Baby K and I…
well, we’re blowing this popsicle stand. We’re headed to greener more colorful pastures. Where are we going might you ask?
Well, we’re not tellin’….
But I guess we’ll take Daddy, too.
He IS pretty helpful when it comes to holdin’ the paci.
See ya in a few days 😉
Love,
Mrs. K and Baby K
Remember when I promised you long, long ago that I would add more photos from our trip across America? Well, I’m a liar no more! Here they are…in all their glory. Please excuse my inability to make slideshows/movies/etc. There’s an extremely awkward part towards the end, but I have no desire to fix it. Maybe I’ll get better, ehh? Probably not. Enjoy!
As you may have heard, J and I had a great time visiting Savannah, Georgia last weekend. We didn’t want to leave. One weekend just wasn’t enough time to do all that we wanted to do! He didn’t get off work till rather late on Friday so we had a four hour drive ahead of us in the dark. It’s unfortunate that we missed all of Friday there, but we were glad to check in around 11:30 pm.
Our bed and breakfast, the Eliza Thompson House, was perfect! It was a beautiful old building with very gracious employees and gorgeous atmosphere. It wasn’t without perks either! There were designated wine/cheese times, a dessert hour, and complimentary sherry available 24 hours a day. Most of which this pregnant gal didn’t partake in, but I still enjoyed sitting in this old room, chatting with my man-
Honestly, we collapsed into bed when we arrived, too tired to explore the city at all. In the morning when we awoke, it was a beautiful, sunny day. The shaded parts of the city were windy and sort of chilly (sorry Alaskans. I became one of them!) but for the most part we were able to enjoy the sun on our faces. After a good breakfast at the inn, we headed toward the trolley station to purchase informative tours.
The trolley ride was interesting because of all the deep rooted history tied to Savannah. I would definitely recommend informative trolley, horse carriage, or walking tours during your stay in this city. It’s much better to know what you’re staring at, right!? It’s something we will probably do each time we visit Savannah because there’s so much more to learn that the guide could teach us in a 90 minute tour.
The above is Mercer House. I was disappointed that we didn’t have time to tour this old home because I had been learning so much about the happenings inside from the book I’m reading, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. We will definitely go tour this one next time.
By the close of the tour, Baby and I were starving! We walked over to Paula Deen’s restaurant to see what it was all about, but we, of course, didn’t get in. This was true for both days we were there. You wouldn’t believe the line that the place attracts! We just wanted to say that we had been there, done that, so we weren’t too disappointed that we couldn’t get in. I mean, I like Paula Deen, but we’re in the south, baby! My grandmother can make fried chicken just as tasty, I’m sure! 😉 I took a photo in front of the joint for good measure.
We found ourselves eating at the Six Pence Pub for lunch, which was very good. Reminiscent of European pubs, the atmosphere was fun and talkative. We both had sandwhiches and talked about what we would do the rest of the day, as I tried to focus on our conversation. I was in full alert mode because I’m pretty sure we had been dining near Derek Dooley (Go Vols)! Anyway, there’s some Hollywood connections at the famous bar (aside from ole Dooley) that make the place definitely worth a peek inside.
We walked down by the water after lunch to watch the boats sail in and soak up the talent of the local artists in the area. After seeing the pretty blue water, we decided that it was the beach we were actually craving. We found the car and drove to nearby Tybee Island for a midday nap in the sand. It was a nice day for it. We strolled around, holding hands, and talking excitedly about how likely it was that the next time we were at a beach that we’d have a little one in tow. It’s pretty crazy to think about!
After that, we went back to the hotel to get ready for our Valentine’s celebration dinner. How appropriate that we went to the Olde Pink House.
I can’t believe we got in! I called a week in advance, but our butler told us that it’s usually booked months in advance. I understood why when we arrived. Inside the house is gorgeous! The service was exellent, too. Our waitress saw that I was in a delicate condition and offered to trick me with a fruit drink of punch instead of an alcoholic beverage. It was yummy! The food was good and it wasn’t one of those places that try to rush you out. The appetizer came well before the meal and dessert wasn’t rushed afterwards. We spent a couple of hours there and enjoyed every second of it. A lovely black lady meandered through the tables in her huge hoop skirt and sang in a soulful voice, Georgia on My Mind.
