Flagstaff, AZ and Sin City!!

This will be short and sweet because I am trying to catch the sunset, But I visited Flagstaff and was taken in and given a place to sleep, was fed a delicious Thai meal and had some great conversation with a great family friend and one of my sisters college roommates...Cinnamon and her to soon to be husband Jamie!! We even did some braiding of garlic picked from the backyard and went on a hike in the canyon near Sedona!!


Then it was off to Sin City....my studio in the new PH Towers was unreal and that just set the tone for the 2 days I would spend wandering and gambling the streets of Las Vegas!! And I did do a little recreational activity at Lake Mead which is where the sunset picture is taken!!

The National Park Tour!!

It's been a while since I have given my last whereabouts but i'm back!! Let me just start by saying that no pictures can do justice to what I have seen and the places I have been since Northern Michigan....I flew back to Denver where I picked up my car and put in a days worth of work at the "Sideways" House, Kate and John's new project in Golden, and Hung out with Mary and the Kiddos in Aurora!! Upon leaving I didn't make it very far down I-70 before I stopped for the night in Minturn to Spend a night of drinking margaritas in great company, below is a picture of the morning after feeling really Great!!

Next stop Moab and Arches National Park where the average temperature everyday was a nice 110 degrees, so all of my biking and hiking was done in the early morning or early evening to avoid passing out!



I needed to get some swimming in so what better place to head than Lake Powell, the very Southern part at that. There was plenty of cliff jumping and swimming to be done in this massive body of water!



Next Stop Zion National Park in Southern Utah...A place I had been when I was about 12 years old and didn't quite grasp the awesomeness of it all. Camping on Forest Service land is the way to go, you meet some real interesting folks and don't have to pay for a place to rest your head. One of the most exciting and beautiful hikes I have ever done, more like wading and swimming with a little bit of hiking...The Narrows, check it out!!




Last but not least the Biggest Canyon of them all...The North and South Rim of the Grand Canyon!! It's so called Monsoon Season in the Grand Canyon, whatever the hell Monsoon season is in the middle of Arizona, I was right in the middle of it, but it made for some pretty epic photos!

JRT Bike Weekend Success!!

My little dose of Michigan during the summer was awesome to say the least. The turnout for the 2nd Annual JRT Weekend was great, and I had a lot of fun being with all the special people touched by the life of Joshua Raymond Taylor!! We told stories, played bags and relaxed in great company on the best lake in Northern Michigan, none other than Elk Lake!!

The water was warmer than I had ever remembered it being so a lot of swimming took place, I needed to get exercise somehow. The spitting image of Josh provided a lot of entertainment for the weekend, Kai sure is growing up and has quite the sense of humor these days!! Below is a picture of Kai preparing breakfast for us all, sitting on the counter getting the fixings ready for French Toast....it sure was delicious.

I didn't quite capture as many photos as I would have liked over the weekend, but I am sure one of the other 20 people that took part in the weekend extravaganza did, but here is a group photo at the Taylor Tribe...minus a few people that were missing in action before I left to return down state to continue the Outback Adventure Road Trip!!

Life Changing Drive Down The Coast...Then off to South Lake Tahoe

When I save up enough money my first property to purchase will be somewhere in Northern California off of Highway 1 on the Coast....Holy crap if you have never been, it is a must see. Camping on the coast was unbelievable, perfect weather with the priceless sound of the ocean to fall asleep too!!

I have been trying to further my knowledge of breweries and there delicious beers on my little trip across the country and California has some great ones to write home about as well as some great recipes to bring back to the menu!!

Not to mention that the Sunsets on the coast are unreal...
From the coast I headed inland and stopped for a little visit at the old stomping grounds of Outpost Winery where I was employed for the 2007 harvest, it was great to catch up with the old co-workers, before heading to South Lake Tahoe to spend the 4th of July weekend with family!!

~Playing in the Truckee River with Emily and Cowboy

~4th of July Festivities at Lake Tahoe

~Emily's Birthday Dinner At Riva Grill and 4th of July Fireworks...Jennifer, Emily and I on the deck!!
The long trek from Tahoe back to Denver, so I can fly to Northern Michigan for the 2nd annual JRT weekend on Elk Lake with Family and Friends, looking forward to getting my fix of Michigan summer for a long Weekend!!

Bend-Over Oregon to Nor-Cal

My lack of communication almost bit me in the ass upon arrival to Bend...I had been out of contact with the world and without cell phone service for days. I should have thought about calling Rob and telling him to expect me but I like surprising people I guess you can say. My 24 hours in the intercoastal of Oregon was short but packed with fun and adventure. A little hike to a waterfall...a little bouldering and a lot of catching up with Rob who I hadn't seen in too long!!


From Bend it was a little south and west to the Coast...the long awaited sweet smell of the ocean, Eureka was the first stop, by way of the Redwood National Forest, to visit Dylan, long lost friend from b-town!!


More to come from the great state of California...