Browse Category: outta here

Lassen and reCamp

Yesterday we got back from a 4-day camping trip to Lassen Volcanic National Park and once again it was quite an adventure.

We drove up on Thursday morning with a 3-car caravan.  Koa sat in a laundry basket and tolerated the 4-hour drive quite well.  We made a couple stops along the way including lunch at a Truck Stop along I-5.

Once we arrived, we set-up camp right away and started the fire shortly afterward.

Jes brought two Coors Light kegs and there were plenty of Coors Light shotguns sprinkled throughout the afternoon.

We enjoyed a warm afternoon at the campsite as Jack played in the dirt, Koa also played in the dirt, and we had delicious burgers that were grilled on the fire. The boys played with fire and late that evening around 9:30pm, the Bangs arrived and we were all asleep by 1 am.

The next morning, we had breakfast burritos and then drove up Route 89 for a trail that allowed dogs.

We found a place called Spatter Cone Trail and it was an easy 1.5-mile loop that took us around to different site where we learned about spatter cones and the local shrubs while Koa ran free off-leash.

Afterward, we found Subway Cave Lava Tube, which was a long tunnel that was pitch black and cold inside.  It was a good thing we brought flashlights because it was the only way we were able to explore it on our own.

Once we got back to camp, we had chicken sandwiches and then the boys took naps while some girls went for a walk while I hung out with Jack, Michelle, and all the gnats buzzing around us.  For dinner, we made beef stew and waited for Dayantha and Krissy to arrive.  They got to the site around 10:30 with some very important items: a sleeping bag for Jack (he froze the night before), Pillsbury biscuits for breakfast the next morning, and some firewood and beer.

The next morning around 4 am, I heard tapping on the top of our tent.  It was raining!!!!  Aw man!  It not only rained but poured.  It just kept coming down all morning while Vyl and Bang prepared breakfast on the fire and with coals.  They managed to bake biscuits in a dutch oven with coals underneath and on the lid.  It was amazing!  To go on top of them, we had some tasty tasty sausage gravy with hot sauce.  It was perfect for a cold, wet morning.

After breakfast, we got into our cars and drove up the mountain where it was SNOWING.  Yes, it was snowing at 8500 feet elevation.

We also stopped at Sulfur Springs where we saw a mud pot and a stream of sulfuric yellow stuff running down the mountain.

When we got back to the campsite, we decided to pack everything up a day early to head out for a new campground.  We drove down the highway and decided to have reCamp in Corning, CA where there was a state park called Woodson Bridge State Park.  It was literally a park with fire pits and felt like backyard camping.  But we didn’t care because we were happy with the warmer weather and lack of rain.  The tents dried out and we were burning the wood that Ryan threw in his trunk along with other wood that was poached from nearby campsites.  Dinner was steak cooked directly on the fire coals and it was yummy.

We also roasted marshmallows and made E. L. Fudge and Oreo s’mores.

Later that night it actually started to rain – AGAIN.  Luckily it didn’t last as long and we woke up the next morning to sunshine and warmth that dried the tents in time for our drive home.

Overall, this camping trip was just as fun as all the others in the past.  It just had another element – lots of water everywhere.  Unfortunately, I woke up on the last day with a raging headache and nausea so I wasn’t able to eat the corned beef hash and bullseyes that morning.  I puked all morning and was sick to my stomach for the rest of the day.  Despite that and the rain, it was still a fun trip and I can’t wait for next year’s.  Until then, I will enjoy my comfy bed and easy access to showers.

Here are the photos.

Playing Catch-up

Dude, I can’t believe it’s been over a month since we got back from Hawaii and I’m JUST getting through processing all the photos I took from our long weekend there in June.  Brother and Joy are there right now having a Lava Flow for me on the same exact beach we were one a month ago.  Here are the photos from the trip.  Can’t wait to go back.  I’ll just have to stare at this photo for a bit longer in the meantime.  Enjoy!

Sun and Surf

We’re back from Hawaii and we truly made the most of our last full day. Yesterday I woke up early and headed out to Starbucks for a quiet morning with a cup of coffee and free internet. Jes got to sleep in and I watched the rain come down. By the time Jes woke up, it had stopped raining and we were ready to take on a full day of chillin’ before catching our red-eye flight the same evening.

