The Fast Train to Avignon..

9.14.08 AVIGNON!
Paris was fabulous ending in a gorgeous morning as we hustled to the Gare de Lyon to catch the TGV for Avignon. Platform 17,car 13,upstairs. Note to self…..PACK LIGHT!!! Cumbersome bags can be a real downfall. We made it though and the 3 hour trip thru the French countryside was beautiful to say the least. While it can appear to be like anywhere else in the US it is the farmhouses and small villages along the way that set it apart from anything you have seen. Vineyards, farms, livestock, and the mountains off in the distance. The pictures cannot do it justice….but I will try. We arrived in Avignon to pick up our rental car from Alamo. Very nice to work with….actually all the French have been really nice and accommodating in our travels so far. We have tried to “practice” our French but most speak some English and we have no luck. We headed for Avignon which is a small town encircled by a stone wall. Very narrow streets and lots of shops to look into. We traveled down the stone streets to see the Palace des Papes, and of course a wine tasting at the wine shop deep within the palace. The age of these places is almost too much to take in. Parts of this area go back as far as the Roman Empire. To think of the feet that have walked some of these paths……. After our little walk about we headed back to the TGV station to wait for our connection to LaSabranaque. We did not find them until we were ready to leave and find our own way…we ended up following the pick up van to the village. We arrived to find ourselves placed 3-400 years ago in a village with rock/cobble paths, stone walls and a view to die for. Again the pictures cannot begin to show you how beautiful it is.

yes we are here!

hi all quick note here but no internet: post later love it here am going to come back .look for pics later: Tracey

we are arriving.....

The Flight. So we head out of Ft Myers o n US Airways begin our trek to Paris. Amazing how much stuff we bring or for some take home. Now that there is a charge for baggage, everyone wants to “carry on”. While this would be great if they would just follow the instructions about the overhead and under the seat guideline. By the time we got to Philadelphia, we say at least 10 people put their jackets, small bags in the overhead leaving the stewards to have to come back and rearrange everything. However, when we got onto the transatlantic flight, everyone put things in their proper place. Must be a knowledge thing.
So far this is all still a bit of a surreal event. I am to meet my girls is Paris tomorrow afternoon…..they are currently living in London and working until the end of November. I have always wanted them to experience the world outside of the US, and now here it is in a bigger way than I ever imagined.!
We are traveling on an Airbus and will arrive at 7:55am. This plane has 3 rows of seats…2 4 2 and not quite the leg room or space one would expect. Delta definitely has more space on their planes. Dinner is served be back later.

We are traveling on an Airbus and will arrive at 7:55am. This plane has 3 rows of seats…2 4 2 and not quite the leg room or space one would expect. Delta definitely has more space on their planes. Dinner is served. Chicken or pasta not too bad for choices. It was hot at least. Of course also wine with dinner.
Note to self; where a long skirt (guys loose pants) and bring a light sweater. While it was a bit warm earlier it has gotten cooler for sleep. Also, bring a reading light so you don't have to use the overhead spotlight. Courtesy thing ya know. Bonne nuit!

Airport warm up

Ok so you won't believe it but it is noon somewhere and they now make wine in North Carolina! yes ! SAM found the spot and then got lost. but no worries we did the tasting finishing with the Raylen Blend and it is Fabulous!! so heres a quick peek and we will see you soon!!!

HI I'M SAM!

Hi I'm Sam! I am going with Tracey on her next adventure so I thought I should introduce myself. Tracey is frantically getting the last minute things together. As you can see, I am ready to go! Oh the Places You'll Go!! have you read that book? Dr Suess wrote it not long before he passed away. It is a typical Suess book full of Suess tips for life. So here I am going places that I never thought I would go. Let me explain. You see, I was...am....a imaginary character that Tracey made up stories about when T and S were little. Even then I went everywhere! Spent alot of time outdoors it seems and was up to mischief but always did good in the end! Funny how something like that can become a big part of ones life to the point where it becomes real. I can't wait to meet T and S in Paris! While I was a gift from T to Tracey for Christmas....she has no idea who I really am. They say if you think it ....it will happen. Thinking , reading , planning , talking all these things lead to something real.....I may just be proof of that! But enough philosophical stuff. I am off to FRANCE and I have all my stuff for photos, journals, and anything else we might do. So...hope you enjoy our little travel. Be patient as we again may not have internet everyday....but I will keep my eye out. See you later!!! SAM
sure wish I had gotten to go camping......

Bonjour!!!

