2010 Adventure: Day 5

In the morning we drove to Banff National Park. Once we arrived, we took the Lake Minnewanka scenic drive and were greeted by a herd of big horn sheep that had little horns.

Our next stop was Johnston Canyon for a 1.1km hike to the Lower Falls. You can hike another 1.6km to the Upper Falls, but MH and I were tired, and it started to rain, so we thought seeing the Lower Falls were good enough for us.

When we got back to the car, we were drenched. It was a good thing that everything in Banff is so far apart because it gave us time to dry our clothes before we arrived at our next destination, Moraine Lake. At Moraine Lake, there is a large rockpile on the left-hand side that you can climb up. When you get to the top of the rockpile, this is what the lake looks like.

We ended our day at Lake Louise. The area is very touristy and reminded me of when MH and I visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. Large buses unloaded tourists of all sorts and there were people all over the place.

Just before we left, we saw a bride and groom taking photos at the edge of the lake. I'm sure those were going to be amazing wedding shots! When the clouds cleared and the sun light shined through the reflection on the lake was gorgeous.

2010 Adventure: Day 4

The morning wind woke us up early, so we packed up, and as we left the park, a grizzly bear mother and her two cubs greeted us roadside. Unfortunately, I couldn't pull my camera out fast enough to get a picture of them scamper across the road but perhaps it is for the better that our visit with them was brief.

Our next stop was Calgary, Alberta. In Calgary, we visited the Glenbow Museum. At the museum, we learned about Alberta's history and saw a wonderful Botero exhibit.

The rest of the day we relaxed and made sure we got to sample Alberta's famous beef. MH and I both agreed that Alberta definitely know what it is doing when it comes to beef and recommend trying it if you ever have the chance.

2010 Adventure: Day 3

In the morning, we hiked the Trail of the Cedars and then stopped to admire Wild Goose Island at St. Mary Lake.

Then, we headed over to Many Glacier and took the Swift Current and Josephine Lake boat tours. When we arrived at the other side of Josephine Lake a moose mother and baby were enjoying the lake too.

MH and I hiked to Grinnel Glacier. The sights during the hike were nothing short of breathtaking. Grinnel Glacier is amazing. Even though the hike is a tough one, it is well worth it when you get to the top.

On our Swift Current boat tour return, we saw a grizzly bear mother and her two cubs.

We set up camp at Many Glacier and enjoyed our camp-side dinner to another beautiful sunset.

2010 Adventure: Days 1 & 2

On Wednesday evening, MH and I flew into Spokane, Washington, picked up our rental car (a cute looking bean car aka a Toyota Yaris), and drove to Kalispell, Montana.

The next morning, we picked up some groceries, and drove to Glacier National Park. We stopped at Lake McDonald and enjoyed our lunch lakeside. Then, we drove the Going-To-The-Sun Road and enjoyed the scenery.

We stopped at Logan Pass and hiked to Hidden Lake. During our hike, we came across a bunch of mountain goats and they were so close to us we could have touched them if we wanted to.

After our hike, we headed back to Lake McDonald so we could set up camp, prepare dinner, and eat lakeside as the sun went down.

Happiness Is Not Studying For Exams!

In 2009, I decided it would be a good idea for me to become a Certified Public Accountant. So, for the past year, I have been working toward that goal. I took 13 units of online accounting classes at Santa Monica College over the Fall 2009 and Winter 2010 semesters. I attended CPA review classes from March-July 2010 and I have been studying for what feels like forever.

Last weekend, I finished sitting for all four of the sections of the exam and now I have to wait till the end of September to receive my results. From what I have heard about the CPA exams, the pass rate on each individual part is between 40% and 50% and the pass rate of all four parts the first time is around 10%. So... it's time for a study break and MH and I are heading off to enjoy a 10 day adventure!

Montana De Oro State Beach

On our way home from San Francisco last month, MH and I stopped in Morro Bay and camped over night at Montana De Oro State Beach. The camp sites sit on the bluff across from the beach so you can't hear the waves crashing during the night, but the peace and quiet was welcoming.

