Easter Break 2012

Crazy how each Easter Break is starting to connect.  Many have passed, and perhaps a half dozen to experience until the kids have different interest and responsibilities.  Not that many left...

I am sitting at home reflecting and journaling a few things.  We recently planned to go to Sycamore Canyon Campground and then to Refugio Campground.  Because of the recent late season storms, we only experienced the first and decided as a family not to set up at Refugio to a muddy and soggy mess.  We came home two days early and will remain on vacation, even if only in spirit.

The couple of days we enjoyed were jam packed and fun.  Here is some of the story.

Day 1 - packed early and headed south to Sycamore Campground.  After getting set up, the kids wanted to go to our family surfing beach, aka Zeros or Nicholas Canyon State Beach.  For some reason, each time we visit, a southwest wave pulse arrives and get to enjoy this place.  Warm sun, surfing, and just some fun before heading back to the camp for dinner preparation.  We ended the night, by fire, with open cooked burgers.  We hit the hay just as an intense rain storm arrived and made havoc through the campground.  Woke to a soggy and very wet campground and ready for day 2.

(Nicholas Canyon aka Zero's - pumping SW Swell)

(Under the Sycamores)

Day 2 - Enjoyed breakfast together, packed the bikes, and headed south to Santa Monica to spend the afternoon on the bike path and see where Mom arrived on the west coast ala Venice Beach, CA.  Had a blast tooling around, remembering places my dad took us when I was a kid, and then hit the pier at the constant request from my children to try a ride, and then the treat of the day - lunch at Lulas.  Jenn took us to a place she worked while early in college.  Truly the best mexican cuisine I have ever had.  Jenn said hello to several workers who remembered her from 18 years ago!  We returned to the campground and the girls watched a movie together while resting.  Sean and I took on adventuring up the canyon after some of the trails finally dried out.  At the end of the day, we prepared a camp roast to simmer, and then I took a road ride for an hour and climbed Yerba Buena - dang steep and tough descent.  Fun active end of the day and returned back to get the camp ready for dinner.  Awesome day indeed.

(Santa Monica Pier)

(Lulas - Santa Monica)

(Seany boy scrambling the mountains)

Day 3 - Woke early and got breakfast going to prepare the kiddos for a ride up the canyon.  The mud was mild and doable but still presented some challenges.  Nonetheless very fun and the kids rode very well.  Amber was throttling it on the way in and I think I have her talked into a mountain bike race!  We packed up and hit the road to head to Refugio Beach.  We arrived to standing water 2-3" deep in pouring rain.  After tearful disappointment from the kiddos, we pulled the plug with the looming forecast of no improvement and headed home.

(heading up the canyon)

(My little proteges)

Some special observations:

• Sycamore Canyon has no electronic availability, cell coverage, or wifi.  You are forced to go old school.
• Many things to do.  Mountain biking, surfing, hiking, and scenery. 
• Parrots everywhere!  They must have been imported many years ago.
• Let your kids see the City so they can see other lives, and so many different lives in general.  San Luis Obispo, for better or for worse, limits experience and life perspective.
• Camping makes families engage and this experience was no exception, even if only a few days.
• You can see why the Chumash called this their home!

Great time indeed and grateful for Gods blessing in this family time.

Family Weekend

Started Thursday with a drive to Valencia to hang with the brother brohem Uncle Sean and his wife Deb.  We started things off with our treat at La Cocina for some awesome mexican cuisine...

On Friday, we started the day off with a morning run and Sean ripping my legs off in the neighborhood.  We then got the family ready for the day and headed to Hurricane Harbor at Magic Mountain.  At the park all day until 6pm and then headed to my sister Donna's house for some more family get togethers with our visiting Alabama family.  Great time.

(The Martin Fam at Hurrican Harbor ala 95 degrees F!)

On Saturday, spent the day at Castaic Lake and had a blast.  Tubing, food, site seeing, swimming, boating, and a little bit of fishing.  Great time and memories were being remembered and created on this lake.  When we finished, we hit the pool for a bit more of water - we were water logged by 7pm...  My kids could not get enough of it.  I'm tired, and cannot explain why...

(Tubing Castaic Lake)

(Heading into Elizabeth Canyon at Castaic Lake)

(Wifey enjoying some summer sun in the Canyon)

(Martin Family Totem Pole!)

Really enjoyed the adventurous weekend.  I don't think I took a shower the entire weekend.  My wife confessed she took one shower!!!  We never got out of the water.

