Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There (South Dakota)

Welcome to my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There Blog.

Today I’m exploring part of the pretty state of South Dakota.

Highlights:

Prairie country. We passed an 80 ft tall fake dinosaur, which has been the most colourful thing on the road so far, but other than that, there is just long stretches of road and prairie – but it’s fun to imagine Laura Ingall's Wilder and her family crossing it in their covered wagon! 

Mount Rushmore. We arrived at the monument just after 3pm so it wasn't too sunny and there were very few tourists around. I have to say that although the sculptures were impressive, they were nowhere as big as I was expecting – years of drooling over photos doesn’t really give you an idea of their actual size. We walked some of the way around the very pristine paths that went right to the edge of the rock face with the Presidents above. In case you're wondering the 4 presidents in the sculpture are: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Teddy Roosevelt & Thomas Jefferson.

The Corn Palace in Mitchell, SD. The Palace is pretty cool, all the mosaic pictures made from different coloured corn cobs and bits of corn. The first Corn Palace was made in 1892.

De Smet. Home town (one of them) of Laura Ingalls Wilder, author of the 'Little House' series (in case you've been living under a rock & unfamiliar with the series of books and the 1970's TV series.) De Smet was a lovely little town and we decided to do the Laura Ingalls Wilder tour. Our guide was called Bev and she was very knowledgeable and entertaining – we especially liked the way she said 'creek', which came out as 'crick'! First we went to the Surveyors Cottage where Bev told us about the family’s travels and then we checked out the old schoolhouse. Lastly we drove across town to the house that Pa built in the late 1870's and heard about the family once the girls had grown to adulthood. We were really glad we did the tour and even the kids enjoyed it – my daughter, of course, dead keen to buy the set of Laura's books (which we did).

Finding a town with my name. Okay, I know it’s cheesy, but we loved finding towns with our names and getting photos with the signs. So far we’ve found a Fredonia, Tracy and Joshua Tree National park sign. My poor Kate was so disappointed we haven’t found one for her.

There were many other spots in South Dakota that we didn’t have time to see—and they’re on my to-see list next time we visit the U.S.A.

Tracey

Happy Anniversary, baby!

Sunday the 25th November marked the day that I said “I do,” to love, honor and some other nice thing that didn’t involve obeying (the actual word blanked out of my memory) 17 years ago. My husband, Fred, also agreed to do those nice things when put on the spot by the celebrant. Clever man.

This year it was my turn to organize how we’d celebrate our 17th Wedding anniversary, and I’m afraid to admit I wasn’t that creative - dinner at a Thai restaurant and the new James Bond movie afterwards - but surely I get brownie points for not making him suffer through 'Breaking Dawn' which was the only other option.

But to make up for my shortfalling (and okay, I did have the excuse that this year we are on a very strict budget) I’ll tell you about the single most romantic thing my husband did for our 15th Wedding anniversary.

I’ve mentioned previously that I love the TV series ‘The Amazing Race’ – mainly because I love to travel. Once afternoon in early October 2010 Fred handed me a new travel mug—“For your coffee addiction,” he said. Checking it out I found a scrap of paper with a cryptic clue on it sending me to our bedroom where I found another clue, which then led me on a paper trail around the house and even to our church where he’d taped a clue to the underside of the altar (the pastor thought my frustrated mutterings hilarious while I scrambled around trying to find it). The last scrap of paper directed me to our local dairy where I had to ask the owner for the next clue. It was at that point that I nearly baulked and almost said foggetaboudit. Reclaiming my sense of humour, I asked the snickering dairy owner for the clue and she handed me an envelope. Inside were two airline tickets. I must’ve been having a blonde moment, because as I walked home I couldn’t quite compute what this meant.

It wasn’t until I saw my husband’s grinning face that I finally twigged. O.M.G we were flying to Sydney, Australia THE NEXT DAY! Wanna know the first words out of my mouth after that? Not, “Oh thank-you darling, I love you, I love you, mwah!” Nup. I bleated the cry of universal womanhood—“I haven’t got anything to wear!” 

Nonetheless, we did make it to Sydney the next day. But that wasn’t my only surprise. After checking into the hotel room, I turned around to see a tiny box with a bow on the bed. Inside the box was a note telling me that we were going shopping—engagement ring shopping. You see earlier that year one of the stones in my original engagement ring fell out, and when we took it to a jeweller we discovered that 15 years ago we’d been ripped off. The diamonds were in fact zirconias, and the ring was worthless. So as well as treating me to the fabulous musical ‘Fame’ and a bus tour around Sydney, my darling husband bought me a sparkly new ring.

I’d love to hear about what the most romantic thing you’ve done for someone, or someone has done for you!

Tracey

What I’m reading this week: Welcome to Temptation - Jennifer Crusie. Full of quirky characters and laugh out loud moments.

What I’m watching this week: Skyfall. Believe it or not, my very first James Bond movie - loved it! (Though I admit watching Daniel Craig strut his hot-bod around was part of the reason).

