All good things have to come to an end

(T) I know. I know. It has been a while since our last past. I have a couple of great excuses like we didn’t have access to the internet in Havasu, and as soon as we got back we started working. What it boils down to is the fact that we didn’t have the time or ability to make the posts. So here it is, the last post of our vacation. This post will cover the last couple of days we spent in Lake Havasu. So after getting in late on Thursday we headed strait to bed and awoke early the next morning to get the place ready for the Marty, Susie, and Nick’s arrival. While they were on their way we went to Hastings and uploaded the previous two blogs, got the house ready, went shopping for dinner that night, and spent some time down at the London Bridge hanging out with some friends from ASU. Once the Dixons got in around 2pm we spend some time catching up and than made dinner. Dinner consisted of Buffalo, Elk, and beef burgers along with BBQed corn. After dinner we called it an early night and hung out and went to sleep early.

Saturday we woke up to the amazing smell of bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen. We spent some time hanging around the house and than headed out onto the lake. We hit up a couple of the hot spots on the lake and than headed back to shore. After putting the boat back in the garage Nick, Sierra, and I headed down to Rotary Park to watch some RC car races and to fly our newly purchased kite. After going to the park we headed back to the house and helped clean up the boat while dinner was getting ready. For dinner we had steaks and potatoes. It was a great dinner followed by a fun trip to the island where we met up with Casey and some of her sorority sisters. After hanging out with her for a bit we had the pleasure seeing the red bull skydiving team come in and crash into the lake. It was awesome. They were supposed to skim across the lake but ended up taking a face plant into the lake. Really very funny. After coming back from the island we went into the spa for a bit and then called it a night.

Sunday morning we woke up to another full breakfast with eggs, hash browns, and French toast. After breakfast we started cleaning up the house and headed back to the valley around noon. About half way back to Phoenix we stopped in Wickenburg to go through one of my favorite junk yards. It was great and they had a lot of new stuff that I have never seen before. After exploring the junk yard, we got back in the car and finished our drive.  Getting back to Phoenix around 3:30 we ended our trip and started getting back to real life. As sad as it is to say, our trip is now over and we have to face reality. Sierra getting back to her student reaching and me getting back to work. Enjoy the pictures that we have attached to this post and stay posted for new postings soon.

Sierra and Susie gabbing away

Fun getting the kite set up.

About to take flight. It's really exciting.

I'm getting by sexy on. Sorry ladies, i'm taken.

I've never seen kite flying look so good.

Fun watching the r/c car races.

Nick showing off his dance moves at the house.

Hey Marty, hands off. She's mine. You already have a great one of your own.

Just a cute little picture of my lady.

It's just a little slice of paradise.

One of my favorite junk yards in Arizona. Sierra was less than impressed.

Look at the deals that can be had. Was $179.50 and Now it's $3.00. What a deal.

They have everything you could ever want and tons of things you don't.

"If white cows make white milk do brown cows make chocolate milk?"-Tim

(T) So today started out just like every other on this trip, with me having breakfast with the most beautiful girl in the state of Colorado. We woke up early in order to hit the road in a timely manner. After waking up and getting all of our stuff together we headed down to breakfast at the lovely Bradley Boulder. What awaited us was a smorgasbord of food, all waiting for us to dig in. We met the nice morning inn keeper of the Bradley Boulder and she was a delight. After a little bantering we got our breakfast which included a sausage and Brea quiche, freshly made bread (still warm from being cooked), homemade granola, hard boiled eggs in those little egg stand things, homemade zucchini bread, freshly cut pineapple, yogurt with fresh fruit, milk, and orange juice. Needless to say, it was quite the selection of food. All of which was amazing. As if breakfast wasn’t enough, she knew we were leaving that day to go back to Arizona so she packed us a HUGE bag of granola. It was a very nice surprise. After breakfast we made a hasty exit and got on the road for a fun filled day of traveling.


