May 2016 – The Pursuit of Life

May 31, 2016 / 13 Comments

The Camper!

We have affectionately named her Magellan, or Gelly for short!

So how did we end up choosing this camper over all the other options – tents, RVs, fifth wheels? Camping and roadtripping continues to grow in popularity, so there are lots of options to choose from, but when we focused on our budget, our must have features, where we would be traveling and what kind of experience we were looking for, the Treeline Teardrop Camper was the perfect option for us. Here’s why and how we came to the decision.

May 23, 2016 / 0 Comments

THE PURSUIT OF A GOOD BOOK | THE EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES

The Emperor of All Maladies is a book that should be on everyone’s shelf. Sure, it’s a long one, non-fiction and filled with pages and pages of text about a pretty scary thing that we will all encounter: cancer, the Big C. Scary as it may be, we should all understand so big a foe – the whole bit about knowing your enemy certainly applies here. This book is a wonderful roadmap to understanding the enemy – it is written with knowledge as well as empathy and describes an extremely complex, oftentimes unfathomable disease in about as layman’s terms as possible. Most importantly, The Emperor of All Maladies is extremely informative, but also humanistic and relatable. With one in two men and one in three women bound to personally hear a diagnosis of cancer in their lifetimes in the United States, of course we can all relate. This is something that we will all experience, so pay attention people!

May 17, 2016 / 1 Comment

ANTELOPE CANYON AND HORSESHOE BEND, PAGE ARIZONA

Horseshoe Bend and Antelope Canyon, both just outside of Page, Arizona in the very northern part of the state on the border with Utah, are “must see” spots – touted on top 10 lists and with beautiful photos included in the guide books. So of course we thought – we have to go see these stunning places! And stunning they are … gilded but not gold because of the crowds that taint the experience of gazing on such beautiful places.

Antelope Canyon, Navajo Reservation, Arizona

May 14, 2016 / 0 Comments

Should you take your dog with you on your road trip?

Adventure Dog - Traveling with a Pup on your Roadtrip

If you have ever met us, you know how obsessed we are with our pup. Our furbaby. Our darling princess queen bee nugget Coconut. So when we decided to take a long road trip around the Western U.S, we thought well of course we will take Coconut with us! Well, that’s what I thought. Ryan was a little more practical and said – maybe we should think about this a little more. And of course I won out and we took her with us! But there are some serious things to consider when deciding whether you should bring your dog along with you on your roadtrip.

Coconut was with us for 5 weeks on the road and we absolutely loved having her along for the adventure. After all, you wouldn’t leave your kids at home for such a grand adventure, so why would we leave our fur-kid at home?!

May 11, 2016 / 4 Comments

THE PURSUIT OF DELISH | SOURDOUGH CAMP BREAD

Sourdough Camp Bread Recipe

I am not a baker per se. I don’t have the fancy scales, cake pans and pie tins that are hallmarks of a serious baker. I dabble in baking and usually it turns out pretty tasty … although I have never quite figured out how to make my flourless cake not crumble the instant I try to serve it on a plate. Regardless, I’d like to think that I’m a decent baker because I am a rule follower. To the T. So I can follow a recipe like it’s nobody’s business. When we finalized our plans for this trip, I decided that I wanted to learn how to make bread so that I can make some bread for us from time to time on the road.

Sourdough Bread Baking Class, La Victoria Bakery, San Francisco

May 7, 2016 / 2 Comments

The Grand Canyon – Bright Angel Trail and Campgrounds

Bright Angel Trail, Grand Canyon

We made it!

There are few things in life that feel as good as the first stretch the morning after a particularly invigorating yoga class. What does not feel so good is the wake up stretch the morning after climbing from the bottom of the Grand Canyon to the top – ouch! But to say that the hike is worth it is a gross understatement. It is more than worth it. After a night down at the Bright Angel Campground (see the post here about our hike down the South Kaibab Trail to the campground at the bottom of the Grand Canyon!), we were headed back up to climb out of the canyon.

May 6, 2016 / 1 Comment

Life on the Road | April Digest

The Wave at Coyote Buttes, Northern Arizona

Another month on the road! Here is the tally of facts and figures for our roadtrip as of May 3rd (a few days over the month mark!):

May 1, 2016 / 2 Comments

The Grand Canyon – South Kaibab Trail and Exploring the Inner Canyons

South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon

“In every walk with nature one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

South Kaibab Trail, Grand Canyon

The Pursuit of Life

Month: May 2016