So thankful for the experiences and what God has provided in our lives.  I woke this morning and had the delight to read Isaiah 53 in the Bible and was just simply humbled to read about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Old Testament.  Sweet time this weekend.  Good rest for the brain, even though we never slow down...

Looking forward to more of lifes adventures.

Spring Break 2011 - Mammoth Mountain

Desert adventure fun...

This is how we roll...

Easter Break 2011

The Martin Family had the joy to spend our Easter celebration on a road trip.  The main attractions were Death Valley and Mammoth Lakes with cool travels and places along the way.

The first day we left early and drove eastward across the lower central valley, through both Tehachapi and Mojave until we reached the Owens valley in which we took an abrubt right hand turn in Olancha.  Death Valley would be our next step over the beautiful Panamint Mountains.  We landed in the valley and Furnace Creek campground at approximately 3pm and set up camp.  It was an awesome desert landscape.

(The great Owens valley and dry lake bed.  Sierras at left and the rise of the Inyo Mountains on the right)

(The descent into the valley via atop the Panamint Range)

(desert camp out - a comforting fire...)

The second day was planned ahead and we rented a Jeep Rubicon for a mountain and desert adventure through Titus and Echo Canyons with several stops along the way including the famous DV sand dunes.  Mid day between the canyons, we poached the ranch inn pool to enjoy refreshment poolside and wipe the dust of our bodies.  We encountered petraglyphs, historic lead and silver mines, reptiles, and just amazing desert landscape...

(Jeep packed and ready for exploration!)

(Lunch in the canyon!)

(Sean feeling his scale against massive and beautiful canyon walls - Titus Canyon is simply a must visit!)

The third morning we all woke together to worship our risen savior Jesus Christ!  It was a delightful morning as family as we read 1 Peter together and reflected on the Gospel in our lives.  It was great to hear the kids and my wife talk about the scriptures together.  It was awesome to praise God in His creation on a day of resurrection celebration.  The balance of the morning was spent quickly packing and hitting the road for Scotty's Castle, and northern Death Valley run, and a trip back westward through the Inyo/White Mountain passes into Bishop and then to Mammoth Lakes.  This drive did not dissapoint and the new landscape was an amazing adventure.  The Castle too was a great history lesson on early California and it's folks.  We arrived into Mammoth Lakes in time for another quick dip in the pool before an Easter dinner at a family favorite restaurant known as Angel's.  Great time.  Sweet time.

(Death Valley Ranch aka Scotty's Castle)

The next two days was spent on the slopes of Mammoth Mountain and both Sean and Amber got their alpine game on with Seany skiing with his dad, and Amber snowboarding with her mother.  Awesome time.  First day it snowed and the wind blew.  The next day was a beautiful sunny day.  Both days were nonetheless very enjoyable.

(My girls on their sleds!)

(The fam in their groove on the mountain!)

Our final night, after a day of skiing entailed a quick 90-100 mile drive south on 395 along the eastern Sierra to Independence in which we turned again abrubtly right straight into the mountain foothills and made camp at Grey's Meadow at approximately 6,000 foot elevation.  We were so close to Whitney and other major mountains simply directly above us.  The mountains towered above us with snow caps.  Simply massive and awsesome.  Made camp, cooked dinner of quesadillas, and enjoyed some refreshments and family time around an open fire.  It was an amazing time to end our Easter road trip before returning home the next morning.

(last night with wine, sodas, and grilled quesadillas on open range - does not get any better than this)

We are so very grateful for the blessings God gives us in exploring His landscape.  Praise God for these future memories and this great trip...  He is Risen and risen indeed!

More pictures of this great trip - Just click on the active FLICKR site at right...

Aquarium of the Pacific - Long Beach

This place did not disappoint.  Very kid friendly, less than half the price of admission to Monterey Bay, and you could touch many marine animals including sharks!

Beautiful December day and this old tug boat community sure has cleaned up...

The harbor has changed alot over the years - beautiful December day!

Lots of little sharks and rays to pet.  They came to you like little cats for a quick scratch...  Very cool.

Our resident marine biologist and family shark expert.  The little man named nearly all the ten sharks in this tank precisely.  So really cool.  Sawfish in the background.  Have you ever heard of a zebra shark?  There were a bunch!

You need to make a plan to go there!

Reagan Library

The family visited the Reagan Library on a recent trip.  It was awesome.  Much of the library had some amazing exhibits and jarred back a lot of memories as a child with President Reagan.

Like all leaders and people, he had flaws, but my memories of him we're very favorable.  I adored this man back in the day...

