vacation, rest, I don't think so...Part 1

airPlane, cAr, ferrY, sEa plAne, biKe, fEet, traIn- the modes of transportation we used on our yearly active vacation.  This year we decided to explore Washington State- when I say explore, we never stopped!  As usual from the get go, we were on the GO!  I think that's how we like it!

Our first stop (and my obsession), Mt. Ranier- a bit chilly, but absolutely spectacular!

Time to head to the coast- our journey up the Washington Coast will begin in a quaint town, Ocean Shores.  Not a lot going on there, but we had a beautiful view of the ocean.  

Our drive up the coast begins promptly at 7am driving the Olympic Peninsula all the way to Hurricane Ridge.  It's going to be a long day, but we were able to stop and see some amazing sights- Quinalt Rain forest featuring the largest spruce tree, Lake Crescent Lake and Lodge, spectacular views of Olympic mountain range, wildlife- a bear from afar, black tail deer that seemed very comfortable around people!  Such a wide variety of sights, an amazing experience!

We are about half way through our trip- the best is yet to come- San Juan Island, Orcas Island, and Seattle...

25

"Your imagination is your preview of life's coming attractions." -Albert Einstein


It's unfathomable to me that I am 4 days into my 25th summer break, which technically means I just completed my 25th year of teaching.  I feel 25, it's incomprehensible that I have been teaching for 25 years.  It's been an interesting ride and that ride will continue come August, but until then I'm going to enjoy every moment!

25 years- seriously??

Summer break is certainly a perk for teachers, but I truly have to say we do need time to reflect and rejuvenate.  I also love the fact that we get a fresh start each school year, it's a new beginning, not everyone has that opportunity.  It's something I'm very thankful for.  It's amazing how many former students have found me on facebook or have tracked me down somehow.  I love hearing from them and what they are doing, (I don't like necessarily hearing how old they are:) But it is one of the most rewarding aspects of the job- I realized early in my career I couldn't change the world and fix everything, but if I could make a positive impact on as many students as possible, my career would be meaningful.  That's all I really ever wanted.

Now as far as summer 25- 2013... 
Obviously, I plan on playing a lot of tennis!!!  That is a given!  I keep to my daily schedule, and get up bright and early to play and get my workout in.  The rest of the day is mine...

I love chasing this ball around!

Our big Trip- My husband and I have (what else would you expect) an active vacation planned to Seattle- hiking in national parks, biking on the islands, running the Seattle rock and roll half, attending a mariners game (I'm a huge baseball fan), driving the coast, taking a ferry, etc.  (It will be a whirlwind.) Although I am obsessed with Mt. Ranier, which is on the agenda, but what we are looking most forward to is the 5 days we will be spending in San Juan Islands (no, not Puerto Rico.)  The San Juan Islands are north of Seattle.  We are taking a water plane- a little scary, but neither one of us have other flown in one, and we like to try new things.  Once on the island, our mode of transportation will be bikes. We plan on biking all over San Juan and Orcas Island, and making to the top of Mt. Constitution.  We will be doing some sea kayaking and going on a whale watching tour.  Of course one of our favorite pastimes will be discovering local craft beers and eating a lot of halibut.  We are looking forward to a fabulous vacation!  I will keep you posted.

This was in Alaska, but I'm sure we will have
a similar picture in Washington State. :)

My Creative Challenge-
My personal creative challenge/goal this summer is to learn more about photography.  I can take a decent picture, but I have always wanted to be more creative, and I'm finally going to take the time and commit to learning all of the settings on my camera besides 'auto.'

My husband and I have a several other physical challenges on our list for 2013- I'm looking forward to a couple mountain bike races, trail runs, and whatever other challenge comes our way.

nothing like an endurance hike


Before I know it, August will be here and I will be getting ready for another school year, which I know will be good one, but not until I love every moment of summer 25- 2013!

2.38.47

austin half marathon-

was interesting.  first event of 2013- didn't necessarily train, but i can go out and do just about anything i set my mind to, and i did as expected.

austin is an interesting city, i actually thought i would fall in love with it, but i didn't.  places open too late- i'm sorry, i like to eat lunch at noon, not 1:00, i'm just sayin'. i couldn't fully grasp austin, even though it's a college town, and I really tried.  The worst part was I couldn't find a craft beer to save my life, until I walked into a place called The Ginger Man, a nice joint- great beer, good food, and a comfortable atmosphere, but other than the ginger man, i never felt at home.  I've done a lot of traveling, and i know what home feels like, and it isn't austin.  This is what it's all about, finding a place that you can finally settle into, and that is why we travel, to find the spot that will be our last stop.

We made the best of it, and certainly had a good time, other than the last 3 miles of the half marathon that I'm pretty sure were straight uphill. :) I now know, I will never be a Texan.  One thing for sure, when I love a place, i take a lot of pictures- I think i took 5 pictures the entire 4 days- none of the half marathon, that says a lot.  Signing off from austin-

lady bird lake-which is actually a river.

