Another Picture Update - From Texas to Pennsylvania (and back to Texas)!

Long-time coming - but here are some photos from the last 1/2 of the tour!!  Too much to write and I am not in the writing mood - but this gives you a taste of what the last half of the summer was and I felt like it was a good time for an update.

Also - this time next week guess where I will be??  BOULDER BABY!!!

'

Honey Sampling with Sue

Visits with Friends

The most beautiful place in the world...we made a stop in Lex!

Peel the Love even visited the tennis center

Sampling in Asheville, NC

Puerto Rican food in Asheville - and one of the best meals of the summer!

Coolest mural I have ever seen

Buying books without knowing what they are (more on that soon)

Not true, but pretty amazing...love restroom decor

Lifesize Connect Four in Asheville

San Antonio Riverwalk

Such a cool outdoor theater!!

We stumbled upon an accordion festival!

Hysterical.

Ice Cream with the Mansfields in Ardmore, OK - such a cool little town!

Cubs Game in Iowa

Hot Air Balloons!

The Hot Air Balloon Festival in Des Moines, IA

It's "somewhat fancy"

BFFs!

Such a little guy

Exploring Baltimore's inner harbor

...and playing with large instruments in the park!

An educational sidewalk - homophones!

A beer mobile in Baltimore

The lovely Katie in Baltimore

Baked Penne Massive Pizza

A stylish banana truck - a girl has to have her flowers!

Lighthouse Italian Ice in New Jersey with the Coles - Mmmm! Mmmm!

A trip into Manhattan at the break of dawn

Doubles Partners

Home Away from Home

Twinning with the Carmalts!

Such intricate and delicate decor in an authentic Mexican restaurant in NJ - the owner was AWESOME.

Lew!!!

U.S. Open in NYC

Hanging out with the one and only Ginny!

Nosebleed Section

We made it to the South Shore of Long Island

Craziest looking fish EVER

Biggest turtle EVER

2 year anniversary!

A hike with the Carmalts

Largest burrito ever - thanks Iowa!

Everyone's Story...

No.  This post has nothing to do with traveling, bananas, food, or anything I have ever written about.

Yes.  I love the show The Voice.  I didn't watch the first two seasons very closely, but Seasons 2 - 5 have had my attention.  I am not one to follow many television shows - we only have the most basic of basic channels at home and I typically only tune in for important things - the news, football games and game shows (read Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy).

With that said, The Voice has my full attention for this coming season and last night I finally could pin point what I love most about this show.  You see the real side of the contestants - their stories, their raw emotions, their passion for their craft.  Not only that, but you see the real side of the coaches (I hope and think) in a way you typically don't get to see celebs interact with one another.  I love their banter and they seem to genuinely enjoy themselves.  (Note - I can imagine they are being payed a pretty amount to act that way, but I will assume that they are just being themselves...).

Atleast three times last night I was almost crying because I could just feel the excitement those contestants were feeling, and you can just see their dreams coming true.  Plus, many of the stories these people share are incredible.  The woman from Jamaica, the shy yet remarkable 19 year old, and the man that was playing Lynyrd Skynyrd with the guitar his Dad used to play were all incredibly talented, but you could see the raw emotion on their face and in their eyes when those chairs turned around.  It gave me goosebumps.
Every since entering the field of education, and even more so, ever since interacting with 1,000s of different people all over the country this summer, I find myself stopping to consider or even just ponder differences among each and every person.  We all have our own story, and I know this summer has taught me the importance of considering where other people are coming from and what their story may be.  The human race is remarkable in countless ways, and I feel blessed to have been able to meet and interact with people from so many different walks of life.  This is also why I am so excited to begin teaching!!

NPR also recently did a broadcast all about stories during their TED hour and it was awesome.  Look it up!

Life is truly amazing.

Home

We are less than two weeks from returning to Colorado and I cannot wait to get home!  This whole summer has been an amazing adventure and we have plenty of stories to tell from our travels, but it is starting to feel like it is time to get back to our reality.  With the recent flooding in Boulder, and the yearning to want to be there to help those people I know have hours of cleaning up ahead of them, I have been "homesick" for the first time since I left home in May.