As we headed out of Boulder we got to experience the beautiful countryside that Colorado has to offer. There were beautiful rolling hills with happy cows (not as happy as California cows but still happy none the less). Accompanying the cows were picturesque red barns that looked as if they had seen the ravages of time but were still functioning and beautiful. All of this was nestled at the base of many incredible mountain ranges that added to the beauty tenfold. After driving through the countryside and eventually Golden we made it to the beautiful Colorado Mountains. Alternating between quaint little towns that much resembled Pine and Strawberry and beautiful snow covered mountains and trees. After several hours of driving the winding mountain roads gave way to open expanses of land that resembled the open expanses of California’s central valley (minus the trees and plus the snow). After making it through the plains of Colorado one of the first cities we came across was infested with buffalo. The name of the city escapes me right now but it was just another of the many small Colorado cities we passes through, with the exception of the buffalo. We so this house that had signs offering buffalo meat and we decided to stop and check it out. How often do you get fresh buffalo meat, Right? So after stopping, knocking repeatedly and calling the number listed on their door we conceded that they might just be closed. With a slight feeling of failure still in the air we continued down the road, determined to get out of the small city that just ruined a little piece of our day. As we were leaving this city and starting to slowly recover from being taunted by the prospect of fresh buffalo meat we ran across another stand selling “exotic” meats. We decided to give it another shot and pulled over to investigate. We pulled up to this large barn type structure and as we got out of the car we saw a man scamper over to the “meat house”. We went inside and were inundated with the parts and pieces of animals that you don’t usually see at the grocery store. Wither it was jerky from an elk or buffalo or pieces of antler for your dog to chew on this place had everything. They also had sausage made out of these meats and tips of antlers and the teeth of elk. Apparently elk incisors are the only pieces of ivory to be found on the North American continent and they can be used for all types of things like best buckles, necklaces, and jewelry. After getting elk patties, buffalo patties, smoked elk bratwursts and a little elk jerky we were on our way again. This time we hit the road with our spirits much higher than before when we got shafted by the last meat place. Content with our purchases and a cooler full of meat we hit the road and covered some more beautiful Colorado landscape.


After getting our fill of beautiful landscape we hit the 4 Corners area. After driving into the pains for about 30 miles we came across the 4 Corners Monument. Much to our dismay it was closed for reconstruction. We couldn’t even get close to it. We took a couple of depressing pictures and headed on our way again. After many hundreds of miles in Indian Country we finally made it into beautiful Northern Arizona. Hitting Flagstaff was a big relief because we got back to familiar territory. After finding the I-40 we were off and flying. With the familiar speed limit of 75 MPH that I much thank Arizona for having I set the cruise control on 80 and we were cooking. After going from Northeastern Arizona to Northwestern Arizona we were nearly to our final destination, Lake Havasu. A short jaunt down the 95 and we were there. A quick snack once we got in and then it was strait to bed. Both of us were exhausted. If you were wondering, the total elapsed time of our trip was 16 hours and over 800 miles covered. Needless to say it was an exhausting day filled with beautiful scenery and great company. I can’t wait for our next road trip. As great as my descriptions were they did not do the views justice so please enjoy the pictures and note that even the pictures don’t do the real thing justice. Enjoy and we’ll report from Havasu soon.

Not a bad view to wake up to in the morning. Boulder really was/is a beautiful place.

Breakfast at the Bradley Boulder Inn.

The outskirts of Boulder. Those are the cows that inspired the title for todays post.

Just one of the amazing views along our drive.

Snow covered valleys of Colorado.

Huge show covered mountains that you'd expect from Colorado.

This is the first place we stopped that wasn't open. :(

This is the place that we ended up getting our meat. Much more legit if you ask me.

Soon to be elk burger/sausage.

The most beautiful thing I saw on the whole trip.

Just another scenic view from our drive.

This was the elk jerky. It was actually really good.

Okay, so here's another picture of the views we had. I promise there are only a few more.

This was our lunch in Durango at an Irish Pub. Pretty decent grub.

Downtown Durango.

Sad day!!! 4 Corners Monument was closed. We'll have to go back some other time.

Just a cool looking natural structure we saw while driving through the reservations.

One of the very few animals we saw while on our trip. Animal count: 2 dogs, lots of cows/horses, 2 mice, and the hawk that Sierra nearly hit.

