Birthday Backpack to Young Lakes, Yosemite
For my birthday this year, Karen and I hiked into Young Lakes in Yosemite. Quite a nice hike.
Climbing Mt. Whitney, CA
Brandon and Josh Kaiser, John, I, and some friends from Manhattan took on the tallest mountain in the contiguous United States. Mt. Whitney rises approximately 14,400 feet above the eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains just south of Bishop, CA. The climb took 3 days all said and done.
We began by learning about how to poop in a bag. It came to our attention that Mt. Whitney is a 100% pack-it-in/pack-it-out location… including human waste. So, we were each outfitted with a few bags with a wide opening and full of desiccant.
More importantly, our first stop was the trailhead at Whitney Portal campsite. There we reviewed gear and finalized our packs. We also weighed our packs. What a surprise it was when packs weighed in around 40 pounds each!
Our trailhead began at around 8,500 ft and our camp was at 10,500 ft. We set camp and made dinner, then sat around and talked until we felt it was past time to sleep.
The following day we were up early, around 5:30am and on the trail by 6:30. By lunch, we were around the 12,000 foot camp and filling water bottles. Then, up up up to the peak around 14,500.
We ran into some friendly chaps at the peak who packed in a flask of 15 year scotch. That made for a good celebratory cheers at the top.
2010 Vacation – Ireland – Burren and Moher
A post from the highlands of Ireland!
On the drive from Galway to Dingle, we passed through Burren and the Cliffs of Moher. Burren is an interesting but barren landscape consisting of limestone broken in places with rifts several feet deep. In this high area, the ancient people who lived here made stone tombs of large slabs of limestone. The Poulnabrone Dolmen is one such tomb from 2000 B.C.
In Kilfenora we ate lunch and chatted with the owner of the pub Linneane’s.
The Cliffs of Moher are so obviously the inspiration for The Princess Bride’s cliffs of insanity, it isn’t even funny. These cliffs drop 650-700 feet directly into the Atlantic Ocean. We spent quite a time walking the cliffs and visiting the excellent visitor center.
Lahinch is a “really cute” (according to Karen) town, and appears to have a decent surf break. From Killimer to Tarbert, we took the ferry and thereby cut 1.5 hours off the drive around the River Shannon through Limerick. From the boat we drove over the Connor Pass on the Dingle Peninsula, over the Sleive Mish mountains and into swarms of mini-mosquitos at a turnout to view a waterfall and granite lake.
The town of Dingle is a great town of 1500. We stayed at Greenmount House, a lovely B&B about a 5 minute walk from town and having great views of the harbor. We had dinner at John Benny Moriarty’s near the water and enjoyed the Guiness beef stew and live music in the neighboring pubs.
2010 Vacation – Ireland – Galway and Connemara
We spent most of this day driving a loop through the Connemara region of West Galway county. Although we couldn’t listen to our new album of Irish music, we tuned into Irish radio and drove. Along the Lough Corrib, we stopped at Carrowmoreknock and Aughnanure Castles. We didn’t rate these stops very highly, but we wouldn’t know it without having tried.
Turning north on R-344 at Recess, we drove between the Twelve Pins mountains and were entangled in a sheep-caused road jam. Shortly thereafter, we stopped at the Kylemore Abbey, which proved to be a great photography location.
Connemara National Park taught us all about the bog. When one person jumps on the bog, it shakes quite a distance. We were able to shake the ground around 15 feet away.
Back in Galway, we toured the town and had a fantastic dinner at Ard Bia, at Nimmos, just past the Spanish Arch. Cosy, warm, with small romantic tables, candlelight and privacy. Followed it up with pub music at Quay’s.