When we chose to go on the road for the summer, I wondered how long it would take for me to miss home.  Surprisingly, I haven't really been homesick until recently (read - until Boulder was hit by a devastating storm).  This lack of homesickness may have been because we were seeing so much of the country, it may have been because we saw family and/or friends in every state where we were serving up bananas, it may have been because we saw both our parents among other loved ones all summer long, it may have been for any number of reasons...

But I am pretty sure it has mostly been this:

A while back, I found this and thought it was a nice, heart-warming sentiment.  Now I believe it to be 100% true.  I haven't been missing our apartment, because my home has been with me this whole time!  I couldn't have made it through this summer without Lucas and I think it is a testament to the importance of keeping your family and loved ones close.  Lucas, my parents, Luke's parents and the many people we saw this summer made it a once in a lifetime experience and we always felt at home in each others company, and in the company of those dearest to us.  All I can say, is I am walking away from this experience (in a couple weeks) feeling completely blessed.

My good friend Lindsay recently passed along this quote, which resonated with me the past few days:

"And the days that I keep my gratitude higher than my expectations, I have really good days."

- Ray Wylie Hubbard

I certainly have been blessed this summer, and continue to feel those blessings in my life every single day.  As we finish out our tour, I can't help but come back to those things in my life in which I am so grateful - my husband, my parents, my entire family, the ability to travel, having access to food for cooking, being able to pursue my goals and passions with limited restrictions, having the means to explore and pick up to go on this adventure for a summer - and I realize that this summer has allowed me an amazing opportunity while surrounding me with these wonderful blessings.

I look forward to getting home and seeing friends and family in Colorado oh so soon, but in the mean time I will finish out the last leg of a summer that has left me feeling blessed.

A New Discovery and Fall Tradition in the Making

Honey Crisps - Ripe for the Picking!

After finishing work in NYC, we had a four day drive awaiting us - getting from Long Island, NY to San Antonio, TX wasn't looking like an easy drive in the truck, nor was it something I had planned on doing in this lifetime - but then again, who ever thought I would be touring the U.S. in a food truck?  We ended up making the drive enjoyable with some nice stops along the route (more on that soon), but first, we made a fantastic pit stop in PA for some R&R with Luke's parents and a quick visit with his Grandma Sally.  It was just the right amount of "real-life normalcy" (if that is even a thing) before hitting the road for the final push of our tour.

Grandma Sally and Luke

Our first stop in Pennsylvania was to see Luke's grandma Sally.  Our visit was too short, only a few hours, but we were able to make it happen which is what mattered.  We had lunch and chatted with Sally for a while, and took a short walk for her to check out our truck.  We also stumbled upon a great old fashion car, so we checked that out, too! Last summer we were fortunate to spend weeks upon weeks with Grandma Sally, but we were just happy to be able to see her this summer at all.

Classic Car Spotting

Lucas sitting on "his" steps

Then on to Milan, PA to see Bill and Sue.  We had a great few days with Luke's family and enjoyed a trip to Friendsville, gourmet meals compliments of chef Sue, a visit from Anneliza and Adam, and
education on bee keeping.  We also took a closer look at Sue's beehives - where my face ended up on the wrong side of a bee stinger (whoops)!  It turns out bees are more aggressive in the fall since they are working hard to pack in the honey before winter arrives.  We were sitting about seven feet from the fence but it was still too close and in the line of fire where the bees were entering and exiting one hive.  Lesson learned.

The highlight of our stay was when I discovered my new favorite fall activity.  I have always loved fall and welcome the season with open arms to breathe in the crisper air, create pumpkin dishes of every variety and surround myself with my favorite earth-tone colors.  However, never have I had a chance to partake in the best fall event of all...APPLE PICKING.  Well, while in PA, Sue introduced us to the joys of picking apples.

We went to Russell farms near Vestal, NY where they have 20 acres of trees spotted with every variety
of apple I could imagine and then some.  The apples looked so beautiful hanging from the branches, in some cases so heavy that the trees needed significant supports to stay standing.  Apples, I learned, reach peak ripeness at various times depending on the type of apple, and when we went picking the farmer recommended McIntosh, Ginger Golds, and (drum rolllllllllll) Honey Crisps!  I was ecstatic.

