Moab: an eye-opener for a coast lover

Posted on November 30, 2012 by Teresa

It has never occurred to me that the desert is a place I want to be. Moab and the surrounding area of Utah has definitely changed my mind. The town is in the middle of national and state parks and offers hiking, climbing, biking, and rafting/canoeing. Moab also offers great local restaurants and cafes and a fun local NPR station (90.1). 90.1 played a ton of new-to-me music. One of the songs I was digging was Breezeblocks by Alt J.

George was excited to do some mountain biking. I bit the bullet and we headed to Dead Horse Point State Park. George was busy setting up jumps and shooting video while I went from hating it, to sort of liking it, to wishing the ride was over for the sake of my behind. I definitely recommend the park though, beautiful. We spent the next couple of days hiking in the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks. Great time of year to visit: few people and perfect sunny yet crisp weather.

I’ll definitely be back Moab!

Bonneville Salt Flats

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Teresa

We took a little side trip west out of Salt Lake before high-tailing it south. G was pretty pumped to drive on the speedway. I didn’t share his enthusiasm until we got out there and started driving. Weeeee.

Back to Utah

Posted on November 24, 2012 by George

After a week in Sint Maarten we are back in Utah. We arrived around midnight last night to the campsite. We found the truck under a pile of leaves and branches but in pretty good shape. She started right up and there were no leaks after 6 weeks of sitting in the cold. I cannot say the same for us though. We came from 32C to -2C. Neither of us slept much last night.

We have a lot of videos and pictures to post from the Caribbean. We will be updating the blog quite a bit in the next week. Here is a quick video I put together as a teaser :).

Land ahoy!

Posted on November 17, 2012 by Teresa

Honestly, I decided to help out with the delivery of La Forza Del Destino because I wasn’t sure what else I would do with the time. I did all I could to prepare: dramamine, ginger bites, ginger tea and various flu and cold medication. The first few days were rocky, but we were motoring. I managed to keep my stomach in check although I nearly broke down once or twice getting used to going on watch while things were rocking. After a stop over in Chesapeake Bay to wait out a storm, we were off again. Conditions were clear, the sea was flat, and I was ecstatic…maybe I was in the clear. Then the wind picked up (30+ knots) and we started sailing. The boat was healing and rocking – it looked like a tornado swept through the inside of the boat. All I will say about the next 36 hours or so is that I’m happy we brought compostable garbage bags. At one point, I may have yelled at George over the wind and rain that this was the worst day of my life (dramatic, I know). As the temperature climbed, I felt better and better. I finally cracked a smile when we saw land.

Thanks to the captain and crew of La Forza for getting me through and putting up with me. With some perspective, it was an unforgettable and worthwhile ride.