The view from my plane window before I left Japan for a 12-hour flight to Washington, DC last year. Took this photo using my iPhone camera + Instagram.

I look over and the huzband’s head is Lola’s

How do we spend our time in the car?

Oh good lord, anything and everything that will help us keep our sanity.  With Velda, we have all kinds of “things to do”, as she puts it.  I wanted to continue school on the road and not fill her time with movies.  Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of movie time, hey, we are traveling across the continent after all; however, I wanted a good mix of things to keep her busy.  We play card games, learn about different states/countries we have traveled in, color and keep learning about numbers, sorting, reading and anything else that would fall under a kindergarten education.  A friend refered me to a website where I was also able to add in some other things I thought would be fun.  For example, we colored in and put together a Native American girl while we were traveling through Wyoming.  There are days where mandatory nap time is instated (this is not just for kids, adults too you know!) and other days where we sing our conversations to each other.  Sometimes we listen to music and sometimes we don’t.  We are always on the lookout for postcards and it gives us a mission each time we stop.  We play different car trip games and sometimes a good ol’ spur of the moment stop to take a short walk or a quick picture is in order.  Then there are times where we are each just doing our own little thing.  Obviously one of us doesn’t get a choice in what our own little thing is because we are driving!

stopped to say hi to the 15 foot beaver sitting on a 19 foot log in Beaverlodge

We do take turns driving.  The huzband hogs all the driving does more driving than I do, I have to be honest.  However I choose not to go into all that happens when it is my turn to drive.  I don’t really want to explain why the huzband has trouble napping in the car, jerks awake half the time and how annoying that gets!!  I really don’t want to talk about how much micro managing the huzband does from the passenger seat about how to drive while pulling a trailer, even two weeks after we left NY.  I really don’t want to go into how superb my driving is in comparison to the huzband’s, nor about how he learned all he knows about awesome driving from me.  I will just leave it at we take turns!

How many miles a day do you log?

It is really dependent upon what that days travel has in store.  Is there a specific place we want to stop at along the way, something we want to do, people we want to see.  So far our total miles logged are  4,440 miles.  Our longest day was our drive from Tennessee to Oklahoma where we drove 920 miles in 17 hours.  (You can read about that day here.)  Our shortest day as of yet was yesterday when we drove 245 miles from Canmore, Alberta to Hinton, Alberta.  However, it was no easy day let me tell you!

On our shortest day we drove through Banff and Jasper National Parks.  We took the Icelands Parkway that takes us right through the Canadian Rockies, which are absolutely GORGEOUS!!  Oh, and did I mention that it was snowing, A LOT!!  We knew because of the ups and downs across the Canadian Rockies, while pulling a trailer, it would take time and therefore planned accordingly, leaving ourselves plenty of time.  What we weren’t expecting was to drive right into a snow storm.  It wasn’t till about half way through that the sun came out, it stopped snowing, the roads were no longer covered in snow and we could see more than 5 feet in front of us!  I suppose we were just being tested to see if we had the stuff to be Alaska tough!  =)

We have worked out a pretty good system when it comes to our pit stops.  It took a little fanegaling but we figured out what works best for us.  We only stop when we are putting gas in the car.  We use that time to use the bathrooms, get a snack, walk the dog, and anything else we think we might need to do.  Most of the time we don’t stop for lunch.  I packed a cooler full of snacks in NY and we just restocked it today.  We snack along the way and when we are hungry for something more, the next gas stop we pick up some grub.  We save time by not taking a full lunch break.  We would rather keep going and spend that time later in the evening at the pool, eating a good dinner or covering a bit more ground.  I think because we have been doing this since our very long 17 hour day, we have become accustomed to this life of gas, pee and go!  Know though that things will begin to change as we head north through British Colombia and the Yukon.  The distance between gas stations will grow longer ranging from 100 to 150 miles between each.  It is advised for parts of travel to not drive with your gas tank less than half.

now THIS is a view!!  the Canadian Rockies in Jasper National Park…once the snow dispersed

How much money are you throwing into that gas tank of yours?

Okay, so my uncle didn’t say that exactly!!  However it’s late and I’m tired.  Nuff said.

