www.12foot3.com: our around-the-world trip blog
We love you and we'll miss everyone while we're away!
xox,
Hope
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Over there
Hey all! I may or may not be posting here in the next year...but I will definitely be posting here!:
www.12foot3.com: our around-the-world trip blog
We love you and we'll miss everyone while we're away!
xox,
Hope
www.12foot3.com: our around-the-world trip blog
We love you and we'll miss everyone while we're away!
xox,
Hope
Paint Job
Check out our new house! Of course, they finished painting the day we are leaving on our trip. Of course.
Big huge ups to Jeremy for managing this project while preparing for our trip!
Big huge ups to Jeremy for managing this project while preparing for our trip!
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Happy Anniversary!
This past Monday was our one year wedding anniversary. Jeremy and I both agree that it feels like we've been married longer; and by that I think we both mean that things didn't start feeling different when we stood in front of our friends and family and said our vows, but much earlier, when we stood on a hill above the Salmon River and decided to do this marriage thing. So in a lot of ways our first year of marriage felt very comfortable, like a place we had already been for a while...and it will be really interesting to see how we turn that on its head in our coming year of travel. We're up for the challenge!
To celebrate our anniversary, Jeremy and I headed up to Indian Springs, which is this absolutely adorable resort/spa in Calistoga. Indian Springs feels super retro and fancy at the same time; apparently the place is super old and in shambles in the 1980s when a family took it over and remodeled it. They did a really great job keeping the feel of the place, and you can just imagine families in the 1950s rolling up the gravel-filled driveway in their huge cars, swimming in the pool in wool suits, and playing shuffleboard and bocce at dusk.
Natural spring waters feed into the pool, which means the water is warm during the day and hot at night. More like a hot tub than a pool. It was VERY conducive to relaxation. We also got some treatments at the spa; Jeremy had a mud bath and I got a massage. Afterwards, you can hang out at a private area for spa patrons known as the Buddha Pond, which was absolutely gorgeous:
Indian Springs was so nice that we pretty much only left to eat and drink. We had fabulous meals at Triple S Ranch (VERY off-the-beaten path steak house--it felt like you were driving to someone's house. The food was amazing, the vibe was local, and the decor was fabulous...think taxidermy, checkered tablecloths, and retro boxing posters) and Ad Hoc. We also did a wine tasting at our favorite, Dutch Henry, where we met this little lady:
And of course, we opened our year 1 wishes from the wedding. So sweet, I am loving this tradition. :)
Happy anniversary, my love!
The rest of our photos from the weekend are here.
To celebrate our anniversary, Jeremy and I headed up to Indian Springs, which is this absolutely adorable resort/spa in Calistoga. Indian Springs feels super retro and fancy at the same time; apparently the place is super old and in shambles in the 1980s when a family took it over and remodeled it. They did a really great job keeping the feel of the place, and you can just imagine families in the 1950s rolling up the gravel-filled driveway in their huge cars, swimming in the pool in wool suits, and playing shuffleboard and bocce at dusk.
Natural spring waters feed into the pool, which means the water is warm during the day and hot at night. More like a hot tub than a pool. It was VERY conducive to relaxation. We also got some treatments at the spa; Jeremy had a mud bath and I got a massage. Afterwards, you can hang out at a private area for spa patrons known as the Buddha Pond, which was absolutely gorgeous:
Indian Springs was so nice that we pretty much only left to eat and drink. We had fabulous meals at Triple S Ranch (VERY off-the-beaten path steak house--it felt like you were driving to someone's house. The food was amazing, the vibe was local, and the decor was fabulous...think taxidermy, checkered tablecloths, and retro boxing posters) and Ad Hoc. We also did a wine tasting at our favorite, Dutch Henry, where we met this little lady:
And of course, we opened our year 1 wishes from the wedding. So sweet, I am loving this tradition. :)
Happy anniversary, my love!
The rest of our photos from the weekend are here.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
RTW map
Jeremy geeked out and coded a map of our around-the-world trip route. Click here to check it out:
http://menghermann.com/travel/map.html
For those who don't really care for a visual, here's the route:
New Zealand > Australia > Bangkok (plus Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam) > Taiwan > Japan > China > Dubai > Jordan > Turkey > Greece > Eastern Europe > Russia > Madrid > Ireland > Madrid > Morroco > Tunisia > Madrid > Galapagos > Buenos Aires
We are < this > close to buying our tickets. We're working on getting the necessary visas and shots...wow, we're really going to do this, people!
P.S. We've pushed our leave date back to November 15 (or thereabouts) to allow some breathing room. The time is sneaking up on us!
P.P.S. Photo above taken on the bus trip from Mexico City to Oaxaca.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Portland, you'd think it was middle America...
The countdown has begun! As I mentioned in a previous post, in the next few months we'll be traveling around to see all the family before we leave on our trip. This weekend we headed up to Portland to visit with Alice and Eric (Jeremy's paternal grandparents) and some more members of the Hermann clan: Jim and Sharon (Jim is Jeremy's uncle...Randy's younger bro), and Jim's two daughters (Megan and Heidi) and their families.