2013

Twelve days in, and off to a great start!  Gary and I have several active vacations already planned and looking forward to more getaways!

February- austin livestrong half...

In March we will be heading to Lexington for the Bluegrass Half Marathon, and then the fun begins...

the Great Lakes Trail Series and the WORS races begin. The Great Lakes is a series of trail runs in Wisconsin and Michigan, and the WORS is the mountain bike race series in Wisconsin.  They are both long seasons, we are not sure which races we will do, but at least two of each!

Our SPECTACULAR active vacation is set for June...

Yes, you guessed it, Seattle, however, not just Seattle.  It will be a whirlwind trip around Washington State of mountains, national parks, adventure, a half marathon, a baseball game, the Pacific Coast, probably some craft beer and wine, boutique hotels, exploring cities and towns...  

I am obsessed with Mt. Ranier, however, I believe the highlight of the trip will be what we have planned in the San Juan Islands (yes, look up the San Juan Islands, Washington.)  Kayaking, hiking, biking, whale watching, inns... I haven't been there yet, but I already love the quaintness...

The summer continues... we will be getting into cyclocross- (we have to because we bought two really nice cyclocross bikes.:)  It's a 'cross' between mountain biking and cross country, hence, running and biking off road, but not as intense as mountain biking, something we can do in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.

One of the most important aspects of 2013 is for me to get back into competitive tennis.  I'm playing all of the time, but I really miss the competitive aspect... 

2013 will all come together as it should... who knows what will happen, but I'm happy we have so many activities to look forward to already.  I have other endeavors on the list:  learning how to play the guitar, taking a photography class, possibly an art class... who knows.  I'm just looking forward to a happy, healthy, and exploratory new year!

2012, a wrap

nashville rock and roll n roll

Interesting year.  I have a wonderful life with my husband, Gary, and I certainly look forward to our goals and our plans for 2013.  Sometimes everything is just a blur...

kohler, wi beautiful

and great fun!  2013 will be even better!
JP

best day of the year

For some reason, I have always absolutely loved Thanksgiving!  It could be the turkey, the stuffing, the mashed potatoes, or it could be the relaxed feeling of the day and football!

the gurecki girls and me. 

enjoying the day!

that is one good looking bird

Finally, we get to eat, and I have to say it was delicious!  I love the basics, turkey, stuffing, and a giant glass of milk.  I am officially stuffed!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Perserverence

The Day, October 20, 2012... HIKE 30 miles in one day for CureSearch-research for children's cancer, has finally arrived.  Getting the hikers to accomplish their goal was my main concern at this point...

5:00 am the beginning

8:00 am- 5 miles in, the sun finally rose, and we have only lost two people at this point.  Luckily, we found them, otherwise, it would've been a lot of paperwork for Ellie and Erin.  Hello, buddy system.

We trek on...another 5 miles, more snacks, and then pouring RAIN for the next 6.1 miles.  I have to admit, I thoroughly enjoyed the rain.  Proper gear does wonders, and rain is peaceful.  While trying to cross a a broken bridge, I admit there was  a "tree dance." the hiking version of a pole dance.  Luckily, there are no pictures. I landed it, but it wasn't pretty.

After the rain...15 mile marker.

 Ahhh..mile 15 half way there.
Oh wait, a 27 story incline in waiting for us...

just hungry at  mile 15

beauty

And we move on... all I know at this point, I was a true motivational speaker... "This sucks" and "This really needs to be over."  I think it's good, and I'm taking it on the road, because apparently it worked, and it was the reality, let's face it.

I'm not even going to get into the inclines etc. It was an intense hike, and anyone who completed the 30 miles has an incredible accomplishment under their belt.  No question...  The Tecumseh Trail is beautiful, challenging, and a monster at some points, but we did it... and you guys are awesome.  :)

The End.

30 in 1

In case you didn't know, I am coaching a Hiking team to complete 30 miles in one day.  I'm sure you are asking yourself, why is she doing that? Well, I will tell you....

I have run several marathons for charity, but to be honest running 26.2 miles on pavement gets to be a little old.  I saw this poster for the Ultimate Hike (at Panera) (I have a history with Panera that I won't get into right now.)  The Ultimate Hike is a fundraising effort for CureSearch for Children's Cancer. www.curesearch.org  I love to hike, I love raising money for charities, so I figured right up my alley.

Ellie, the midwest regional manager was in a bind because the coach for the team had to back our for medical reasons.  We started talking and there was no way I could turn her down when she needed a volunteer coach, and I am so thankful I didn't turn her down.  I have met some wonderful, caring people who are committed to raising money for CureSearch and completing the Ultimate Hike, 30 miles in one day on October 20th at Tecumseh Trail in Southern Indiana. 

I have to admit, it has been a challenge living in the Chicagoland area finding hikes that have terrain similar to what we will encounter at Tecumseh, but we are getting the miles in- Blisters and All!!  Next Saturday, we have the big one, 22 miles.  We are heading out to Waterfall Glen in Darien to get her done.  The following week, short hike and some team building, the week after that we head out for Tecumseh Trail for the really big one!!  

