Maitlands Go West: San Diego Zoo & Old Town

San Diego was the first stop on our west coast 1st anniversary adventure.  And we really packed in the fun there.  The well-known San Diego Zoo was on the top of our list.  We spent a full day checking out nearly all the exhibits!  The koalas and pandas were my favorites of the day, but you all know that penguins also hold a special place in my heart so we certainly couldn't miss out on seeing them!

We began the day with a tram ride around the park.  This ride gave us the lay of the land and allowed us some time to plan our journey.  The tram dropped us off near the Australian exhibit so we started there.  I couldn't get enough of the sleepy koalas!

Next up, were giraffes (there was the most adorable baby!), elephants, meerkats (more cute babies!), and a resting polar bear.

We rode the skyfari to give our legs a break and get us over to the other side of the zoo more quickly.  There are some serious hills at this zoo!!  We quickly found the penguins and made our way through a beautiful bird exhibit including some pink flamingos.

Next, we spent some time with the big cats and watched a very active hippo for quite some time.

Our last stop of the day included the monkeys and gorillas.  Fascinating animals for sure!!  Enjoyed spending some time interacting with these lovely animals!

After a full day at the zoo, it was time for some tasty mexican food in historic old town.  We spent a couple hours looking around the old town area before settling on popular Cafe Coyote.  The food was delicious proving to be a great way to end our day.

Have you ever visited San Diego?  Did you spend time at the zoo?

Andrea :)

Pippen...on tour now!

High-flying acrobatics, unbelievable balancing feats, catchy song and dance routines, and even some fire consumes the stage at a magical performance of Pippen!  And Michelle and I were in the front row of the theater to witness it all!

A little over a year ago, to kick off my bachelorette weekend, Michelle arrived in NYC a little early and we went to see Pippen!  It has now begun a tour across the US so it may be showing near you if you have any interest in a spectacular show!  I wasn't 100% on board with the overall message of the show, but it was one of the most entertaining I've seen.  I loved that the audience felt a part of the show, too.  There were several times we participated and characters spoke directly to the audience at various moments.

My favorite character was Bethe, Pippen's exiled grandmother.  Older people have wisdom and insight on life that allows them to tell it like it is...almost always.  The best song of the show was Bethe's No Time At All.  Here the chorus:

Oh, it's time to start livin'

Time to take a little from this world we're given

Time to take time, 'cause spring will turn to fall

In just no time at all...

Check out the tour list if you want to spend a couple hours being well entertained!  The talent and athletic feats that occurred throughout Pippen were nothing short of amazing!

Andrea :)

A Wedding and Some Apple Picking

Chris and I made our way to Albany for the last time this year to celebrate with friends at a wedding...and do a little apple picking before heading back to the city! In a pleasant turn of events, it was a really nice weekend. Earlier in the week, the threat of hurricane induced winds and rain were in the forecast. Fortunately, the weekend was absolutely gorgeous! Perfect fall weather! We had a great time catching up with friends and dancing the night away!

Photo on left was snagged from facebook since I didn't manage to get one of the lovely couple myself!

Sunday, Chris watched his beloved J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS secure a victory before noon since they were playing in London this week.  I stayed back at the hotel to get some work done so I missed out on the football fun.  I was ready to go when it rolled around to apple picking time though!  We didn't spend as much time as I would have liked at the orchard, but I am looking forward to making something yummy with the ones we picked!

On the way back to the city, we stopped to take some one year anniversary photos with our talented photographer friend, Tara of Tara Wiley Photography.  We had such a blast...and I can't wait to show you the fun photos from our shoot. We have one wedding remaining for this year...and it's just around the corner so our dancing shoes shouldn't be too dusty by then!

Andrea :)

Health & Fitness in September

Honestly, this past month has been a major struggle on the marathon training end.  The month began with a long weekend visit as we hosted my out-of-town parents.  Straying from my routine for those five days wasn't so bad.  I could have recovered from that small deviance easily.  However, the day after my parents left, Chris and I boarded a plane for our west coast adventure.  We did manage a couple of days of significant hiking and walking the steep terrain of California, but I didn't run once during our 10 day journey.

September 1 - 4 mile run

September 3 - 5 mile run

September 10 - 2 mile run; 6 mile bike

September 22 - 4 mile run

September 24 - 7 mile run 

September 26 - 16 mile bike

September 29 - 5 mile run

So...you can imagine my trepidation when I returned on September 21 with only a handful of short runs under my belt for the whole month.  I expected to be in real trouble.  And maybe I am, but I also think the rest gave my legs a much needed break.  I felt strong in those first two runs after the trip.  I am working hard to attempt to return to a reasonable level of endurance in the long runs.  My true test will come next weekend when I try my hand...or rather legs...at the Brooklyn Rock-n-Roll Half I'm signed up to run.  It is sure to give me an indication of how this marathon will pan out since I'm just under a month away now!

