top.

I wonder about people sometimes - what makes them who they are and how often can that change?  Most of the things I loved when I was younger, I still love - nature, sliding down waterfalls, climbing trees, dancing, singing, dressing up, reading and writing.  So, the question is - if someone develops new interest that they throw themselves into and a new style, does that sometimes overwrite the old, or just mask it? 

Anyway, it was wonderful to see Weston since whenever we've gone up the mountains in the last few years, he's never been there.  Colene, Danny and I sat around their campfire and the band played music - original and covers and everyone sang and made s'mores.  It was really a great night.

The next day Weston and the band went back to Concord, and Colene, Danny and I went to hike Hawksbill.  The view from the top is to die for, and it's a must-see for able-bodied mountain visitors.  While it moderately difficult climb, the 360 degree vista from the top is worth it. 

Me sliding down Lower Falls.

After that, we came back and relaxed a bit at the cabin and then went to Lower Falls.  After the hike down, we slid down the waterfall that I "discovered" when I was about 12.  We had the place to ourselves and it was lovely.  From there, we hiked up through the gorge until we reached Upper Falls.  It was much more crowded up there - especially at the swimming hole.  The swimming hole is a deep, freezing pool of water that people can slide into via waterfalls or swing into on a rope swing.  I became the official photographer for Danny and Colene as I didn't feel like getting wet again and clouds were making the place cooler than usual. 

By the time we hiked back to the car, we were pooped.  Back at the house, I worked on planning my Utah trip while Danny and Colene took naps.  A few hours later, Uncle Reid and the boys (my cousins Adam (13) and Brandon(19)) came up to the house.  They brought two little Jack Russel puppies that were SO adorable it almost made me want a dog - almost.  Anyway, they didn't have names yet, so I named them myself - Pirate and Dot.  Both girls - Pirate has a black patch over one eye and Dot has a round spot on her side. 

The swimming hole at Upper Falls.

Colene and Danny came out for a little bit and played with the dogs as well.  After they left, Colene, Danny and I got a call from my Grandma Bailey who was driving up from Tallahassee with Uncle Andy and Lily (13) for a Bailey family reunion.  They were on their way to stay with Uncle David near Boone, but they were going to have dinner at the Italian Restaurant near us.  We decided to meet them down there for dinner.

Colene knew my uncle and grandma from when she visited with me in Tallahassee while she was attending FSU.  I had a calzone that was HUGE - cheese, spinach and pineapple.  It was amazing.

Mom and Brett drove up from Charlotte that night (Saturday) and arrived about 11 p.m. 

Sunset in Jonas Ridge.

Dot sleeping

The next morning, my dad got of work in Charlotte, picked up my Uncle John from the airport at 7 a.m., and drove to Uncle David's house near Boone.  Colene, Danny, Mom, Brett and I met the whole gang over there and talked for a while before Colene and Danny had to drive back to Raleigh.

Old Friends Returned

I had a rather unexpected weekend.  On Thursday I made a post on Facebook that a very old friend commented on.  In our discussion, via FB, I realized that she now lives in Raleigh and knows not a soul.  I called her up and invited her down to visit and since her husband was away on a work trip, she was delighted to come.

Colene and Lauren after Alive After Five

First let me back up and tell you how I know Colene - she is the daughter of my parents' old friends Patty and Dave.  Patty was friends with my dad since high school in Miami.  Growing up, we went on a few trips together and one summer, Colene lived with my family for a month, and then I went with her family to Fontana Village in the mountains for 10 days.  This was before cell phones.  Or maybe they just didn't work there.  I remember my mother being scared because I only called her once from a payphone the whole time.  Anyway, that is neither here nor there. 


Colene went to FSU and while I saw her once or twice over college, we really haven't had much contact since then.  She became an EMT and volunteer firefighter, got married and moved to Jacksonville, FL until the recent move to Raleigh.  While we always got along, it wasn't until this most recent visit that I realized how similar we are despite our differences.

I am very outgoing in situations where I feel comfortable - a.k.a., dances, game nights, amongst family/friends.  Initially, Colene comes off very introverted.  Yet in her role as EMT or when she feels comfortable in a situation, she too is outspoken and a strong personality.  On the other hand, among a group of people I don't know well who are talking about things I don't really care about, I become the introvert and would rather be at home reading. 

