After having gone backpacking, and in particular, after the Hilton Creek Lakes trip with friends, the husbands wanted to introduce their wives to the wilderness, far away from anything accessible by car. So, I drummed up interest for this paddle excursion and secured reservations and permits in May, a full six months in advance.
This trip was planned months ago, and we had missed getting permits for the original weekend. This date was our backup, but it turned out to be better now, when the Arizona summer has transitioned to more fall-like.
The Water and Clouds of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers (瀟湘水雲) was composed by Guo Mian (郭沔, c. 1190–1260). He was a qin player from coastal Zhejiang (浙江), and I’d find out that he and my wife share the same ancestral hometown of Yongjia, Wenzhou (温州市永嘉县). As a famed guqin…
It’s been a year since we last went backpacking, and the kids have been looking forward to this trip. They are growing up, and they can have more freedom on this trip. The night before our trip, I put all the kids to bed an hour early, since we have an early morning start to a long car ride and hike.
We’re all looking forward to an upcoming paddling trip, from the Hoover Dam down through the Black Canyon, visiting hot springs on the side. A few weeks ago, I had given some of the novices a tutorial, and not, it’s time to try it out on the water. Mountain Oak…
This is Yan’s first time on Oahu, and we base ourselves out of the Moana Surfrider. I book a last-minute glass bottom boat cruise from Ko Olina Monday afternoon. It turns out that we’re the only ones on this boat, so we love this private excursion. The highlight for the kids, however, is the luau. They want to see another one, but we’re pressed for time.
Arriving in Tokyo Monday evening is very hectic. We leave the airport and take the light rail to our hotel. Our dinner consists of take-out food court items from the subway station, and we eat in our tiny hotel room.
Planning for the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons meeting in Kyoto, I figured it would be better for jetlag to add in visits to Hawaii, on the way there and on the way back. And this being at the same time as our tenth anniversary, we would spend it visiting the honeymoon locations on Kauai. Yan and the kids approved of the idea.
The kids have been wanting to go camping, since it has been months. At the same time, we are planning a paddling trip to the Black Canyon below Hoover Dam later this year. Some of us need practice.
Ten years ago, this weekend, I proposed to Yan at Forest Falls. It had just snowed, and today is a perfect day for bringing the kids up to the mountains. Yan and I relive wonderful memories, and the kids enjoy hopping through the stream and throwing snowballs.
This year’s Hand Association meeting took place on the Big Island, at the Hilton Waikoloa. The sessions mainly took place in the mornings, and afternoons were free for roaming around the island. Highlights included hiking to lush waterfalls, watching serene sunsets, and viewing the glow of Kīlauea light up the starry night sky.
After experiencing a ski-in-ski-out place, it’s hard to go back staying at a regular rental. We found a wonderful condo just up the slope from Eagle Lodge at Mammoth. Just steps outside of our front door, we can ski down to the lift and be up on the slopes in no time. Mid-day, we simply turn right and ski back to our door. It was a great trip, socializing with friends and enjoying the mountain with the kids.
