I heart Boston... part V

I heart Boston... part IV

I heart Boston... part III

I heart Boston... part II

I heart Boston... part 1

Boston is a great place. Some of that is unexplainable. It must be experienced. So I have a friend who has to decide between two great cities - and between two great schools, but I can't speak to that - Boston and choice B. In an effort to explain a small piece of Boston's brilliance, without all the verbal rambling, I'm dedicating the next few posts to a small sampling of great Boston memories. These first pics were taken on a 4th of July, with the exception of the Red Sox game. Enjoy.

Count-down to Katahdin!!!

I've wanted to hike this peak for almost 8 years now. It's about 5.5 hours to get there from Boston. We tried last year and the fog/ weather conditions were a bit much... especially above treeline... but we're going back!!! Here's a quick preview of the trail, which we hope will be a bit dryer this time.

Charcoal Toothpaste...

So there's a charcoal toothpaste product in asia! I stumbled upon this site and laughed so hard at the comments. I don't consider myself a "hard core camper" but I have brushed my teeth with charcoal from a cooled fire... multiple times. I still bring a toothbrush and paste, but I love the stunned reaction people give you when they see you actually do this. Rarely has anyone joined in, but that's ok. You'd be surprised at how well it works and how clean your teeth feel, and you can feel a bit more connected with the aborigines...

...Camping anyone?


http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/11/03/black-charcoal-toothpaste/


**By the way, I could attach pictures to illustrate, but they are a bit freaky so I'll work on some this summer and maybe do a follow up tribute to my carefully selected website address... invented by Mark Bangerter who witnessed the charcoal tooth-brushing 1st hand on a camping trip in Acadia a few years ago.

Tour of the Gila

Today I attended my first bike race ever... stage 4 of The Tour of the Gila in Silver City, NM... amazing! Racers rode 40 laps (just over 40 miles) around downtown Silver. Among the racers were greats such as Lance Armstrong, Levi Leipheimer and Floyd Landis.

The racers come so fast that it's a challenge to pick out individual riders. Fortunately for us they have 40 laps. It's really a great spectator event and made for a very inspiring day.

Tomorrow they ride 105.7 miles through the Gila Mountains gaining 9,360 feet. Our spectators guide refers to the race as 'the climber's race' or 'the toughest one-day race in America'. Since I don't follow the sport of cycling, and can be a bit out of touch with these things, I'd never heard of this race, but I'm happy my friends invited me along. Such a fabulous day. Thanks Jerra and Chris!

See next 2 posts for pics of White Sands...

White Sands (continued)... I just can't get over this place

The Ultimate Sand box Playground/ Natl Park!!!

I went to White Sands National Park yesterday with a friend. Unbelievably amazing destination! Crazy fun! Gorgeous! I'm a huge fan. These pics don't do it justice (of course). If you come to visit, we're definitely going here... only 1 hour away. Looks like snow, but so much warmer. We can hike, sled, jump off the dunes, somersault, run down, picnic, etc. There's some back country hiking, but I need to dust off my orienteering skills before I wander off to camp among some shifting dunes.