Hanging from the silk

That is but a small example of ways in which we are similar.  We also both have an affinity for reading, country music, dancing, silk aerial, board games, family, the mountains and the outdoors. 

After her arrival on Thursday, we met my friend Brandon uptown to go to a talk about 20-somethings in today's economy.  It was pretty interesting listening to the different takes of why this generation is so different from the ones before us.  Conclusion: our helicopter parents combined with the poor economy are to blame. ;)  Also, as it turns out, my friend Ford was on the panel.


Afterward, Brandon accompanied Colene and me to a nearby diner and then to Alive After Fire, which is basically loud and not-so-great live music surrounded by people drinking, smoking and groping each other.  Delightful.  Luckily, it was almost done when we arrived, so we just sat in the back and talked until it was over.  I ran into a couple friends and then we all went home.

Colene doing silks.

On Friday we went shopping for some leggings.  I learned in silk aerial it is best to have full-length leggings so you don't get silk burns on your lower legs.  Afterward, we watched So You Think You Can Dance and then went over to my grandparents house to visit.  Grandma invited us to go to the dining hall with her so we had a really delicious dinner. 

That evening, my parents finally returned from Charleston and Savannah where they'd gone for their 30th anniversary.  We only got to see them for a few minutes before we left to go to World Dance Center for a salsa dance.  It was a lot of fun and we both met new people and enjoyed ourselves.  Unfortunately, we had to get up fairly early the next morning to be at a silk aerial class in Fort Mill at 10 a.m.  Colene had only done silks one other time, but she caught on quickly.

When we got home, I showed her how to play Just Dance on the Wii.  That evening we went to church because on Sunday morning we had to go to a nearby Starbucks to cover a story about a Great Dane Rescue group that always gets together there. 

Hanging around!

We enjoyed seeing all the dogs which are so big, but very docile.  That afternoon we went to the mall then met the family over at grandma and grandpa's.  Poor Colene had to sit through over an hour of home videos, but it was really neat to see my family from over 10 years ago.  When we left there, we went to Pops in the Park which is an outdoor symphony performance held at a nearby park.  We set up a big blanket, brought Panera for dinner and had a delightful time.  My friends Christina, Brandon and Alex joined us and we all played travel Scrabble which was fun.  Even though Colene was the only one without a partner, she killed us.


After such a great weekend, yesterday left me feeling a little blue.  I had to leave to do an interview before Colene woke up, and when I got home she was gone.  However, I hope she'll be able to join us in the mountains for Fourth of July weekend. 

Travels and New Hobbies

My best friend Lieselotte is home for the month of June from studying in Amsterdam so I went up to visit her in Raleigh on Thursday June 9.  First I met her in Chapel Hill where she was staying with her brother and his girlfriend.  We all went down to the Haw River where there is a rope swing and trees you can jump off of into the water.  It was a lot of fun, but at the end, other people there caught a poisonous snake so I was happy to leave when we did.

That night we went to Franklin Street and went to Top of The Hill.  In the basement, they have darts and pool so Lieselotte and I played against Florian (her bro) and Alex (his g/f).  Lies and I won both times, and Florian was not happy. haha

Wilmington at the Dockside restaurant.

The next day, we went to her parents house in Raleigh and took it easy since we were both pretty tired.  We watched Finding Neverland with Johnny Depp - and it made us both cry several times. lol  That night we met one of her friends for dinner nearby.  At the restaurant we sat on the patio and this man had his little daughter out there and she was so precious.  Probably 1 1/2 years old, wearing a little jumper and tiny converse tennis shoes.  She had big blue eyes and was constantly laughing.  The three of us girls having dinner couldn't take our eyes off her.  And since the dad didn't have a ring on, we decided he was using his little girl for bait. lol

On Saturday Lieselotte's friend Phillip went with us to a nearby sports bar where we played pool.  He beat us every game, but we were all consistently pretty close. Afterward, Lies and I went to meet 3 of her good girlfriends from High School at Bonefish Grille for dinner.  It was nice to put faces to the names I'd heard so often.

Touching a pillar that was touched by Dawson's Creek crew.

