Kauai - The Garden Island

Also the oldest of the main Hawaiian Islands and the fourth largest! It is called the Garden Island because it is so green and lush. I hereby declare it to be the most beautiful place I have ever been! We had a wonderful time - a perfect mix of fun activity and relaxation at the beach and pool. The island is very diverse - 555 square miles of beach, rainforest, desert, mountains and plains. We got to see it all - because the first thing we all did was take a helicopter ride!! Definitely the best way to see the island as much of it can only be seen from the air.

We went with Jack Harter which has a great safety rating. Our pilot Harry has been flying for over 25 years and he gave us so much information and a fantastic tour of Kauai! 

The west side is very sunny and gets just a small amount of rain. It is most known for the Waimea Canyon which is often called the little Grand Canyon. We got to see it from the air but didn't get back over there to do the hiking we planned. When I go back that will be first on my list - but it was the furthest part of the island from where we were staying and my family opted to relax the day we planned to go there. And since I am very flexible (at least I try!) I acquiesced.  

Lots of great hiking trails in the Waimea Canyon. 

The north shore is spectacularly beautiful! Takes the color GREEN to a new level - more shades then you have ever seen and water so blue it brings tears to your eyes. It rains a ton although the day we were there was perfect. The Na Pali Coast can be seen only from the air or on foot and we attempted both - more to come about the hike in a bit.  

This was taken from the helicopter with an iPhone - gorgeous!!! 

The south shore is loaded with sunny beaches and pretty hotels. If it's raining elsewhere on the island just head south and find the sun. 

Look at the clear water!!! Fine sandy beach but no shells. 

We stayed on the east side in Lihue and it was the connection between the south and the north so the weather was a mix. We had almost no rain but there where pretty clouds sometimes. It was a little quieter then the south side where many tourists stay, but really conveniently located to the airport and pretty close to get to some of the beautiful waterfalls and hikes. Bonus - we whale watched from our balcony a couple of nights around 5 PM. We could see the spouts from their blow holes, a tail every now and then and sometimes them jumping out of the water - amazing!!!

The view from our balcony - it never got old!!! 

Next on the list of must- do things was to head north to Ke'e Beach and hike the Kalalau Trail - at least the first part of it. The whole trail is 11 miles one way and you need to plan to camp on the beach when you arrive AND have a special permit to camp. The trail is not for the novice so our plan was to arrive early and hike 2 miles to the beach and then 2 additional miles to the first waterfall.  

Ke'e Beach - the start of the trail. 

The trail was HARD!!! I fancy myself to be in halfway decent shape and now I am doubting that!!! But it was worth it as it was beautiful - and I do feel that it was an accomplishment to do it - since lots of people turned around shortly after the start. 

The beginning of the trail - the EASY part!! 

We climbed up the trail and then down to the beach. It was wet and slippery and very rocky. Had to ford a stream or two to get there - but we made it! 

The beach was gorgeous but definitely not for swimming. That would have been taking your life in your hands with a poor outcome. We decided not to hike the 2 miles to the waterfall. Rain was predicted and if that happened we wouldn't have been able to get out. It would be a shame to waste those comfy beds so we headed back to the car. The return was maybe even a little tougher but everyone said they were glad we did it.  

Matt, Keeley, Anna, Tom, Angela and me. 

Do you remember the song Puff the Magic Dragon?  He frolics in a land called Hanalei!!! Well that was next on our list! It's actually a town on the north side of Kauai and has a bay called Hanalei Bay. 

An old Hawaiian legend that the dragon surrounds the bay and from the air you can see why! The legend came first - then the song. 

The town is really cute with quant shops and restaurants.  

How about a ukuleles?? 

More hiking in Kauai on the east side - headed to Ho'opi'i Falls for a 2 mile round trip hike. Not hard at all but really pretty. 

Keeley and Anna making me a little nervous getting too close to the falls! 

Then just a short drive to see Opaeka'a Falls. You can't hike to it but it's pretty to see. 

Kauai is loaded with beautiful beaches - and we spent a day on the south side at the Marriott Beach in Po'ipu.  

Anna, Tom, Keeley and Matt in the ocean and a friendly sea lion on the beach sunning! He kept lifting his head and looking around and then back to sleep.  

There are Farmer's Markets all over the island so we stopped by one after the beach. Lots of local produce available like pineapple, coconuts and macadamia nuts! Plus music and donuts! 

Coconut milk for Anna, coconut donuts for Angela and Tom and a rooster t-shirt for me! 