We spent the next 1.5 hours trying to find the best looking apples to put in our three 1/2 bushel bags and take home.  We admired the variety of colors, tasted some apples as we picked from the trees and pretended like we knew how to select the best of the best.  We were also amazed at the way a leaf shape could be "stenciled" on an apple if the leaf blocked the sun just right, and how sun kissed apples were colored so differently from their shaded neighbors.

Leaf Stencils

After making our way from McIntosh rows to the Ginger Golds, we headed over to the Honey Crisps.  One bite into those apples fresh from the tree confirmed why I am obsessed.  Plus, they sold for 1.49 per pound, double that of the others, yet this was a steal compared to store prices which are insanely expensive. Oh man, they are good!  

Once we had filled our bushels, we meandered through the rows of colorful vegetables, apple butters, and other farm fresh goods.  We picked up some sweet corn fresh out of the field to have with dinner, checked out and headed home.  The next day, we also helped Sue pick clean one of three apple trees right in their backyard.  They had some great apples right there and we filled three laundry baskets full of apples just from that one tree!  I would say we made out like kings.

I love colorful veggies!

Our picked apples

Sue is going to be busy making apple sauces and ciders to keep for the fall and winter.  Lucas and I will be busy eating up the of of apples we took with us for the road trip.  Either way, we discovered a fun fall activity that I plan on doing again when we get back to Colorado, once I do some research on apple picking locale in the Boulder area (pending flood damage...yikes!).

Yummy!

There is just so much more satisfaction in eating something you picked from the tree yourself.  Hence, why some day I would love to have our own garden.  In the meantime, when I get back to a real kitchen, I plan on indulging myself by making some of the following apple recipes - hopefully with hand picked apples!

Apples, Apples, Apples!

Easy Skillet Apple Pie - It is easy and amazing!  Favorite apple pie I have ever made.
Chopped Winter Salad (Squash, Apples and Feta) - Made it already, and loved it!
Or this salad from one of my favorite food blogs...
Fig, Apple and Gorgonzola Flatbread -  If only I could get fresh figs from the Hutcheson's fig tree!
Apple Pie Pull Apart Bread - This looks like something I could go for on a Sunday morning
BBQ Apple Pizza - Holy Smokes!  This sounds out of this world.  With fresh pizza dough...mmmmm!

U.S. Open!!

2 Years of Marriage!!

An Early Morning in Manhattan

New York and New Jersey met us with a few busy weeks of work; however, we were still able to see Luke's parents, Anneliza and Adam, my dear friend Lauren AND go to the U.S. Open where I met up with two tennis teammates from college!  The few weeks went by quickly and now we have a couple of days to breathe before driving for four days to get back to San Antonio and Austin where we will end the tour.  I just had to write about the U.S. Open while it is a fresh and wonderful memory.

A few days ago, Lucas and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary.  Although we have been in close quarters and working together 24/7 for the past three months, I can honestly say I love him more and more everyday and still can't get enough of his wonderfulness! Unfortunately, we were working on the day of  our anniversary, so we decided to do something special to celebrate during our off day.  Hence, why we decided to go to the U.S. Open.

Best Seats Ever!  Ferrer playing in the Grandstand

Neither of us had been to a Grand Slam, and while I had been to a few professional tennis tournaments, I was excited to be in NY at the same time as the Open.  Lucas has always enjoyed watching tennis, and with my background in tennis it seemed like a great splurge.  So we went on a Saturday and got tickets in the nosebleed section of Arthur Ashe Stadium for the day session.  This way the tickets weren't outrageously priced but we would still have access to all stadiums and courts on the grounds, and had a better chance of seeing the greats regardless of which court they played on that day.

From the top of Arthur Ashe Stadium

We rented a car for the day, we thought the truck could cause some issues, and woke up extra early to drive from Islip, NY in central Long Island, to Flushing Meadows.  Everywhere I looked I had heard there can be traffic and to use public transportation if at all possible due to congestion, so I insisted we leave at 7am even though gates don't open until 10 and matches start at 11.  I just didn't want to wait in any lines...

