Turks & Caicos

Welcome to Turks and Caicos. Where are we, you might ask? We are on an island and cay chain slightly North of Puerto Rico and more East to Cuba. And what is a cay? Actually pronounced "key," like the Florida keys, it is a flat island created by dead coral reef and wave patterns. Many of them shift or are wiped out by a  single storm. The low lying shrubs and sandy soils remind me of driving through Florida. Except that the water is more turquoise than any I have seen anywhere. Even with drops of rain and rolling rain clouds around us, the intensity of the turquoise sang to us. Unbelievable!!

Our journey began at 3am from Burlington, VT. Then to NY, NC, and finally Providenciales (Provo for short), Turks and Caicos. Aside from a screw needing to be tightened on the very top of the plane, which somehow took over an hour to fix (which got fixed, might I add, once we were already boarded...on a plane to nowhere fast), the flight was smooth and uneventful.  

Post sunset on Grace Bay.

The above photo was me doing a long exposures as it got darkness breathed down upon us. You can see ghosts of Dave taking shots as the lights of a huge, new condo complex provides lines of light in the background. 

Our hotel: Comfort Suites. It gets the job done. It is no all-inclusive, which we luckily both find unattractive. We want to smell the burning trash and check out different restaurants around town. Swim in beaches on both the Caribbean and Atlantic sides of the island. Get a taste of local flavor. 

So, here we are. Ready for bed by 7pm because of our unnatural early morning and a day of head bobbing in the air. Naturally, we found the closest supermarket to our hotel, "Gateway Gourmet," an equivalent to Healthy Living or some other outrageously expensive health food and gourmet food store, and we bought the cheapest rum possible (one of the only local commodities besides conch and lobster the islands produce). 

Along with some snacks and mixer, we were ready for the night. Oh, and a side-note: The supermarket had aged Cabot cheddar for the same price as home. For those of you that are not from Vermont, Cabot is proudly made in Vermont. It was here and cheaper than many of the "local, healthy, responsible, etc., etc. health food stores" in Vermont. Although it was one of the cheapest cheddars here, we felt like buying it was against the adventurous spirit of traveling, and instead bought an imported Irish farm cheddar for the same price. Cheap cheese and expensive beer. A six pack of Bud Light was $10.19. No thanks. We were happy with our Bambarra local rum. 

Stowe Pinnacle

On this unbelievably warm late winter/early spring day, we headed to Stowe Pinnacle to enjoy the sun, get our sweat on...and well, dodge dog poop for the first half mile. The mid-forties temperatures, blazing sun and intense blue skies, left me with my first ever winter sun-burn. 

It is an easy 3 mile round-trip hike from the Stowe Pinnacle parking area, or a mere 2 mile round-trip from the Stowe Meadows parking area. I highly suggest combing the outing with a visit to the Cabot Factory Annex store where there are plenty of free cheese samples and is the year round tasting "room" for Snow Farm Winery. And then there's the Blue Donkey. What a day! 

The trail. 

The Summit. Perfect for some snow action and a crisp blue sky as a dream backdrop. 

Kate and Lars.

Manon.

Chow time at my now favorite eatery in Stowe-Blue Donkey...and the only place with an open patio on the first week of March. Might I also add that they have a huge stone fireplace just inside for warming hands or hind-sides, inside table eating, and a diner style counter where you can watch them cook your food. 

The best pulled pork I have ever had. And I am a picky pulled pork eater. It is served on a bed of hand cut fries and has coleslaw on the sandwich. Oh so juicy. Oh so tasty. Oh so very delicious! 

The Blue Pumpkin

We're back to Siem Reap, Cambodia. A bustling small city that "blossomed" from a tiny backwater with only dusty dirt roads to a major tourist hot spot on the Souteast Asian tour. It is best known as the stopping grounds on your way to visit Ankor Wat, the largest religious structure in the world, and only a short jaunt from Siam Reap.

Pub Street-a blocked off lane of restuarants, bars and shops. If you really want to know Siem Reap, stray away from Pub Street. Prices are cheaper and food is more authentic elsewhere. And if you are looking for a rucous nightlife with tons of tourists, Pub Street is the place to be.

Although it is a hot spot for tourists, one of my favorite places to go for breakfast is The Blue Pumpkin. It is a bakery, restuarant, ice-cream shop, coffee shop and well, tres cool. Hop on clean, crisp white sheets while checking email or surfing the web. The Blue Pumpkin has some of the best, real, coffee in town. And not only coffee, but any coffee or espresso drink you could dream up.

The morning sun pours in through the huge windowsas we sip our coffee and start the morning relaxing on the loungebeds upstairs.

Dave checking his email and reading the morning "paper" on-line.

They start serving lunch around 11, so if you are like us, and sometimes start your day quite late, the menu can accomodate any hunger. The Blue Pumpkin does, without a doubt, have the best non-local breakfast in town. Which, might I add can be ordered all day. Now, if you want a $1 dollar meal, you can head to a road vendor and get a traditional breakfast of simple soup with bean paste, fresh sprouts and basil and rice noodles. But, if you want a large breakfast of two eggs cooked any style, toast, yogurt and fresh fruit, coffee and fresh squeezed orange juice, The Blue Pumpkin is it. The breakfast is large enough to split, but I don't always choose to do that. Sometimes I go with the intention of a long, relaxing breakfast while reading my current book of choice.