One of my favorite spots was Wailua Falls. No hiking just drive up and gawk. 173 feet high which is actually taller than Niagara Falls and beautiful. Long ago men would jump off the top to prove their bravery - often with fatal results. It was so pretty I went to see it twice! 

Look closely at the bottom of the falls and see the rainbow! 

I also went three times to Lydgate Beach Park on the east side - not far from our resort. It's known to be one of the safest beaches on the island - with a boulder-enclosed pond that allows water and fish in but keeps out the ocean's force. It even has a little children's pond and a very long beach to walk on. 

Saw lots of people in the pond with snorkel gear. Tom and Anna came once too! 

I read that Lydgate Beach was a perfect place to watch the sun rise so got up early one morning and headed there. I went myself as I couldn't get anyone to agree to go and I'm so glad I didn't miss it. It was cloudy and drizzling a little on the drive and I thought it was going to be a bust but I was in for a surprise. Here comes the sun!!! 

It just popped up on the horizon and was in the sky in about a minute.  

You might be thinking - what no food post??? We had lots of great food and I will be doing a separate post with those pics so check back soon!  

I'm ready to go back!!! 

Made it to Kauai!!

Everyone made it to Kauai after a long day of travel - especially for Tom and Anna who came from NYC. Over 12 hours of flying for them but worth it! The rest of us - Keeley, Matt, Angela and myself flew from Seattle which was just over 6 hours in the air. 

Aloha from the balcony of our villa!  

But first I will back up and post briefly about my stop in Seattle and Gig Harbor. Getting to Kauai from Kansas City is not easy so I flew to Seattle for 2 days to visit family and see one of my oldest and dearest friends Pam and her amazing husband Lance. They have lived in Seattle for many years and very recently moved from a beautiful but very congested area on the east side to a fantastic area called Gig Harbor. Gig Harbor is south of Seattle across  Puget Sound from Tacoma. It might just be my new favorite place! 

Pam and I on the wrap-around verandah at her spectacular home which has a beautiful view of the sound!! You can watch the ferries go back and forth to Vashon Island!  

My brother Dave and I drove over to Gig Harbor and we all went to an awesome place for lunch in the adorable downtown area right on the marina called Devoted Kiss Cafe. It is one of Pam's favorite places and the funny thing is I had looked up Gig Harbor restaurants on yelp before we came and it was the place that really caught my attention - also number 1 rating on the site! 

Just a tiny place you could easily drive by but so good! Fantastic clam chowder and a delicious salad with apple, Gorgonzola cheese, bacon and candied pecans for me. 

The view of the marina from our table. In the warmer weather you can sit right on the water. 

It was so great to have the time with Pam and Lance - although as usual never long enough. I can't wait to go back when I have more time!  

That night we met family at Anthony's in Des Moines for happy hour - one of my favorite things! It was really raining - even more then usual for Seattle so I don't have any great views from the restaurant - but Anthony's also is on the water. Great food and happy hour specials. 

Tons of clams, tempura asparagus and artichoke dip - all delicious! 

So great to see family even though it was too brief. But I can't be too sad because I was headed to Kauai!! Day one was pretty much travel and getting the villa stocked with food so the real exploring will start today. From my research I know Kauai will be much different then Maui or Oahu in terms of being more laid back and natural. We experienced a bit of that last night when we went to dinner. We are staying on the east side of the island in Lihue and went to a restaurant/brewery called The Kauai Beer Co. Very local crowd and very casual but delicious. 

All farm to table ingredients and quite a selection of beers. Greens with beer battered avocado, pickled onions, chicken and candied macadamia nuts for me. Mac and cheese for Angela, Chicken sandwich with kale slaw for Matt and a beet, sweet potato chicken salad for Keeley. 

So far I am mesmerized by the beauty of the mountains from our balcony and all the roosters roaming free everywhere crowing constantly! 

This guy is right below me and he moves fast! Better pictures to come!  

There was a hurricane that hit Kauai in 1992 that destroyed all the hen houses. No one bothered to round up the roosters and hens so they roam freely everywhere - love it!! 

Well a beautiful day awaits me - more to come soon!! Mahalo!!

My Art Runneth Over!

This post is going to be all about art since this week I had two wonderful fun art experiences. One of them was at a place I didn't know existed so I definitely want to share because it was awesome and it's right here in Kansas City! Through the organization Arts Alive I attended an event at the Belger Crane Yard Studios. It is located on the east side of downtown overlooking the Belger Crane Yard, and is a very cool warehouse that houses 50 artist studios and a lovely display/event space.

