Expedition Me & You

To most people, yesterday was Black Friday, a consumerist holiday that it seems like nearly every American store in existence participates in. Even pet stores have Black Friday sales. I remember all of our efforts at Petsmart while I worked there, getting hyped up about how great our sales would be. We would spend hours merchandising and getting things ready only to be sorely disappointed by sales by the end of the day. My attitude toward this tradition and toward consumerism in general has changed a lot since then. I had been quite happy to see so many nationwide retail outlets not open on Thanksgiving. I was even more appreciative when other retailers announced that they would be closed on the day after. One of our favorites, REI, was one such store. Last year, Chris and I spent our day after Thanksgiving hiking in Bastrop . This year, REI encouraged their employees and members to do the same thing with a campaign called #OptOutside. We were already planning on visiting a state pa...

Austin recently opened a new portion of the Violet Crown, a trail which winds along through the Austin Greenbelt. A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I visited for the first time.  Visitors should note that the new trailhead does not have its own parking lot. You're advised to park at a nearby shopping plaza. Get directions to 4970 W Hwy 290 and park in the Spec's lot close to the frontage road. The trailhead is just slightly east from there on foot. This is what the entrance looks like. You can just barely see it from the frontage road. You're welcomed by a switchback just past the entrance. The trail is well shaded and quite woodsy. Near the 4.5 mile marker you'll find an intriguing cave to look at. The terrain is on the rocky side but the beautiful bluffs give you something to look at as you slowly make your way over the sometimes jagged rocks. Even though the trail winds through an area of the city that is q...

While Bandelier National Monument was relaxing and inviting, Chris and I were most definitely interested in additional exploration when it came to cliff dwellings and New Mexico's historic sites. Our schedule permitted us one destination on Tuesday. We could choose to visit the Taos Pueblo or Puye Cliff Dwellings . Although the Pueblo is supposed to be pretty spectacular, Chris and I are wary of crowds. The Taos Pueblo is a very popular place. Although it's filled with authentic Native American artisans and craftspeople, she and I felt more like we wanted a one on one experience doing something a little more exciting than shopping. Puye is beautiful . A Pueblo guide provides an intimate tour throughout the site. What I enjoyed most about it is that her experiences were firsthand. She is a direct descendant of the individuals who used to inhabit the cliff dwellings and her knowledge about the area was not only complete but also genuine. In fact, the people who used to...

Chris and I visited Bastrop State Park today for a nice hike. It's been a few weeks since the last time we went exploring and Chris was really itching to get out there. Her goal for the both of us is to one day backpack so the sooner we start training, the better.  Several years ago, wild fires destroyed homes, land, and public areas throughout Bastrop. The state park stands as evidence. Regrowth is happening, but it will be decades before the park is normal again.  Despite the destruction, the park really is beautiful. It has vibrant fall color. The ground is speckled with mushrooms, ants, and wild animal scat. Our path led us over fallen, charred trees, but the trails were level and otherwise easily navigable.  Entrance to the park is $4 per person 13 and over. We started our journey at the scenic overlook near the route 1C leading to Beuscher State Park. From there we picked up the Purple Trail until we found the Old Road...

Try as we might, Chris and I got a late start on the first day of our honeymoon. Our tire surprised us with a nice, little leak! Awesome! Also, family were starting to leave town. We ate a nice breakfast, had coffee, packed up, and headed out to Tesuque to explore some ruins. Except... we could not find the right place to go and our phones weren't able to get a good enough internet signal to find advice on Google. Plan B (you should always have a plan B) was Bandelier National Monument . Why? Ruins. But also it was supposed to be tarantula mating season and who wouldn't want to see migrating giant spiders? Exciting! The drive from Santa Fe was fairly scenic. I took a number of photos from the highway. Bandelier is further ahead! I can see it! Okay, maybe not but still. Here we go! The preserved ruins and surrounding natural area are home to scientific research in addition to being a fun tourist spot. Parking off site is required. Visitors leave their vehicles...