It is the night before the night before I head out to France on yet another working vacation. some of you may think.....that is crazy to work while you are on vacation but it is the best most economical way to see the world and leave your handprint! Three years ago I was in France on a mission trip with my church. It was unbelievable.! Not only did we live like the french but the chance to see Paris like a native was the best! This trip takes me with my two friends Marcia and Elaine, to Provence where we will be in St Victor la Coste working on helping to restore a castle. The work will be done in traditional way meaning the way it was done in the 1500's. No stilletos here!!! I hope to have internet service so I can share photos and comments about our travels. We will work in the morning and have the afternoons free for touring the countryside. I am bringing my little travel friend SAM so he too can see the world. (character from a story I told my kids before bed....had to be there.) So off we go! We will arrive in Paris Sat. Sept 12 at 7:50am till then I must finish packing. Not as simple as going west but still not too much stuff! au revoir

A really cool summer....

It is now September but the summer has been a blast! while I have been crazy with the heat and the different places of travel, it is not over yet! I have had issues with my computer and getting pictures posted. I have just returned from a trip to the Big Cypress Preserve where I had a chance to see a friend of the swamp after a fast and hard storm from one of the many hurricaines that came our way Labor Day Weekend. See how they post! keep checking as I will be heading out to France for my next adventure. See you soon. Tracey

Montana!!!

Hi everyone quick update/ it is friggin incredible here!!! We are in Montana before we head back to Jackson. Dry camping is interesting and only but one notch above tent camping. all the sites have just been breathtaking with every turn showing us a new way. Storm is coming in as i type gotta go.... see you later!! love you Tracey

Update....we have connections!!

Hello all, thanks for your patience and hanging with me. We have not been able to get electric internet or cell all at the same time until now! so we are sitting in Grant Village inside Yellowstone in the General Store getting caught up. I am posting some of my favorite pictures for you along with the events so far. Wish you all were here! it is awesome.! T

June 18 Update……
Well what can I say??? Being off grid is a bit of a hassle but it is so nice too! I was so excited to have a way to share with everyone that I did not stop to think I might not be able to have access to the Internet! But today I do. At least for a bit. So let me fill you in on the adventure so far. So here we go…….

Friday the 13th I flew into Jackson Hole Wyoming coming in thru the Grand Teton…. did you know the airport is on Federal Park Land? I had the privilege of sitting next to a geology professor from the university of Texas and he explained where I was and where I was going. The snow had been falling for the last 3 days with temps into the 20s until that day. The high was 51-night time temp 30. Really nice!
As we drove from the airport we stopped to watch a small herd of bison cross the road with their calves to settle in before sunset at 9pm. You will see the pics….. hold on just a minute. We camped for two nights in Gros Ventre (grow vont) taking a 4-mile day hike on Death Canyon Trail. Not too sure where the name came from but it was a good first day hike. The goal was to get to Phelps Lake overlook. It was a pretty easy with lots cool places and open meadows. One of which we found a black bear still wearing his winter coat. He crossed the trail twice while we were visiting the overlook. The lake is large and that deep blue very much like the northwest pacific area. After having a light lunch we headed back with no site of the bear. That night we sat for the Rangers Campfire talk and were joined by 5 large bull bison. Probably out for a “bulls” night. I signed up for the Junior Ranger Program…..got a really cool patch….and thus began the adventure.

Sunday the 15th we headed out to Colbert Bay for the Luxury recharge meaning we had electricity hot water and a slight chance of cellular just not mine. After a night of recharge and planning we went back to dry camping for 2 nights. Amazingly, its like hotels…the hook up is 2x as much the dry. We packed our backpacks to head out on our first overnight. We decided to do Cascade Canyon North Fork. We spoke to the rangers and found that there was snow about the last ½ mile to the fork and then only snow past that. Perfect!! We wanted …wait….I wanted to camp in the snow. Michael was most kind to accommodate me. The bear activity in the area was not too bad due to the late snowfall but we still we are alert. We bought our bear gun spray and used a bear box for our food. It is a compact cylinder with a lock on it that will discourage the bear should he run across it. We still kept it far from camp. We hiked most of the day with a 1200 foot increase in altitude. After parking in the lot we loaded our packs on our backs….me with my Deva 60 carrying about 35lbs and Michael carrying 50lbs. When doing an overnight it is crucial you have a dry set of socks and clothes plus any medications, emergency equipment and water most important. Most of the weight was water.
There was so many different landscapes as we hiked up to Inspiration Point and then onto Cascade Canyon. Snowdrifts were still very prevalent and odd as we trekked into the canyon barron and dry the mountains towering over us. The temp was perfect with the sunshining down and nice breeze from the Cascade Falls that we followed along. As we got closer to our campsite, we began to wonder who put all this snow here??? Having not done this before, I was like a kid just trekking along. It was beauty like I have not seen. Once past the bridge that crosses over the Cascade River we were hiking in snow. As we got to the fork, we still had about two hundred yards before the area for camping. By now we had been traveling since noon and it was now after 8pm with no dinner and light closing in about 45 minutes. My next step was up to my thighs in snow and finding camp was on immediate due to wet feet and pantleg. Micheal quickly scouted out a perfect spot of grass surrounded by snow about 100 feet from the trail. In less than 15 minutes we had the tent up dinner cooking and packs ready to put inside. Dinner was Chicken and Rice soup hot tea and saltine crackers. It was AWESOME!!! We got into the tent before dark and waited for the sun to go down toasting the trip with the 3oz of wine I brought. Weight is everything when you carry it yourself.  The crazy part was the late night potty break in 35 degrees in the middle of nowhere!!! But there is a reason I go to the gym and practice my squats and lunges. Lol
Morning came early and we had breakfast of coffee….fresh….apple, cheese and tuna wrap. Camp broken we headed back down. As we traveled we met others coming up and were able to chat and share stories. As we got into the canyon, we saw a bull moose laying down having his lunch. It was incredible to see such a creature. Lying down he was huge! We landed back to Jenny Lake at 4:30 our total trip taking a total of 14 hours plus sleep time. It was so worth the walk. One note is that I had no trouble with my pack fitting and riding well. Unfortunetly, Michael had a bad time with his pack. If you ever want to do something like this…get fitted by someone who knows their stuff when picking out a pack. It makes all the difference in the world.

