Category: vacation

From left: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me (Catherine). FIFI Bloggers August BBQ– it’s becoming a thing
fitness · season transitions · vacation

FIFI Bloggers August BBQ– it’s becoming a thing

catherine w1 Comment

August is a glorious month. Yes, it’s the last month of summer, bringing with it wistfulness and reflection back on all the things that one could have done this summer (like, say, painting my dining room, revamping my fall courses, reading at least twelve books, taking up parasailing– okay, not that last one). But it’s also the month of perfect ripeness (like the fresh tomatoes I ate today), perfect blue skies and blue water (like what I enjoyed at Lake Huron this week) and perfect leisurely company– like the FIFI Bloggers BBQ, held at Samantha’s house on Saturday.

Here we all are, well-fed and feeling very convivial:

From left: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me (Catherine).
From left humans: Diane, Carla, Kim, Susan, Cate, Sarah, Natalie, Samantha, and me. From left dogs: Chase and Cheddar.

Samantha hosted us at her place in Guelph, and folks came from all over Ontario for the party. I had made plans a while ago to combine a trip from Boston to my friend Norah’s rental cottage in Goderich on Lake Huron with a weekend visit to Guelph to visit with Samantha, Sarah, Kathleen (Sam’s mom), her in-town kids, resident animals and any neighbors who stopped by.

This week was one of near-perfect relaxed activity:

  • swimming in Lake Huron
  • walking on the lakefront boardwalk in Goderich
  • drawing the trees and flowers of the area in my journal
  • hanging out with Sam, Sarah, and the fam
  • dog walking and farmers’ market purchasing
  • prepping for and enjoying a yummy potluck BBQ meal

But the best part was seeing folks I hadn’t laid eyes on in a while and also meeting some of the bloggers I’d never seen in person. Diane met all of us for the first time in the flesh– thanks so much for coming, Diane!

We shared stories, bubbly beverages of all sorts, yummy salads brimming with the best produce Ontario has to offer, and loads of other treats brought by folks. Not to play favorites, but Diane’s just-picked fresh cherry tomatoes will go down as some of the best I’ve ever had.

Like you, we bloggers have gotten to know each other through our writing. But there’s nothing like sharing space, food, hugs and laughs together. preferably in someone’s leafy green backyard. Don’t you agree?

This is the second year we’ve met as a group. Not everyone was available– this is just the reality of complex full lives– but I’ve gotten to see just about everyone in the past two years. And I’m pretty sure we’re going to do a repeat event next August.

Now, all we have to do is either a) find a way to transport our Newfoundland bloggers Martha and Christine here next year; or b) ROAD TRIP TO THE ROCK (which is supposedly a nickname for Newfoundland, according to Google; my apologies if this is wrong). Anyway, you get the idea.

I hope all of you, dear readers, are enjoying the last half of August, including (especially?) the tomatoes.

Possibly a view of a road in Newfoundland. It's what Unsplash gave me, courtesy of Volodymyr Grytsiuk.
Possibly a view of a road in Newfoundland. It’s what Unsplash gave me, courtesy of Volodymyr Grytsiuk.
A view of a person in green, seen through filtered glass. By Dinamic Wang for Unsplash. Catherine’s May has been a month on the move
dogs · family · fitness · functional fitness · vacation

Catherine’s May has been a month on the move

catherine w

May is usually a time of transition for me. The school term finishes and I ease into my summer schedule, which often includes travel to see friends and family, occasional conferences, and summer-at-home activity and projects. This May, however, I’ve been running (and driving and flying) around. Last week I was in Vermont with a friend, hanging out, doing some work, and petting the resident cat Kasper. This week I’m in South Carolina, staying with my sister and seeing my mom and other family.