Here's hoping for a quality October in the training department!

Andrea :)

Saturday States: Virginia & West Virginia

Virginia

State Nickname: The Old Dominion State

Year of Family Trip: 1999

Cities Visited: Arlington, Charlottesville, Mt.Vernon

Can't Miss Tourist Attractions:
Monticello, Mt. Vernon, Arlington National Cemetery

When the Heflin bunch ventured to the DC area to tag along on Jordan's eighth grade class trip in 1999, we made a couple of pit stops in Virginia as well.  We visited Thomas Jefferson's Monticello (pictured in the top right of the opening photo) and George Washington's Mt. Vernon (pictured in the top left of the opening photo). We also spent quite a bit of time roaming around Arlington National Cemetery admiring the cherry blossoms, watching the changing of the guard, and spending some time in reflection at JFK's eternal flame.

A Death March to Remember

At Mt. Vernon, we were able to participate in a death march for our first President, George Washington.  We were given black bands to tie around our arms as we paraded around the grounds to eventually end at the crypt that houses Washington's grave.  Even Ricker (our family "pet") was given a black armband and allowed to participate.  Following the march, we had a chance encounter in the restroom area with the Huffman's - our across the street neighbors!  Such a wild coincidence!

West Virginia

State Nickname: The Mountain State

Year of Family Trip: 1999

City Visited: Charleston, Beckley

Can't Miss Tourist Attraction:
Dirty Ernie's (unfortunately, it is closed now), Tamarack (shown below)

West Virginia brought our most memorable restaurant from all of our adventures - Dirty Ernie's.  It was a BBQ spot that we unfortunately found closed when we came back through the area a few years later.  Total bummer!  On a more fortunate note, as we passed through the town of Beckley we realized the need for a pit stop.  We pulled off at Tamarack...and ended up spending much more time than expected checking out the arts and craft selection inside.  We also visited the capital (Charleston) as we made our way through West Virginia.

Tamarack Image via Google

Have you ever visited Virginia or West Virginia?

Andrea :)

Book Club: Calling Me Home

Our rooftop desk served as the meeting spot for my NYC book club at the end of September. I pieced together some honey teriyaki glazed chicken kabobs with a side of quinoa for dinner as I played hostess. I wanted to make sure this lovely group was able to experience a gorgeous sunset and some time outside before it got too chilly for us to enjoy it! We always have a great time catching up...and eventually delving into a discussion on our most recent book.

Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler is nothing short of phenomenal.  I read it in three days because I simply could NOT put it down.  And after I finished reading, I proceeded to regurgitate the whole story to Chris because I wanted to keep thinking and talking about it.  The main story in the novel unfolds as Miss Isabelle and her beloved hairdresser, Dorrie, begin a road trip from Texas to Isabelle's former stomping grounds in northern Kentucky.  They are headed to a funeral, but it remains a mystery as to who is being laid to rest.  In her present-day nineties, Isabelle divulges her young adult romance with Robert, a black man.  He assisted her father with odd tasks around the house while his mother and sister worked in the kitchen and did the cleaning for the McAllister family in this 1940's segregated way of life.  Obviously, the relationship was forbidden, but that didn't hinder Isabelle and Robert too much.  I'll stop there, but believe me when I say you will be hooked from the start with this book.

I selected this one for two reasons - the main story takes place in and around my native Kentucky AND interracial love is my reality today.  It was quite shocking to notice that while things have certainly changed, there is still much progress to be made in the way of racial equality. Chris and I have an official marriage license from the state of Kentucky, but many before us didn't have that luxury.  Times are changing, but not nearly fast enough.  I identified closely with Calling Me Home, but I believe this book has the power to resonate with all people.  I highly suggest this one! 

Andrea :)

The Fall Film Challenge: September Recap

The Fall Film Challenge is well underway at this point.  I shared my 25 movie selections with you in mid-August...and each month I'll update you on my progress!  I have watched 11 out of the 25 movies so far.  Even though a couple of people have already watched all their selections, I felt pretty proud of my *almost* halfway stat.  Especially considering I was working movies in while we hosted my parents in early September and while we vacationed in California for a good chunk of the middle part! It has been noted that the bonus round will be released on October 15 so I'm hopeful to squeeze in a good number of my remaining 14 films in the next couple weeks!