Taking a long trip like this requires a whole lot of gas.  Being that we are coming from New York, high gas prices are a part of our day-to-day life.  Back in NY we would average $3.50 per gallon (if we were lucky, hello summers of over $4).  As we headed west, it was a nice relief to see that price begin to drop.  I think the cheapest we saw was $3.10.  That .40 difference per gallon really does make a difference!  Once we headed north into maple leaf country (Canada), things changed.  For starters they fill by the liter not the gallon.  The huzband did a little configuring and let me know that there are 4 liters to a 1 gallon.  With his fingers typing away, he let me know we are paying about $5 a gallon.  That’s no bueno!  And for those curious minds, it is all self-service.  Why would that even come up?  Well, I did grow up in one of the only two state in the U.S. that is full service.  That’s right, never had to pump my own gas till I was 18 years old.  (Funny side story, I had just moved to Colorado and sat in my car at a gas station for like 5 minutes before I realized I had to pump my own gas!)

What does sitting for all those miles do to your body?

Well, you get eager to GET OUT!  Sometimes one of my knees begins to feel weird from being in a bent position for so long.  The huzband’s shoulders get stiff and sore a bit.  You start to think you are getting old and then you realize you’ve been in a car for over two weeks and cut yourself some slack!!

the M family likes this trip (quote from V)

So “THIS” is Vienna, So this “IS” Vienna, So this is “VIENNA”

We have officially ended our travels in the United States, at least until we arrive to our new home: Alaska.  There are still moments as we are driving that it hits me again, ‘we are actually doing this‘.  I remember that we won’t be returning to our little home in Hempstead, New York.  Little V won’t be returning to her classmates at school.  I won’t be driving down the streets that have become so familiar nor making the trip to Jersey to see my family.  It’s still surreal and I think it will all become real the moment we drive into Alaska, knowing we have entered our new home.

approaching the Canadian border

Have you ever been to Canada?  This was my first time and I really wanted to be the one “driving” into Canada.  There is something about driving in a foreign country that I find fascinating.  Though traffic rules are no different, it’s still fun to add another country to the list of countries I have driven in.

Canadian Immigration did ask us to pull over on the side.  We are a pretty suspicious family and I think they caught wind of it.  Really though, I don’t know why but the thought came to both the huzband and myself, ‘maybe they have the same system as the U.S. and J’s name was flagged‘.  If you have never heard any of the huzband’s border trouble, make sure to ask him about it sometime.  Pretty much, any time he is coming back into the United States, his name is flagged because there is a very bad man out there with the same name and birthdate as J.  (Can’t wait for the Canadian/Alaska crossing – NOT.)

And then we were officially in Canada, eh!  I drove in Canada eh, it was boring eh, the dog threw up eh and after about 20 minutes, I let the huzband take over eh.  (Get what I’m doing here, eh?!)

Lethbridge dog run

Everyone tells you, if you are driving to Alaska, you NEED the Milepost.  The Milepost is a travel planner that comes out every year telling you about all the roads in and out of Alaska, as well as Canada.  It literally goes mile by mile telling you about every trash can, bathroom, gas station, pothole and steep grade.  At the sound of it, it sounds weird and boring.  Let me tell you, I am fascinated by this book.  I can’t wait to crack open its pages to review where we will be driving to next.  I am a full-fledged Nerd!

In the Milepost, it tells you about all the towns you will drive through.  If they are large enough, you actually get a map of the town and some information about it.  The first major town we hit once in Canada was Lethbridge.  I highlighted that they had a dog run and thought it would be a great pit stop treat for Lola.  I am so glad we stopped.  I have never seen a dog run like this.  It was a canyon!  It was an unbelievable sight with a path winding up between it all.  Lola was in doggy heaven.  She ran her little doggy feet out, made friends and even picked a fight.  It was a good break for us all!

what goes down, must go UP!

sometimes it’s not enough that you are driving, you also have to entertain your 5 year old child too

the Milepost : my current read

the small town of Nanton along the way

even in the tiniest of towns we can find something to enjoy

when in Canada, eat like the Canadians

relaxing at the end of the day while little V gets in some pool time

I would say two little ladies are enjoying the relaxed bed rules in the hotels

Oh Canada, tank you for welcoming us graciously into your country.  I just have one question for you: why, oh, WHY do you serve Pepsi and not Coke everywhere?  There must be something seriously wrong or Pepsi has their devil hooks in you!!  Wait, is Pepsi made with venison and maple syrup here?

