We are just 30 miles from Bill's family in Wonder Lake, IL. Very exciting! We'll be stopping for 2 nights to visit and then on to Michigan on Saturday afternoon. We left Ames, IA early this morning after an overnight with our friend, Valerie. She and Alesha were a day ahead of us into Ames and found a fun little Brasilian restaurant where we had dinner last night.
Yesterday was a little stressful - one of the wheels on our rental trailer (current home to our truck, bikes, and kayaks) started smoking on the freeway as we drove through Des Moines. Turned out to be a broken bering which required a tow truck and a trip to one of the local Uhaul shops for a replacement trailer. The whole process took about 3 hours but, for the most part, was pretty seamless. Folks were super helpful, we broke down in an area that was very visible and close to service, and it was the middle of a weekday. Could have been much, much worse.
Will write more when we hit the road again on Saturday!
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Day 2: Happy Anniversary
We're in Rawlins, WY for the night. Big day - 588 miles from Battle Mountain, NV, across Utah and through Salt Lake City and into the middle of Wyoming. Nothing too exciting happened except it is our 2nd anniversary!! Just had a decent dinner and the rest of our Risque (started it last night). Yum!
The hope is to get into the middle of Nebraska tomorrow...
The hope is to get into the middle of Nebraska tomorrow...
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Day One: Move from CA to MI
Well, we're headed east. It's the first of August and we're moving to East Lansing, MI. After a big day of loading an extremely full truck, we set off this morning at ~7am from Oakes College. Some hot drinks and bagels and we were off...slowly and nervously in our 17 foot Uhaul truck and trailer (holding our Toyota stuffed with 6 bikes and topped with 4 kayaks). We're not messing around!
We made it safely over the 17 and through Bay Area traffic, arriving at the top of Donner Pass on I-80 at 1:30. After a quick lunch in Sparks, NV, we pushed on to Battle Mountain which we'll call home for the night.
I think it's finally settling in for both of us that we're really moving.
More stories and pics to come!
We made it safely over the 17 and through Bay Area traffic, arriving at the top of Donner Pass on I-80 at 1:30. After a quick lunch in Sparks, NV, we pushed on to Battle Mountain which we'll call home for the night.
I think it's finally settling in for both of us that we're really moving.
More stories and pics to come!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Costa Rica
Our last day on the Pacific Ocean.
We left Costa Rica late last night and are on our way to Balboa, Panama - this is where we will begin our transit through the Panama Canal. Bill and Ed Sobey did a really nice presentation last night on the history of the canal and also the logistical aspects of moving through the locks. Very interesting and exciting! We'll be starting our transit tomorrow morning around 6:30am. We are now on Eastern time. We had our final time change last night!!!!! I can't believe how hard it has been to lose 24 hours over the course of this voyage. Though we do gain 3 back as soon as we fly to California on Monday. ;)
Our time in Costa Rica was really nice. The first day we went on a zip lining canopy tour with SAS - there were about 20 of us so it was a nice size for a group. It was really fun to watch some of the students conquer their fears and have fun zipping through the trees. I'm uploading photos right now for you to see some good shots. There were 8 cables total (so 8 zips) and my favorite was over a big river gorge - I had time to look around and take in the sights. I asked the guide to give me an extra push so I could go faster! Bill and I figured out the higher you hold your knees the faster your speed so we were having fun!
The second day we had a delicious local breakfast (a huge plate of rice and beans and fried eggs with coffee) while we waited for the bus to Jaco (Ha koh). The ride to Jaco took about 2 hours along the coast and we hopped off and found a surf shop pretty quickly. Bill rented a board and hit the beach while I read. We had a lovely lunch with buttered shrimp and ceviche and some good local beer. Walked to our hotel and spent a quiet evening to ourselves. The hotel (which was more like a B&B as they served us a really nice breakfast in the morning) is run by a Canadian couple who built the place themselves a few years ago. They treated us to an upgraded room with 3 levels - such a treat! The whole place sits up on a hill overlooking Jaco with the ocean in front and mountains surrounding. The breeze up there was lovely and the whole atmosphere quiet and peaceful. I relaxed at the pool in the morning and read my book while Bill hit the beach for one more surfing session.