Arts Alive is an organization composed of people who love the arts and like to go to new places and hang out with fun people. They have one event a month and it's first come first serve when the event opens as far as buying your ticket to attend. There is usually some type of art event which includes a light meal and cocktails followed by some kind of music or theater event. Everything I've attended has been great and I've gotten to find out about things I had no knowledge existed here - like the Belger Crane Yard Studios.  

Top left - view from the studio of downtown from the parking lot. Middle - Deidre entering the studio through the awesome iron gates. Bottom - some of the items on display and on the right is this awesome statue that greets you inside - the face is so lifelike!

The studio is open to the public Weds - Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM and on First Fridays from 10 AM to 9 PM. I picked up the schedule of specials exhibits and will definitely plan on a return visit! 

Photo of me with my always up for anything friends Linda and Deidre! The food was from El Porton Cafe which was authentic South American cuisine - loved the sweet plantains!

The second floor of the studio is home to the Lawrence Lithography Workshop and we got to tour that as well. The owner Michael Sims, a master printer was available to answer questions and explain what makes this facility so unique. To date they have worked with over 100 artists from across the United States because they do the printing the original way which is on stone blocks. 

That's Michael in the bottom right picture and Deidre checking out the stones they print from.  

Next we headed over to the American Jazz Museum for part 2 of our evening. Kansas City is well known for it's contributions to jazz and the museum is located at 18th and Vine. It shares a lobby with The Negro Leagues Museum which is another fantastic place to visit. Attached to the Jazz Museum is a famous music venue called The Blue Note. Before we went in we got to see a special art exhibit on display called Spectrum - Autism, Art & Music by the artist Juliette Hemingway. Her son is autistic so they worked together on many of the pieces. The colors are incredibly vibrant and I thought it was quite striking. 

We headed into The Blue Note and heard some excellent Latin jazz! Also got salsa lessons!  

Great venue to hear live music! We're not just runners - we're dancers too! 

It was a fun night and a great way to see more of what Kansas City offers! 

My next art event for the week was attending a preview of the new Bloch Galleries at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Since I volunteer at the museum I have been somewhat in the know about what an amazing addition to the museum this would be - but the reality far exceeded my high expectations. Henry Bloch who lives in KC is the founder of H&R Block. He and his wife Marion were avid art collectors primarily of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art, and owned one of the few outstanding collections still in private hands. Originally they planned to donate their extensive collection to the museum upon their deaths, but in 2015 decided why wait! They donated their collection along with 12 million dollars to redesign the European wing of the museum, and for the past 15 months that section has been undergoing that renovation.  

Open to the public officially March 11th, but lots of special events over the next two weeks to see the finished product. 

I was invited to attend a reception and see the galleries so of course I had to make time for that! The event was wonderful because it was for all the people that in even some small way had contributed to this happening - so volunteers, docents, staff, engineers, construction workers etc. They had a lovely reception with wonderful food, drinks and speeches from the curators and board of directors. The galleries are truly state of the art and all the technicians who made it possible were there for us to chat with and walk us through it all.  

IPads for you to learn more about the paintings and artists and a touch screen to enlarge the paintings so you can see the detail of the brush strokes.  

They asked everyone to sign this bench to symbolize our contributions. They will be covered with a cushion but I'll always know exactly where I signed! 

The Blochs donated 30 paintings which is just incredible! They also donated the frames of which many are valued at over $100,000 each. The new galleries now display those works along with the other pieces the museum already owned.  

Top right is my favorite Monet so I'm glad it's back for me to see again! 

You can download a free ap called Detour and it will automatically tell you about the piece of art as you stand in front of it. You can also use the ap to take a tour of the galleries which is pretty cool. If you live in Kansas City I highly recommend making a trip to the Nelson post March 11th, and if you don't live here and you like the Impressionists you should plan a trip here! You will not be disappointed and you can get some good barbecue too!

Come for the Bloch and stay for the other great art too!! 

You may be asking yourself - I thought this was a travel blog?? If you have read about any of my travel then you know I love going to museums and seeing art - although not even close to being an expert. But my next post will definitely be about travel as I have a great trip right around the corner! Time to start packing so please check back again soon! 

Arrowhead, Art and Antlers

What in the world could those 3 things have in common?? Well, I got to enjoy them all this week - but most surprising was that the art was actually at Arrowhead! I had no idea that Arrowhead - home of the Kansas CIty Chiefs actually has quite an impressive art collection. I was invited on a tour which also included a behind-the-scenes look at the stadium, and it was too tempting to pass up.  

