Rip City Trailblazers

High Fives to Rich who is a 30 year member of the Portland Trailblazers who arranged it so that we could attend a basketball game in Portland. Compared to Murray, I dont care so much for Basketball, but WOW - the entertainment value of the off court entertainment alone is amazing. Let alone watching these super giant and athletic men whiz around.

Portland appeared to have a run away lead, in fact Detroit supporters were starting to leave. But as the say, it aint over til the fat lady sings, and Portland dropped the ball, but eventually won 87-81.

Portland, Oregan

We headed off to Portland, Oregan for a week. We were so fortunate to have wonderful hosts, and we stayed in hte most wonderful home, waking up to views like this every morning, watching the squirrels running through the trees. We even saw a deer!

Our wonderful hosts took us for a drive to show us some of the beautiful sites that Portland has to offer. This is Multnomah Falls, the second largest year round waterfall in the USA. At the bottom of this river we also saw salmon spawning, which was great. There was also a fantastic cafe nearby where we could sit and enjoy the warmth inside and people watch.

Most days we were lucky enough to have views of parts of Mt Hood from the house, but on the Saturday we were lucky enough to see it up close. i couldn't believe how much snow they had, and its not even officially winter. I was also introduced to the goodness of an Eggnog Latte on our way home from the mountain.

We went for a walk along the river where everything was just so lush and moist with moss growing on everything. I can't believe how wet it is! Also the silver colours were stunning.


To finish off an amazing first day in Portland we had BBQ Ribs for dinner at a very authentic BBQ place which I can't remember the name of right now, but i'll come to that... Buster's maybe?

Happy Halloween

7 years of sunsets

7 years of sunsets together.
Day after day, year after year, they are more wonderful than ever.
I never want today to end, yet I can't wait to spend tomorrow with you.
I love you Murray. xoxox

Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Today we went to the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History - I think its one of the few things that I haven't done yet in SB. I'd heard it was very cute, and it was - looks like nothing has changed since about 1950.

The displays of animals were really quite amazing though, even under a layer of dust. With different sections on insects, marine life, mammals, and birds, it was really a very thorough example of wildlife native to Santa Barbara, California, and America.

The Bald Eagle. This is one nasty looking bird. Built to pray on those small than them. A strange animal to pick for your national symbol i would think. I much prefer the Emu and Kangaroo, Advance Australia Fair.

Speaking of nasty looking birds - this is the Californian Condor, which we think we spotted at the Grand Canyon. With a wing span of up to 3m - its also one HUGE bird. A HUGE UGLY bird! Freaked me out a bit actually.

There was also a dispay for ''El Día de los Muertos'' (Day of the Dead or All Souls' Day) - a Mexican celebration. The holiday focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died. Its really very vibrant and a true celebration - its not morbid and sad at all like the Catholic version, All Souls' Day.

Wine country

We thought that we were well overdue to finally visit some of the fine wineries that California has to offer. Its beautiful driving country, and so so so green!

The first wine tasting (at Gainey Vineyards) we did was ok - apart from the very noisy birthday party which crashed our nice quiet afternoon out. Wines didn't exactly win us over either. But they did have a great fall harvest display.

We then tried to find a winery with a restaurant attached - do you think we could find one of those? Of course not! Who would serve food with wine! So we headed into Solvang for some more Danish goodness for lunch.

We then found ourselves at Bridlewood winery. This hit the spot, and as they specialised in Reds (which is a bit rarer in this white wine country) Murray was very pleased. We bought home a wonderful bottle of Port. I was going to save it for Christmas... but whoops... the cork fell out!

Apparently there is a film called Sideways which features many of the wineries in the region. I'll have to check it out some time. Maybe add it to my Netflix.

Get your kicks on Route 66

Santa Barbara Mission

I finally made it up to the Santa Barbara Mission. (Excuse the clouds, this is unusual for SB)

The Santa Barbara Mission was established on the Feast of Saint Barbara, December 4, 1786 and was the tenth of twenty-one California Missions to be founded by the Spanish Franciscans.