Well, we arrived before the parking lot even opened, and busied ourselves with a crossword while we waited in our car.  Twenty minutes later we paid for parking (we were about the tenth car in the lot)  and walked over to the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.  I was so excited, I must have looked like a wide-eyed toddler tasting candy for the first time.  Anywho, we walked up to the main gates at about 8:30 and still had some time to kill.  Not wanting to lose our amazing spot in line, the crosswords came out again and Lucas gave me a hard time about not wanting to wait in lines....yet we had to wait an hour atleast to even get in!  I still didn't care, we would be one of the first in the gates and would likely get great seats for one of the stadiums that are seated on a first come, first serve basis.  AND it was just our luck that number four ranked Ferrer from Spain was scheduled to play the first match of the day on one of those courts.  That was our chosen morning match.

At 9:30, the gates opened and I felt like all of a sudden we had been transported to Spain and were participating in the running of the bulls.  First come, first serve - like airplane travel - brings out the worst in people.  Elbows started being thrown left and right and people sprinted and shoved their way through the gates.  People truly looked absurd as they sprinted to get the best seats.   SERIOUSLY?!?!?!  Lucas and I calmly, and while judging everyone else, went to the Grandstand for the Ferrer match.  As people shoved past I may or may not have muttered, "people, it is a tennis match, control yourselves..."

Patiently Waiting at the Front Gates of the U.S. Open 2013

So we walk up the steps into the Grandstand, hoping to score some seats behind the baseline, and sure enough, three rows up from the court and just to the right of the centerline are seats with our names on it.  We also snagged two more for our friends that were also near the front of the gate and attending with their family that day.  SCORE.  My first grand slam experience and I am so close I can smell the sweat of the players, and may just be one of the awkward people in the background on national TV.

We waited another 1.5 hours before the matches started, but we watched some warm ups, did some more crossword puzzles and just took in our surroundings.  At 11am, Ferrer stepped on the court and it was a great match.  It is truly amazing to watch professional tennis in person.  The athletes are in such good shape, and make their incredibly strategic points look effortless.  I was inspired by the talent surrounding me all day long, and it was a truly wonderful experience.

Louis Armstrong Stadium

After Ferrer won in 4 sets, we ventured over to find our friend Ginny and watch Isner play in the Louis Armstrong Stadium (where Federer would lose a few days later).  Our seats were not as close to the court, but you could see just as well AND I was sitting with my wonderful friend Ginny which made it that much better.  With her on the East Coast, we often do not get to see one another, and so this was a treat and a highlight of the day.

The One and Only Ginny Wortham!

Watching Isner in Louis Armstrong

Catherine visits us in Manhattan

I also was able to see my old doubles partner and wonderful friend Catherine who was there with her Mama and husband.  We weren't able to spend as much time with them given our chosen matches to watch were in different stadiums, but it was fun to see them nevertheless.  Plus, Catherine had been a doll and had met up with the truck bright and early the previous week when we were doing a morning show shoot in Manhattan.  We had already had a fair amount of time to catch up and she had received some sweet banana treats!

Williams Sisters

As Isner began to lose (and he did lose in a close 4 set match), Lucas and I decided to get to Arthur Ashe before the day session ended.  We had tickets to get in, so we may as well use them!  The Williams Sisters were playing doubles and it was worth the walk over just to see the stadium and get a feel for the atmosphere of the main court at the U.S. Open.  It was a beautiful stadium, and even though we had to make our way to the very top to find our seats, it was still a treat.  We were able to see the NY skyline, and finally relax some in the shade.  Plus, Ashe Stadium plays some sweet tunes during changeovers, and cameras zoom in on fans in the stands which is always comical and entertaining at any sporting event.

Lucas with a small NY Skyline

Towards the end of the Williams' match, we headed back to potentially catch the end of the Isner match, and to decide how to spend the rest of the evening.  We couldn't go back into Ashe due to the transition from day tickets to night tickets, but all other matches going on were fair game.  After wandering around the grounds, and catching a glimpse of Federer on the practice courts, we headed back to the Grandstand.  We caught the third set of a Men's Doubles Match - one of my favorite matches to watch that day - and were able to sit four rows up from the baseline.

Austin and Dennis of the U.S.

 We then moved to the second row from the court to watch two Italian women battle it our before moving on to watch the fifth set in a mens third round match - Robredo vs. Evans.  You may recognize the name Robredo since this is the player that went on to defeat Federer in the next round.