Here are a few photos of us getting ready to eat that night:
We had many other adventures during our stay, too. We toured churches, homes, and gardens. We listened as people regaled us with tales of ghosts! We looked up at the huge trees with their spanish moss draping down and silently begged to not have to go home just yet.
Until next time, Savannah!
Love,
The weather has been dreadful this week! I bet every single one of you is tired of hearing that, but I mean it just as much as those folks in NY do about the snow. We’ve been bombarded with something a little less of a pain in the butt, but a lot less pretty, too. Rain, rain, go away, come again another day.
The rain has me day dreaming of sunny California and the couple of days Captain J and I spent there on our trip across America.
Walking the dogs,
Strolling along the pier, hand in hand
Enjoying breathtaking sunsets together,
Exploring giant redwoods,
and Discovering the city.
And to think those Californians were cold! I’m warm just thinking about it. I want a beach and a good book. I want the energy I had in the picture above before I started experiencing all these lovely preggo symptoms. I don’t want this rain anymore, soaking my poor puppies to the bone each time I let them out. A girl can dream, right?
Rain, rain, go away. Come again another day.
I would love to say that I’m blogging from a well formed yet cushiony warm spot in the bed but I can’t. Heck, I’d even love to say that I’m writing to you from a hotel desk again. Anything is better than this. We’re stuck (I mean dead stop, truckers pulling over to sleep, no one is going anywhere) in traffic. Ice storms have encompassed Tennessee and parts of Georgia, causing inexperienced winter drivers to slide right off the road. Slippery, this ice! Anyway, some poor soul ahead of us on I75 has backed up traffic from here to Timbuktu! It’s times like these that I miss Alaska. I’m not sure if “traffic” is in their vocabulary.
The past few days have been hectic but also wonderfully happy. There’s much to catch you all up on! Perhaps I’ll set some time aside for more blogging this weekend (just for you annoyed army wife).
Until then, GET ME OUTTA HERE!
San Francisco wasn’t ready for us….and boy (or girl), lemme tell you- we weren’t quite ready for the streets of San Fran. These two Alaskans in our F350 just didn’t mix well with the traffic and congestion in the hilly city. The first hour or so was quite stressful as we tried to navigate around the city and attempt to not dismember any innocent pedestrians. Thanks to the help of Magellan, we found our way to our first stop: Wags Hotel.
We knew hauling two huskies up and down the streets of a busy city was just asking for trouble so we chose to board them for the night. I swear, their “hotel” was better than ours. You wouldn’t believe the ammenities/goodies/extras they offered: One on one swim time, Yappy Hour, and more. I’m pretty ashamed of myself for pampering them so, but I’m sure they had a good time (Their report card said so! 😉 ).
After Captain J and I decided on a location to rest our pretty little heads, we set out to explore the city…on foot. No more driving for us! We walked everywhere we went. I’m surprised I survived.
We strolled down to Fisherman’s Wharf to walk along the water and view Alcatraz from a distance. Later we spotted Ghirardelli, which quickly became my favorite place in this whole entire world. I was in chocolate heaven!
After a quick snap of this photo (and J telling curious onlookers that I was a “chocolate fiend”), we strolled on down the street where we came to a wine tasting. Being in California and not tasting wine is criminal so we sat down to enjoy a few swigs of California’s best aged grape juice.
Afterwards, we continued on down the road to Pier 33 where there were tickets to Alcatraz being sold. Knowing that I’m slightly obsessed with prison shows and culture, J hopped in line to buy us tickets. The boat ride took approximately 12 minutes. In no time, we were standing on the island- looking out at the bright lights of San Francisco. I regret that I didn’t bring my camera during this time. How could I forget that?! All I had was the iphone and it doesn’t have great capabilities in the dark. Oh, well…I’ll have to savor those memories in my mind. I did get a picture of a quote from one of the wardens of “The Rock”-
I thought this was pretty profound especially when I think about all our soldiers who have given all. Did you know that before Alcatraz was a prison that it was actually a military base? Did you know that families occupied the island as well during the time the inmates were there? The tour was quite interesting and I’d definitely like to check out some more literature on the topic.