Exploring Colorado Education

(S) So today was basically filled with fun for me and boring-ness for Tim. Today was the day that I was able to meet up with a few principals and schools. I went to three different schools to observe, ask questions, and attempt to market myself as a future educator. The first school I went to was a K-8 school that was very similar to my own school I grew up in back in Pine, Arizona. It was very “hippie” and it had a very relaxed vibe. The second school I went to was by far my favorite. It was called Heatherwood Elementary School and it was beautiful. The school had an open layout so basically there was 3 HUGE rooms where all of the classes are and then all of the individual classes are separated by boards or tall cabinets. The students were very contained but it was still a learning environment. They were doing construction on the building while I was there so it will be completed next year to add on a large computer lab, more classrooms, and a bigger auditorium area. The last school was the worst in my opinion. The main reason for my thoughts on this was because they literally didn’t care that I was there. I came in and introduced myself, and the office staff had no idea who I was or what I was doing there. So they gave me a visitor badge, a map of the school, and sent me on my way. I had no idea where to go and had nobody to ask all of my questions to. So I walked around and looked at the artwork on the walls. I didn’t want to interrupt any classes since NOBODY knew I was coming (even though I communicated via phone and email multiple times with the school). After a good fifteen minutes of walking around I went back to the office, asked them a few of the questions I had asked principals at the other schools, and left. Tim sat in the car and read while I was doing this all day. What a good boyfriend.


Besides looking at schools, we squeezed a few other things in there. First, Tim did not make me get up early to see the sunrise, which I was quite ok with. We did however go to a diner I read about for breakfast. It was called Lucille’s Creole Restaurant and it was EXCELLENT. It has a very quaint feel to it, with great service. We were seated in a corner of one of the rooms (the restaurant was build in an old house), and they had cloth napkins. But these cloth napkins were seriously like pieces of a ripped up old curtain or sheet made into napkins. I had the eggs benedict, which is always my choice if it is available. Tim had the Tiffany’s eggs which is basically a vegetarian’s benedict. It had eggs, hollandaise sauce, tomato, spinach, and avocado on an English muffin. We also started out with a donut like treat with powdered sugar on it. We both don’t remember the name, but we recommend you all go there and get it!

That afternoon after finishing school visits we went to check in at Bradley Boulder Inn which was the bed and breakfast we were staying our last night at. It was gorgeous! We were on the second floor so we had a great view. We took a quick nap, and got ready for the evening. We went downstairs where they offered a wine and cheese hour where we could eat a variety of cheeses, fruits, and crackers. I found my favorite cheese which is called boursin cheese. To. Die. For. Seriously! We also drank a white reisling which we both had never had before. It was so fresh and even Tim drank some! After our wine and cheese hour, we went to dinner on Pearl Street at an Irish pub. It was slammed with people because it was St. Patrick’s day but we were glad we went there. I had a XXX ale which is brewed at that pub, and after Tim asked for his milk and they didn’t have it, he drank a lemonade. We ate some hummus, and Tim had the corned beef and cabbage for dinner while I ate some fish and chips. Both dishes were great! I had never had corned beef so we went halfsies on the food so we could try both. Tim loved the fish as much as I did so it was a good trade. After dinner we went back to the room, and watched Mr. Woodcock, which is silly and ridiculous. That’s all!! Tomorrow we check out and are heading to Lake Havasu to see all of our friends! Peace!

Sierra checking out the GORGEOUS view of Colorado

King of the World!

This is the toy shop where we spent a good 3 hours in total on our trip.

Heatherwood Elementary, my favorite I visited!

Our gorgeous room at the Bradley Boulder.

Tim reelin' in a whopper!

Mountain Sun brewery where we had our corned beef and fish 'n' chips

A day filled of food, tours, and fun!