With Alice and Eric:
Portland...now with 20% more Hermanns!:
Alice and Eric live in Vancouver, Washington, right off the Columbia River. They have a really nice little place with a gorgeous view. This house number 50...no joke, Alice and Eric have bought and sold 50 houses in 47 years of marriage. Eric calls it an "Escrow fetish."
They also have a nice little boardwalk where we took a stroll...that's their house in the background, the building in the middle:
We also got to see Jim and Sharon's gorgeous house on the river. This is the front of the house:
And this is view from the back:
Last time we visited Portland in 2006, Jim and Sharon were at their house in Palm Desert. And this side of the family couldn't make it to our wedding because Heidi was due with her first child on the day of our nuptials. So, not only was it my first time meeting Jim and Sharon, but it was our first time meeting Hudson Mac, Heidi and Grant's little man.
We had a lovely dinner out on the Hermann's porch that night and took a beautiful boat ride the next morning. Jim is a big fisherman so he knew his way around the river. Thor, Jim and Sharon's dog, also went with us. Thor was very busy pacing back and forth on the boat, looking in the water for little creatures.
And, I have to show you the ridiculous rental car they gave us...of course when you're driving an electric blue Mustang, you just have to do a photo shoot on the hood of the car...too bad I didn't pack my bikini...
Between the car and the guns, you'd think we visited middle America or something. OK, and for the record, Jeremy was SO EXCITED when Jim brought out the gun. Seriously, he turned into a 7-year-old.
We had a lovely time in Portland...the Hermanns are such a sweet family and it was really fun to hear stories of Randy as a little kid. :) We also got a family history lesson from Alice...here is a photo of her parents with their parents. We think Jeremy looks a lot like Alice's dad (third from the left):
Check out all the beautiful photos from the trip on my Flickr here.
With Alice and Eric:
Portland...now with 20% more Hermanns!:
Alice and Eric live in Vancouver, Washington, right off the Columbia River. They have a really nice little place with a gorgeous view. This house number 50...no joke, Alice and Eric have bought and sold 50 houses in 47 years of marriage. Eric calls it an "Escrow fetish."
They also have a nice little boardwalk where we took a stroll...that's their house in the background, the building in the middle:
We also got to see Jim and Sharon's gorgeous house on the river. This is the front of the house:
And this is view from the back:
Last time we visited Portland in 2006, Jim and Sharon were at their house in Palm Desert. And this side of the family couldn't make it to our wedding because Heidi was due with her first child on the day of our nuptials. So, not only was it my first time meeting Jim and Sharon, but it was our first time meeting Hudson Mac, Heidi and Grant's little man.
We had a lovely dinner out on the Hermann's porch that night and took a beautiful boat ride the next morning. Jim is a big fisherman so he knew his way around the river. Thor, Jim and Sharon's dog, also went with us. Thor was very busy pacing back and forth on the boat, looking in the water for little creatures.
And, I have to show you the ridiculous rental car they gave us...of course when you're driving an electric blue Mustang, you just have to do a photo shoot on the hood of the car...too bad I didn't pack my bikini...
Between the car and the guns, you'd think we visited middle America or something. OK, and for the record, Jeremy was SO EXCITED when Jim brought out the gun. Seriously, he turned into a 7-year-old.
We had a lovely time in Portland...the Hermanns are such a sweet family and it was really fun to hear stories of Randy as a little kid. :) We also got a family history lesson from Alice...here is a photo of her parents with their parents. We think Jeremy looks a lot like Alice's dad (third from the left):
Check out all the beautiful photos from the trip on my Flickr here.
Friday, August 8, 2008
Ketchup
Not sure why but I just haven't been feeling like posting to the blog lately...writing feels a little overwhelming right now, I guess. But I know a lot of the family stays current on our doings by reading this blog, so I figured I could just let our recent photos do the talking:
Melbabe Wedding: Lots of fun pictures here...the wedding was in Cambria and there was a dress-up booth at the reception! Plus, the girls did a dance for the newly nup'ed couple:
Lucy's 30th Birthday: 80s Party!!!
Lola's 5th Bday (my boss Cinthia's dog): We put a hat on her, she chooses a new toy, and gets to eat cheesecake (her favorite)
Met Millie and Jeff's new baby Anya:
Watching Baker (my co-worker Amelie's baby boy) grow up:
Went to opening night of the SF Shorts Festival (BTW, if you're in SF, check it out! Some great little films. If you're not, just click here. This short about procrastination is awesome!
And, a lazy Saturday at the beach:
We're off to Portland this weekend...hopefully I will be feeling a little more loquacious after that trip!
Melbabe Wedding: Lots of fun pictures here...the wedding was in Cambria and there was a dress-up booth at the reception! Plus, the girls did a dance for the newly nup'ed couple:
Lucy's 30th Birthday: 80s Party!!!
