wildtalesof.com

November 2, 2012

Friday Dreaming: The Big Island of Hawaii

We leave for Kauai on Tuesday (3 more days!), so I’m taking a look back at our Hawaiian trips of the past. Last Friday, I shared our first trip to the island chain, our engagement spot: Maui in 2008. 2 years later in 2010, we journeyed to the Big Island of Hawaii, and started a family tradition of traveling to one of the islands every two years during the month of November.

Though we did spend time on the beach, that’s not necessarily the first thing you think of when thinking of your visit to the Big Island. Volcanoes. Yes, that’s more like it.

Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

On a walk in search of lava flowing into the ocean, we came up empty handed.

Big Island Sunset: Kailua-Kona

What would we do without coffee? And this is some of the best on earth.

We worked hard to find this, but we did finally get some beach time.

What are your traveling traditions?

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

Now go visit RWeThereYetMom? and Delicious Baby for more travel fun!

October 31, 2012

Seward Park’s Tales and Trails

Soon after Bergen’s first birthday this past summer, we took advantage of a warm, sunny day, and his new status as a “one- year old”, and tried out the Tales and Trails program at Seward Park’s Environmental and Audubon Center. The center provides a program specifically geared towards young toddlers (ages 1-3 years).

Exploring the Audubon and Environmental Center

Our experience began with a welcome from the friendly guide. She read stories featuring aspects of nature that we might see on our upcoming hike. She allowed the tots to explore with found nests, and lifelike stuffed animals including birds, turtles, and other woodland creatures.

Sharing a real bird!

Next we hit the trail just outside the Audubon Center, and hiked (s-l-o-w-l-y, think, toddler pace) in search of “animals”. The guide uncovered various logs and rocks to reveal insects of all kinds, and we also kept our eye out for spider webs. Some of the webs she sprayed lightly with water for the little ones to catch a better glimpse.

Our search for bugs, and other woodland creatures…

Our short journey ended in a wide open meadow. The guide whipped her net through the tall grass a few times, laid out a white sheet, and emptied the net. Tons of tiny creatures magically appeared, and the kids used special bug houses with magnifiers to study each and every one. At this point, Slaed was taking notes, and asking questions! He did not want to forget this special trick. It was amazing how many insects she was able to capture in just a few swipes of the net. She said the key to the whole thing is the white sheet.

Getting an close-up look of some bugs!

In retrospect, Bergen may have been a little too young to really take full advantage of the activities. There were other “babies”, but they were accompanied by their older sibling. It was hard to keep his attention during the classroom/storytelling portion even though the guide was very engaging. He was much more interested in tearing down the library of books. However, we do not at all regret taking him. We learned a lot ourselves (like the net & sheet trick), and enjoyed watching the other kids at different stages of toddlerdom. It was interesting to see how they reacted to the activities. We’re constantly amazed at how fast they change, from month to month even!

Bergen also got to be outside in the thick of things, which more and more we’re thinking is at the top of his list of things he loves to do, aside from eating, of course.

Info to Know:

Seward Park (5895 Lake Washington Blvd. South Seattle, 98118) is open from 6 am to 11 pm.
Check out the Seward Park Environmental & Audubon Centerfor programs, hikes, tours, and much more.
- As of now (Fall 2012), they are offering Tales and Trails for toddlers on Wednesdays from 10am-11am.
  - Cost for the program: $2
  - The hike was slow and leisurely enough for us to just carry Bergen though I also had the ergo just in case. Strollers would not have worked on the trail we went on, but are perfect for the 2.4 mile loop around the park!
  Come along with us on all of our adventures by “liking” our facebook page and following us on twitter!

October 29, 2012

Next Running Adventure: Seattle Half Marathon

For the first time in 5 years, we are NOT traveling for Thanksgiving. With our Kauai trip coming up next week, and a trip to California for Christmas, and even more trips planned for 2013, adding a Thanksgiving trip would just be too much for our little family.

So instead of taking on the challenges of the airports and roadways, I’m relying on my own two feet, and running another half marathon: The Seattle Half Marathon on November 25th. This will be my fourth half marathon, so I’m feeling good about the race, however I’m nervous because this will be the latest I’ve ever planned to run. I decided to sign up just 6 weeks out instead of my usual 12 (or more) weeks. I ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in late June, and have continued to walk, run, hike, and even bike throughout the summer and fall, but until a couple of weeks ago, I hadn’t stuck to a strict plan.

After running 8 miles last Sunday, and yesterday as my long runs for the week, I’m more confident though, and looking forward to the challenge of 13.1!

I also feel lucky to be training in such a beautiful fall environment. I end up doing many of my long runs along Lake Washington Boulevard because of it’s proximity to my house. Plus, it’s an easy, flat trail with plenty of other runners and cyclists to keep me company and motivate me. No interruptions (i.e. stoplights or big, busy intersections to cross) either.

A glimpse at what I’ve enjoyed the last few weeks:

Lake Washington with Mount Rainier in the distance.

I also feel lucky because I have this great support team:

All three of these guys help me out with my training.

Do you have a race coming up?

How do you typically celebrate Thanksgiving?

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

October 26, 2012

Friday Dreaming: Maui, Hawaii

We leave for Kauai in a little over a week. I should probably be thinking about packing, and writing up detailed to-do lists so that I don’t forget anything. That doesn’t sound too exciting though. I’d rather look back, and dream about our Hawaii trips of the past.