Around 8 o’clock that night, we finally had dinner. As suggested by my dear dad-in-law, we had dungeness crab and chardonnay. It was excellent! These Californians have it down a little better than Fairbanksians, I just have to say. We left the restaurant with our bellies full and began the long trek back to our hotel.
I didn’t get much sleep that night because there were two women in the room to the left of ours that were having an excellent time together, if you know what I mean. Then to to right of us, there was a young couple who argued in German during the wee hours of the morning. Add in cars honking, tires screeching, and the hustle and bustle of city life and it’s easy to see why I slept very little.
I woke up with a spring in my step, though. I was ready to get out of that hotel! Captain J and I put on our walkin’ shoes and got to stepping bright and early. We had breakfast in the Wharf then headed to Lombard Street to see the crooked roads and beautiful gardens.
Then we went to see the interesing Chinatown district where I wanted to snatch up a couple of those beautiful Chinese children and high tail it to GA and call it a day! (I promise I’m kidding) They were all so precious and it reminded me of the pull I feel to adopt from China. Maybe one day.
We followed the streets to Coit Tower. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to go to the top due to construction on the tower.
I could go on forever. We literally went all over this city and by the end of the day I felt as if I had done a half marathon, at least. Then I began to ponder how San Francisco(ians?) stack up in marathons. I bet they win more often than not. You wouldn’t believe the steep hills that I was huffing up. Whew! I get tired just thinking about it. I just know if I lived there, I’d look amazing with all that extra exercise I would likely get.
We loved this city, but were glad to drive out of the congestion and back into a slower pace. We definitely wouldn’t make it as city folk! Tomorrow we’re camping in Yosemite. The adventure continues…
P.S.- Does anyone else have the Full House theme song in their head now?
I’m not sure how much sense this post will make as it is 2:30 am and there are a bunch of yayhoos next door being obnoxiously loud. We’re in California- San Fransisco to be exact. I’ll have to save this city for another post, there’s just too much to tell!
But I will tell you about Northern California- It was very rainy at first. We had experienced rain all throughout the ferry ride, Washington, and Oregon so it was just more of the same to these ole vagabonds. Finally, we drove out of it into a town called Crescent City where we were able to catch our first glimpse of the shoreline. After a quick stroll around the water, we loaded up the dogs and were on our way to our next stop.
Orick was interesting, a tiny little dot on the map- nothing at all like you would picture when you picture the state of California. It was here where I met my first Californians and….wait for it….
Sarah Palin fans! I was surprised, to say the least. I knew these people had to be good people when I walked in their cafe and saw this:
Right beside their Northern Cali flag were the flags of the two places I’ve lived- Alaska and Tennessee. It was pretty cool. We talked to them a bit and hearing that we were among people who held TN very dear to their hearts made me happy all over again to be on this journey back to the south. To all you Tennessee folk reading, one man told us he was “at a place called Tellico just two weeks ago.” Small, small world.
I’ll tell you what wasn’t so small, though- those huge Redwoods! They are magnificent. We saw some on our trip to NZ, but those were transplants, if you will. They weren’t native to that area so they hadn’t had the time to get as big as these it seems. I had so much fine hiking around the national park (except I have a bone to pick with them–but I’ll save that for later) and exploring these very old, very large trees. I’m too lazy at the moment to get my camera, but I will post some photos later that certainly won’t do them justice.
