Driving the Pacific Northwest - Sept 2006

Oregon Coast

We decided to spend a week driving in a rented convertible along the Pacific Northwest coast to see some of the sights but mostly to catch up with friends whom we had not seen in a while.  On this trip, we visited Seattle, Olympic National Park (Washington), Portland, the Oregon coast south of Portland, and Napa Valley, ending the trip in San Francisco for a brief visit.

Accommodations:

We mostly stayed with friends along the way (the best accommodations ever) but did stay in a few hotels as well - we generally opted for cheap places on this trip.

Best Western Olympic Lodge (Port Angeles, WA) - Located on the Olympic Peninsula, this hotel is nice, clean and convenient to the Park.

Hampton Inn (Medford, OR) - No specific reason why we chose this place other than a convenient place to stop on our way down to Napa to split up the driving distance.

Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa (Napa) - Nice hotel, convenient to the wineries, and better yet, free on points.

Activities:

Seattle Area
We flew to Seattle and spent our first night with our friends Kim and Keith (Kim used to work with Shawna at Chase in NYC).  After relaxing at their house, we headed out to the treat of our trip - dinner at The Herb Farm.  Since we knew we were going to consume quite a bit of wine, we hired a driver to take us to/from dinner.  Dinner was an awesome experience - amazing food, nice and cozy atmosphere and excellent wine.

Hike around Mt Ranier

The following morning, we went with Kim and Keith to Kelly and Reed's house (Kelly is a friend of Shawna's from undergrad) and had a late breakfast together.  We then all went for a beautiful hike around Mt. Ranier.  Given our late start in the day, we did not hike for very long but enjoyed the views and the company.  That evening, we stayed with Kelly and Reed and had dinner at their house.

On Sunday, after saying our goodbyes to Kelly and Reed and their adorable kids, we drove out to Olympic National Park, a beautiful peninsula west of Seattle.  We were met there by Deborah and Damian (friends of Keith from when we lived in DC) who live in Portland.  While in the area, we visited the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge which is a long sand spit filled with birds, fossils and driftwood - it is eerie and yet beautiful.  We also spent a day hiking in the Park, taking in the scenery of the mountains in the area; however, our hike was cut short when a ranger kicked us out since we had Deborah and Damian's dog with us (apparently dogs are not allowed in the Park).

Hike in Olympic National Park

Oregon
On our way down to Portland, we stopped to visit Mt. St. Helen's.  It was amazing to see the devastation that still remains to this day.  We took an interesting helicopter tour of the area and hiked around a bit.

Hike on Mount Hood

While in Portland, we stayed at Deborah and Damian's house for a couple of nights.  Keith and I did a hike on Mount Hood as well as took a scenic drive along the Columbia River Gorge, stopping a few places to see some of the waterfalls.

We left Deborah and Damian's and drove south along the Oregon coast, stopping in some of the cute towns along the way.  The scenery was beautiful.  Our last sight seeing adventure before we drove to CA was to see Crater Lake.  Unfortunately, forest fires in the area made it very hazy that day so we were not able to explore as much as we would have liked.  We did take a boat tour of the lake and drove around the lake to some of the viewing points.

California
We met up in Napa with Charlie and Melissa (friends that Keith had met traveling in Africa before he went to business school) for a few days of wine tasting.  And wine tasting we did!  We learned rather quickly the differences in how Americans and Europeans approach wine tasting.  While Charlie and Melissa wanted to savor every sip, learn as much as they could about the winery and sit and relax on the terraces, Keith and Shawna wanted to maximize how many wineries could be visited in one day!  Surprisingly, we got to visit quite a number of them in the two days that we were there, including Opus, Cakebread (where we did a tour of their production facility), V Sattui (where we had a great picnic lunch), Duckhorn, Matanzas Creek, Ferrari Cerano and  Domaine Carneros (beautiful setting, sparkling wines).

Wine Tasting in Napa

We had a couple of great dinners as well (see info below).  At Auberge, we were able to taste what a $500 bottle of wine tastes like.  Apparently, someone had ordered it at lunch earlier in the day and decided that they did not like it so the somalier let us have a small taste.  While it was good, we honestly could not taste the difference from a $50 bottle of wine -- good thing for us, I guess!