That night, Lieselotte's parents were hosting the Dutch Club of the Triangle area at their house for Klaverjassen.  This is a Dutch card game which is very fun and every month they get together and play tournament style.  Lieselotte taught me how to play before everyone arrived.  Many of the guests were born in Holland, some had been born here to Dutch parents, and others were spouses of a Dutch person.  Most were around Lieselotte's parents ages or older.  However, a guy named Jason walked in who no one had ever seen before.  He was 27 and had recently moved to Raleigh.  His parents were Dutch but he'd been born in the US then lived in Germany for 7 years.  So yes, he spoke English, Dutch and German.  *sighs*  I feel so unlearned.  He found out about the group online and decided to join.  The crazy thing was, that his family is from Charlotte and that is where he'd just moved from.  AND, his parents live less than a mile from my house, and he used to work for the Monroe Enquirer so he knows a lot of people who now work at the Observer who used to work at the Enquirer.  It was fun to be somewhere 3 hours away and meet someone who can not only talk shop with you, but also knows many of the people you work with and recognizes your byline!  Crazy!

Anyway, it was nice to have someone besides Lieselotte to speak in English with.  Even though everyone there spoke English, most were speaking to each other in Dutch.  Jason said his Dutch was weak, but it sounded fine to me.

Wrightsville Beach.

The next morning, Lieselotte and I got up and drove to Wilmington.  I'd never been before and was so, so excited to see the town where Dawson's Creek was filmed.  We started by going to the restaurant where Joey worked on a marina.  We had a delicious seafood lunch and then went to the Airlie Gardens which were beautiful.  I was practically jumping up and down when I saw this one area where the characters of the show had many important moments.  Lieselotte took a photo of me touching a column that I know Pacey touched. lol  Anyway, from there we went to Wrightsville Beach, but it started to get cloudy almost immediately.  I walked down to the pier but they wouldn't let me on it without paying and I hadn't brought any money with me.  I took some photos and by the time I got back to where Lieselotte was resting on the beach, she too was ready to go.  We drove through some heavy rain to get to downtown Wilmington and have some cold drinks at Hell's Kitchen - where Joey worked in college on the show.  Also, I didn't know this before, but Hell's Kitchen also has Joey's boat that she rows on the creek throughout the seasons.

Hell's Kitchen.

We walked a couple blocks from there down to the riverfront, took a few more photos and then headed back to Raleigh.  That night, Jason came and picked us up and we all went to an Irish restaurant in downtown Raleigh.  I hadn't been in downtown Raleigh since before college and I didn't realize how much it reminded me of Tallahassee, but with fewer pretty trees.  I really liked the restaurant/bar and we had good sandwiches and then played darts.  Jason won the first round, but I won the second by quite a lot.  (However, Jason had taught us the art of "leaning" so that had helped).  Jason won the last round and then we had to go because he had to work in the morning.

I left Lieselotte's Monday morning and drove to Chapel Hill where I had a nice get together with my old Shakespeare professor, Professor Gless.  He really was such an inspiration to me in school and has so many interesting stories and insights.  He recently went to south Africa and went on a safari where he sat in an open jeep while lions and leopards and every other kind of African animal strolled right by.  He said if they'd wanted to, the large cats could have easily pounced on them, but the guide said they were so used to the jeeps they never bothered them.  I really want to do that one day.

With Jason and Lies at the Irish restaurant.

Back here in Charlotte I have just taken my first two silk aerial lessons - you know, the thing where the red silk hangs from the ceiling and people twist themselves up in it and fly around.  I purchased a Groupon for $30 for five classes which is such a deal since many of the classes are 1.5 hrs long.  I took my first lesson on Monday night for an hour and it was an intro lesson.  I caught on quite quickly, probably because even though I'm not that flexible, I'm fairly strong and fearless.  There were five other girls in the class who had never done it before either and it was really funny to watch some of them attempt to do the moves that I felt were fairly simple.  I think the main problem was trusting that the fabric would hold them which I wasn't worried about.  Anyway, after the class, the teacher said I could attend a mixed level class from then on. :)

This is an example of something I learned in Aerial Dance.