Tuesday June 17th

Back at camp we regroup and do some close by sight seeing of the other campgrounds and some house cleaning before we head to Yellowstone tomorrow. Can’t wait to see the Old Faithful!!!! Good night for now. Tracey

the night before.....

Its 10:00pm and by dear friend Elaine is driving me to Tampa where I catch the early bird flight. Luckily the rain stayed in south FL. After weighing my bags for a grand total of 70lbs in 3 bags. I was still trying to out think the TSA and what I could carry on and what needed to be checked. With all the changes in regulatory guidlines, it is best to check their website or call them direct. That's what I did. After stating my name address and shoe size (not really), I learned that it really was up to the airlines! Go figure.
I am wired to say the least. It is currently snowy and of course freezing but the sun is supposed to come out tomorrow. It must know I am coming for a visit :). A word to the wise....myself included, don't second guess what you have planned to pack! If you do, you may end up bringing things you don't need and be stuck with no space to put the things you bought because you forgot to bring them. I have actually heard that people will bring a wee bit and buy the rest when they get to where they are going. I am not there yet. Tomorrow is an early day. Land in Jackson Hole at noon. Hopefully , Micheal has not frozen and will be there to pick me up.
And so the adventure begins! Tracey

Packing complete!

So here is the stuff that has to go in my backpack to get to Jackson. ummmm how will it all fit? remember that my sleeping bag and tent are already in the pack. Most of the clothing is "layer" clothes. due to unknown weather extremes, it is always best to have more cold weather clothes than not enough. You can always take it off!!!! So I have 4 pair of pants, all dry quickly, one pair long that unzipp to shorts. (this of course is the lastest style craze),3 pairs of shorts for those warm 70 degree afternoon hikes,and 8 shirts all interchangeable and range from no sleeve to longsleeve sunblock.
Now here is a fashion note. How do I get some color and change into my otherwise blah wardrobe?? Bandanas of course! they serve many purposes from head bands to flags. The bright colors can be fun accessories but can serve for emergency heat,flag or even face cover. There is actually a book that has more things but I will have to share that with you later.
The backpack will go into a duffle to fly due to the many straps and such. I will be able to put the sleep mat and shoes in there too. with one carry on and a day pack I will be light in my travel.

Packing begins..

So the week starts tomorrow with the task of careful packing. Due to the size of my pack, a 3500 cubic inch Gregory Deva, as well as the straps I have a duffle bag to place around my packed pack. After doing my trial walking about 2 miles, rounding up and feeding horses at a friends, the pack is getting an A+ rating for comfort. It is best to pack your backpack with all the items not allowed on the plane as well as the bulk of your clothes and send it as checked baggage. With the new rules of only one checked bag,this works best. The other carry on will include camera, jacket change of clothes including the shoes for hiking. It looks like I will be able to get it all in the duffle. We will see tomorrow.

6 more days.

Hello all. This is the start of my 'packing' countdown. Six more days and I will be in Jackon Wyoming to start my adventure. I am a bit excited to say the least. Today I have my pack loaded for an overnight hike...this can be for one or two nights.....and will doing a walk about on my friends farm in NFM. It will give me a bit of a taste of walking a mile or so in full gear. No worries, I will post a photo to share! Right now, my pack comes in at 20lbs without food. I expect that another 5lbs for food will do the trick. This includes of course my inflatable bedding and teddy bear for sleeping. Trying to go light is not as hard as it seems. One must be ready though to throw all 'stylishness' to the wind. Hence the reason for 3 shades of khaki and neon shirts with the everso girly, hiking boots. Don't laugh, that is what saves you in the long run, not the outfit.
So hope you enjoy my first attempt at Bloggin' and again feel free to share with your peeps---who knows!? They may want to go for it themselves.


Travlin' Tracey.