My sister’s kids are out of the house this week on their own travel adventures, so we are taking advantage of the quieter time to hang out together and also knock out some home improvement tasks. Her wish list includes the following:

  • replace IKEA wardrobe doors
  • paint IKEA wardrobe sides to go with new doors
  • buy new bed and mattress
  • get rid of old bed and mattress to complete transition
  • paint bathroom one
  • paint bathroom two
  • buy and install IKEA standing shelf unit for bathroom two
  • paint upper kitchen cabinets
  • miscellaneous car maintenance for her and kids’ cars

My list for the week includes the following:

  • Take walks with dogs
  • Take walks along river paths in Columbia
  • Take walk to see spider lilies at nearby state park
  • Finish watching Hacks TV show

My guess is that we will achieve some from her list and some from my list. We have already made some progress, having gone to IKEA right after she picked me up from the Charlotte, NC airport and scoped out possible purchases. And last night we watched several episodes of Hacks.

I like domestic activity, I like visiting my family, and I’m looking forward to this week. I’ll update y’all when I get back (my flight takes me home on May 31). Then my actual summer will begin…

A patch of Rocky shoals spider lilies; hoping to see some later today!
A patch of Rocky shoals spider lilies; hoping to see some later today!
celebration · fitness · fun · self care · swimming · vacation

Not-very-wordy Wednesday: manatees are here to save your day

catherine w

When things are looking dire, one thing we can do is strive to find solace in what’s in front of us. What was in front of me today was a big collection of manatee stickers, given to me by my friend Gal after our legendary (in our minds, at least) trip to go swim with the manatees in Crystal River, Florida. In case you missed it, here are some posts I wrote about them:

Six things I’ve learned about manatees

Catherine’s manatee-intensive vacation: the director’s cut

It was so awesome that Gal and I are planning a return trip next December or January, with various others.

But in the meantime, we have to find things to do while we are waiting. One of them for me has been to put my manatee stickers to good use.

A creatively-colored orange-pink-and-yellow-patterned manatee on my red water bottle.
A creatively-colored orange-pink-and-yellow-patterned manatee on my red water bottle.

I’ve also selected these stickers for application to my laptop; they depict manatees engaged in activities that make us all happy– playing music, drinking boba tea (or your beverage of choice), and looking fabulous.

Manatees playing bassoon, drinking boba tea, and rocking a boa and great glasses.
Manatees playing bassoon, drinking boba tea, and rocking a boa and great glasses.

Of course, manatees also model how we sometimes need alone time, and sometimes can use a friend.

Two manatees enjoying the prospect of tasty greens, and one just enjoying their own company.
Two manatees enjoying the prospect of tasty greens, and one just enjoying their own company.

My favorite I saved for last: on my pill box is a manatee doing one of my favorite things: riding a bike. Say no more.

A happy manatee riding their bike.
A happy manatee riding their bike.

Manatees got us, in good times and in bad. I’ll leave you with this proof: a manatee who’s got the whole world in its flippers.

It’s got the whole world… in its hands/flippers.

Have a lovely afternoon, dear readers.

Spring preview, part two: the garden version
fitness · nature · vacation · walking

Spring preview, part two: the garden version

catherine w

This week I’ve been visiting my family in South Carolina, and the signs of spring are definitely here. It’s not full-blown spring yet– no azaleas blooming yet– but the time change brought with it a shift of light I always welcome, as a non-early-riser.

One of my favorite low-key activities we did was a visit to Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet, SC. Their big draw is a significant collection of bronze and other sculptures, but I go for the nature.

Nature, the tiny flower version. Snowdrops;
Nature, the tiny flower version.
Bright pink magnolia blossoms.
Bright pink magnolia blossoms.
Forsythia, the major harbinger of spring for me.
Forsythia, the major harbinger of spring for me.

The other big draw of the gardens is their low-country path by the water. We walked all over and enjoyed the vistas and the gorgeous old and thriving trees.

Huge moss-covered oaks, providing shade and awe.
Huge moss-covered oaks, providing shade and awe.
The path we walked down, the trees showing us the way.
The path we walked down, the trees showing us the way.
Yes, that's a real alligator.
Yes, that’s a real alligator.

When it’s warmer, they offer boat tours.

The water, a dock off to the right, and blue sky in abundance.
The water, a dock off to the right, and blue sky in abundance.