(T) So today was the day we did CU-Boulder stuff. We started out the day by enjoying another free continental breakfast here at the beautiful Boulder Outlook Hotels and Suites. It was great, well mostly because it was free. After our amazing and free breakfast we headed to campus to meet with a graduate advisor. We got a ton of information about the school. We than went to lunch at a great place called The Sink. It was a local dive right off of campus. The Sink had great pictures and writings on the walls and ceilings. Sierra had a great burger and French onion soup and I had the club sandwich with really good fries. After leaving The Sink we rushed over to the university information session and tour and were basically told when we got there that we needed to wait till the information session was done because it "wasn't for graduate students". We were a little taken aback but basically said "Hey...F you buddy, we're going to this information session wither you like it or not." Well not exactly like that but really close. :) The information session was a little weird and the guy giving the information session was kind of a d-bag. But the tour that followed was good. The student (Vincent) leading the tour was a freshman and didn't really know a ton about the school but we still got to see the campus and that was the point. After the tour we started working our way back to the car and we stopped at a couple of shops along the way. It was interesting seeing some of the local hot spots like the Marijuana dispensary. After getting back to the car we headed back to our hotel to rent some bikes. We took a leisurely ride to Pearl Street. Along the way we were able to enjoy the stream that ran through the center of the town. It was interesting navigating this new area while Sierra was still trying to remember how to ride her bike. After we got back to the hotel after our tour we decided that a local pizza place was in order and we found this local place called Proto's. We started out with an herb flavored pita with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The pizza we chose was called The Pontiff Pie (Olive oil, garlic, fresh spinach, sundried tomatoes, and mozzarella and feta cheese). It was a great pizza with a thin crust. One of my favorite parts of this pizza place was the glass wall allowing everyone to watch the pizzas being made. It was quick and all the ingredients were really fresh. After dinner we ended the night by watching a little ASU basketball as they whooped up on Jacksonville. Tomorrow has a lot in store that we will share more about tomorrow.

(S) "Nom Nom Nom"
That is what I wanted to call this blog entry. The best part about today was the excellent food! The Sink was to DIE for. I fell in love with the atmosphere. It has amazing artwork on the walls, charactitures (spelling?) covered the walls, photos were covering the tables, and signatures from past restaurant patrons. My burger was excellent and it was officially the first meal I have ever finished eating before Tim. Seriously.... devoured in minutes. For dinner we went to an excellent pizza place that Tim already explained, but basically it had garlic on it, and I love garlic. So I was happy!

Besides food, the day was excellent. Tim and I have done everything possible in Boulder. The tour was good, seeing the campus was the best part. Tim and I did get a kick out of the guide. Since he knew we were potential grad students, he would talk about the tour.....then tell us about how it would be if we were grad students. So as an example, I asked about using the meal plans for food off campus, he went off on a tangent on grad students getting food. It was weird, but he was cute cause he was a freshman and trying really hard. The campus, again, was beautiful, and I loved the buildings and atmosphere. Overall it was really fun, there is a program we learned about called PIE (partners in education) that offers a teaching job along with discounted college tuition. I promise I'll look more into it!

The one other part I didn't really talk about was my attempt at riding a bike. I was basically a hot mess. I haven't been on a bike since I was probably ten! I was screeching my brakes, going as slow as possible, and weaving all over the road. Honestly, it is a miracle that I didn't get hit by a car. The most challenging part was turning corners, I couldn't do it!! Tim enjoyed that immensly and would holler at me to hurry up so I didn't get left behind.

Overall, it was a great day, I had a blast and now I'm tired! Tim is making me wake up early to see the sunset. I have yet to decide if I'm excited about waking up that early.

The Sink.

This is some of the cool artwork at The Sink.

Sierra's awesome burger at The Sink and the great French onion soup.

Again, more of the beautiful artwork in The Sink.

One of the quads at CU-Boulder. As our tour guy said "this is the most people i've ever seen here!" All we were thinking is "Wow, you're really doing a great job selling your school."

CU-Boulder football stadium

Ralphie, keeping her eye on Nebraska. CU-Boulder's rival school.

I think Sierra's thinking about going out for the football team.

Ralphie #1. No better way to say "we like you" than to stuff you. FYI-they are now on Ralphie #5.

Tim, Vincent, and Sierra after our tour.

I think he's a real doctor too. I was starting to feel a headache coming on or something. Funny, this doctor only gives out one type of medicine.

Sierra about to take off. She's racing a cop. I had my money on Sierra. I lost it all.