Caught the bus back to Puntarenas yesterday after a yummy lunch of guacamole, quesadillas, fish with rice and beans with a pineapple salsa and fried plantains. So delicious and our first reminder of food from home - we've been dreaming of burritos and salsa for weeks. Costa Rica was so pleasant and, to be truthful, we were limited to some of the least desirable areas. I would love to go back and spend more time exploring some of the less touristy regions and to learn more Spanish. In many ways, it was reminiscent of Santa Cruz and the ship felt very foreign after just a day away. Strange our perceptions when traveling sometimes.
We began packing last night. Without our lovely cards and goodies on the walls, our cabin looks very sad. Tonight is the Ambassador's Ball - a very special dinner for the entire shipboard community. Tomorrow the canal. Then it will be two more days of reflection and preparation for our transition back into the US.
*Woody - thanks for your lovely card and words of wisdom. And for the enticing map - I'm in!!!!
*Kiki - thanks for the card! Such a nice treat. And funny that you cut your hair as I have an appt on Dec 18th to do the same thing! My hair is super long and I'm also going to donate it to Locks of Love.
*Mary Hackman - I didn't get your card. :( But thanks for thinking of us!!!
More to come in these final days.
Looking forward to seeing many of you in the near future.
Much love,
heather ;)
We left Costa Rica late last night and are on our way to Balboa, Panama - this is where we will begin our transit through the Panama Canal. Bill and Ed Sobey did a really nice presentation last night on the history of the canal and also the logistical aspects of moving through the locks. Very interesting and exciting! We'll be starting our transit tomorrow morning around 6:30am. We are now on Eastern time. We had our final time change last night!!!!! I can't believe how hard it has been to lose 24 hours over the course of this voyage. Though we do gain 3 back as soon as we fly to California on Monday. ;)
Our time in Costa Rica was really nice. The first day we went on a zip lining canopy tour with SAS - there were about 20 of us so it was a nice size for a group. It was really fun to watch some of the students conquer their fears and have fun zipping through the trees. I'm uploading photos right now for you to see some good shots. There were 8 cables total (so 8 zips) and my favorite was over a big river gorge - I had time to look around and take in the sights. I asked the guide to give me an extra push so I could go faster! Bill and I figured out the higher you hold your knees the faster your speed so we were having fun!
The second day we had a delicious local breakfast (a huge plate of rice and beans and fried eggs with coffee) while we waited for the bus to Jaco (Ha koh). The ride to Jaco took about 2 hours along the coast and we hopped off and found a surf shop pretty quickly. Bill rented a board and hit the beach while I read. We had a lovely lunch with buttered shrimp and ceviche and some good local beer. Walked to our hotel and spent a quiet evening to ourselves. The hotel (which was more like a B&B as they served us a really nice breakfast in the morning) is run by a Canadian couple who built the place themselves a few years ago. They treated us to an upgraded room with 3 levels - such a treat! The whole place sits up on a hill overlooking Jaco with the ocean in front and mountains surrounding. The breeze up there was lovely and the whole atmosphere quiet and peaceful. I relaxed at the pool in the morning and read my book while Bill hit the beach for one more surfing session.
Caught the bus back to Puntarenas yesterday after a yummy lunch of guacamole, quesadillas, fish with rice and beans with a pineapple salsa and fried plantains. So delicious and our first reminder of food from home - we've been dreaming of burritos and salsa for weeks. Costa Rica was so pleasant and, to be truthful, we were limited to some of the least desirable areas. I would love to go back and spend more time exploring some of the less touristy regions and to learn more Spanish. In many ways, it was reminiscent of Santa Cruz and the ship felt very foreign after just a day away. Strange our perceptions when traveling sometimes.
We began packing last night. Without our lovely cards and goodies on the walls, our cabin looks very sad. Tonight is the Ambassador's Ball - a very special dinner for the entire shipboard community. Tomorrow the canal. Then it will be two more days of reflection and preparation for our transition back into the US.
*Woody - thanks for your lovely card and words of wisdom. And for the enticing map - I'm in!!!!
*Kiki - thanks for the card! Such a nice treat. And funny that you cut your hair as I have an appt on Dec 18th to do the same thing! My hair is super long and I'm also going to donate it to Locks of Love.