Taking a break by wandering though and sampling nature big and small has been heartening. I’m back home now, so it’s time to go back to work, in more ways than one. I may not exactly feel refreshed, but I do feel reminded– of the importance of beauty, connection, well-being. Also of the goodness in people– the people who care for this (and other lovely) places, and those who visit and support and enjoy and value them. I think they value other important things in our world, too.

Enjoying nature and gardens and walks and sunshine helps. It helps fortify us to get to the very big job we have at hand. I wish you all a good week.

Me, in murky water, swimming with a manatee. Six things I’ve learned about manatees
fitness · swimming · vacation

Six things I’ve learned about manatees

catherine w1 Comment

HI readers– I’m writing this from Crystal River, Florida, where My friend Gal and I have been swimming with manatees and also witnessed a manatee luncheon at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. A full report is coming on Wednesday, but for now (while I’m still mid-vacation), here are some things to know about manatees:

One: Manatees hang out in rivers and springs near the Gulf of Mexico (I’m ignoring that stupid renaming debacle, as is everyone around here) in the winter, as the water in the springs is a constant 72F. This is how you can swim with them. Crystal River is Manatee Central, with scads of companies offering tours for snorkeling, kayaying in clear plastic boats, and riding in a glass-bottomed boat for viewing. There are also parks with boardwalks that let you see the manatees sometimes.

Two: Manatees’ favorite food is romaine lettuce. They each eat 150 lbs a day of the lettuce at the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State park. There you see some manatees that have been injured (generally by boat motors) and are cared for my the vet and science staff.

Here you see manatees with the remains of the romaine heads, thrown to them ny the park staff. The floating square is labeled "Manatee Salad Bar".
Here you see manatees with the remains of the romaine heads, thrown to them ny the park staff. The floating square is labeled “Manatee Salad Bar”.
The two larger manatees-- Aurora and Bessie-- were orphaned long ago and live permanently in the park. They are 51 and 47 years old.
The two larger manatees– Aurora and Bessie– were orphaned long ago and live permanently in the park. They are 51 and 47 years old.

Three: Most swimming with manatees happens in shallow murky water, as they shuffle along the bottom foraging for grasses. But when you see them, they are astounding. By the way, the cover photo is me with a manatee.

You can see the manatee's small front flippers; we were 15 inche away.
You can see the manatee’s small front flippers; we were 15 inche away.
Manatee head, up close and personal.
Manatee head, up close and personal.

Four: You need to be calm and quiet when in the presence of a manatee. They can sense your heartbeat (says our very knowledgeable guide Brian), so will leave if you’re not chill. I was not chill on our first encounter (too excited), but soon learned.

Five: Swimming with manatees is guaranteed to make you very happy. I highly recommend it.

We few, we happy few, we band of manatee swimmers.
We few, we happy few, we band of manatee swimmers.
Gal and me, first thing in the morning on the boat, with Cap'n Jake steering us.
Gal and me, first thing in the morning on the boat, with Cap’n Jake steering us.

And Six: It’s continually surprising to me how many people get up very early in the morning (i.e. before 7am) as a matter of course. We did a 7am tour (my choice!) because I thought it would be really nice. It was.

More details to come on Wednesday. In the meantime: have any of you swum with manatees? How did you find it? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

In real-pool like, there were kids, us, a nice lifeguard, and lots of sound effects from everyone going down this surprisingly fast green spiral slide. It’s September: final pool update and memories of pools I have loved
fitness · swimming · vacation

It’s September: final pool update and memories of pools I have loved

catherine w

Hi readers and Happy first day of September! It’s time:

  • Time to turn from vacation-mode to at-home-and-working mode
  • Time to shift (gently) into the fall season
  • Time to get back to work
  • Time to check out of this hotel where I’m speed-writing my blog post

It’s been such a fun week visiting Canadian friends, vacationing with American friends, and enjoying the refreshing water of (great) lakes, quarries and hotel pools.