So, on Tuesday I was sitting around thinking about all the moves I'd learned and browsing the different classes they offered online and decided I'd go to another longer one that night before Charlotte ONE.  Well, that was probably not the best idea in hindsight. haha  I had a lot of fun and learned some cool stuff, but from the time I left, the soreness I already had from the day before was multiplied by about 50 and it hurt to just shake someone's hands.  Today, all the muscles in my arms hurt, my fingers ache, my hips ache, my legs ache and I have strange purple bruises on my stomach.  BUT, it was soooo much fun!  This is the problem with Groupons - they get you to try something and then you suddenly realize that you are going to start paying out the wazoo to keep it up. I think for what I want to do it'll cost about $200 every 2.5 months to take two classes a week.  But, since I'm not paying to take dance classes anymore, I guess that's not too bad.

I've also been writing a lot of articles for the paper lately since Jessy just had her baby and is on maternity leave.  I feel like they aren't going to be too happy when I leave for two weeks to go to Utah.

Crazy Busyness

I haven't written in a while because I've been incredibly busy!  I've been working a lot for the Observer, and over the past few days I've been told (not asked) that I need to write another column weekly (school news - I already do charity column), as well as pick up several extra stories per week for the Ballantyne section because the main reporter for that section is pregnant and ill and will soon be having the baby and therefore, not able to work for the summer.  This is on top of the 2 stories a week I already do for my normal South Charlotte Sunday section.  So, basically, I'm supposed to be writing 4 to 6 stories a week and do 2 columns - that's more than a full-time reporter, and I'm not getting benefits or hourly wages!  I'm sorry, the whole point of being a freelancer is being FREE.  I mean, I can always use the work, but a little gratitude never hurt.  Or a please would be nice.  Anyway, so I'm a bit stressed out since I have a lot of travel plans this summer.  My best friend Lieselotte is in town from Amsterdam only for the month of June, and then I'm going to Utah for the last 2 weeks of July.

Oh, yes - Utah is a definite!  I will fly to Las Vegas July 16 and meet up with a girl from London and a guy from China (both of whom I found through Couchsurfing).  I've talked to both, but have not met either.  They both seem like really cool people and should be very fun to travel with.

We will rent a car on the 17th and Vegas and drive to Utah.  We will go to: Zion Nat'l Park, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef Nat'l Park, Arches Nat'l Park and Canyonlands Nat'l Park.  We will camp - which means I have to fit my tent and sleeping bag into a suitcase!  Ah!  lol 

I'll return the car the morning of July 30 in Vegas and fly home that afternoon. 

My high school best friend Tiffany flew into town yesterday morning so I picked her up from the airport and took her to her parent's lake house on Lake Norman.  We spent the day working on our computers, then we went in the pool for a while before heading to dinner and a movie.  Tiffany, her mom and I all saw Bridesmaids which was very funny, though a bit hard-edge at times. 

Today, Tiffany and I went on the jet ski and met my Uncle Bob, cousin Erin, her wife Kerri, and my brother out while they were on Uncle Bob's  boat.  We all switched off skiing off the boat and riding the jet ski.  It was a fun day and Uncle Bob was kind enough to treat us all to a yummy lunch at a lakeside restaurant. 

After swimming in the pool some more with Tiffany, we both got ready to go and while she drove to Asheville, I drove back to Charlotte and visited with the family at Grandma and Grandpa's house where Grandma made chili for everyone.  Now I'm exhausted and really need to go to bed.  I'm covering a story tomorrow, writing a couple and going shopping with Erin, Kerri and Mom. 

Disney Time!

The Irish dancer.

On Thursday we left Tampa and drove to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park.  It wasn't very crowded at all and we went on every ride multiple times.  It was perfect weather.  The high was probably in the low 90s, but there was a lot of shade and the water didn't make us feel too warm.  I went on every ride except the straight down, bathing-suit-up-your-butt slide.

After about 5 hours, we left and went to our hotel close to Downtown Disney.  After dropping our stuff and getting cleaned up, we went to Downtown Disney and got tickets for La Nouba - the Cirque Du Soleil show that has a permanent home in Orlando.  Then we had dinner at an authentic Irish restaurant.  I had chicken and mushroom pie, and Patrick had some sort of curry dish.  There was an Irish 2-man band and then an Irish dancing girl who performed on a raised platform in the middle of the restaurant.  It was so much fun!

In front of the pub.

After dinner we walked around for a while and then went to La Nouba.  It was the coolest circus I'd ever seen!  There were amazing acrobats: trick bicyclists, trick trampoline jumpers, tight-rope walkers, trapeze artists, out of this world jump ropers, and silk aerial acrobats.  They were all so impressive.  I actually signed up recently on Groupon for 6 silk aerial lessons myself because it looked like so much fun!