I took these photos on my walk around my neighborhood. It is so easy to get distracted by all the flowers and plants. I pass by them just about every other day on my walk. The same. Flowers. But, they are different every time I pass by. What were once perky and beautiful tulip blooms are now wilting and dispersing their petals upon the ground. I find the sight of half crisp blooms to be hauntingly beautiful; expressing the cycle of our earth. Some of these photos were taken on the same day and others on different days. It was impossible to pick just one photo, so I decided to create a gallery instead. These were all edited in Instagram with filters. I hope you all enjoy these photos!

To read more about these challenges and how they got started click HERE!

Also, please check out my fellow sponsors’ blogs for more inspiration and their entries:

Frames and Focus

Lens and Pens by Sally

Friday we left Mt Rushmore with Yellowstone National Park as our final destination; well, really Gardiner right outside of Yellowstone.  We chugged along knowing it was going to be a bit of a long drive.  As we were driving, signs started showing up mentioning how to get to Yellowstone.  Though we were still several hours away, the signs were letting us know what roads we could take.  One such sign mentioned the most scenic route to Yellowstone via the Bighorn Scenic Highway.  We decided to take the scenic route via U.S. west 14.

We climbed up into the Bighorn Mountains, reaching the scenic highways peek at Powder Pass (elev. 9,666).  Though it was slow going because of all the uphill, it was quite the scenic route.  Going up the mountain, we went through part of the Bighorn National Forest, however coming down the other side was completely different.  I think it was part of the Bighorn Canyon because we were surrounding by jutting cliffs.  It really was amazing.

As we continued on through Wyoming, the scenery changed from mountain ranges to farmlands, from farmlands to badlands (like the one pictured above), and from badlands back to mountain ranges.  We had asked a local once we left Bighorn for the best route to Gardiner.  He suggested a few but we took the most scenic and his favorite.  I am glad we did.  Though our very large detour added several hours onto our driving, it was well worth the extra time.

Saturday morning we arose ready to explore Yellowstone for a good portion of the day.  We entered into Yellowstone via the north entrance.  Our destination was Old Faithful and we stopped along the way at Mammoth Springs and the Norris Geiser Basin.  We headed out the West exit once we had stopped at Old Faithful, the Midway Geiser and had pulled over for a small hike.  I do have to tell you that we did get to see Old Faithful go off.  We had parked, walked to where Old Faithful was, sat down and within 2 minutes she went off.  It was pretty amazing not just to see it, but that we didn’t have to wait very long for it!!  It enabled us to stop several times on our way out of the park to explore some different areas.

We left Yellowstone in the early afternoon and headed for Helena, Montana.  While on the road, one of our friends from New York contacted the huzband about a place to stay in Helena.  Turns out his parents lived there and they were more than willing to host us for the night.  What a wonderful blessing to stay with Dale and Florence.  They are those kind of people who love on you instantly and you feel as if you have known them most of your life.  It’s a rare gift and we felt so honored to spend time with them.  They have such a deep and beautiful history from living and working the land of Montana (they were farmers) to serving in the Korean War.  We are so thankful to have made such wonderful new friends and look forward to passing through Montana again!  =)

Below are some pictures from our drive to Gardiner as well as our time in Yellowstone.  All the pictures are from my iPhone since I haven’t gotten around to going through the ones on my camera.

a burned up part of the Black Hills National Forest

I drove us up to Powder River Pass.  Um, it was steep.

trying not to drive us into the canyon

our surroundings driving down and out of the Big Horn Mountains

We were driving through yet another small town and pulled over to grab some dinner when we saw this place.  It looked cute, funky and there were people sitting outside eating (always a good sign).  I tried their chicken tostado’s and can I say WOW was it DELICIOUS!!  If you ever find yourself passing through Red Lodge, Montana, make sure to stop by Mas Taco for a bite to eat!

somebody was eyeing my dinner

we made it to Gardiner, Montana late at night and was up, ready to explore Yellowstone the next morning

a small herd of bison greated us on our way into the park

yes that is a big ol’ piece of poop and they are everywhere in Yellowstone

and a buffalo to say goodbye on our way out

Trillium…always my first official sign of spring on the Olympic Peninsula

Bleeding hearts

The trails behind our house…I love our outdoor playground!

Isn’t that big stump awesome?!

Red flowering currant

Paco loves it when White Creek is flowing

White Creek in the springtime

Looking up into our forest canopy. Do you see the heart?

Looking for the heart through the trees

Me crossing White Creek

Young stinging nettles…we eat these around here. Boil ‘em, steam ‘em, saute’ ‘em, the nettles dissolve and you end up with a tasty green rich with iron. Just make sure to harvest them with thick gloves!!