Thanks for following along in our adventures! I apologize for lack of commenting/contacting on my part. I’ve been trying to keep up with all of you as best I can with limited internet access. I hope this post finds you well! Much more travel joys and woes to come…
Oregon was much more interesting than I originally thought it might be. Before this journey, the only thing I really knew about Oregon was how much they beat UT by this year in football (blah). We quickly drove out of Washington into beautiful stretches of green farmland. Along the perimeters of each farm, there seemed to be hills nestling the land into a miniature valley. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t expecting that at all. There was so much green that it made my heart leap because I hadn’t seen so many shades of green in quite awhile. Every so often, we’d pass a single tree with fall colors decorating each branch. I loved it because I missed most of the fall while I was in TN in September and I missed the only fall Alaska offers during that same time period.
That wasn’t the only part of Oregon that I enjoyed…Every rest stop we passed had a sign reading: “Free Coffee”. It was awesome, but I wonder how much money is going toward that little luxury each month. This brings me to my next point–
There are numerous signs saying, “Your tax dollars at work” which I think is a completely facetious saying by now so much so that I can’t take it seriously. Does anyone look at those and say to themselves, “oh good…I’m glad that road was repaired”? Maybe…but when I see them I just fight the urge to roll my eyes.
All the people we came into contact with here while we were overnighting in Salem were very nice. I decided I liked Oregon(ians) back in September when they expressed their disdain for Lane Kiffin, too. Residents of Oregon- here’s to you! You’re okay in my book.
In short, I really enjoyed Oregon, but I was welcoming the sign to California more than you know! More on California tomorrow.
Love,
In case you missed my post from last week, you’re going to want to check that out before proceeding: Part One.
Anyway, the second half of our trip was doubly fun. The four of us woke up on Day 5 and drove to Whakatane where we boarded the Pee Jay, a boat that would take us on a tour of an aquatic volcano. The journey to White Island took about two hours by boat, but I didn’t mind because the ride was so beautiful. The tour of the island was informative and interesting, but actually getting there was quite the challenge for me. They anchored the boat a ways out and then dinghies shuttled us on land. That was a task in and of itself, but when I was deposited on land, I looked up and found myself surrounded by huge, white birds. In case you missed this little quirk of mine in an earlier confession, I’m deathly afraid of most birds. Trying not to freak out, I take a few steps forward. They’re surrounding me. They’re near my precious head. They’re landing inches away. It was a terrible scenario for me and I’m quite sure I didn’t escape the island without letting my freak flag fly really high- everyone knew what a scaredy cat I was. Anyway, after moving away from the congregate of birds, I really began to enjoy learning more about this volcano. There are probably lots of people reading who have been to see a volcano, but who among you have walked on an active one? What an experience that was!
Photo Copyright @ Joshua Reed
Isn't this beautiful? Copyright @ Joshua Reed
And here’s a short, uneventful video of Don, Josh, and me at White Island while Captain J is recording-
Our next and final stop was Rotorua where Captain J insisted on zorbing for the first time. This fun activity originated in NZ so it was a must do on the list. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to partake. I did partake in drinking some “Dracula Juice” at our hotel bar that night in the spirit of Halloween. I mixed up a few for this past Halloween weekend, too! The next morning, Captain J and I woke up early to do a little kayaking in a nearby lake. It was my first time so I found myself quite nervous until I realized how easy it was on calm waters.
There were a lot of firsts on this trip for me. Experiencing New Zealand, a place I have always wanted to go, was surreal. I want to go back so badly and see the south island, too. I want to scuba dive in the beautiful reefs and bum around the country for a solid month before heading back to the states. It’s a lovely place to visit. And gosh, darn-it, it would have made a wonderful setting for a proposal!
Hear me out, though because I wouldn’t change a thing. Half way through the trip, I realized it wasn’t going to happen…and I wasn’t sure I even wanted it to at that point. How weird would it have been to be so excited and the only people I could show the ring to would be his buddies-like, “look guys! I’m taking away your pal.” I didn’t want them to hate me!
The reason I brought up this entire story is because, for awhile ,I was convinced that he was planning on asking me to spend the rest of my life with him while we were there. Thank God I was wrong! He asked me later on, in Alaska- our new home we’d established ourselves in. It truly was perfect and I was completely surprised, but when I came across this post from Gwen In Love , I couldn’t help thinking about my nonexistent overseas proposal. (Please go read and watch that video to see what I’m referring to as it is the whole reason I wanted to write this all out!)