Before we returned home, we spent one night in San Fran visiting with our friends Rakesh and Simran (whom we met in business school).  We had dinner with them in the city and crashed at their place for the evening.

Restaurants:

The Herb Farm (Seattle) - An AMAZING culinary experience!  This restaurant serves a nine-course meal (paired with wine) that uses all local ingredients including many from their own farm.  There is only one seating per evening and thus all guests arrive at the same time.  Before dinner, they give you a tour of the herb gardens.  The food was superb!

Auberge (Napa Valley - Rutherford) - Great restaurant with excellent food, nice decor and views of the valley if seated on the terrace.

Martini House (Napa Valley - St Helena) - Another great restaurant with nice seating options outside.

A16 (San Francisco) - Good Italian restaurant in the Marina District.

For more photos of this trip:

Asheville, NC - 5th Anniversary - July 2006

Biltmore Estate

Keith Hiking

For our fifth wedding anniversary, we treated ourselves to a weekend in Asheville.  We stayed at an adorable B&B (White Gate Inn) run by two gay guys - one of the guys really enjoyed talking a lot and taking 'center stage'.  The Inn is nicely decorated and the breakfast is really good.  They serve you multiple courses which takes a while.

While in Asheville, we went for a hike, got a massage at the Inn and visited the Biltmore Estate.  We toured inside the house, walked around the grounds and did a wine tasting at their winery.  For dinner, we went to the Grove Park Inn and had a wonderful meal at the Sunset Terrace.

Margaret and Damon Wedding - Feb 2006

Dodds Family

Keith heard that his sister Margaret was getting married while we were both in Nepal - right after we left the Annapurna trail.  Margaret and Damon opted for a destination wedding, so all the family and friends headed out to Catalina Island for a long weekend.

Avalon

Accommodation:
Hotel Metropole - a quaint hotel in the town of Avalon.

Ruth, Jean and Dick

Activities:

Margaret and Keith

We flew in to LAX from Raleigh in time to meet the whole Dodds and Osbourne family at the ferry terminal so we could catch the 2pm ferry to Catalina.  We checked in to the hotel and walked around Avalon.  The Friday was a relaxing day - we spent some time running, walking around part of the island and kayaking.  Friday afternoon was the rehearsal, followed by a "get acquainted dinner" at Armstrong's Restaurant (where Keith gave Margaret and Damon his "Ode" - see below), then beer and wine at the Beach House.  The wedding ceremony was on the Saturday at 3pm on the deck of the Beach House, followed by a reception at the Ristorante Villa Portafino.  Everyone then went back to the Beach House for late night drinks before retreating for the evening.  Sunday was time to pack up and head back to the East Coast!

Keith and Dick

Shawna and Keith

An Ode to Margaret and Damon

Thirty seven years ago I started my time

It started so great, everything was mine

Then along came Graham, oh what a laugh

All of a sudden, Mum and Dad’s attention was split in half

But then came sister Margaret, of what a turd

Yup, the next thing you know, a half became a third

But at that time I should have known I had it great

Because eventually for everything Graham and I got, Margaret got 8!

Yeah, Graham and I spent our early years in Kmart crap

While Margaret lived the good life – always dressed in Gap

Every summer we were shipped to Scotland where we’d play among the castles

Our parents said it was for speech therapy, but it really gave them time off without us as a hassle

Keith, Dick and Graham

Margaret did well in high school – she got A’s time and again

So it was a surprise to no one when she graduated in the Top 10

My sister’s first attempt at college was a lot better than mine

However, Trinity had too many Republicans, and not a good time

Margaret eventually found her true calling by studying Geology

But I still get it confused – isn’t it Archeology?