Breakfast was at a place called Eggs ‘n’ Things. There was a very large out front and we ended up waiting about an hour for a table for 2. Luckily the wait was worth it. I had a scrumptious coconut waffle that was made super thin with just the right amount of crunch and chewiness. To make it even tastier I dipped the waffle in coconut syrup and guava syrup. MMMM…

The rest of the day was spent at the beachside bar. We snagged a table with a good view of the beach and watched the sunbathers get soaked by an unpredictably high tide. The waves were extra active that afternoon and it looked like a lot of fun. We didn’t go in that afternoon since we had already checked out of our hotel room. It was still fun watching though.  By the way, you like my new floppy hat?  It’s dorky but totally saved my face and ears.

We met up with Yoon for ramen around 1:15 and then headed back to the hotel for some more people watching and a refreshing beverage. We sat and sat and sat until the sun went down. It was so nice to be able to do that with nothing better to do.

We eventually made it over to a cute little Japanese place that served really traditional items including the most amazing broth I had ever tasted. It was so rich that it was served in a tiny tiny bowl.

Yoon later picked us up from the hotel and we caught out 11 pm flight home. We were sad to leave but also had a wonderful time. Sometimes 4 days in Hawaii is all you need to rest and reset.

Happy Longest Day of the Year!

Today is the first day of summer and we are having a great time here in Hawaii.  To celebrate the longest day of the year, Jes went out for his first surfing lesson this morning. He took a one-hour lesson and caught 3 waves!  He had a good time but was pooped out by the end.

We just got back from a day at the pool and we’re heading out for a cheesy luau at Germaine’s.  Jes is looking forward to seeing some dancing coconuts and eating kalua pork.

Umbrellas are cool.

On Sunday morning, I was up by 5:45 am again and took a little stroll down to the beach to watch the surfers.  Once Jes woke up, we headed down for breakfast at the Beachhouse and then over to the towel hut for a day at the beach.  We rented an umbrella for the day and it was totally worth it.  They set us up with two beach chairs and plenty of towels.  We were there from around 9:00 am and had it to ourselves until 5:30!  So we lazied around in the sun and then under the umbrella and then back in the sun.  We’d take a few dips in the ocean to cool off and then go back to the umbrella.  What fun!  By 10:30, the poolside bar was open and the number tag on our umbrella was flipped over as a signal to the waiter that we needed assistance.  We sat for another hour with drinks on the side table until it was time for lunch.

For lunch we walked over to Ramen Nakamura, Jes’ favorite ramen place, and stuffed ourselves silly.  We browsed through some of the stores on the way back to the hotel, gathered up our belongings from our room, and headed back to the umbrella.  Ah…it was just sitting there waiting for us.  How nice.

We spent another couple hours in our chairs until Yoon and her friend came by to join us.  We asked for two more chairs and the four of us just hung out watching the people on the beach.  Jes also had fun floating in the waves and I bobbed up and down in the water with my waterproof camera watching all the activity around me.

At the end of the afternoon, Yoon took us for a drive up the coast to see China Wall.  It’s actually called Koko Mini Beach Park and it had a spectacular view.  We carefully walked down the rocky steps to a flat area just along the crashing waves.

There’s a series of cut-up rocks and walls that make the water swirl violently in the middle and then crash up against the walls.  It was pretty fun to watch!

We drove farther up the coast to find a few other pretty places to take photos and then headed back to town.

Dinner was at Azure inside the Royal Hawaiian.  We had their tasting menu and I really enjoyed all of the items, well, maybe except for the veal.  Poor baby cow…  By the end of the night, we were pooped and asleep by 11.  It was yet another good day on the rock.  Umbrella day was fun.

Aloha from Hawaii!!

Aloha! Jes and I are on our annual long weekend in Hawaii and it’s gorgeous out here. We flew out on Friday night and arrived around 10pm HST with Yoon picking us up. We were starving so we stopped at a local sports bar that served a tasty BBQ pork loco moco and salt and pepper shrimp. We stayed at the Sheraton the first night since the Moana was sold out that night and got upgraded to their deluxe ocean view room overlooking the Moana. Yippee!

On Saturday am, we lazied around and had the requisite McDonald’s spam, eggs, and rice platter with a side of fresh pineapple. Ah…what a great way to start the day. I also ended up taking two naps before 11am. Boy, I must have really needed this vacation.

By 11:30, Yoon came by to pick up Jes. She hooked him up with a friend that needed crew for a sailing race in Kaneohe Bay. Nice! So I stayed behind and did some shopping, had Yoon’s favorite kim chee fried rice from Choi’s Kitchen, and took another nap.

Dinner was at Orchids and we had some tasty local fish there. By the end of the night we were both passed out by 9:30. It was certainly a good first day of our vacation.