I can only sum up the day in one word - perfect.  We had a wonderful experience and it was such an amazing way to celebrate two years of being married to my best friend and co-banana ninja.

I suppose I need to get back into tennis as soon as I get back to Boulder...

Good Company and Corn Fields

This post is long overdue, mostly because I have been too lazy to write something very lengthy.  When meeting up with friends and family, they typically ask, "What is the best place you have visited?"  My response is typically, "Seattle, Bend, and surprisingly Des Moines, Iowa."  No joke.  Luke and I really had a wonderful stay in Des Moines, although I must admit it was one of the cities I was not as "enthused" about visiting.  It could be because we were with family and our best friends throughout our two weeks there; however, I thought Des Moines had many exciting activities to offer and some quaint stores and delicious eateries.  A snapshot of our time in Iowa is below.

Banana Smoothie Minus the Blender

Our stay began with some parking mishaps, as posted about here, but after that it was smooth sailing and really a wonderful time.  We stayed with Luke's cousins, despite the fact that they were moving out of their home and the house was completely empty for the last week of our stay.  We literally helped them pack up some of their belongings, preoccupied their children while they tried to load up their moving boxes, and waved them goodbye as they left their home where we would be "squatters" for the next week.  Somewhat hysterical, but also quite memorable.  Had they not been moving, Lucas would not have finally seen Despicable Me, we would not have discovered Ticket To Ride (aka the train game), we would not have drawn Princess Town with sidewalk chalk, made banana smoothies without a blender, measured ears with household tools or watched as Max turned chairs covered in drapes into a spaceship.  Our stay with them was delightful, despite the chaos of packing, and it gave us a chance to see a different neighborhood in Des Moines where we may not have stayed otherwise.

How big is Ela's ear?

Space Ships!!

Princess Town

Fried Brussels Sprouts

YUM

While staying in the Drake University neighborhood and while in Des Moines in general, we also discovered many culinary masterpieces.  Within walking distance from the house was a fantastic wine bar and an amazing bakery and cafe called "La Mie."  It was pastries, sandwiches, and bread at its best and we visited this establishment on more than one occasion.  This was also proof that Iowa can be more than fried food, meat and potatoes - although we experienced that side of this city as well!  

Tables of Pastries at La Mie

While in Des Moines, we also explored fried brussels sprouts at an amazing burger joint called Zombie Burger,

Lucas enjoying fried Oreos

Lucas had his first taste of the culinary wonders of fried Oreos, and our best friend's family made us the one and only Cheesy Hash-brown Casserole during our stay at their home.  It was our last weekend in Iowa, our best friends made a trip to Des Moines to see family while we were in town, and we happened to have a couple of days off to just spend some time with our wonderful friends. Life couldn't have been better.  

Another highlight of Des Moines, and one of the highlights of the entire summer was being able to spend some time with the Ryckmans.  Brian and Amy are pretty much some of the greatest people I know and they are one of the reasons why we have missed Colorado this summer.  With our banana trip, we went from seeing them just about every weekend to only seeing them one time in four months which was pretty much terrible.  Seeing them at the half way point of the tour was great though and we had all sorts of fun with them during our two short days with them in Iowa.   

Amy, Brian and Lucas with the flowers purchased at the farmers market

With the Ryckmans in town, we spent time wandering around the extremely large Des Moines Farmers Market (maybe the largest I have ever been to in my life), sampling beer at Confluence (a local craft brewery), learning a new card game called 500, eating a fair amount of cookies, playing Cranium and just being together.  It was perfect.

Typical

Naturally Playing with Legos

Praise to the Frozen Cookie Dough

Outside of spending quality time with our friends and family, I just loved all the events, festivals and general happenings Des Moines had to offer.  From the balloon festival where we sampled with the food truck, to the Ragbrai bike race that came through town, to dancing by the lake and minor league baseball games,  and from outdoor movie screenings to Broadway shows, it just seemed as though Des Moines had a lot going on and had many opportunities for free entertainment.  We took advantage of some of them, and if I ever make it back to Des Moines someday, I will have to do some of the things we didn't get to do.

Enjoying the Balloon Festival

Specialty Hot Air Balloons

Cubs Game!!

Yay for Minor League Baseball Games

On a side note, while there is a lot of corn, Des Moines has much more to offer than that!!  We loved it!