2010 Vacation – Northern Ireland – Belfast and Antrim Coast
Belfast
After bidding farewell to the family in Scotland, Karen and I flew to Northern Ireland, arriving in Belfast a short 45 minutes after departing Scotland. In Belfast, we rented a Ford Ka for the remainder of our exploration through the Irish countryside. The trick with this arrangement is that Ireland, both North and the Republic, are left-hand drive and the Ka is a left-hand stick shift. Good thing I’m left handed. In Belfast, we stayed at Bienvenue Guest House, which is an older Victorian house on the south side of town near the Queen’s University. We took a Black Cab tour of the town with Peter from TaxiTrax. This is highly recommended. Belfast’s Catholic and Protestant factions have been at war for years. A particularly troublesome period was a 40 year stretch known as “the Troubles.” Peter was such a great tour guide that the typical 1.5 hour tour lasted 2.5 hours. Given the Troubles are such a recent problem, most of the town is dedicated to memorials, explanations, and social spaces dedicated to mending and building the peace. Today there are few problems in town.
Antrim Coast
After a light breakfast our second day in Northern Ireland, we set off from Belfast for a driving tour of the Antrim Coast. Heading north on the A2, the coastline started our scenic and did nothing but get better. The coast is quite dramatic with steep bluffs and craggy rock. We stopped at the Carrick-a-Rede rope bridge. This is a 90-foot high rope bridge that allows access to a small island separated from the mainland by a narrow channel. It suffers quite strong winds. The day we visited the wind was blowing 35 miles per hour. The bridge doesn’t close until 60 m.p.h. Next, we stopped at the Bushmills Distillery; the oldest whiskey distillery in the world and licensed since 1608. After our refreshments, we drove to the Giants Causeway, some unusual geology with 37,000 vertical hexagonal columns of rock. Our last stop of the day was Dunlace Castle, an old ruin clinging to the coast. We took some photos before driving on to Portrush and Maddybenny Farmhouse.
Maddybenny Farmhouse is a highly recommended place to stay. It is a working farm with 3 rooms and 5 cottages. There are chickens, horses, ducks, and other stuff.
Drive to Galway
After a great breakfast, where we had a “Ulster fry.” This consists of sausage, bacon, egg, and potato. The drive is a long one from Portrush to Galway. Around Derry the road crosses into the Republic of Ireland. The scenery was mostly farmland with lots of cows and sheep. After 4 hours on the road we stopped for lunch in the pilgrimage town of Knock. Not the best stop to take, but we were hungry.
Cory Abbey is a fun old ruin along the shores of some water near Lough Corrib, a 30 mile-long lake in County Galway. Then we drove to Ross Errilly, another elaborate monastic ruin. We also stopped at Anaghdown Priory. After visiting Ross Errilly, this is not a recommended stop.
Once in Galway, we found Amber Hill B&B several miles outside the town center. We stopped in at Sonny’s for shepherd’s pie and a pint. Galway is known for its pub scene with live traditional Irish music, and we were lucky enough to strike gold on our first try. We spent the evening at Tig Coili, where 4 young musicians called Nic Gavisky. The group consists of a fiddle, flute, accordion and concertina. After some good music we retired and readied for the next day.
2010 Vacation – Scotland – Edinburgh
Leaving northern England and traveling to Scotland, the family arrived in Edinburgh during the Fringe Festival. Finding our hotel was not easy. The 7 of us, luggage in tow, walked just over an hour. It was our luck, however, that the day was sunny and dry. So, we were able to see quite a bit of the town on the way. The guesthouse was called the Cluaran House and is a nice place to stay. Well appointed rooms in a beautiful old home, it was outside the main city but within walking distance.
Our lunch was at Montpelier’s, a very nice boutique restaurant.
We visited the local playground near the Royal Mile and let Kelly and Rory play after a long day of travel.
That evening, we attended the Edinburgh Tattoo, a military and stunt festival in the courtyard of the Edinburgh Castle. The highlight was a series of pipes and drums corps. Quite a show.
In the morning, we walked to a puppet show, part of the festival. It was quite funny and the kids liked it quite a bit. Then we saw the highlight of today, a grumpy yarn spinning lady… with a 2 foot tall mohawk that matched her kilt tartan.