Montana De Oro State Beach

Before we left the bay area, we picked up groceries at Berkeley Bowl (my absolute favorite grocery store) for our camping dinner. We typically try to have something a little tastier than hot dogs, so we picked up some sausages, mushrooms, sweet onions, baby bell peppers, and rolls.

Dinner Prep

After slicing everything up, MH fired everything off in our camping stove. Our stove accommodates an 8" fry pan so we can cook almost everything at the same time when need be.

Sausage Sandwiches with Mushrooms, Sweet Onion, and Baby Bell Peppers

Our ultralight camping style pales in comparison to any family with their RV's, generators, weber grills, etc. but our system definitely works for us.

Frozen Treats On A Stick

Now that the summer heat is finally here, MH and I made ice pops! MH's parents surprised me with a variety of ice pop molds and this nifty ice pop book for my birthday, so we flipped through the book and picked the strawberries & cream recipe for our first ice pop attempt.

Ice Pop Molds

The recipe is very simple: (1) Puree 2 1/2 cups of strawberries with 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. (2) Fill the ice pop molds by first pouring 1 tablespoon of plain whole milk yogurt into the molds and then 2 tablespoons of the strawberry puree, alternating between the yogurt and puree until the molds are full (leaving approximately 1/2 at the top for the ice pops to expand). (3) Swirl the mixture with a small knife to combine the layers. (4) Freeze the ice pops. (5) Serve and eat!

Popsicle Assembly

The book says the ice pops need to freeze for 4 hours to 3 days before serving and they aren't kidding. We tried eating them after 4 hours and although the ice pops felt like they were frozen, they wouldn't come out of their molds. However, after 24 hours, the ice pops were set and popped out of the molds easily.

Strawberries & Cream Ice Pops

If you don't have ice pop molds, you can make ice pops using cupcake trays, ice cube trays, or dixie cups, with sticks.

Stay cool and have a great summer (what is last of it at least)!

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden

On the west side of campus at Cal State University of Long Beach you will find the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden. It is a small but quaint garden where you can escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life for a moment and enjoy picturesque views.

When you enter the garden there is a clear path that takes you around the lake with plenty of stopping points for moments of zen and tranquility.

The Lake, Zig-Zag Bridge (in the back on the left),
Moon Bridge (in the back), & Black Pebble Beach (in the back on the right)

Stone Water Basin (Tsukubai)

Japanese Iris Bordering the Lake

Lake View From The Other Side

Three Tiered Pagoda

Admission is free and the garden is open Tuesday through Friday 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM, and Sunday Noon to 4:00 PM. Stop by if you are in the area.

Another Day And Another Year Older

Birthday dinners are one of my favorites. This year, I asked to have a sashimi and sushi dinner at home and my parents delivered big time.

My Dad carved up a variety of fish to make a sashimi platter.

My Mom made miso soup, California hand rolls...

& Futomaki, and picked up some Seaweed Salad.

For dessert, we had a spongecake with custard and blueberries.

Happy Birthday to Me! Thanks Dad & Mom! Cheers to another year of health, happiness, and fantastic meals with family and friends!!!

Spring Rolls for Summer

Ickity and LQ kindly accommodated my request for spring rolls and we had a spring roll extravaganza!

Home made spring rolls are a fair amount of work. You have to clean, cook, and cut all of your ingredients and only then are you ready for the assembly process.

Spring Roll Ingredients

Apparently purchasing pre-cooked, shelled, and de-veined shrimp is considered cheating, who knew? Sorry Ickity! I was just trying to expedite the process. I promise there will be no cheating next time.

My Second Spring Roll Unwrapped

I didn't realize that there was an art to assembling spring rolls until after I had made my first feeble attempt and then saw Ickity's spring rolls. Her spring rolls were fit for a magazine cover and mine were... quickly consumed.

My Second Spring Roll Ready to Eat

Thankfully, my tummy didn't seem to mind my amateur attempts because pretty or not, they were undoubtedly delish!