Mich's Visit

We've figured out what is going to get us through our stay in California: visits from family and friends. Our dear friend Michele flew out from Nashville to spend some time with us in the desert. We drove to Vegas to pick her up, and spent several hours walking the Vegas Strip. It's true what people say, "Things on the strip are not as close as they appear." I'm not exactly sure how far it is from the Flamingo to Mandalay Bay, but I definitely recommend wearing sneakers as opposed to flip flops if one opts to make the trek on foot. After our hike, we elected to hale a cab back to the truck, which at the time seemed like the best $10 we ever spent. Our trip back to the Mojave Desert, with one extra passenger, took longer than we expected due to traffic. According to the radio, there were too many cars on the road leaving Vegas for the interstate to support. Therefore, we spent an hour and a half in bumper to bumper traffic, making what should have been a 3 to 3 1/2 hour drive into an aggravating 5 hour road trip. On a positive note, Michele REALLY got to experience the desert.

The next day was a relaxing day with not much on our agenda. While Scottie was at work, Ali and Michele went to the pool. Michele got to experience first hand just how much stronger the sun's rays are in the desert, and how they make your skin feel like it's simmering on a skillet. Scottie got out of work early, which hardly ever happens, so we cooked up some chicken fajitas and enjoyed a nice dinner together. Later in the evening, we took Michele out to Joshua Tree to see the spectacular sights of the park.

On the next day, Ali and Michele ventured "down the hill" to the Palm Springs area. They visited a friend of Michele's family at the La Quinta Resort and Club and took part in a guided tour of the extravagant facility. They enjoyed a relaxing day which included lunch and shopping before they returned to the high desert for dinner and more R and R.

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Michele had to return to Nashville. We thoroughly enjoyed having her as our first house guest. From what we observed, it is possible that she fell in love with the desert. Perhaps this is what will happen with our next house guests; they will come and never want to leave. Of course, it might not be just the desert that will make family and friends want to stay... it could be because we're great company. Just a thought.


Ali and Mich at the Flamingo Hotel


Stopping at a fountain on the strip


In front of the Monte Carlo. We had to walk off everything that we ate for lunch at PF Chang's.


One of the things we're really good at: holding hands.


Outside of New York, New York.


Joshua Tree National Park


Peaceful rock climbing


Big Horn Sheep


Barker Dam during the dry season


Watching the sunset


Proof why desert sunsets are the best

Florida vs California

After enduring 7 months on the "Left" Coast, I finally made the trip back home to Florida to visit family and friends. I couldn't have picked a better city to fly into (Tampa), for I was overwhelmed by the beautiful combination of grass and water; two things of which we don't see a lot of living in the desert. In route to my parents' house, I'm pretty sure my mom and brother were growing tired of all my comments about the green and lush foliage.

Just before my trip, I found myself taking part in many discussions about the weather. Based on first hand research, this is the most common topic discussed at the gym. Most of the people I talked to insisted that the Florida heat is far worse than the Mojave Desert heat because of the humidity levels. This trip proved all of those people wrong, hence the title of the blog "Florida vs California", with Florida taking the win in the "More Bearable" category.


One of my favorite parts of the trip was spending time with my little bear.


Scottie's parents had me over for dinner. In this picture, Dad, our niece Trinity, and Trouble are all watching TV.


I also got to see our nephew and Godson John Robert. The little ones grow so much each time we see them.


Trinity and I relaxing in Dad's chair.


Another highlight of the trip was visiting Grace, our beautiful Goddaughter.


Here I am holding Alex, one of Bill and Tiffany's dogs. Alex is Scottie's favorite, hence why there is no picture of Emma and Morgan (the other two dogs). Scottie's partiality goes way back.


Scottie sent me an edible arrangement for my birthday. The chocolate covered strawberries were my favorite. I must note the bowl that the arrangement was in survived the trip back in my suitcase. Thank you American Airlines.


I spent several afternoons target shooting with my dad and brother. My brother and I are pretty good shooters. I guess my dad successfully passed down the sniper genes.


Here's the lake house we all grew up at. I miss spending every weekend on the water.


My 26th birthday cake. My mom ordered my favorite cake from Publix (yellow cake with whipped topping and strawberry filling)


Jen drove all the way from Brandon to spend my birthday with me.


I enjoyed spending a lot of time torturing my brother.


The Kircher Family


The coolest part of the trip was riding on my dad's motorcycle.

Like most vacations, the trip flew by and I found myself on a plane back to California. This trip has made me realize that Florida is my home, and I can't wait for us to return there permanently.