Lola's 5th Bday (my boss Cinthia's dog): We put a hat on her, she chooses a new toy, and gets to eat cheesecake (her favorite)
Met Millie and Jeff's new baby Anya:
Watching Baker (my co-worker Amelie's baby boy) grow up:
Went to opening night of the SF Shorts Festival (BTW, if you're in SF, check it out! Some great little films. If you're not, just click here. This short about procrastination is awesome!
And, a lazy Saturday at the beach:
We're off to Portland this weekend...hopefully I will be feeling a little more loquacious after that trip!
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Lots o' Lakes
Things have been pretty quiet around here lately, huh? We've been keeping ourselves busy winding up (for our big trip) and down (tying up commitments) at the same time. One of the many things we want to do before our trip is to go around and spend some quality time with all the family, and we did just that over the 4th of July weekend in Sun Valley.
Amy (Jeremy's sister) and her partner Gerry met us there, along with Martina (one of Jeremy's best friends and the only groomswoman at our wedding) and her husband Chris and two adorable daughters Anya (4.5 years) and Taryn (14 months). I didn't really know Chris and Martina very well before this trip so I was very happy to get to know them. Their oldest daughter, Anya, took an immediate liking to me (hint: I had lip gloss) and wanted to be by my side the entire trip. Pretty cute, if you ask me:
As is the norm with all Hermann visits, we spent most of our days outdoors. There was a short walk the afternoon we got in, at the same place we went cross-country skiing just a few short months ago:
The following day, we headed up to Red Fish for a lake day. There were some fires in SV last year and the Forest Service was still clearing some brush from the beach that we wanted to hang out at. So road access was closed to that area...fortunately, industrious Randy found a guy with a speedboat to haul all of us and our kayaks out to the beach, which we had all to ourselves, minus a few really nice Forest Service peeps:
Sweet little Taryn, who has just started walking, had a blast at the lake...though as the day dragged on without her nap she began to get a little loopy. But she still had a big smile for the camera, even when the day cursed her with The Dirtiest Little Face Ever:
The next day we went for a hike up to Silver Lake...it was a big hike but we brought the kids and Anya made it the entire way all by herself. We were all very impressed...seriously, it was a tough one!
We ended our trip with a hike from Pettit Lake to Alice Lake (we saw a lot of lakes)...but we left the kids at home for this one. Though technically a lot easier than the Silver Lake hike, it was a loooong one...we were hiking for about 10 hours! This hike involved two river crossings...
...a couple log crossings...
...and lots of mosquitoes. But we ended up here:
And saw stuff like this:
As always, we had a wonderful, relaxing time, ate really yummy food, and enjoyed wonderful conversations around the dinner table. I was happy to spend some good time with Amy and Gerry and get to know Chris and Martina better. They are really committed to their parenting and it shows in their two wonderful daughters. It was really fun for Jeremy and I to see the type of loving dedication they have towards their family and they are really great models for us when we begin to think about starting our own...
Amy (Jeremy's sister) and her partner Gerry met us there, along with Martina (one of Jeremy's best friends and the only groomswoman at our wedding) and her husband Chris and two adorable daughters Anya (4.5 years) and Taryn (14 months). I didn't really know Chris and Martina very well before this trip so I was very happy to get to know them. Their oldest daughter, Anya, took an immediate liking to me (hint: I had lip gloss) and wanted to be by my side the entire trip. Pretty cute, if you ask me:
As is the norm with all Hermann visits, we spent most of our days outdoors. There was a short walk the afternoon we got in, at the same place we went cross-country skiing just a few short months ago:
The following day, we headed up to Red Fish for a lake day. There were some fires in SV last year and the Forest Service was still clearing some brush from the beach that we wanted to hang out at. So road access was closed to that area...fortunately, industrious Randy found a guy with a speedboat to haul all of us and our kayaks out to the beach, which we had all to ourselves, minus a few really nice Forest Service peeps:
Sweet little Taryn, who has just started walking, had a blast at the lake...though as the day dragged on without her nap she began to get a little loopy. But she still had a big smile for the camera, even when the day cursed her with The Dirtiest Little Face Ever:
The next day we went for a hike up to Silver Lake...it was a big hike but we brought the kids and Anya made it the entire way all by herself. We were all very impressed...seriously, it was a tough one!
We ended our trip with a hike from Pettit Lake to Alice Lake (we saw a lot of lakes)...but we left the kids at home for this one. Though technically a lot easier than the Silver Lake hike, it was a loooong one...we were hiking for about 10 hours! This hike involved two river crossings...
...a couple log crossings...
...and lots of mosquitoes. But we ended up here:
And saw stuff like this:
As always, we had a wonderful, relaxing time, ate really yummy food, and enjoyed wonderful conversations around the dinner table. I was happy to spend some good time with Amy and Gerry and get to know Chris and Martina better. They are really committed to their parenting and it shows in their two wonderful daughters. It was really fun for Jeremy and I to see the type of loving dedication they have towards their family and they are really great models for us when we begin to think about starting our own...
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