This week’s favorite quote: “A marriage anniversary is the celebration of love, trust, partnership, tolerance and tenacity. The order varies for any given year.”

Hot guy of the week: Daniel Craig. A.K.A Bond, James Bond. :-)

Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There (Rocky Mountain National Park)

Welcome to my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There Blog.
Today I’m going back to one of my favourite spots in the U.S.A—the Rocky Mountain National Park. We were fortunate enough to visit this park during autumn, and the aspen trees had turned into their beautiful, golden colour—what a divine sight!

Highlights:

Alberta Falls. We chose an easy hike to the Alberta Falls - only 0.8 miles, but it seemed like longer! On the way it began to snow and the kids were just buzzing - dancing around and sticking their tongues out. When we reached the falls we stopped, admiring the amazing view over the golden aspens to the snow frosted mountain peaks in the distance. 

Sprague Lake. We attended a talk by a ranger about beavers here. By the time we arrived, the weather was changing AGAIN (from pelting us with snow) and the sun had come out! This happened frequently while we were in the park. Very interesting talk and though we didn't see any beavers, we could see their handiwork in an old dam and an abandoned lodge. The lodges they build are so strong, that the ranger was telling us he had got a photo of a black bear standing on one trying to get inside, but it couldn't do it. 

Bear Lake. Bear Lake was so serene & peaceful, with the pine covered hills and craggy rock behind it reflecting in the still waters. 

Alluvial Fan. Alluvial Fan is an area where a dam burst in 1982 sending a massive (29 million gallons!) flash flood pummelling down the mountain side, sweeping huge boulders and trees in a huge fan shape through this area. The kids had fun playing and climbing on the boulders, while we looked at the pretty waterfall. 

Beavers. On a tip from a ranger we went for a hike to an area where beavers were known to be active. We walked along a big open area with the pine-tree-covered foothills surrounding us until we came to the river, where we found some old beaver dams. My daughter was getting a bit grumpy and wanted to sit down, so I stayed with her while my husband and son scouted further upstream. They came back after about 10 minutes to say they found a huge beaver lodge and a beaver had swum by them about 2 feet away! But when my daughter & I followed them back, there was no sign of life and we never did get to see a beaver! 

Trail Ridge road. By the afternoon when the Trail ridge road (which is the highest road in the U.S.A and goes right through the actual mountains ) was finally open, we were starting to feel the effects of the high altitude (we were about 9000 feet up). But, ignoring our tiredness, we drove up Trail Ridge and it was well worth it. Amazing views of the endless stretch of foothills & valleys, plus the snow capped mountains all around. We continued to drive up into the Alpine Tundra. We could see where the snow plough had cut through the snow at the edge of the road - some parts the snow looked to be about 2 feet deep! We drove past the highest point on the road, and made another stop at the Alpine Visitors centre. The kids had a great time kicking around in the snow at the edge of the parking lot, and we all found the dagger like icicles hanging from the edge of the roof pretty fascinating. Fantastic views on the way up & down. 

Wild Elk. On the way back through Estes Park township we saw a large gathering of wild elk - in the local golf course (evidently the elk can't read the posted sign)! It is their mating season & they come down from the mountains to do their thing... We saw only females, but I could hear a male bugling in the distance. These are big, big creatures, and the males are a lot larger (with their towering antlers too) so you wouldn't want to get too close to one or come across one on a dark road while doing your 75 MPH!!

The photo of the magnificent male elk was taken the day after when we spotted one in the park.

Chipmunks. Just. So. Cute!

The Stanley Hotel. Creepy but wonderful to see where my favourite author got his inspiration for 'The Shining.'

Of course while we were in the Rockies we had to get some footage of the kids and I singing John Denver’s 'Rocky Mountain High'. And after experiencing only a little of the beauty of this very special place, I can understand why John Denver loved these mountains so much. 

Tracey

Thanksgiving Day from a Kiwi Point-Of-View

New Zealand doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving, or have any public holiday that’s an equivalent, and I think it’s a shame.

My family and I have been fortunate to share two Thanksgivings in North America. The first was a Canadian Thanksgiving, which is celebrated on the second Monday in October. This was our first time in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island and we were blessed to share it with my husband’s Uncle and Auntie and extended family. We were very thankful indeed as we sat around a huge table loaded with turkey and all the trimmings, and especially the candied yams which my husband’s Auntie (who sadly passed away last month) had prepared. 

The second Thanksgiving we spent with my husband’s cousin two years later in Phoenix, Arizona. There we discovered the weird tradition (weird to us Kiwis) of deep-frying a whole turkey. We also discovered the dubious joy of Black Friday sales, and Oh Lord—I never want to do Walmart at 4.30am on a Black Friday again! But spending time with our Kiwi cousins who live in the States gave us a unique glimpse into what the buzz about Thanksgiving is all about. Family. And being thankful for what we have.

