Adventures with Anne

I realize I've talked about my love of Anne of Green Gables in the past (here and here) but I feel the desire to share it again in the form of a short incident that occurred to me earlier this summer while on my cross country road trip.

The few days that I was in West Virgina earlier this summer it rained... a lot. My Aunt lives in the mountains and it is gorgeous (despite the rain or I should say because of the rain). One night after the rain we went for a walk, however in order to get to the paved road we were going to walk on we had to walk down the gravel driveway and over some cattle guards. The cattle guards were a difficult item to cross in flip flops. It was the in between that was very muddy and slippery with cows roaming around. The three of us were in flip flops and my aunt was in a skirt. The whole situation reminded me of the scene in the Anne of Green Gables series when a cow gets loose in Mrs. Rachel Lynde cabbage field. They turned out looking like this:

We did not end up looking like that but there was a close call when I slipped in a mud puddle. The rest of the walk was absolutely beautiful with a perfect view of the Appalachian Mountains.

Happy Travels!
-B

Beautiful West Virgina ... and Then Some

I know I am finally getting around to telling everyone about my epic road trip!!
 
During my long adventure across the States I had the opportunity to stop at my Aunt's house in West Virginia for a couple of days. We mostly had large family gatherings and ate a lot of delicious food. Though my mom and I stayed at my Aunt's house we got to stay out in their cabins! So this was the view out my door the couple of days that I was there:

This was the view from the front of their house and I must say it is quite appealing to me to have a view like this every morning. However, I don't know if I could live without cell service. (Yes, I realize I am a wimp.)

On the drive out of West Virginia the decision was made to stop at the Tamarack. The Tamarack is a cultural center of sorts that exhibits artisans and craftsmen from all over West Virgina in a uniquely designed building specifically for this purpose. According to their website the "Tamarack’s unique building was designed by Clint Bryan, AIA & Associates.  From an aerial view, it resembles a starburst quilt pattern, appropriate in a state known for the time-honored tradition of quilting.  Approaching on foot, the multiple peaks of the façade echo the craggy West Virginia terrain." I'll let you be the judge of that.

Tamarack in Buckley, WV

There was so much to look at that I felt a bit overwhelmed but my favorite part came at the end of my visit to the Tamarack... FOOD!!! 

Fried Green Tomatoes

It might seem unbelievable to some but before this point I had never had Fried Green Tomatoes. I know I know but you must realize that growing up in Oregon this was not high on the list of food to consume. Alas I am here to tell you that they were rather delicious. (It might have been because the food court is managed by the Greenbrier, which is an elite resort in WV.) I also tried their Chicken Pot Pie with Herbed Crust which was yuumy and hit the spot of a slightly weary traveler.

Chicken Pot Pie

The next major stop on my journey was Chicago... to come later. 
 
Happy Travels!
-B

Sometimes Fate Intervenes

Do you ever listen to the news or hear a story that just makes you stop and believe there is still good in the world? 

I heard one such story just the other day (Friday to be precise) on the news. It was a story about a bride from Kent, Washington who had her wedding dress stolen out of her car the morning of her wedding. She called 911 to report it stolen and that's when a miracle happened... the 911 operator offered her the use of her dress. The dress through a series of circumstances made it from the 911 operator to the bride in time for the wedding to go off without a hitch. Read more about this incredible story here or here.

The beginning of this story almost moved me to tears. The idea that someone would steal a wedding dress out of a women's car when she is clearly getting ready to go to the church is just appalling to me. Who would do such a thing? It's despicable! That someone was kind enough to go that extra mile to help this bride out of an unthinkable situation is so impressive. It's like a Hallmark movie waiting to happen. I just pray that if a situation like this were ever presented to me that I would react in the best possible way and go that extra mile to make someones day magical (maybe it's the Disney in me).

Happy Travels!
-B

Long Time No See

Remember how I went on a really long cross country road trip with my Mom for most of June? And how I really haven't shared how that went (except for that first week)? 

Well my plan is to get that all going here in the next few days. The months of July and August have been interesting to say the least. I've applied to countless numbers of "grown up"/"real" jobs and have gotten none of them. This has been really hard to take. (Rejection is not high on my list of favorite feelings.) 

With all of that turmoil going on in my life I sort of took a break from blogging. I didn't feel the desire or energy to write. After about a month away from writing I realize how much I really miss it. I miss writing about my adventures and sharing them with everyone out there.

Yummy Local Peaches

“It’s a funny thing coming home. Nothing changes. Everything looks the same, feels the same, even smells the same. You realize what’s changed is you.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

Quote of the Day

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."
― A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Happy Travels!

-B  

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody

I like many others flocked to the theaters earlier this summer when The Great Gatsby came out. There were a few items that I did not agree with I still enjoyed the movie overall and like the angle that Baz Luhrmann was going for.

I did enjoy the music even if I didn't think it fit the action in most scenes. I rather enjoyed this song as well as this rendition of the music video. Enjoy!


xoxo
-B

Le Tour de France 2013

Part of my normal summer routine is to follow the Tour de France with my dad. It started off more as a joke between my dad and I but became something that I actually enjoy. It's quite fabulous to watch and can get rather intense. I personally watch it on the NBCSports channel and the commentators that they have are hilarious and very informative (even for those who don't watch cycling religiously).

Peloton

 

For those of you who don't know the Tour de France is a 21 day bike race around France covering approximately 2,000 miles. It consists of 20-22 teams with 9 riders per team. This makes for quite a few people trying to claim the same space and to look at the Peloton for a non-cycler can be rather scary.

And like any other sport the crashes are always a highlight. In the past there has been some crazy ones. One year some guys in the Peloton got hit by one of the motorcycles filming the race. Below is a picture of a crash involving Mark Cavendish in 2010 in the Tour of Switzerland.

Crash 2010

 This is the 100 year anniversary of the tour and so far it has not disappointed. They have covered new roads and old; all racing down to that final sprint in Paris! I can't wait to see it. 

It is one of my dreams to see a few stages of the Tour in France. That would require going to France in the summer though and I'm not sure if that will ever happen. Alas, a girl can dream. 

Hope everyone is having a fantastic summer! Enjoy the heat!

xoxo
-B