2010 Vacation – Northern England – York
Tuesday morning we caught the 8:45am train to London from Salisbury. 2 tube rides across town and another train ride landed us in York, just around early afternoon. We walked through the large park at the town center to our hotel, the Riverwalk Inn. The hotel was in a good location, on the river, near the park, and very walkable to downtown. The rooms were bright and cheerful, with modern decor and good views of the passing rowing shells.
We spent the first afternoon at the National Railway Museum. It is worth every moment spent exploring. There are exhibits of colorful steam engines from the Royal trains, furnished and displayed for the period of their use, and a warehouse packed with stained glass, switchboards, signs, models, and other assorted but undisplayed items. Outside there is a working steam train and children’s rides.
After dinner at a local pub, Mom (Pam) took the kids back to the hotel as the rest of us went out for a ghost tour. It was a color commentary walking tour of the old town center. Afterward, the tour guide and we chatted and walked to his favorite pub, the Black Swan. This happens to be the oldest pub in town. It is cozy and pours a good pint.
Our hotel provided us with a good breakfast that fueled our walk around the large park nearby. There are some very nice ruins of St. Mary’s Abbey, which was bombed during the Second World War. York contains some interesting stone walls, cute streets, and good snack foods.
In the early afternoon Grant, Evelyn, John, Kira, Pam and Rory headed over to Betty’s for tea, a famous tea house in town. Karen and I spent some quality time with our nephew Kelly, as it was apparent 3 and 1/2 year old boys don’t like tea. With Kelly upon my shoulders, we walked around town while he ate crackers and used my head as a plate. One highlight was imitating the faces the gargoyles made on the sides of the older buildings. We walked back to the hotel for a rest and played with Thomas the Train books and had a pillow fight.
On our way back into town to meet up with the others, Kelly was given a red ballon by a woman on the corner. This kept him entertained as we discussed how the Helium in the ballon kept it floating. When we later asked Kelly what was inside the ballon, he proudly responded, “pink!”
We visited the Jorvik Viking Center, a well-done museum with plenty of information on the Viking settlement in York. Mom (Pam) took the two kids back to the hotel while the remaining six of us attended a pub on the riverfront called the King’s Arms. A good pub with over a hundred years of floodwater history record. We wrapped up the night at Plonker’s and a walk along the river back to our hotel.
2010 Vacation – Southern England – Amesbury, Salsbury, and the Coast
The Beginning of our Adventure
This year, Karen and I traveled to England, Scotland and Ireland for our vacation. We decided on this trip because Grant and his family are currently living in Southern England. So this provided us both a base of operations and some local knowledge. The rest of the brothers and mom also joined for England and Scotland. Our trip began on Aug. 21 with a 6am flight from San Francisco to London.
Amesbury, Salsbury and the Coast
Grant, Evelyn, Kelly and Rory have been living in Amesbury for a little while now. Grant is flying out of the local RAF base. So, our first stop was to their home town for a little rest and then tour of the region. Also, our niece, Rory, was being baptized and we were so glad to make it “across the pond” for the ceremony. The baptism took place in the Salsbury cathedral. This is the largest church in the region and, amazingly, contains one of the 4 remaining original copies of the Magna Carta. Following the ceremony the whole group went to lunch in Lower Woodford.
The following day we drove to Boscombe, on the coast, and checked out the local surf scene. Nothing to write home about. Apparently there is a million dollar artificial reef at this location, but you wouldn’t know it by looking at the surf this day. That evening, Grant and Evelyn took us over to Stonehenge, which conveniently is within walking distance of Amesbury, about 3 miles from their house. The site was closed for the day, but we could see the moon rising over the giant stones from the road.
All of us went to dinner for some traditional English fare and then out to a pub for our first British pint. Quite a full first day and a half.
A Weekend in Colorado
This weekend we visited Beth and Colin in Golden, Colorado. It was warm and we were able to get out on the river to go tubing down the rapids. We also checked out the regional trails and tried slack-lining. Oh what fun!
Tripp’s birthday
35 years old and a very nice weekend in Tahoe with the love of my life.
