Honeymooning - Part 1

{The resort we stayed at on the North Rim of the GC, sat right on the edge.}

The Monday after the wedding H and I flew back to LA, took a day to unpack and repack, and hit the road for our honeymoon and our first vacation together that didn't involve visiting family and friends. Our plan was to drive the 10ish hours to the Grand Canyon, which we did, but it was more like 15 hours because Hillary likes to take the scenic routes. So, being me, I sat with my arms crossed, annoyed in the passenger seat because we weren't taking the direct route. But then I realized I was on vacation (not to mention my honeymoon) and I needed to not be a controlling B, and that's when the fun started for me, and probably Hillary too.

{Superimposed?}

The place we stayed at the Grand Canyon was awesome and we had our own little cabin, which wasn't quite as nice as our cabin at Jenny Lake, but it was very cool and kitschy. The photograph above is from the patio we had drinks on both nights we were there. Obviously, the view was breathtaking and the dirty martini's where to die, but they didn't have any blue cheese olives, which was a bummer.


The second day we took a little walk around the hotel. We really didn't even have to walk, views like the one above were everywhere. Hillary worked at this place 2 summers in college so he had a few things he wanted to show me. So we set off for a 'spot' he knew of. We followed a dirt trail from the hotel. Tourists swarmed around the two scenic spots right in front of the hotel, but as soon as we got five minutes away we stopped seeing anyone, which was nice, because tourists to the Grand Canyon are the same tourists that go to Vegas. So really, best to keep your distance.

{I took this photo, but I was having a heart attack - get away from that edge, you're not a Mountain Goat!}

Now, I know my husband (!) is a guy who likes to take the road less traveled, he marches to his own drummer and all those other cliches. But what I learned in the wilderness is that he literally blazes his own trail. Every time I turned my head to take in the view, he was off in the middle of the weeds or trying to climb up a boulder. It made me nervous. Hello - ticks! Bears! Rabid Elk? Okay, maybe not. But I'll stick to the trail, thanks. So when I saw him beckoning me, holding up a bunch of branches as if I was supposed to duck under them, I was like No Way! But he coaxed me off the path and we picked our way through brush and briar until we got to a group of boulders that hung out over the canyon, which Hillary immediately started to scale.

{Not the rocks H made me climb, but I'm no more comfortable on these, although I was trying, see?}

All I could see was his foot slipping and him plummeting to his death, leaving me a widow after only 4 days of marriage. When he noticed I wasn't following, he came back and dragged me up to the top of the rocks. As soon as I stopped hyperventilating I did enjoy it a bit, but was happy to see the trail. One of the reasons I married him, he challenges my neurosis.

Honeymooning - Part 2

{Our cabin at Jenny Lake Lodge}

We spent the second half of our trip in Wyoming (I know you don't know what the first part was yet, but remember we're going backwards.) We stayed at a swank resort in Jackson the first night. Jackson is a cute little town, but full of tourists. So we did a quick tour of the main street and then hit the hot tub and pool back at the hotel, since our accommodations up until then had been much more rustic. We spent one cush night and then back into the wilderness we went.

{Our view from the cabin}

Although, I can't say our cabin at Jenny Lake Lodge was very rustic. But we were in the middle of Teton National Park with no television and, more importantly, no cell phone service. The cozy little room had everything you could ever need, however, including 2 wine glasses and an opener which were put into good use during several games of Scrabble that maybe didn't end very newly weddish. But we never stay mad for long.

{Downhill was the fun part}

Each cabin got two cruiser bikes to explore the park with. After we checked in we took a ride over to Jenny Lake to see what we could see. I was having a great time, until the second half of the ride was mostly up hill and we left the shady cool of the trees far behind us. I'm pretty sure near the end I got off my bike and said something like, "We're stranded with no food or water and I'm pretty sure there is a bear tracking us!" Then a motor home zoomed by and honked it's horn.