*Mary Hackman - I didn't get your card. :( But thanks for thinking of us!!!
More to come in these final days.
Looking forward to seeing many of you in the near future.
Much love,
heather ;)
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Finally - land!
Hi!
Just a quick note...waiting for customs clearance as we sit on the water outside Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. We are tendering (taking small boats to and from shore) this morning and then moving onto the pier in Puntarenas, which I can see from our deck, in the evening. Something about the pier not having room for us today...not sure.
It's been another long stretch at sea that included many fun things and lots of final classes and tests. The last day of exams was yesterday so the only academic work being done know is by the furious grading faculty. As a teacher, I do not envy them especially as we pull into Costa Rica for 3 days. Grades are due on the first day we leave this port - kinda brutal for them.
Just a quick note...waiting for customs clearance as we sit on the water outside Puerto Caldera, Costa Rica. We are tendering (taking small boats to and from shore) this morning and then moving onto the pier in Puntarenas, which I can see from our deck, in the evening. Something about the pier not having room for us today...not sure.
It's been another long stretch at sea that included many fun things and lots of final classes and tests. The last day of exams was yesterday so the only academic work being done know is by the furious grading faculty. As a teacher, I do not envy them especially as we pull into Costa Rica for 3 days. Grades are due on the first day we leave this port - kinda brutal for them.
Friday, November 28, 2008
Thanksgiving in Hawai'i
Hello and Happy Holidays!
We had a lovely stop in Hawai'i yesterday - got to see Bill's sister, Elyse, who moved to Oahu in August to take a teaching position. We arrived around 8am and were cleared to get off the ship by 10am. Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to speak with family and friends in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and California. I wish I could have called all of you and want everyone to know we were thinking of you!!
Elyse showed up at the pier and we shared tearful hugs and excitment at seeing one another (we last saw her at our wedding in August). She brought us both a beautiful ginger orchid lei - I love that ritual in Hawai'i and it reminded me of my trip in May of 2006 when my sister, Michelle, welcomed me to Kauai in the same manner. The flowers smelled lovely and it was fun to wear the lei all day (it's tradition to greet guests arriving to the islands with these but also to give them for birthdays and other special events). It's also fun when people see you wearing them and exclaim "Oh - you've been lei'd!"(haha). They are now hanging in our room so that we can continue to enjoy the island spirit.
After a great cup of Kona coffee and some catching up with stories of life since August for all of us, we met one of Bill's friends from his time in Vermont - Gabe Scottie and his wife, Michelle. They also live on Oahu and they took the time to stop and say hello on their way to a holiday feast with friends. Bill got to see them last year when we were in Hawai'i for my marathon but Elyse and I hadn't met them so that was fun.
We then drove to Elyse's house but first stopped at the Pali overlook to see a beautiful view of the windward side of the island. We ran into some friends from the ship and they offered us some sushi and fresh mango (they had gone to Whole Foods upon arrival to land) and this proved a delicious snack. From there we drove to Elyse's home which she shares with three other women, none of whom were home so we didn't get to meet them unfortunately. Next time!
We sat down to a Thanksgiving feast that Elyse had prepared the day before (to make life simpler) and the three of us stuffed ourselves silly. It was so wonderful to break bread with Elyse and to share the day with family, as we were both, obviously, far away from our larger clans. I think it was as wonderful for Elyse as it was for us and we greatly appreciated her time and effort in preparing her first turkey dinner! She made the Heinrich usuals, including Grandma Dobbeleare's Cranberry Fluff. We also had fresh pineapple...when in Hawai'i - it was delicious!
To top it off, we shared dessert (chocolate fudge brownies with vanilla frosting, slightly undercooked and moist like Mom H's) on the sand at the local beach just 5 minutes from Elyse's house. Bill jumped in the water and caught a few waves on Elyse's boogie board and he was grinning from ear to ear with delight.
Finally, we drove another scenic route back to the pier and stopped quickly for some indulgent and light reading material (Outside, Newsweek and Oprah magazines) at the grocery store on our way back to the ship. Elyse was kind enough to do some shopping for us before we arrived and we're now stocked to the brim with chips and salsa, chewing gum, candy, healthy cereal and granola bars, beer, hot cocoa, chocolate, coffee and other goodies until we arrive in Miami. I think she was surprised at how happy these few groceries made us! Thanks, Elyse!