 

More than 200 years later, the Mission continues to be the chief cultural and historic landmark in the city of Santa Barbara. Home to a community of Franciscan friars, the Mission also has a retreat center with guest rooms, conference rooms, a fully equipped commercial kitchen and dining room, a beautiful church with a large and active parish, a museum and gift shop, a cemetery and mausoleum, and ten acres of beautifully landscaped gardens.

 

As Murray put it... all the history is in these walls. Yes, he's turning into an old man.

 

The Mission's commanding position and grand proportions, graceful lines and soft, blending colors all reinforce her title, "Queen of the Missions."

Santa Barbara Seafood Festival

Going to the Santa Barbara Seafood Festival for me was the equivilant of Murray going to a Shoe Sale Festival. Hardly my idea of paradise, but thoroughly enjoyed by Murray.

It was a rare cloudy day here in paradise, but its nice to see that clouds to make an occasional appearance.

I think this might be Seafood as fresh as it gets. You pick out your Crab, Lobster (small lobsters were about 3lbs), or Muscles... There were a few other items available too. But this covered most of it.

Lobster $16/lb, Crab $2.50/lb, Mussels $4/LB.



You then decide if you want it prepared to eat now, or take home. For a $3 fee they do whatever needs to be done, and pop the lobsters into these boiling pots.

Half an hour later, your nubmer is called, and there you have it, fresh Lobster.

However, Murray decided that he couldn't eat 3lbs of fresh lobster to himself (wimp!). So he had himself a half lobster, and BBQed Albacore. He says they were delicious. I can't speak for the seafood, but the bread and salad was a little ordinary.

The Albacore and Lobster wasn't enough, so that was followed up by a quick 6 doz natural oysters, shucked right there in front of us, and a couple of bowls of clam chowder.


It wasn't all bad for me though, I did have a bowl of brownie, strawberries and cream. Then of course Murray needed to go home for a nap after all that seafood... so I went shopping and had many successes at Lucky and Anthropologie.

A good day for all :)

Palm Springs

I had to go to Palm Springs for a work conference (hard life, I know, but someone has to do it). So we thought we'd head out there a couple of days early.

First of all, we left on a Friday afternoon. What should have been a 3 hour drive turned into a 6 hour drive thanks to LA traffic. But we did stop for a In'N'Out Burger, which Murray described as an Orgy of the Senses. I dont know what he had, but I just had a burger.

Saturday I had every intention of lying by the pool all day. And that's exactly what I did.

But Sunday we thought we'd get out and about by going on a Hummer tour and see some of the lower and upper desert, the San Adres Fault line, and Joshua Tree National Park.

Taken at the 1000 Palm Forest on the San Andres Fault Line

Murray doing his thing to keep the Fault Line from falling appart.

Just inside Joshua Tree National Park

Me being a Joshua Tree... remarkable resemblence right?

Us and the Humvee!

So it was pretty cool to get out and see the desert and all, and i'm glad that we got the opportunity to do it. But the tour itself wasn't really worth it. Not to mention the plastic strips on the roof slapping us in the face all the way home. Then the smell of diesel too. And the 4 cougars who were also on our tour. I dont want to record these annoying memories, but they're really what I remember most from the tour unforunately.

However, more forutnately, we have many amazing adventures to come.

San Simeon

San Simeon Wharf was originally built so that the Hearst Family could ship in items for thier maganificent castle. Today it looked awesome with the fog hanging around just off shore.

We then headed up the coast a little more to check out some of the crazy sealions that were all beached. These were all young males - I can't imagine the site when they're all beached. And quite frankly, they make me feel a little sick, so I'd rather not see them.

On the way home we stopped at this awesome steakhouse. I think Murray's "Frankenstien having a stroke" photos says it all.