Looking back to a whole year ago, I can see how far we’ve come. I can’t believe we’re nearing one year of marriage already. I suppose time flies when you’re having fun…and we really are. I love my husband more and more every day and I count him as one of my greatest blessings. I still cannot believe how lucky I am. I don’t deserve such an awesome individual, but I’m super duper glad that God gave him to me anyway.
*Special thanks to Josh for allowing me to post his photos to share with all of you! Happy November!
Love,
I have some old news to share with you- a bit of a recollection, if you will. Exactly a year ago to this very week, I was arriving in New Zealand with my (now) husband and two of his friends. They had been planning this adventure as a celebration of returning back to the states from Iraq and the plans were set well before I even met Captain J for the first time. In fact, I didn’t want to intrude. They should have guy time, right? They could share old war stories, drink New Zealand beer, and revel in the fact that they had two weeks to do whatever they pleased in one of the most gorgeous countries that I’ve ever seen. For whatever reason, J didn’t want to leave me behind so he shelled out the money for a plane ticket for me, as well. I was excited!
We arrived in Auckland on October 26, 2009- which happened to be NZ’s Labor Day. I remember being amazed at the individuals I saw running the streets. Everyone seemed to be chiseled to perfection- so fit and healthy! We set out early in the morning from the airport and I guess this is when many people take the opportunity to exercise because literally every person we saw that morning was out jogging. The city wasn’t bustling yet at that hour and we would come to find that it was unlike any American city we had experienced. No one seemed to be in a big hurry and everyone was eager to talk to us and tell us of their favorite local spots when probed. After a quick glance at the culture via a local museum, we left to check into our hotel and catch some shut eye. The only problem was- I was too excited to sleep! I crept out of the hotel room and (Mom & Dad: Skip this part) strolled around the streets of Auckland by myself. I went to a nearby restaurant and sat around and listened to some street music and enjoyed some coffee while I thought to myself, “I wonder if J will ask me to marry him while we’re here.”
On October 27th, we hopped in the rental car and whisked ourselves away to Thames, NZ. While in Thames we did a little hiking in the hills behind the town and enjoyed relaxing in a small town that was virtually deserted. Small businesses surrounded us, but it was difficult to find them actually open. That night we stayed in a little hotel that had about 4-5 rooms. The bathroom and shower areas were community with the bedrooms the only place of privacy. We chatted with the lady who owned it downstairs in her food and bar area. While, we enjoyed walking the streets of Thames, we eagerly looked forward to exploring more of the country the following day.
Over the next few days, we traveled the long, scenic route to Tauranga where we settled in at the lovely Hotel on Davenport. The drive was nothing short of amazing. The vegetation changed so quickly that it was difficult to push the button on my camera fast enough!
During this leg of the trip, we visited the breathtaking views of Mount Maunganui in a short, 20 minute hike. We were able to see excellent views of the harbour and sheep trails as I huffed and puffed, chasing after three army guys on a constant elevation. Later, we went to a winery, Mills Reef, and tasted some wonderfully old grape juice!
I was having a pretty good time, but in the back of my mind, I still felt as though I might be intruding. I no longer thought that J proposing was going to happen. In fact, I was beginning to wonder if he ever would. In my mind, I started calculating my move back to Tennessee. No, I wasn’t thinking of breaking up with him; I simply knew that I needed to get back in school and on with my life while he figured out what he wanted in his. While I hated the idea of being away from J if I didn’t have to be, I also knew I couldn’t just shack up with him forever. When I made the decision to move to Alaska, it was in preparation for our upcoming marriage that we talked about while he was deployed. It was a welcoming home visit of sorts and at that point, he had been home for about a month with no talk of getting married. Little did I know, he was trying to make me think that it was the furtherest thing from his mind…
I began to focus on having a good time on this trip, the trip of a lifetime.
To Be Continued…
Feel free to email me at mrskandcaptainj@hotmail.com
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Mrs. K and Captain J 
