Kelocity.com

A runner with an appetite for adventure!

A Pony Tail on the Trail November 27, 2013

Filed under: Baby,Family,Healthy Train,Hiking,Las Vegas — Kelocity @ 4:24 am
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As mentioned in my ‘anti-vegas‘ post, we hiked in Red Rock Canyon one day while we were there. Jake and Janie had never been, and we had been twice before (here and here) and decided it would be a fun way to get in some exercise.
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First we checked out the visitor’s center and got another stamp in Adele’s National Park passport! This was her second time to Red Rock!
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Adele was fascinated by the lizard who was being served carrots and celery for lunch.
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Maybe it was a coincidence, but Adele walked over to the “E” below and shouted “EEEEEeee!!”20131119_110724
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Soon enough, we headed out on our hike!
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A Pony Tail on the Trail!
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Not a day passes that I don’t get knocked in the face by something Adele is holding.
(Public Service Announcement: Don’t ever let Adele try to ‘brush’ your hair. It’s more like ‘whack-your-head’).P1010063

Not long into our hike, our happy traveler fell fast asleep!

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Climbing high above the desert floor!

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Oh yea… um. WE SAW A TARANTULA!!!!!!
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I debated not even posting those pictures because just looking at them I get the creeps. Luckily Adele was brave and didn’t get scared at all… because she was still sleeping 1.5 hours later.
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She only woke up when we got back to the car and tried to transfer her to her carseat. Lucky for me, I got to enjoy some post-nap snuggles. I take ’em when I can get ’em!

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Here’s our hike stats (courtesy of my fitbit!)
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Hike in the Angeles National Forest November 13, 2013

Filed under: Baby,Healthy Train,Hiking,Los Angeles — Kelocity @ 4:55 am
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On Sunday, Adele slept til 9am which meant everyone was happy and rested when we all got up. We took full advantage and headed out to the Angeles National Forest…. making a quick stop at Jamba Juice for some breakfast on the way.
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We had only been to the park once and didn’t really know where to go, but we found a trailhead, parked the car and headed out. We ended up hiking to the top of Vetter Mountain. It was a fairly easy 1.7 mile trail each way. It took us 2.5 hours or so.
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Irving carried Adele in the backpack for most of the way. She looks so different in it this time than she did 11 months ago!
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She did ok on the way up, but got really whiny on the way down. I think she was hungry/tired/bored. Close to the bottom, we let her walk the rest of the way back to the car.
20131110_130858I spy a baby ponytail in the shadow!

She was so excited to pick up sticks and rocks. I got giddy thinking of all the nature hikes in our future. Just like when I was a kid!
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And just for fun, here’s a video of Adele galavanting down the mountain. And bonus… you can hear Irving singing. Pretty awesome.

 

The Hike to the Other Side June 7, 2011

Filed under: California,Workout — Kelocity @ 7:15 am
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Our last day up in Big Bear was relaxing and full of nature. We were looking for a few days to disconnect, unwind and relax, and we definitely found that this weekend.

Our morning started with a bowl of fresh fruit. Some grapefruit, orange and cherries that were dusted with sugar and accented by fresh mint. (While I was blogging on the porch, I saw the chef come out and snip the fresh mint from their garden! Couldn’t be fresher!)

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We also had some baked french toast and maple bacon too. Served with fresh coffee and OJ. I already miss those fresh country breakfasts!

Our only plan for the day was to walk to the other side of Big Bear Lake. They have a great walking trail, and we just wanted to enjoy the views and stretch our legs before our drive back to LA. It’s funny to see ski mountains without any snow! I love looking at all the runs.

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I wish we had more nature trails near us in LA. It was so nice and quiet to have a dedicated path for walking and biking.

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And I had great company for our 7 mile walk. We never run out of things to talk about. He really is my soul mate.

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I love wooden bridges! Something about them makes me feel like a little kid.bigbear (27)

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PS, my jacket has zip off sleeves!

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We had such a great time up in Big Bear. Hope to get back again soon! We are SO lucky to have these getaways so close to our home! It didn’t feel like California at all!

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Check out my next guest post on Contiki’s blog! What to pack on your next international trip!

 

Red Rock Canyon May 25, 2011

Filed under: Family,Food,Hiking,Las Vegas — Kelocity @ 2:00 pm
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We slept really well, as we usually do in Vegas (those room darkening blinds will get you every time!)

Poor Irving was dealing with a gnarly cold while we were there. But we came prepared.
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He was a trooper though. I told him that I had a solution to all of his problems:
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I mean, there isn’t much in life that munchins can’t fix, right?
I asked for ONE munchkin and she gave me FOUR!
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Ohhh, how I miss Dunkins! Then we got in the car and headed back over to the Wynn.
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Vegas is full of strange things. Here’s the Palace Station Casino (where OJ simpson got arrested!)
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And the Sahara Hotel is closed! So sad! Another one bites the (desert) dust.
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We didn’t have any real plans for the day, but they suggested a hike in Red Rock Canyon! I’d never been either, so we seized the opportunity!
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Just a half hour drive from the strip, and we were there!
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I just don’t understand why they call it Red Rock Canyon!
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We’re so lucky to have such gorgeous landscapes in our country. I’m really glad we got to see this!
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We started at the visitor’s center and learned a little bit about the area.
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And have a little fun…
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Check out this stitch that I made! This was five photos I stitched into one! (Click to enlarge!)