A dandelion globe…not sure if that’s what it’s called but, that’s what I see!

This afternoon I took the boys to Nottingham Contemporary to see their new exhibition ‘The Universal Addressability of Dumb Things’. This is a curated collection of art and objects by artist Mark Leckey. Its a bright and generally playful place with a diverse range of museum objects and historic and contemporary art works. The scene stealer is a colossal inflatable Felix the Cat, its head in the rafters. One of the last rooms is mainly dark but populated by illuminated sculptures, creepy audio and light projections. I was very taken by the combination of a Nicola Hicks bull/Minotaur head, the Cern Abbas giant and Blake’s ‘Ghost of a Flea‘.

I definitely recommend a visit and look forward to going again without my little friends to herd around. But, saying that they are mainly tolerable and the Contemporary does provide interaction for children in their family space. For this show they give the children the opportunity to draw pictures based on the things they have seen in the gallery space and then chose objects to place with their drawings to create their own curated display. Whilst BabyJ seemed happy to put his head in net bags, both DBoy & GBoy did some drawings and we made our own display. Below are some pictures of our endeavours which illustrate the the Story of the Sun Cat & the Minotaur.

These two have been close ever since Zorro found kittenish comfort  from the big, large, black thing that’s not quite cat.To give him his due, ‘Dog takes it in his stride. And – providing the claws aren’t too long – he’s happy to be paddled by the small, black and white dog that purrs.

It’s obviously a cultural thing!

Last night I had a chance to unload pictures from my camera and begin going through them. While the sun set today (and we were still driving in the car), I pulled out the computer and gathered some from our time with family in Oklahoma. We spent two days there visiting with my brother and his family. While there we also got to see my cousin, her husband and their two boys as well as my aunt. To say there was non stop play for V and her cousins would be an understatement. There was plenty of dress up, trampoline jumping, play making, Lucas avoiding (the youngest of them all), cookie eating and Lola chasing. It was early mornings, late nights and cousin bonding. I am thankful that V has the chance to make memories with all her cousin (including her cousins from TN). I hope there are many a fun times ahead for them all!

Most of these photos are from my iPhone, except for the group cousin shot.

we drove by my Granny’s home.  all my Oklahoma memories were in this home till I was in high school.

with my wonderful cousin Ashley and photo bombed by my brother Mike

our friend’s son had to present a report on Colombia & interviewed the huzband to make a video for his report

the huzband and Lucas both getting their bike rides in for the day

my niece Hannah helped us wash our car & trailer while Leah, Lucas & V all went to gymnastics together

we thanked her with ice cream

such sweet girls

I love my Oklahoma roots and my Oklahoma family!  I don’t know the next time we will be able to make it back to the Sooner State but I am already looking forward to it.  I think there is a little girl in our family that can’t wait to get back to her cousins either!!

some crazy, silly and awesome kids!

]]> http://loveamv.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/life-collection-of-photos-2/ Thu, 25 Apr 2013 23:14:01 +0000 loveamv http://loveamv.wordpress.com/2013/04/25/life-collection-of-photos-2/

Woah has life ever been so hectic. Thank goodness spontaneous adventures exists to keep me sane during the transition period of moving from Guelph to Toronto. I have finally got a job!!!!! at Blossom Lounge. Its so awesome omg. If you ever visit or just happen to be in Toronto and you feel like strolling through the Distillery District – make sure to come visit Blossom Lounge! (its so pretty you wont regret it)

I have also found a cute house to move into!! Yay! I’m going to “Apartment Therapy the shit out of it”. I will blog before and after pics don’t you worry. I am so excited to have a bedroom AND an office! I need this. I need both. I have been living in a bedroom about the size of a walk-in-closet since the age of 13.. its time for space! Its also time for me to have my ‘big girl bed’ (this will be first time I will own a bed bigger than a twin. WOO) Also my office will be transformed into a studio featuring easels, giant canvases, my desk, a retro drawing table (if it doesn’t fit in the kitchen), and my keyboard. Plus I have white cemented-in fireplaces that I’m so excited to decorate with pointless knick-knacks.. they don’t even need a purpose they just need to look pretty. But enough fan-girling about this house, you will be informed more about it later.