Arrowhead is the second NFL stadium to showcase world-class art, the first was the Dallas Cowboys. Founded in 2012, the Arrowhead Art Collection includes 33 pieces of contemporary art all created by regional artists with themes focusing on the Midwest and/or football. It is located on the Club Level and in the excitement of being there for a game might easily be overlooked. 

Our tour included a nice guide showing where all the pieces are located. 

Here are a few of my favorites! 

Dierk Van Keppel Endeavor, 2013 An abstract representation of a football in blown glass. (I have actually met Dierk and been to his glass studio!)

Charlie Podrebarac Panorama of the Plains, 2013  This is one of 3 large paintings that are filled with historical figures, artists and landmarks of KC - including my building!! 

Anne Lindberg Field Cloud, 2013 A three-dimensional drawing cast across the wall to create a flowing abstract form that looks like wheat or grass. Made from stainless steel wire - it looks really different if you are looking at it from a distance versus close up.  

Noppadol Paothong Greater Prairie Chicken Series, Fine Art Photography documenting the Greater Prairie Chicken during their mating dance. Their deep breaths fill up the orange air sacs and the sound is quite booming!! Wish they had added a vocal element! 

Marilyn Mahoney Home of the Brave, 2013 Emphasis on the structural elements of the stadium in an abstract architectural drawing. 

NedRa Bonds Connecting Threads, 2014 A beautiful quilt showing 3 women of different ethnicities all working together on a quilt. 

The rest of the collection was impressive as well. Next we headed to see the behind-the-scenes part of the tour. We headed down to the locker room and the field. By the time we got out on the 50 yard line it was already dark so pictures would not have turned out, but it was still fun to be out there. The guide told us some interesting facts about the configuration of the stadium. It is known as the LOUDEST stadium in the country, and one of the reasons is that the field is actually about 3 stories below ground level so the noise really reverberates. Before it was acceptable to be loud the referees used to threaten to penalize the Chiefs if the crowd didn't quiet down - but now it is acceptable and other stadiums try to beat the decibels recorded there - with no luck! Also the fans are much closer to the field then is actually now legal in the NFL, and even when the stadium was renovated in 2010 the NFL allowed the Chiefs to keep it that way due to the respect they have for Lamar Hunt and all he did for professional football. When my brother and his family were here for the Chiefs/Tampa Bay game back in November my brother actually commented on how close we were to the field. My nephew plays for Tampa Bay so they have been to many of the stadiums around the country and it really was noticeable to them. 

The locker room was not super impressive and looked like it hadn't been included in the renovation from 2010 - but the guide did say that since they have build a brand new practice facility the only time the players are ever in the locker room is the day of the game. Something tells me the locker room in the new facility is loaded with great amenities - and it was still cool to see.  

From now on when I think of Arrowhead I will not just think football but art as well! 

The Antlers were not a part of Arrowhead, but I met my friend Julie at the new Antler Room for drinks and a light dinner Friday night.  I have read quite a few reviews and both she and I have been wanting to try it out. It was a spectacularly warm and beautiful night especially for February and they have a huge door that can be opened on a nice night so it's almost like sitting outside. It's located at 25th and Holmes which is just south of Children's Mercy and Truman Medical Center. The neighborhood is called Longfellow and like many neighborhoods in the downtown area going through a revitalization with people moving back to the city and sprucing things up. There are a couple of other locations that looked great as well. I plan to check them out!

Very cool space with lots of antler details. Not large so best to make a reservation to insure you get in.  

The food was really interesting and they had a nice wine and beer selection along with a large cocktail list. The food is all small plates so meant for ordering multiple choices and sharing. The waitress suggested we order 6 plates if we wanted it to be a meal, but since neither of us was that hungry we started with 3 which turned out to be just perfect.  

From top left - Cauliflower, almond, pickled celery root, butternut squash and apple. Top right - Vertuta, cheddar cheese, spinach, walnut and black garlic bread crumbs. Bottom left - Campanella, lamb sugo, spinach, soffritto, golden raisins and mint. And Julie wanted coffee - French Press!

If you like to try new places and see interesting areas of the city I would highly recommend planning a visit. They are only open for dinner/happy hour. I believe they have plans to open for brunch on the weekend sometime soon. 