And this is why I think New Zealand misses out. We have a public holiday that celebrates the important signing of a treaty between Maori and European back in 1840, but that day is often fraught with tension. Then there’s the Queen’s birthday, which quite frankly no one gives a hoot about, it’s just a day off work. Anzac Day is special, remembering the fallen soldiers in both New Zealand and Australia, but it’s an acknowledgement, not a celebration. And then there’s Guy Fawkes, which isn’t an official holiday, but every year people go nuts with fireworks and probably don’t even remember that Guy Fawkes was actually a man—a not very nice man—who planned to blow up the English parliament in 1605. Charming fellow. 

I would love New Zealand to adopt a similar holiday to Thanksgiving. I don’t know what it would be called or when it would be held, but I think we as a nation need to stop once a year. Just stop and go be with our families for no other reason than we’re thankful to have them. Even those of us without families can find something to be thankful for. Clean air, food in our bellies, indoor plumbing. Something.

Would anyone else like to adopt the North American tradition of Thanksgiving? Why, or why not?

Tracey

What I’m reading this week: Just one of the Guys – Kristan Higgins. There’s a scene in here involving a big, sloppy dog and a pair of guy’s underwear that you just don’t want to miss!

What I’m watching this week: Amazing Race Australia. I admit I love the Amazing Race, whether it’s the Aussie or American version. And I just loved the two Italian sisters in this season’s Aussie version, they had me in stitches of laughter and then tears at how wonderful and genuine their relationship is.

This week’s favorite quote: When you ask God for a gift; Be thankful when he sends not, diamonds, pearls, or riches but the love of real true friends. ~Unknown quote.

Hot guy of the week: Channing Tatum. Thank you for being so pretty, Channing.

Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There (Mary Poppins in Auckland)

Welcome to my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There Blog.

Today my Friday I-Wish-I-Were-There blog is a little different, as I’ve only just returned from Auckland and our fabulous trip to see ‘Mary Poppins’ . As mentioned in Wednesday’s blog I won an all-expenses-paid trip for two to see the show, plus the opportunity to meet the two lead actors for morning tea the next day. Being that my twelve-year-old daughter, Kate, loves Disney’s Mary Poppin’s movie, she was the obvious choice for me to take.

We stayed at the Citylife hotel just off Queens Street in Auckland, which was a beautiful hotel—clean, luxurious and with one of the most comfortable beds I’ve ever slept on—even with a restless kid next to me, thanks to two of my favourite words: Pillow-top mattress. After the mandatory girl’s shopping trip in one of Auckland’s most famous shopping streets we got ready for the show.

If you’ve never been to the Civic theatre in Auckland, it’s just breathtaking. Built in 1929 in a Rococo style, it’s the biggest theatre in New Zealand and certainly one of the most impressive. We were seated upstairs in the balcony area with a perfect view of the stage. Kate was vibrating with excitement next to me and practically spent the whole two hours plus of the performance on the edge of her seat.

As to the show itself? Not enough adjectives to describe how wonderful it was, sorry. I’ve been fortunate enough to go see two Broadway level productions, ‘Fame’ in Sydney, Australia, and ‘Shrek’ on Broadway, NYC. Mary Poppins blew both of them out of the water. From the top-class singing, dancing and acting, to the up-in-the-air-acrobatics (which I’ll let you in on a little insider secret if you keep reading) Mary Poppins gripped us from beginning to end. Once it was finished, both Kate and I had bright red hands from clapping so much and we wanted nothing more than to see the whole thing over again. The costumes were fantastic, the singing gave me goosebumps it was that good, and OMG the dancing…Ladies, if you didn’t know it already, tap is dead sexy. And somehow in the course of my 2 minute exchange with Matt Lee (who plays Bert) I managed to blurt out that he’d made tap sexy again. He found it funny, I think I probably turned a similar shade to one of the little tomato sandwiches we ate for morning tea…

Highlights of the show? For me, the dance routine to ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ was eye-poppingly good with the cast’s exuberant energy and the complicated routine. ‘Step in Time’ with the incredible tap routine and some wicked acrobatics from Bert (keep reading, it’s coming) and lastly, Mary’s little flight over the auditorium which the crowd loved and had me sniffing back tears like a big girl (I also LOVED Disney’s Mary Poppins as a kid and always wanted her and Bert to get together).

Morning tea with Rachel Wallace and Matt Lee (Mary & Bert) the next day was wonderful, although it was over far to quickly. Along with four other couples we were escorted to one of the penthouse suites on the top floor. Both Rachel and Matt were charming and relaxed, and very easy to talk to.  Rachel and I had a nice chat about driving in New York, versus driving in New Zealand—neither of us were keen to drive on the ‘wrong side’ of the road.

Somehow the conversation came around to Matt’s audition for Mary Poppin’s where he said he was asked if he had a problem with ‘heights’. Matt stretched the truth a little and said ‘no worries’, but he actually has a big problem with heights. Luckily, he reckons, with the spotlights blinding him he can’t see how high up in the theatre he is. Matt is also adamant he couldn’t do what his co-star Rachel does every night.

All too soon our thirty minutes with them was over, but it was cool to hear just little tidbits of what life is like for two such big-name, talented performers. Oddly, or maybe not, they’re just like us. Except they sing and dance a lot better.

Tracey