We had the privilege of attending perhaps the most fabulous wedding ever. Mira and Cris' three day long celebration/campout in northern California. We got to participate in an Indian blessing, variety show, pool time, archery, wisdom circles, campfires, a victory parade and so much more.
Mira made her own Samba outfit for the ceremony!
Best man Hans having a glory moment during the talent show
Victory parade!
Cris and his best men
Sharing amazing vows
They had a balkan band come for the reception
So much talent
And more talented friends
Post reception photobooth
Where People Dance Lake (Lake McDonald)
Glacier National park has been our favorite park to visit so far (so naturally we have very few photos of the trip as we were busy enjoying ourselves). We were there right before the beginning of the season when all the people arrive and Glacier's pristine beauty and untouched wilderness made us forget that it was really part of a national park. Unfortunately for the Blackfeet, Salish, and Kootenai American Indians disagreements over ceded lands continue and their hunting, fishing, and timber rights to the area (which were agreed to when the treaty designating the area as a park was signed) are no longer acknowledged.
Biking on the "Going to the Sun" road along St. Mary Lake. Home of the Blackfoot Beaver Bundle Ceremony (photo taken with Janice's iphone)
There only one road that crosses the park, the "Going to the Sun Road," and its only open during the summer. The middle section of the road was still being plowed for snow when we were there so we enjoyed uncrowded bike rides along the east end.
Some more early morning magic by the Lake Where People Dance
This little guy was hanging out at our campsite! We also saw so many moose in the Tetons.
Yellowstone is definitely the park to go if you want to see wildlife. In addition to all the bison we saw antelope, mountain goats, marmots, coyotes, and black bears.
We planned this trip to coincide with Julia's (Janice's good friend from Hawaii) visit there with her boyfriend Farand. We were so lucky to get to explore Yellowstone together!
There were so many bison at Yellowstone that sometimes the roads would be backed up for miles because of bison just hanging out in the road
We were just in time for the first Jackson rodeo of the summer season
The northeast side of Yellowstone (Lamar Valley) is the most remote area with the least amount of tourists and the most wildlife. We saw this black bear after a hike up the slough creek trail.
This big guy spent the early part of an evening with us at our campsite munching on pine cones.
This was right behind our favorite campsite in Yellowstone. Tower falls campsite is named for the beautiful and popular waterfall right below it.
A short walk with an incredible view. We saw people rafting down below.
Zion was like a dream, but getting in was so crowded with tourists. It's to go off season if you can to really avoid the crowds.
We wished we had 4 wheel drive so we could ride this road!
This area of Canyonlands is called "the needles." It is remote, uncrowded, and has beautiful and private campsites right at the head of long hiking trails
Camping in Moab just outside of Arches National Park
One of the many Vista Points on Big Sur
Upon our return from Indonesia, Janice stayed in San Francisco for her friends graduation and i quickly jumped on a connecting flight to Portland. I picked up our VW Eurovan Camper. We call her "Mānoa" because she's our home away from home. While in Portland, I added a few necessary accessories; roof racks, bike rack and a roof box were on the short list. After picking up Malia and loading her gear, we headed down the coast to San Francisco to pick up Janice.
With Janice completing our party, we drove down the famous California state route-1 through Big Sur. When we got to our chosen campsite, the sign showed that it was full. Luckily, we didn't turn around right away, the campground host told us someone didn't show up and she had one campsite available for us to use. We quickly set up camp and started a fire to keep warm. Janice picked wild flowers and made a lei while Malia continued working on the beanies she had been working on throughout our trip. I shot a few photos and relaxed.
In the morning, we continued down the coast and came upon a seal colony sunbathing. I have never seen so many seals in one place at the same time. I snapped a few photos and we kept on our way to Joshua Tree. By the time we got to our campsite, it was well after dark. I shot a few long exposure photos and quickly went to sleep. Driving for long hours is pretty exhausting.
After a good nights rest, we started heading east towards Tuscon. We stopped in Phoenix for a bite at a place called Noble Breads. If you're in the Phoenix area, stop in for some delicious and healthy food. Sadly, during our lunch, someone decided that they needed my bike more than i did and by the time we got outside to the van, my bike was gone. Still no word of anyone seeing it, so i've chalked it off as a loss.
In Tuscon, we met with one of Janice's friend Josh of her "Princess support crew" from Burning Man a few years back. He had a nice place with a big yard, so he offered to let us park the van at his place for the night. It was an amazing little place with an outdoor sink and shower that was welcomed with no hesitation. The heat in Arizona is a little different than we are used to in Hawaii. By dinner time, there was a small party of people at his place drinking Tecate and talking story. Josh convinced us that we had to have the famous Tuscon dog, a bacon-wrapped hot dog with a soft local bun with all the fixings. We went to a little taco truck down the street and killed 2 of those and a handful of beef cheek tacos. Nothing compares to the little taco trucks on the side of the road!