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There is a 13 mile scenic loop and all along the way, you can pull over and hike. It’s a great set up!
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First stop was the big red rock, duh!
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Everyone climbed up to see the cliffs below…
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But I’m lame and played it safe on firm ground. (When did I become such a wuss?)
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I ain’t going up there! I’m fine riiiiight down here!
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These pictures aren’t doing this place ANY justice. You have to come out and see it in person!

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There were so many trails that looked incredible, and someday, we’ll come back to do them all. But this time, we only did the Ice Box Canyon trail.
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Somewhere in there, there was supposed to be a waterfall!
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It was such a cool hike. Unlike any terrain I’ve ever seen before.
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Sisters!
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We basically hiked on a dried up river bed (oh, spoiler alert, the waterfall was dried up in the desert heat!)
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The whole hike was about 2.5 miles, and in the high noon heat, it ended up being perfect.
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It was fun to scramble over rocks (although I was on the lookout for rattlesnakes!)
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And then we got to the place where the waterfall should have been… The supposed “ice box” part of the trail…
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Hee Hee. I’ll have to come back in the winter to see it filled with water! So cool!
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And then we started the hike back to the car.
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The whole park was gorgeous, if you’re heading out west, definitely make the drive, even if you don’t hike.
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By then it was 4pm and we were starving for lunch! We had bought a groupon for a place called Bambino’s East Coast Pizzeria. It’s owned by Bostonians who opened up a restaurant out here! I was so excited! They even painted their walls the same color as the Green Monster!
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We got some chicken fingers that were DELISH!
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And a pizza that was ginormous!
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Sufficiently stuffed, we hopped back in the car to begin the four hour drive back to LA! This time with a few more passengers!
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Wait, where’s Irving?
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Half way, we were in serious need of some fuel… enter, Starbucks!
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DUDE! Have you tried their new Coconut Mocha Frappacino? It’s amazing. If you like coconut, you will LOVE this!
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What a great weekend! It was fun to experience both sides of vegas. The Pool/Casino/Food side and the Outdoors/Nature side. So much fun!

 

Where’d The Weekend Go? May 16, 2011

I had a fabulous weekend, but it went much too fast. On Saturday, I participated in Race/LA. It’s like The Amazing Race but it all takes place in one day in Los Angeles. If you love scavenger hunt/adventure races, definitely check it out. I’ve been working for them for six years! A few times a year they have the full day events and they are SO much fun.
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I hand out clues at certain stations around the city. Each stop has a clue with some kind of task they have to complete before moving on to the next one. It’s a ton of fun! I’ve never run the race as a competitor, but someday I really want to!
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On Sunday, my friend Courtney came to visit! We went to High School together and don’t get to hang out very often, so it was awesome to spend the whole day together!
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We did the usual touristy things around Hollywood: Mann’s Chinese Theater, Rodeo Drive, Hollywood Sign, celeb stalking, etc. It was so much fun. Sometimes it’s easy to forget we actually live here! I love exploring this town and having friends to do it with!
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Doesn’t this look like a tropical island or something? It was actually the Hollywood Reservoir! Who knew!

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Since it rained Saturday night, the skies were so clear on Sunday. We could see all the way to the ocean from up in the Hollywood Hills.
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For lunch, we met up with Erika and Timmy too! We ate at Caioti Pizza in Tujunga Village. I love my high school friends!
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Erika’s due date is next week and we are all SO excited for them. Caioti has a salad on the menu that is rumored to induce labor! I was so excited that Erika ordered it. Hope it works!

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Today, after work, I went for a 3 mile hike. It has been months since I hiked this trail and it felt SO good to get back at it again.
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I needed a little bit of nature today.  A good way to start off the week.
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Plus I got to wear my Ragnar shirt. Yippee!!

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After a quick stop at Trader Joes, I threw together a dinner of “whatever I felt like”. And it was awesome.
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PB&J, Cantaloupe, spinach with a drizzle of honey… and two pickles for good measure. Hit. The. Spot.
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Rewind to earlier…. I made the perfect sandwich. The right amount of peanut butter, the perfect scoop of Jelly…. And then this happened.
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Ever try to clean up shattered glass mixed with sticky jam? Not easy and not fun, but these things happen. I appropriately hashtagged it “#MustBeMonday”. (Is ‘hashtagged’ a verb? It is, right?)

 

Do you still keep in touch with your High School friends?
I love mine and I’m so glad we stayed close. I miss them!

 

 
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