Friday morning, we got up at 7:30 and drove to Magic Kingdom.  We followed the Unofficial Disney Guide's order of which rides to go on when, and it worked like magic.  Granted, it wasn't crazy crowded since it's not yet summer and spring break is over.  Anyway, we went on everything we wanted to - which was most everything except Splash Mountain (since we didn't want to get wet), and rides like Dumbo that go around and around and make you want to puke.

Around dinner time we drove to Disney Boardwalk and ate at the old fashioned soda shop in the Dolphin Hotel.  We came back in time for a few more rides and the fireworks.

By the time the fireworks are over, we are pooped, but kill a little time in the gift shops so we can let the masses leave before we try to access the parking lot.

I was so tired when we got back and fell asleep almost immediately.

Saturday we got up again at 7:30 and drove to Epcot.  We got there right before they started the countdown and pulled away the red ribbon.  Everyone flooded toward the Soarin' ride to get fast passes.  We did the same, and then followed the unofficial guide for every ride.  We again, went on everything we wanted.

In the middle of the day I left and walked over to Disney Boardwalk (which is connected to Epcot), and met my friend Chase for lunch.  Patrick decided to rest and enjoy yummy treats in the countries.  He'd slightly twisted his ankle at the water park and my running him around wasn't helping.  It was good to see Chase again and hear about the movie he's making to finish film school.  We got trapped under an awning for a while as it down-poured off and on.

With Patrick.

Finally, we said our goodbyes and I hopped a ferry back to Epcot.  Patrick and I went on Soarin' again (a simulated hang-gliding ride that is so cool), and then started on the countries.  We went on the Mexico boat ride and tried to go on the Norway boat ride, but it was dysfunctional at the moment.  By this point, I was limping terribly as my legs were killing me.  I seriously felt disabled from my hips downward.  Plus, it was still raining off and on and I was cold and miserable.  We'd planned to stay until 9 p.m. for the fireworks, but I simply couldn't make it.  I don't think Patrick was too sad I asked to leave early.

We left and drove to UNO's for dinner and it was delicious.  We both fell asleep a little after 10 p.m.

 

I woke on Sunday at 8:30 and got ready for the drive back to Charlotte.  It was about a 8.5 hr drive, and good to be home.

The Joy of Surprises

Vanessa, EA and Me at EA's Derby Party

Bird on Ft. Desoto Beach

Per usual in summertime, it has been ever busy.  My friend Patrick from Austin, TX flew in on Sat night while I was at a Kentucky Derby Party (in Charlotte).  I picked him up and we returned to the party where everyone was dressed in their big hats and derby dresses.  In the evening, several of us sat around a backyard fire, keeping the bugs off us and enjoying the nice night.

The next day was Mother's Day.  After giving my mom a card, Patrick and I went to church, then met the family at Grandma and Grandpa's house.  It was good seeing everyone, though brief as Patrick and I then went to Freedom Park to play sports with a bunch of my friends.  We played Ultimate again and it was a lot of fun, even if my team did lose. :(  Patrick also played volleyball and soccer, but I was busy reading my Disney book.  :)

On Monday I had to do a good bit of work in preparation for the week off to go to Florida that we embarked on come Tuesday.

On the beach at Ft. Desoto.

We drove to Tampa in just about 9 hours flat, listening to "The Hunger Games" in the car.  We are staying with my cousin Michael's girlfriend because she has a large place.  Michael brought a big takeout Boston Market dinner for us and then we all went to an authentic beer garden that sold German food, drinks and candy.  It was a nice atmosphere and I got apple strudel.   

Today (Wed), Patrick and I went to Ft. Desoto - a state park south of St. Pete.  The beaches were white and the water was clear.  We saw stingrays, dolphins and fish.  It was really pretty, but a little too warm.  The water, however, was perfect - refreshing but not freezing.

After Ft. Desoto, we drove to USF's botanical gardens which were pretty and shady which was nice.

At the USF Botanical Gardens.

When we got back to Elana's apartment, I found out that I had a story published in UNC's Alumni Review magazine.  I was so excited.  Here is the link: http://alumni.unc.edu/article.aspx?sid=8235.  What a treat!

Pictures soon!