I also ate at Plate in Brookside last night. It is my second time there and I wrote about it after the first time but it is such a great place I wanted to feature it again. I highly recommend it but reservations especially on the weekend is a must. It's just north of 63rd St on Oak in a beautiful Spanish JC Nichols building. 

These pictures really don't show what a great space it is. They have a beautiful bar and small but cool restaurant area.  

The food is fantastic - I would describe it as modern Italian. They have a very nice reasonable wine list and a really interesting farm to table menu.  

I had the chicken which was fantastic. Served over a squash risotto with pear and broccolini. Jim had the tortellini with beef short rib in a carmelized shallot sauce with pistachios and smoked prosciutto parmesan. Dessert was salted caramel budino and a flourless chocolate cake!!

Well that's what I've been up to! Hope you're making your days great as well!  

Sun City

We went in search of the sun and we found it!! Arizona is hoarding the sun and since it seemed the entire month of January was gloomy here in Kansas City - it was wonderful to feel the warmth the entire time we were there. Our purpose in going was to run a race - really just an excuse for a fun girls weekend - and our goal was accomplished!  

Here we are arriving in Phoenix - with our coats and boots. We were able to get rid of those fast! 

Just missing Cheryl - she arrived a little earlier and was awaiting our arrival at the car rental.  

We were starving since it was dinner time - so headed to a great Mexican Restaurant close to the airport in Tempe called Z'Tejas Grill. This way we could avoid rush hour before heading to our rental home.  

We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share and the margarita's they are famous for - all delicious! 

Next we headed up to Scottsdale to get settled in the home we had rented through VRBO - Vacation Rental By Owner (or Home Away - same thing.) I have rented through them a number of times and have always had great success. The properties have always met or exceeded my expectations from how they are pictured and described on the website - and if you are traveling with a group or family it is usually a lot cheaper then staying in a hotel. Plus you get the benefit of having a kitchen and living space to all gather versus having to cram into a hotel room.  

Our house was perfect! A great convenient location, clean and nicely furnished. 3 bedrooms and 2 and a half baths plus a pool! Too bad it wasn't quite warm enough for us to swim but we did stick our feet in and enjoyed eating at the lovely patio table.  

Friday started with a trip to the grocery store to get some basics for breakfast - coffee, bagels, yogurt, fruit and wine. Can't forget the wine! Everyone took a little run around the area since we were running a race Sunday and then got ready to head out for an early lunch and site seeing. First stop Kierland Common.  

A beautiful area in Scottsdale with lots of upscale shops and restaurants - gorgeous landscaping! Isn't every day Winesday?? 

A little shopping and then lunch at Postinos Wine Bar - we are going with a wine theme on this trip. I had heard good things about Postinos from a previous trip - there are multiple locations in the area so was looking forward to trying it. 

Kristen's sister Wendie who lives in Scottsdale joined us for a fun lunch - with wine of course! I had a delicious salad and half a panini. That was the lunch of choice for most - or salad and soup. I love their sign - TRUE!!!

It wouldn't be a vacation to me if I didn't visit at least one museum - and the number one recommendation on Trip Advisor for the area is the Musical Instrument Museum - or MIM. The girls were really good sports about stopping there next - and everyone loved it! The museum displays more then 6500 instruments from over 200 countries. Their collection exceeds 16,000 so it is quite impressive and and housed in a beautiful building. Most displays are enhanced by state of the art audio and visual technologies that allow guests to see the instrument, hear their sound and observe them being played in their original context.  

Entrance to the MIM surrounded by beautiful dessert landscaping.  

Cool carved totem poles amongst these beauties! 

One section of the museum is a tribute to famous singers. They have the actual costumes worn by the celebrities, their actual instruments and audio and video footage of them performing. I bet they have at least 50 or more!  

Elvis, Taylor Swift and Alice Cooper! 

The Dance Organ (The Apollonia) pictured below measures over 25 feet long and weighs over 2 tons. It was originally manufactured in 1926 in Antwerp and was brought to the United States in the mid-1980's.  They play it twice a day and we were lucky enough to be there! 

They have displays from just about every country around the world. So interesting! 

We spent close to 3 hours at the museum and didn't get to see it all. I highly recommend it if you are in the Phoenix/Scottsdale area. Next a quick stop at packet pickup for the race and we were off to Happy Hour!

A big group at Tommy Bahamas in Kierland Common. Kristen's nephew Blake works there and he took great care of us! Shared a bunch of appetizers - Coconut Shrimp, Sliders, Quesadillas, Desserts and their famous Coconut Cloud Cocktails! 