9/3 - Around the World in 80 Days (2004)

Watched for a movie incorporating hot air balloons into the story.

3 out of 5 stars

This movie was extremely goofy with lots of silly humor. It kept me entertained though. I loved the random cameos from Arnold Schwarzenegger and Kathy Bates - totally weren't expecting to see them!  I laughed at the cheesy jokes/scenes and felt happy with the resolution at the end of the film.

9/6 - Scent of a Woman (1992)

Watched for close friend or family member's favorite movie.

4.5 out of 5 stars

Al Pacino was phenomenal in this movie!  There were funny scenes and serious scenes, but no matter the type of scene - Pacino delivered!  The movie has a great message about fighting for what is right and being a leader rather than a follower.  A true classic that I am glad I watched.

9/8 - American Graffiti (1973)

Watched for movie starring Harrison Ford.

2 out of 5 stars

Unfortunately, this movie was pretty boring. They basically drove around in their cars all night.  There were only a few real action sequences of any worth.  I really liked the Toad story line though.  He got into the most precarious predicaments that ended in the some hilarious scenes! 

9/10 - Annie (2014)

Watched for movie that features a child as the main actor.

4 out of 5 stars

I wasn't sure what to expect with this remake, but I loved it!!  Each character was fun to watch...and I just loved the upbeat redone musical numbers!  The updated references to technology and other current era life really brought this one full circle.  Definitely worth a watch if you liked the first one!

9/18 - The Great White Hype (1996)

Watched for movie with the word great in the title.

3 out of 5 stars

Chris picked out this flick because he wanted me to see it.  Although it was super goofy and over the top, I did have a few good laughs. I was pleasantly surprised to see Jamie Foxx make an appearance - his character absolutely cracked me up! If you want something silly with a handful of good one-liners, this is your movie!

9/19 - What's the Worst That Could Happen? (2001)

Watched for movie with a question in the title.

2 out of 5 stars

Martin Lawrence always finds a way to make me laugh, but this one was rough.  It was disjointed in a few places and not something I would ever watch again.  It was nice to see Bernie Mac again though.

9/20 - The Longest Ride (2015)

Watched for love story movie.

4 out of 5 stars

Love this story.  I read the book recently, but in a rare turn of events I actually enjoyed the film more.  It managed to piece together the story in a less convoluted way.  This one is certainly worth a watch!  You might even need some tissues...if you're prone to that kinda thing in movies! :)

9/21 - The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

Watched for movie set in a country I'd like to visit.

3 out of 5 stars

With an array of quite interesting characters (even if some were a bit unlikable), this movie had me hooked.  I enjoyed both the scenery and introduction to India as well as taking all the twists and turns with the characters in the film.  I'll be sure to rent the sequel once this challenge is done!

9/25 - We Bought A Zoo (2011)

Watched for movie set in a zoo.

3 out of 5 stars

Honestly, I was completely thrown off by the sad overtones in this movie. I was expecting it to be a happy, upbeat movie about a family buying a zoo. However, the loss of the mother/wife did set the stage for some conflict that kept the movie interesting.  And seriously, the little girl was incredibly adorable. Quality story and an enjoyable film.  If you haven't seen it, give it a watch!

9/26 - Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007)

Watched for movie with subtitles.

1 out of 5 stars

I knew this category would be tough for me.  I struggle with subtitled films in general, but I may have picked one of the most horrifyingly depressing ones available.  The title character wakes from a coma after a stroke to find he can no longer communicate with words.  The movie provides a soundtrack to his mind which I found to be quite an intriguing method of storytelling, but it was still terribly difficult to watch. It was spoken in French, but I found myself thinking that if it had been in Spanish it might have been a tad more bearable since I could have picked up on a word or two here or there.  And at least I know the alphabet in Spanish...and they repeated the alphabet endlessly as a manner of communication via blinks of the eyelid.  Not a movie I plan to ever watch again, but I was glad I gave it a chance.

9/29 - Noah (2014)

Watched for movie about something miraculous.

0 out of 5 stars

As a Christian, this movie was complete nonsense.  It introduced strange and absolutely incorrect ideas into the powerful and miraculous story of Noah.  Needless to say based on my number of stars given, I didn't like this one at all.  The Noah story that I'm familiar with from the Bible is far superior to this adaptation!  Don't waste your time on this one!

Have you seen any interesting or enjoyable movies lately??

Andrea :)