Just this morning, Norah and I headed to our hotel pool before going our separate ways (me back to Boston, her back to her rental cottage on Lake Huron for another week– lucky duck!). But we couldn’t leave without trying out this pool and its big green slide:

In real-pool like, there were kids, us, a nice lifeguard, and lots of sound effects from everyone going down this surprisingly fast green spiral slide.
In real-pool like, there were kids, parents, us, a nice lifeguard, and lots of sound effects from everyone going down this surprisingly fast green spiral slide.

I’ll be back on my regular non-hotel-pool beat for Fit is a Feminist Issue starting this week. But as I check out and roar down the New York State Thruway, please enjoy this post about the silliest hotel pool I ever experienced (thus far; I’m always looking for other contenders, so do let me know if you have intel).

Catherine finds joy in exotic hotel pools
Photo of a woman looking at a waterfall by Jason Mavromattis for Unsplash. Group vs. solitary exercise: finding joy in both
fitness · vacation

Group vs. solitary exercise: finding joy in both

catherine w1 Comment

This week I’ve been on vacation with my aunt Cathy at the Chautauqua Institution in western NY state. We saw several musical concerts, kayaked, meditated to the sound of a live gong, went to talks about important issues, hung out with friends, and walked everywhere. Today we’re going to Niagara Falls, and tomorrow we both go home– her to South Carolina and me back to Boston.

It’s been a great week, with lots of time together, which was our reason for the trip. We were active together, too, mostly with loads of walking all over the area. Cathy is almost 77 and in great physical shape; she and her friends walk 2.5 miles each morning Mon-Fri at 7am, converging on another friend’s house for coffee at 8. By 8:30 everyone departs to begin their day. What a lovely ritual, I think to myself.

My WOTY for 2024 is COLLECTIVE, so I’ve been thinking about my place in and participation as a member of a collective– friend groups, family groups, work groups, etc. In particular, I’ve been thinking about collective exercise– walking, swimming, kayaking, cycling, yoga.

There’s real joy for me in collective movement. Yoga in the studio feels so much more enjoyable than over Zoom in my living room. Exercising with others (and their dogs) provides entertainment, connection, and fun distraction.

Sometimes, however, I want to be solitary and experience physical activity just for myself. Instead of enjoying the (welcome) distraction of friendly chatter, I focus on the experience of the ride, the paddle, the swim, the walk. How does my body feel doing this or that?

There’s also the environment: noticing and reveling in the micro-changes of plants and flowers and trees during the season is a particular pleasure of mine. My friend Pata notes how much of a flower lady I am as I point out new blooms during our rides. We both appreciate the cycle of nature as we cycle along.

Sometimes, though, I want the simplicity of pedaling or swimming or walking alone; the license to pick my pace, route, and focus for that outing. Reading Cate’s blog posts about her solo cycling trips all over the world, we can see the richness and complexity (inner and outer) of a solitary physical endeavor. I’m intrigued.

COLLECTIVE is a good WOTY for me this year, and I’ve really enjoyed my collective trips and outings and physical activities. I’ve got another trip with and to visit friends planned for late August.

But I’m thinking: it would be fun to do an all-day (or even overnight!) outing with the COLLECTIVE of me, myself and I. Cycling, swimming, walking, or maybe all three. I don’t think I’ll go to Hungary this time. But maybe a day trip to Rhode Island? Hmmm. Stay tuned for updates.

Readers, what are your experiences of planning a day or overnight or weekend activity trip for you yourself? I’d love to get ideas and tips.

Photo of multiple swimsuits on hangers by artem-beliaikin for Unsplash. 5 reasons to bring an extra swimsuit on vacation
fitness · swimming · vacation

5 reasons to bring an extra swimsuit on vacation

catherine w

When you’re packing to go away for a weekend or a week, to the beach or the lake, think about this: you might want to pack more than one swimsuit. Why? Let me tell you.

5. Trying to put on a still-wet swimsuit is not fun. Having a second one means you can swim twice a day if you want, giving each one proper time to dry out on a hook in the bathroom, or slung over a deck chair.