I couldn't be more excited and passionate to help our team of 17 hikers to get through this challenge.  I am incredibly proud of each and every member of Team BBC-Blisters Battling Cancer!

Starved Rockers!!-Some of our team Rocking It at Starved Rock!!

not the typical

check camden yards

My husband and I normally take an adventurous and active vacation in the summer i.e. intense bike rides, treacherous white water rafting trips, glacial hikes, marathons, you get the picture.  This summer, we decided to something a little different, an active-urban vacation.  We both love the DC area, however, we had never been there together.  So that's what we did...

My challenge was to make this trip as active as possible.  My first active activity was to bike from downtown DC to Mt. Vernon and back (38-40 round trip.)  The hardest part of that was finding the bike rental place in DC.  I think we walked that distance finding the place, but eventually we did.  I have to admit, the bike ride was a beautiful path along the Potomac, wooded, very nice.

destination: mt. vernon

Our next adventure was a 4 hour guided kayak trip in Potomac and seeing the memorials from behind.  The Potomac has a lot of large boats and a lot of trash.  It was kind of cool to see the Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument from a different perspective, however, I had much higher expectations of this guided trip based on the website and talking to the tour guides on the phone.  It is irritating when there's always one person who can keep up and holds everything up.  And then, on the way back we took a detour through an area that seemed murky like the Amazon river and polluted like a chemical company has been dumping waste in for years.  I kicked it into high gear to hell out of there and finish the trip.

I know it sounds like I'm not enjoy this trip, but I actually am.  :)

Annapolis, the sailing capital of the world, has to be one of our favorite cities.  We just love it there!  Between the crab cake sandwiches and the craft beer, it's one of the best towns.  Not to mention one of our favorite stores, Helly Hansen.  Helly Hansen sucked us in in Portland, Oregon, and it sucked us in again in Annapolis.  The strangest thing, Gary and I always pick out the same exact expensive coat, and we aren't even sailors, but we now each own matching rain jackets. So we are ready.  So many awesome restaurants, but the one that stands out is the water taxi ride to the Boatyard!  I almost forget to mention in annapolis we stayed at one of the historic hotels on the circle. (Wonderful.)

Trust me, we are getting exercise without risking our lives.  We put on many, many miles walking from store to bar to store to bar.

So now we are in Alexandria, another incredible city.  We are staying at a great location, and we are about to learn to the DC metro system, I admit a challenge.  I'm a country girl.  The very kind and patient employees, as well as, a kind citizen, guided us in the right direction so we ended up in DC and not Philadelphia.  We are still novices, but realize why people use these systems, they do work.  Thank you to the kind people who told us when it was time to get on and then get off the train.


Alexandria is full of outstanding restaurants, shops, hotels, etc.  and our hotel was great until the 2 am drill. Apparently, someone called in a "threat" and the entire hotel had to evacuate. We followed the instructions and were one of the first people out.  People came sauntering out for 45 minutes.  The police were there searching the building, however no one was giving us any information.  People were getting extremely agitated, and I felt very sorry for the people with small children. (nightmare)  All in all we were outside for an hour and half, and when they finally let us back in they couldn't figure out how to turn the alarm off, which blares in your suite. I took matters into my own hands, and decided to get my pillow and sleep in the hall.  It's not silent, but much quieter.  Sometimes you just have to succumb. The most annoying part we never received an explanation, or an apology from the hotel.  I did expect a letter under my door the next morning, but NOTHING.  I will never stay in an Embassy Suites again.


Highlights of the trip:

• went to an Orioles game.
• we survived.
• indulged in incredible food- mostly, oysters and crab
• spent some great time with my aunt and uncle in Baltimore
• experienced our nation's capital with the best guy in the world

I did LOVE THE MOMENT!

Next year, more remote and adventurous........

One Night Stand

not the four seasons, but awesome!

I'm an outdoorsy girl, I'm an outdoorsy girl, this is the mantra I told myself as Gary and I went on our first mountain bike/camping trip.  I mean don't get me wrong, I LOVE the outdoors... hiking, mountain biking, trail running, but CAMPING?  It was my idea for us to get in more in touch with the outdoors.  I don't want to live a double standard, meaning, hike, bike, etc.  and then head to the Four Seasons. It's just not right. So, I encouraged this endeavor.

The outcome...I absolutely loved camping, but at this point I'm really just a one night girl.  I think two nights would put me over the edge. As far as the mountain biking (I mean true technical mountain biking), I am totally hooked.  Minus the bruises, I had so much fun!  It was a tough course, but I did come in 1st place in my division, the first timers! (Ok, I was the only entry, but still proud.)

All in all, this is something we will absolutely continue to do! (But again, one night only.) It was absolutely wonderful sleeping in nature!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention our baby:

ruby...our adventure must have!

finish line, with team becky shirt on!