I've uploaded some photos from our day in Hawai'i. I've also added some pics to our Shipboard Life album from a fancy Faculty/Staff dinner we all shared last week.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Thanks for the snail mail: Woody, Nicole P, Laurie, Jeanne, Rebecca,
Ed H and Joe D, my Mom, and Sarah Coy!
Thanks for the drawings: Lynne, Elena and Andrew! They are hanging on our cabin wall.
My phone will be functioning again on Dec 14th.
Much love,
heather ;)
We had a lovely stop in Hawai'i yesterday - got to see Bill's sister, Elyse, who moved to Oahu in August to take a teaching position. We arrived around 8am and were cleared to get off the ship by 10am. Throughout the day, we had the opportunity to speak with family and friends in Illinois, Indiana, Virginia and California. I wish I could have called all of you and want everyone to know we were thinking of you!!
Elyse showed up at the pier and we shared tearful hugs and excitment at seeing one another (we last saw her at our wedding in August). She brought us both a beautiful ginger orchid lei - I love that ritual in Hawai'i and it reminded me of my trip in May of 2006 when my sister, Michelle, welcomed me to Kauai in the same manner. The flowers smelled lovely and it was fun to wear the lei all day (it's tradition to greet guests arriving to the islands with these but also to give them for birthdays and other special events). It's also fun when people see you wearing them and exclaim "Oh - you've been lei'd!"(haha). They are now hanging in our room so that we can continue to enjoy the island spirit.
After a great cup of Kona coffee and some catching up with stories of life since August for all of us, we met one of Bill's friends from his time in Vermont - Gabe Scottie and his wife, Michelle. They also live on Oahu and they took the time to stop and say hello on their way to a holiday feast with friends. Bill got to see them last year when we were in Hawai'i for my marathon but Elyse and I hadn't met them so that was fun.
We then drove to Elyse's house but first stopped at the Pali overlook to see a beautiful view of the windward side of the island. We ran into some friends from the ship and they offered us some sushi and fresh mango (they had gone to Whole Foods upon arrival to land) and this proved a delicious snack. From there we drove to Elyse's home which she shares with three other women, none of whom were home so we didn't get to meet them unfortunately. Next time!
We sat down to a Thanksgiving feast that Elyse had prepared the day before (to make life simpler) and the three of us stuffed ourselves silly. It was so wonderful to break bread with Elyse and to share the day with family, as we were both, obviously, far away from our larger clans. I think it was as wonderful for Elyse as it was for us and we greatly appreciated her time and effort in preparing her first turkey dinner! She made the Heinrich usuals, including Grandma Dobbeleare's Cranberry Fluff. We also had fresh pineapple...when in Hawai'i - it was delicious!
To top it off, we shared dessert (chocolate fudge brownies with vanilla frosting, slightly undercooked and moist like Mom H's) on the sand at the local beach just 5 minutes from Elyse's house. Bill jumped in the water and caught a few waves on Elyse's boogie board and he was grinning from ear to ear with delight.
Finally, we drove another scenic route back to the pier and stopped quickly for some indulgent and light reading material (Outside, Newsweek and Oprah magazines) at the grocery store on our way back to the ship. Elyse was kind enough to do some shopping for us before we arrived and we're now stocked to the brim with chips and salsa, chewing gum, candy, healthy cereal and granola bars, beer, hot cocoa, chocolate, coffee and other goodies until we arrive in Miami. I think she was surprised at how happy these few groceries made us! Thanks, Elyse!
I've uploaded some photos from our day in Hawai'i. I've also added some pics to our Shipboard Life album from a fancy Faculty/Staff dinner we all shared last week.
www.heatherbill.shutterfly.com
Thanks for the snail mail: Woody, Nicole P, Laurie, Jeanne, Rebecca,
Ed H and Joe D, my Mom, and Sarah Coy!
Thanks for the drawings: Lynne, Elena and Andrew! They are hanging on our cabin wall.
My phone will be functioning again on Dec 14th.
Much love,
heather ;)
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