Much to visit here, I highly recommend it...

Signs of freedom - this is a section of the Berlin wall.  Freedom and democracy was his mission.

Airforce One - we toured this area in and out.  It was an amazing piece of equipment and you could see the timelines and history of his travels for expanding his mission.

The family in front of vintage 80's Kawazaki motorcycle - my dad rode the exact model during his time in LAPD motors!

Great trip - Praise God for the experience.

Family Stability

This photo is one of our favorites.  This is a drift on the Colorado last June during one of our family adventures.  It is my hope and prayer that the Lord always keeps these two close and reliant on one another in so manny of life's journey.  Got to treat family like paddling a kayak.  Kayaks, when operated solo are fun but can be unstable.  When 2 kayaks are together (see Ambers hand), they stay together and are far more stable.  A little lesson to think about...

Lake Mead - A Desert Paradise

The Lake Mead recreational area has not changed...  Other than the lower water level, it is still beautiful and enormous!  This was the return day of our kayak trip and we drove the shoreline to explore at various areas.

Desert and River Adventure Part I - Hoover Dam

All I can say is what a fantastic time it was...

Adventurous, challenging, peaceful, spiritual, timely, and even sparked some youth memories.  Mom, Dad, Jenn, Amber, Sean, Brendan, and yours truly took a desert and river adventure this past week and totally enjoyed the experience.  More to follow in detail, but lets start with some breathtaking photos the day before our adventure began.

The crew...

The landscape...

Standing atop a very amazing story - Hoover Dam.  The new bypass bridge in the pictures foreground is no less impressive really and the pictures simply do it no justice.  It stands a towering 1000 feet above the water and the scale is simply amazing.

More to follow...

Happy 50th Tamara!

In 1959 there were some considerable introductions to the world. The BIC pall point pen introduced in the US, Barbie was introduced world wide, Alaska entered US statehood, and many other important events seem to hit the US headlines. But these little pieces of US history simply meant nothing to our family. One of the best decades of our country was coming to an end and our family enjoyed one last piece of blessing from the 1950's. Tamara was born to the world... God really blessed us all with her and we are grateful that she is in our lives. Tamara, meaning spice and in some cases palm tree, is a very fitting name because the beautiful and tasteful ways she has impacted all our lives.

This past weekend, all the siblings and children drove to Borrego Springs to celebrate her 5oth birthday and the weekend did not dissapoint. Her husband Brad and her introduced us to their new ranch home in which they are responsible for - a very profound and old organic citrus grove tucked in the upper valleys above Borrego in the San Diego County side just above the imperial valley. The desert oasis setting was stunningly beautiful and the ranch in which they reside has been there since 1940. They gave us tours and it was a blast.

The birthday day was spent at a SPA poolside with everyone having a blast poolside watching the kids and cousins go for it in the pool. The balance of the adults spent time fellowshipping and enjoying Tamara's company in this hot desert and 100 degree plus setting.

The evening was spent getting ready for dinner and a drive into the town of Barrego. To all of our surprise, we were greeted with a WWII armed forces carrier truck and we enjoyed a music filled tour of the Barrego Springs area as family together in the back of an elevated truck body with comfortable seats. The warm breeze, music, laughter, and smiles from everyone was an amazing experience and we all seemed to enjoy the unique aspect of our evening. It was something you could not have planned from an area outside of Borrego - Big thanks to Brad for this evening. We landed at a restaurant that hosted the Hollywood elite in the 50's. The building was a modern type of architecture built in a very desolate desert setting complete with pool, suites, restaurant and bar. Christina and Vanessa (Tam's daughters) set up the pool deck with memorabilia, cheeses, wines, and other enjoyments to make the birthday celebration all the better. The evening was filled with cheer, fellowship, sharing, tons of laughter, and overall a family appreciation and celebration. In this case, Tamara was center stage.

What a great time and we are all indeed grateful for Gods hand in all of our lives and the faithfulness in keeping us all together in our life journey. We will continue to make our family fellowship an important one.

Papa and his grand kids and great grand kids...

The beautiful girls: Jenn, Debbie, Cheryl, Shawna, Donna, TT, Tamara, Diane (the mom and grandma), and Amber. Have no idea why Vanessa is not in the pic?

The Gents: Korey, Jeff, Seany boy, Richard, Kenyon, Jeff (dad and granpa), Sean, Kevin, and Brad. John was missing and left to Taiwan on business. He was missed.

All aboard miss birthday girl!