Aside from being paradise, and all, it’s actually a truly special place for the two of us, and now Bergen gets to join in on making his own dreamy memories. It was in Maui, our first trip together to the island chain, that we got engaged.

Sunset on a catamaran…

Celebrating.

Iao Valley State Park

Stay tuned. This trip was in 2008. Next week, I’ll share our 2010 trip to one of the Hawaiian islands. Then we venture off with toddler in tow here in 2012. I like this trend!

Share your milestone travel moment…! Or your Hawaiian memories…

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

Now go visit RWeThereYetMom? and Delicious Baby for more travel fun!

October 25, 2012

Budget Travel Tips: Cheap Eats While on the Road

We’re thrifty people. We like to stretch our dollar (or euro, quetzal, krona) as far as we can, yet still have good fun and adventure along the way. We also like to to eat. Sometimes it seems that we plan our day just based on what and where we are going to eat. We’ve learned how and when to splurge, and when to cut back in order to maximize our travel budget. Sometimes our travel destination makes this very easy (Central America), and sometimes we have to get a little more creative (Scandinavia).

1. Grocery Shopping

Depending on how much time we’re spending at our destination, and our type of lodging, a trip to the grocery store can make a huge difference in the amount of money we spend on meals. We especially use this option for breakfast when staying at a rented house or condo (through sites like vrbo and homeaway). A box of cereal, some milk, and juice, and we’re fueled and ready to go for a day of adventure.

Slaed enjoying his fruity pebbles on our deck in Maui

2. Coupons

If you use coupons at home, why not bring them along on your travels? As long as we are traveling in the states, we make room in our bags for the coupon organizer. While Slaed is no where near those “extreme coupon” stars, he is pretty impressive, and knows how to work the system. It might take a little extra time and patience, but the savings makes it totally worth it! While you’re at it, don’t forget to check the store’s circular, and use their loyalty card. Along the same lines, we check to see if we can use the Passport Dining Card at our destination, and bring it along if we think we might use it.

Did you know Slaed is “deals” spelled backwards?

3. Farmer’s Markets & Food Trucks

With both of these options, you often end up with delicious food made locally and with local ingredients. You’re not paying for the restaurant ambiance, and they also allow you to eat on the go so you can get on with seeing more of your destination. Farmers markets are great for finding breakfast for the next day like fruit, breads, bagels, and other pastries.

A Food Truck in Ellensburg, WA or a market in Chichicastenango, Guatemala: Both great ways to save.

4. Keep it Simple.

This is often our motto for lunches on the road. Grab something quick and easy. In Iceland it was the N1 gas station hot dogs. It might not be the healthiest, but in a country as expensive as Iceland, it fit our budget and allowed us to splurge a little bit at dinner. In Norway, we went with what we call the Rick Steves lunch. We picked up salami, cheese, and crackers at a local grocery store, and with the help of our hotel refrigerator, we were able to get 2, possibly 3 meals out it.

Simple Lunches: Norway & Iceland

5. Don’t Waste your Leftovers.

We do not like to waste food. It’s a huge no-no in our family, and sometimes we even set aside food from our dinner entrees to save for the next day, even on the road. We enjoy leftovers all the time. We’ll even take our friends’ leftovers. If the tools, like a refrigerator and microwave, are available at our lodgings, it can work out really well. “Free” lunch the next day (or a nice snack later)!

Happily traveling with our leftovers.

6. Happy Hour.

If you can eat a little early, or sometimes a little later, you can end up saving a lot. Just don’t go crazy by ordering too much, like we sometimes tend to do if we are super hungry.

Happy Hour at Lu Lu’s on the Big Island

7. Share.

If you have a traveling companion (or 2), this can work out really well as long as you have similar tastes in food. Sometimes one of us orders a larger entree while the other orders a smaller appetizer or something a la carte. With such huge portions at many restaurants these days, we end up with plenty of food. We just might not have leftovers!

Sharing dinner in Vancouver, B.C.

How do you stretch your food dollar on the road?

Have you “liked” our facebook page? You’ll find more photos there, and you can keep track of ALL our adventures!

More Ways to Save:

October 22, 2012

5 Reasons to Love Seattle’s Washington Park Arborteum this Fall

As you might already know, we’re frequenters of the Washington Park Arboretum. We’re lucky that this 230 acre park is practically in our backyard. With so many visits you’d think we would be sick of going, but instead we’re just finding more reasons to appreciate the place. Every season brings something unique and special, but here’s what we’re loving this fall:

1. The Fall Colors

The oranges, yellows, and reds are here. Against the evergreen trees, the colors just pop.

2. The Sounds of Fall.

This month brings a special art installation to the Arboretum called Paths II: The Music of Trees. There are 7 sites each with it’s own unique soundtrack to listen to via a speaker high above. Take a look and listen at Site 5. The sound you’ll hear (aside from crows, camera noise, and an airplane) is actually the feet of flies flittering about on a special microphone that picks up sound by touch!

3. The Fall Weather.

Sure, the rains have returned, but we’ve also had some gorgeous sunshiny crisp weather creating the perfect conditions for hiking the trails of the arboretum.