So back to my spontaneous adventures.. The entry photo is part of the following collection of photos taken on 4/20 – where I ventured to Toronto for the day to sign the lease for my house and chill with the boys. We found a beach filled with pink umbrellas and white lawn chairs! AND there was a boat. So cool.

I’ve been in Toronto quite a bit the past few weeks! In between job interviews and chillin with my homi’s I was able to snap a couple of pics in the city..

The next few photos are of my dear friends Michelle, Nicole, Jess, Katie,Carley, and Marnie’s house! Even though the house was dutty I still loved the chill environment the girls gave! One thing I will most definitely miss is crashing on their couch and waking up to vanilla and nutmeg coffee (omnom).

And now for my random collection of photos selected from my Camera Roll! Yay iPhones!

it’s technically still happy hour #5:57

I’m going to serenade my Instagram with poetic photos of Guelph cause BYEE

the only photo evidence of my birthday.. @alexwhinton
– i’m now 20 WOOO nat twenty-teen what is this shit

reminds me of my Zio’s rooftop in Italy.. #bringmeback

always been my favorite place to venture around campus – 3 more weeks Guelph #byee

Thats all for now – I will be in touch soon! After all, LOVEAMV has a schedule now (:

BYE

//Font: Creative Mind – Weknow
\\Now Playing: World News – Local Natives

What a beautiful country we live in.  Part of what I have enjoyed throughout our drive is witnessing the different terrains we have traveled through.  The windy plains of Oklahoma to the broken mesas of New Mexico, the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee to the snow-capped peaks of Colorado.  What others consider boring, I find beautiful.  I am intrigued by the wonderous changes of this land.

We left Colorado this morning only after our good friends, the J’s, filled our bellies with a delicious breakfast!  It didn’t take too long to reach the Colorado/Wyoming border.  Leaving the Colorado Rockies behind us, we headed into the Wyoming Great Plains.  There were times when you could see dirt roads fade into the distant horizon for there was nothing, and I mean nothing, to block your view.  We passed through towns that sported signs stating they had a population of 4 and our “highway” was a two lane road surrounded by land that went on for miles upon miles.

making friends at a local rest stop

Our destination today was Mount Rushmore.  Though one of our shortest rides we have had recently (roughly 6 hours), the huzband and I noticed an increase of crankiness in the car.  We have been on the road for 11 days now.  We were talking this evening and the subject of “our home” came up.  It was said that our home, for the time being, is our car.  I am so grateful for this time that we have; these incredible places, people and experiences we are having.  However, it does not mean that living out of a suitcase, traveling day after day (so far thankfully broken up with visits with friends and family) and eating food on the road does not get to us.  I catch myself wanting to head down the road towards crankiness and have to pause a moment, take a deep, relaxing breath, survey the beauty around me and seek a little more peace and strength.

Once  we crossed into South Dakota, we passed through Oglala National Grassland and soon afterwards the Black Hills National Forest.  There is no doubt you are entering the Black Hills.  The landscape so quickly changes with trees beginning to fill every inch of land.  It is stunning and was such a peaceful drive (perhaps a napping wee one in the back contributed to some of the peacefulness.)  Not long before Mount Rushmore, we came upon Crazy Horse.  Though incomplete, it is just so cool.  We had thought about visiting there when planning our trip but just didn’t think we would be able to fit it in.  Little did we know we were going to drive right by it!

We are staying in a small town near Mt. Rushmore called Hill City.  It is quaint and full of character.  I enjoy chatting with the locals, hearing all the local history.  Tonight’s story had to do with the Silver Dollar Saloon, where we had dinner.  Back in the 50′s it used to be a zoo with a polar bear and everything.  Unfortunatly their lion killed someone and well, obviously it is not a zoo today.  However, that lion is sitting, stuffed in the restaurant, peering at you through it’s glass eyes while you eat your food.

Tomorrow is a new day with more of this beautiful land to explore.  Though I look forward to it, I also do not want to rush my sleep time.  My internal clock is all messed up and though I look at the clock and see 10 pm, my body feels like it’s somewhere between midnight and dawn.  It’s off, and weird, and off.

So goodnight my friends.

This little baby gives me 130 feet depth rating to play with and does a remarkable job-even with options to add filters, grips, and lens attachments…

]]> http://thebrunswickian.com/2013/04/25/late-afternoon-shadow/ Wed, 24 Apr 2013 21:00:47 +0000 The Brunswickian http://thebrunswickian.com/2013/04/25/late-afternoon-shadow/