{I'm pretty sure it moved a little}

The second day we decided to take a walk around Jenny Lake. We came prepared this time and took water bottles and snacks, mostly nuts and chocolate. It was gorgeous and we had a great time, walking through the woods, brain storming on our future. It felt very honeymooney.

{Hidden Falls - worth the ankle turning}

We walked for a while, nothing strenuous, because Hillary and I had a talk about how I don't wear hiking boots and I don't find scraping my knee and walking through spider webs fun, so NO hiking. Then we see a trail head for Hidden Falls, and I was intrigued, even though Hillary said it'd be more like hiking. And it was. The trail was rocky and kinda slick and man, I can dance in a pair of 3 inch heels for hours on end, but put me in some sneakers on an inclining trail and I turn my ankle every five minutes. But I did it and it was awesome.

{Marmot, not a chipmunk - he kept his distance}

We even tried to keep going and make our way higher to Inspiration Point. We stopped about twenty minutes in because we found a nice flat rock for snack time. We were only sitting for a few minutes before some uppity chipmunk tried to jump into our bag of almonds, which I snatched away, appalled. He hung back, waiting for us to throw him something, but we weren't having it. Then his friend ran up and touched my leg with his tiny, greedy, chipmunk hands. As I screamed, painful sessions of rabies shots flashed across my mind and I was back down the mountain before you could say Teton.

Obviously This Sucked

{Our new house - in my dreams}

The Manifesta is back! We're all married and honeymooned and I have a lot of stuff to catch up on so in the words of Huey Lewis - we're going back in time. I'll be starting with the 4th of July and taking you back over the next few...let's face it, probably weeks, until we get to the wedding and the awesomeness that surrounded it.

{The view from the party}

So we were lucky enough to hang with our Best of the West over the 4th at a friends extremely nice digs. We had a great time, with even better people and enjoyed all of the fireworks happening around the city from the deck.

{From Nearlyweds to Newlyweds}

Being that we know we won't be in LA forever, this was a great way to spend the holiday! If only every weekend would be similar...although I'd probably have to check into rehab pretty quick.

Memorial Day Recap

{Not from this weekend, but it seems appropriately Memorial Dayish}

My long weekend was so filled with awesomeness, that to not share would just be cruel. My only regret is that I didn't bust out the camera even once to document.

Friday, Lauren and I ravaged H&M at the Beverly Center and came home with some tasty treats. I can't wait to take my new black organic cotton mini-dress out on the town (next Saturday perhaps, for my LA so-long-to-singledom celebration? We're going Hollywood style and will be gracing the Roosevelt with our prescence.)

Then Hillary and I went out to the valley to party with our favorite rockers, Bolt Action Thrill. I drank so much beer I was stumbling in my 3inch wedges. Thank goodness Hillary is the DD of my dreams.

Saturday night we celbrated Staley's 29th year at the Hollywood Forever Cemetary with a viewing of To Catch A Theif. Carey Grant and Grace Kelly in the South of France. Are you kidding me? How had I not seen this movie? Lauren and I drooled over Grant's outfits and I've decided to buy Hillary some ascots. Then Lauren and I drank too much wine (and whatever else) and got lost in the crowd on a wayward bathroom trip. We picked our way through, what seemed like, miles of people huddled together on blankets in the dark, trying not to step on ankles or block anyone's view of the movie. After too many "SIT DOWNS" were thrown our way we finally tumbled down on a patch of grass laughing so hard we could barely breathe. We found our group eventually after some nice people took pitty on us and shared their popcorn for a while.

Sunday was chill, as Sundays should be. Hillary and I saw Terminator Salvation, which is exactly what you want from those kind of movies, but left me annoyed that they didn't work harder with the lead Terminator to cover his British accent. Every time it popped though I hit Hillary on the arm to make sure he noticed why I would be bitching about the movie later.

And today I will pick up my wedding dress. (WHAT??? OMG!!) Then Zeppelin will be heard loudly coming from the turntable, as I get this apartment ready to have other people in it while we're on the honeymoon. 29 days and counting.