 Loungebeds upstairs with little eating trays. It's a "breakfast in bed" theme. Modern, clean and comfortable enough to take a nap!

If you ever head to Southeast Asia, put Siem Reap on your itinerary.

Snowing at J

I hereby dedicate this blog to my dear friend Jaime and her baby son Lucas. I love you both!

I hereby declare endless exploration in Jeffersonville, VT. Of which, I have only done a very small amount, all of which has been due to visiting my dear friend.

As Jaime lives abutting Smugglers Notch and state land, there are dirt roads, ski trails, ponds, mountains, hiking trails, and so much more. If you are not into the outdoors, I'd steer clear of Jeffersonville. Just being blunt. 

On this day, Jaime, Lucas and I did some snow shoeing out her back yard and beyond. Jaime, thank you for showing me this special place you now call home. Oh, and thank you for the delicious lox, cream cheese, tomatos and bagels. Along with the best cup of coffee I've had in three months! Nothing is like having coffee with you. Cheers to rituals!

 All bundled up for a February spring snow shoe.

With the house in the distance, we headed for the woods.

As blue skies poked through the clouds above, we trudged through the heavy snow.

Ah, Jeffersonville! Ah, Vermont! Ah, Friends!

Humpin' the Hump

Camels Hump. I've hiked it a hundred times: At five a.m. to catch the sunrise, during a full moon in the winter, in the onset of fall with brilliant hues of red and orange, in the sweaty depths of summer, and the first bright greens of spring. There are times that my car has been the only one in the parking lot where the Burrow's Trail begins. Or day long celebrations with girl-friends as we hiked the 12.4 mile route up the Long Trail from River Road. And, it has landed me in the hospital with a torn ankle tendon and a six month pause from any hiking or running or pretty much anything besides swimming.

I love this mountain and what it gives to us as well as represents for Vermonters. The solidity and contentment of the Hump in the distance exudes hope, strength and peace.

Stripped down to a t-shirt at the start of the hike as snow began to swirl around us.

Our hike yesterday was like no other hike I've experienced. Each time up and down is a new adventure. With the unusually warm winter, this February day felt like it was March. But as we headed up, a snow squall swept past, the snow got deeper and the slush at the trailhead transformed into a white, fluffy winter land.  

As the temperature decreased and the snow increased, we finally made it to the "space ship landing." It's where three trails converge and the .3 mile Long Trail to the summit begins. The sign next to bill is on a stake that sticks up five feet or so out of the ground. The sign had been dug out so as not to miss the trail.

The evergreens turned to marshmallow fluffs.

The snow clung to every branch with the delicateness of powdered sugar.

And soon, Camels Hump turned into another world. It looked as if powdered sugar and marshmallow fluff exploded...delicious enough to lick off the gingerbread house trees that surrounded us.

On the summit, planet marshmallow transformed into a Futurama version of Mars. It was truly out of this world.

Smiles at the summit.

On Dave's blog, he put that I was resting on a tree. The first time I read it, I saw it as "wrestling" with a tree. On our way down we were running and sliding and jumping, oh my! Well, my aim was off mark and I jumped into a tree...it certainly felt like playful wrestling.

Another day, another adventure! The next hike up Camels Hump will be totally different. It always is.

For more photos of wintery Camels Hump, check out David Seaver's blog: http://davidseaverphotography.blogspot.com/

Winter Flying

It was perhaps our last snow of the winter. And only our second all season. It was heavy, wet, thick clumps of delicious flakes. Racing home after a day at the office, I took out to the streets, which transformed into an endless playground for flying on my skis, catching snow-flakes on my tongue and building snow people, forts and throwing a quick dozen snow balls. It was a night to remember, topped off with shoveling the drive and a spa-like winter facial right on our outside grill!! It's amazing how a dump of snow will turn your own familiar neighborhood into a whole new world to explore.

Skiing on the streets outside our house in Burlington. 

 

A fly by on way to Flynn Avenue. The setting of the sun doesn't effect us, as everything is white, tinged every so often by the yellow hue of street lights.

Watching the snow fall at a cross-roads-fish eye style.

Off-roading. Yes, my skis are under there somewhere.

Taking a breather after a sprint in the deep snow...actually I think I fell!

Dave head first for a winter facial. Exhilerating, painful, fun and slightly insane. Who knew our grill had so many uses?

Click on the photo for a "closer" look.

Thank you to my partner and talented professional photographer David Seaver. Check out his webite:  http://davidseaver.com/ or his blog: http://davidseaverphotography.blogspot.com/

Frozen

With a possible noreaster FINALLY hitting the north east rather than the central East, I thought it would be fitting to explore locally. I take you to the lightly traveled gorgeous islands of Lake Champlain and Grand Isle. Even though Lake Champlain hasn't frozen over in over a decade, heading up to the islands a frozen wonderland takes over. Only 30 minutes or so north of Burlington, it's as easy travel adventure.

On the shores of Grand Isle.

Even with a foot of melted shore line, with a hop, skip and a jump, the lake still has two - three feet of frozen water below. A couple of ice-fishing shacks huddle together on the horizon. It is a bright, sunny endless playground.

Shadow playing on the ice.

If you haven't been out to the islands in the winter or early spring, it's time! One minute it feels completely deserted. The next minute it feels as though you have been dropped into Narnia. It's a magical place!