Early Saturday morning those of us running the 10K got up and headed for a hike to the top of Piestewa Peak. Piestewa Peak is the second highest peak in Phoenix at 2610 feet. The tallest is Camelback. It used to be called Squaw Peak but the name was changed to honor Lori Piestewa, a US soldier killed in Iraq and the first Native American woman in history to die in combat while serving the US military. We were advised to get their early as parking is limited and it's a favorite hike for locals especially on the weekend. We lucked out and snagged one of the last parking spots and headed for the  Summit Trail to the top.

Cheryl, Deidre and Harriett pointing out that the trail is marked "Extremely Difficult." 

If you were familiar with the trail and didn't stop to see any of the beautiful views you could probably make it to the top in about 45 minutes, but of course we took our time and enjoyed the scenery. 

Beautiful view of Camelback Mountain. 

The last quarter of the hike to the top was pretty rocky so we all decided the classification of difficulty was accurate - but fun and worth it! 

Cheryl climbing the last leg to the top! 

At the top with a wonderful gentleman we met on the way. Reuben is 82 years old and makes the hike 6 out of 7 days every week. He was our spirit guide and really an inspiration. 

The hike was definitely one of the trip highlights for me - and we worked up quite an appetite. So next up we stopped at one of my favorite places and treated ourselves to a great lunch. 

Burgers, Fries and Chocolate Shakes for everyone. Yumm! It never disappoints! 

After a little relaxing by the pool it was time to get ready for what we were hoping would be a wonderful and memorable dinner. A friend of mine that lives in Phoenix had recommended Ocotillo to us, and she has always been spot on in the past. Her record is intact as the restaurant was fantastic! 

Located in a cool area close to downtown Phoenix that is being rehabbed. 

The inside is modern and very clean and linear. Friendly knowledgeable staff making the whole dinner very enjoyable. 

Perusing the excellent menu! 

The food was delicious and our waitress advised us on how much to order. The portions are large and are meant to share so she suggested 2 salads and 2 sides to start. The quantity was perfect. 

Top left and clockwise: Roasted Butternut Squash, Fall Greens, Wild Rice, Pomegranate, Pumpkin Seeds and Goat Cheese. Cauliflower with Kale Pesto. Carrot Fattoush, Greens, Carrot Hummus, Crispy Pita and Feta. Grilled Sweet Potato, Avacado, Cashews and Feta. All amazing! 

3 Pasta's to share: 

Reginette Pasta with Curried Beef Ragu, Smoked Beef Raviolis and Bucatini Pasta with Pork and Ricotta Meatballs.  

They have a great outdoor space complete with fire pit that is heated. 

Celebrating Tracy's birthday with a delicious banana cake. We were all too full for more dessert - even me!! 

What a wonderful evening - thanks Teri!! 

Oh that's right - we actually came for a race on Sunday! So we were all up early and Cheryl and I headed over to a great coffee chain from one of the coffee capitals of the world - Dutch Bros from Portland to get coffee for everyone. If you are somewhere and see them stop and treat yourself to a cup! The morning crew was very energetic and when they heard we were there for a race they gave us all the coffee free - nice! 

Open 24 hours! 

The weather was perfect for a race - 50's and sunny to start. Linda and Tracy did the half marathon and did great! The rest of us did the 10K (slackers) and to finish is to WIN - and we all did!

We got great jackets and really cool medals - and isn't that really why we do it??!! 

We had worked up an appetite so headed over to a breakfast place called Perk. 

Omelet's, French Toast and a celebratory cocktail for Linda.  

Time was running out on our trip so we headed back to the house to get cleaned up and out of the house by 2 PM. The owner had graciously given us a late checkout because of the race so we had to hustle. We were clean, packed and out the door with minutes to spare and had about an hour and a half before needing to head to the airport. We stopped at another pretty restaurant/shopping area right across from Kierland Common callled Scottsdale Quarter and walked around and enjoyed our last bit of sunshine. 

I can understand why people spend the winter months in Phoenix - what's not to like! I had such a great fun time with these ladies - can't wait to plan another running trip! I saw this recently and it's so true! 

It's the Year of Reading for me so I'm simultaneously reading these two books. 

Given to me by a friend - I'm really learning a lot and enjoying it. An account of how women have radically shaped our nation through social, political and economic means.  

A gift from my son and I'm getting all kinds of great tips that will help me plan my upcoming world tour. I'm not the only person who thinks nonstop travel would be awesome! 

Thanks for coming along on my adventure! The Best is Yet to Be!