No story would be complete without mentioning her cat Calypso

Who she loves so dearly, but I think is a spoiled, hissing fatso

I’ll never understand how Margaret subscribed to the politics of Mao,

Now she’s a raving left wing communist, who doesn’t eat cow

Kelly, Jean and Judy

She got her masters in Colorado while also hiking 14’ers each day

Then she moved to DC, Seattle, and now Dallas – with the EPA

As you can see, Margaret has led a fun and exciting life

She’s finally settling down now with someone who will put up with her as a wife

Damon, we’re glad you’re joining our family, it really is nice

But to help you survive with the Dodds’, Shawna and I have some advice

First, as you may already know, don’t leave your shoes on when you walk in the door

The only thing worse than that is to spill something on the floor

I think that you may have already learned that it is critical to “suck up to Mum”

But don’t look to me for examples – I’m not so good at this one

The way to Dad’s heart is through wine and Indian Food

Through a trip organized in detail in a spreadsheet – that puts him in a good mood

As I sum up my thoughts I know this to be true

I couldn’t think of a more perfect match than the 2 of you

So as you move on to this next stage, I leave you with this wish

May you have a lifetime full of fond memories, and unending happiness

Shawna's Mom's 65th Bday - Louisiana - Jan 2006

Hannelore Dubroc (Shawna's Mom) as a Baby

And, Hannelore at 65

For Shawna's mom's 65th birthday, we decided to host a birthday party for her.  We invited over 30 of her friends (who all came) and held the event in the private dining room at the Red River Grill in Marksville, LA, which is her mom's favorite restaurant.  Many of her local friends came, most of whom are part of the supper club that she belongs to (Jimmy, Dardene, Mike, Diane, Linda, Jean, Henry, Peggy, Carole, Bertie Lee, Dan, Virginia, Ashley, Brenda and Joe).  And a few of her out of town friends came as well (Dorothy, Warren, Jim, Betty, and Keith's parents - Jean and Dick).  Of course, Nicole and Danny were also there as they co-hosted the event with Shawna and Keith.

Shawna, Keith, Jean and Dick (Keith's Parents)

Carole, Diane and Hannelore

Jimmy, Dardene and Jean

The Cake

During the day, Keith, Shawna, Danny and Nicole decorated the restaurant and ran errands in preparation for the event.  Everyone arrived for dinner on time.  During the cocktail hour, everyone mingled and had a few drinks.  We had a slide show playing in the background of photos of Shawna's mother -- some from her childhood and many of her with the family throughout the years.  We then sat down for dinner where everyone had a choice of a few entrees.  For dessert, we served a cake that had a photo of Shawna's mom in the icing.  During dinner, both Danny and Shawna gave speeches, toasting their mom.

Dorothy, Betty, Warren and Jim

On Sunday, Shawna's mom hosted a lunch at her house, mainly for the out of town guests, although a few local friends were also invited.  She had it catered with some yummy cajun dishes and there were plenty of cake options for dessert.

Joe and Brenda

Danny and Nicole

It was a great event.  It had been many years since Shawna's mom had a real birthday party so she was so happy to be able to celebrate with her friends.

Copy of Shawna's Toast to Her Mom:

First, I’d like to thank you all for coming tonight – it means so much to have you here to celebrate mom’s birthday. Many of you have known my mom since she first moved to Louisiana about 34 years ago.  In fact, most of you in this room have changed my diaper at some point.  You can probably remember that she came with a thick German accent and a really tall bee-hive hairstyle and had never seen crawfish before.  I think a lot has changed since then – she’s finally seen a crawfish! Mom told me that I was not allowed to “roast” her tonight, which is a shame since I have close to 35 years of material that I could use. On a more serious note, I can remember as I child that I used to tell her that I would never move away and would live in a house next door to her once I grew up.  Keith, don’t worry – that’s not going to happen!  Although, I didn’t keep that promise, I have remained close to her in many other ways.  No matter where I’ve lived or traveled to, she has been there by my side, providing advice and guidance and sometimes just listening (although that’s been rare as a mother always has advice to provide).  I may not have always taken her advice but I always appreciate receiving it! Mom, by the attendance here tonight, I think you can see how many people truly enjoy your company and appreciate your friendship.  I wrote something for you in German -- Vielen Dank, für eine wunderbare Mutter zu sein. Ich liebe Sie sehr viel! We wish you many more healthy and happy years filled with fond memories!   Happy Birthday, Mom!

Ed and Hannelore

Danny and Shawna