'To find a queen without a king, / They say she plays guitar and cries and sings ... la la la'

Going to California (Led Zeppelin)


Welcome to Yountville

The link above will tell you anything you'd like to know about Yountville, California (at the heart of Napa Valley and, of course, wine country). I have been looking forward to this vacation for several months now, primarily because I'll be traveling with my parents. This is the equivalent of luxury - an idea I was somewhat accustomed to growing up ... an idea that has been overshadowed in recent years by a greater desire to explore the unfamiliar and exotic, to learn about the world on my own ... on a budget.

We leave on Thursday morning, and will be spending our first four nights at the Vintage Inn in Napa Valley. My father is an internist at Kaiser Permanente, and his well-chosen neurology conference is making this stint in gorgeous wine country possible. Thanks, Dad :)

On Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, we'll be in San Francisco visiting my cousin Dan, his wife Traci, and their new baby boy, Bryce. I love this city and, despite getting violently ill on my last visit, I cannot wait to return! Dan and Traci are two of my favorite people on earth, and I am so anxious to meet baby Bryce (the photos and videos that I've seen are ADORABLE, and I don't typically find babies cute).

So, I guess I'm going to California!

100 Lovers

DeVotchKa's video for '100 Other Lovers', a track on their newest album '100 Lovers' (out March 1st). This band is seriously cool, and they put on an amazing live show. More like spectacle.

The video above is one of the most creative I've ever seen.

'See the man with the lonely eyes / Oh take his hand, you'll be surprised'

Give a Little Bit (Supertramp)

This song can make me smile every time I listen to it, as it did this morning on my drive to work :)

Well, I depart at 5am on Sunday for the grandest of canyons with my wonderful boyfriend Justin and our friends Austen and Felix (all three of whom are geology nerds, so I couldn't be in better company).  The word 'excited' does not even begin to express what I am feeling! Although I've tried not to compare my National Park trips (nothing will ever top Yellowstone in October ... ), I have high expectations for this particular outing. It's one thing to take a driving tour of the South Rim only to stretch your legs on the occasional road-side overlook (who does that?), but it is quite another to hike into the backcountry - in this case, a mile-deep gorge - and spend four nights of your life in the midst of it all. According to the Lonely Planet guide on the Grand Canyon, 'It goes without saying that the best way to see the staggeringly magnificent landscapes within the canyon is to hike right into them ... If you like challenging terrain, gape-worthy scenery and absolute serenity, plan an overnight hike into the canyon. There's simply no substitute for experiencing the Grand Canyon in the heart of its vast backcountry'. Check.

In the meantime, below are several photos taken during recent trips (each as amazing as the next!) ...

                                                          Grand Tetons, Wyoming in early October, 2009

                                                                                       Bryce Canyon, Utah in mid-January, 2010

                                                                              White Sands, New Mexico in mid-March, 2010

                                                                                       Glacier, Montana in late June, 2010