Brad and Tamara at Dinner. Thanks to Brad, Christina, and Vanessa for putting on such a memorable evening...

Mammoth Base Camp - Going for it!

Sean and Amber always love to go for it in Mammoth. Traditions always have us in the climbing and bouldering at the main lodge. It is a joy to watch the kids climb and trust the teamwork with their dad on the anchor... They really did a good job.

Seany ringing the bell.

Amber taking the hard route.

The treat at the end of the day - zip line!

Mammoth Trip 2009

Our Mammoth trip this year did not dissapoint. We thank our Lord for these precious times of family fellowship, adventure, traditions, and important reflection. This picture was taken at about 10,300 feet above sea level above Mosquito Flats with a small lake known as Heart Lake.

A storm was coming in, it was 5:30pm, and time to head down. From Left to Right: Sean, Debbie, Jenn, Sean, Me, Amber, Dad, and Mom. Will share more stories of the times that included all the sisters, their husbands, and family. Great time had...

Christmas Vacation

I certainly realize this blog must be late but I cannot escape the desire to share the wonderful time away during the week after Christmas. As everyone already knows, our family loves company and we general spend all of our vacations and weekends saturated with family and friends. Over the past few years, we have learned a precious opportunity to just make this one trip of the years our own and get internal with one another. This trip did not disappoint and was a ton of fun!

Day 1 - Drove straight to the town of Oakhurst near south entrance to Yosemite to a lodge known as Tenaya Lodge. This day would be the first day of 3 nights and four days on the visit. We stopped in Fresno at the REI outlet to get the kids ready for the weather and outings we were about to experience. As we drove up the hill from Oakhurst, we knew we were in store for a winter storms treat of deep new snow throughout the area. When we arrived and unpacked, we jumped into our snow clothing and ran for the outside only to pummel each other with snow balls and sled on the Lodge provided slopes in a beautiful setting. The day was topped with a tasty dinner in diner right there on site. Woops, forgot to mention the indoor pool that the kids had to hit before shower time each night! They love the pools and swimming!

Day 2 - Drove into the Yosemite Valley with to enjoy a days event of snowshoeing. The valley was empty of tourist but completely full of strikingly beautiful layers of fresh snow and a frozen winter landscape. We walked for hours and really took in Gods amazing creation. You could not help but to find yourself conversing with God and giving praise for everything He made and created. We spent the entire day there and the drive back to Oakhurst on this day was a long one since all vehicles had to have tire chains. This fact, along with inexperienced drivers along the way, made for a long way home. However, the time was precious together and the views around every corner were fantastic.

Day 3 - Drove to Badger Pass Ski Area to cross country ski. This adventure was an amazing experience and quite kid friendly. For those who know how expensive skiing is, our whole day including rentals was $60 for all of us included! We really enjoyed the back country experience and the great exercise had by all. Both Amber and Sean did great and so did the wifey. Seany boy really impressed me with his climbing skills as he constantly went to the front to make it happen... We ended the afternoon with some pizza for the kids and a tasty beer for the parents. We packed up and got down the hill to enjoy some mexican food in Oakhurst. Since this was the last night, the kids went nutso in the pool.

Day 4 - Took a scenic drive in the heart of the Merced foothills to the north bay area. We really enjoyed the run in from the Oakland area and made the coastal loop to our first destination to stop for the day at the headlands at the Golden Gate Bridge. It was an amazing view and only the second time I have seen this wonderful landmark. It was both the kids and Jenns first time. Following this stop, we drove highway one south all the way to Monterey and passed along landscape and towns I have never witnessed before. It was a treat. We landed at a beautiful hotel along the cannery row in Monterey and treated ourselves to a seafood meal before hitting the pillow for the final day of adventure.

Day 5 - Enjoyed the morning and early afternoon at the Aquarium. It was a great time had by all and the kids really learned alot about the ocean creatures. We spent most of our time trying to spot the various California halibut a the bottom of the sandy tank and all of us were just totally ready for next summers fishing trips. This is like visiting a great restaurant and looking at wonderful entrees without being able to sample them! After this we hit the car and drive three hours home and ended our wonderful time away and family retreat.

A great time indeed. We are so grateful for the blessings of these special times and adventures. Sorry it took so long to share. Life is in the way sometimes...

Morning Sun at Refugio

Woke early before the sun came up. Prayed a bit while making coffee before everyone woke. God is perfect in revealing His majesty and beautiful handiwork.

Jenn joined me just before the sun came up. Enjoyed some great time with family and friends.