4. Many of us own more than one swimsuit. Why not use them? Variety is the spice of life, which may well include swimwear.

3. Sometimes wardrobe malfunctions happen. If a strap breaks or a seam unravels, you don’t want to have to rush to the beachwear store to buy an overpriced two-piece with the face of a lion imprinted on it (unless you do, in which case great). To avoid such bathing suit emergencies, bring an extra.

2. Also a variety-based reason: some people like different swimsuit style for different purposes (e.g. one-piece tank for swimming, two-piece bikini or tankini for walking/sitting/lolling on the beach). Bringing more than one bathing suit provides us with choices.

Tatiana from RuPaul’s Drag Race offers her wisdom: Choices…

1. In case you happen to leave your swimsuit drying on aforementioned deck chair, forget it’s there when it starts to rain one night, and the rain turns onto a microburst windstorm and tempest, sending your bathing suit, the chair it was on, and the glass patio table flying across the street, it’s good to know you’ve got another suit in reserve.

Yes, 1. happened to me when I was at the beach with my sister and her kids. Seriously, it looked like a beach-item yard sale the next day: chairs and tables and towels and buckets and little shovels were strewn everywhere. I despaired of finding my new blue speedo tank suit. Luckily, my niece Gracie spied it in some bushes about 100 yards away. The glass table from our deck was about 30 yards away. That was some microburst.

Dear readers, I hope you will benefit from hard lessons learned by me: bring an extra swimsuit!

Do any of you have harrowing or ridiculous stories about swimsuit emergencies or mishaps on vacation? Share them in the comments and I promise to be extremely sympathetic.

fitness · hiking · vacation

Yay! We hiked to a hot stream and my knees made it!

Sam B

We did it! Sarah and I hiked to the Reykjadalur hot spring.

I mean,  I did it before when I visited Iceland with Jeff in 2017.  See Active adventures in Iceland: Sam hikes to a hot river and gets her heart rate up in the process.

And Sarah’s certainly in good hiking shape.

But it was seven years ago that I last did the hike when my knees still worked. Since then, I’ve had both knees replaced, and though I’m gradually getting back to longer walks and walking up hills, I really wasn’t sure how it would go. I was feeling a bit more confident after all the Rome walking last week.

Here’s the basic run down of the hike from the trails app on my phone.

It’s a pretty spectacular hike. Lots of steam and waterfalls. Here’s some photos from the hike:

Not everybody walked. Some people did the trail on bike or on horseback. The cycling looked terrifying for me, but I imagine for skilled mountain bikers, it was all fun. Here’s a photo of one, but they were in groups moving quickly across the ridges. The people on horses were getting lessons from a guide. Even for me,  a long-time cyclist,  the horses looked more tempting.

I went and reread Susan’s post Horse Magic in Iceland. I love the Icelandic horses.  They’re so beautiful.

Here’s some photos from the hot river itself.

There were wooden platforms to change behind and lots of space to soak in the warm water. It felt delicious after the long walk.

The hot river at the end of the hike

It’s not a technically challenging walk aside from a few ridge sections and bits with large rocks. I had fun jumping across some streams. We both followed the signs telling us to stay away from the very hot water bubbling out of the ground.

Hot water and steam bubbling out of the ground

My advice if you do it: Bring a towel,  flip flops or water shoes,  water,  and snacks. Now that said we had water but not the other things, and it was still worth doing. Oh, and either go early or maybe late at night.  By mid afternoon, it gets pretty busy with tourists from all over the world.

I found the walk back the hardest bit.  Walking downhill is challenging.  I was also very ready for a snack!

After I had the world’s best grilled cheese sandwich and hot chocolate.

In the airport, I spotted a t-shirt that summed up my feelings. Yay!

But it was only available in white and white t-shirts don’t last that long in my life.  Luckily, I found it online here and it comes in different colours and in a sweater version.

Here’s the Google Fit version of our day.

Yay indeed!

A woman doing yoga on rocks by the ocean. By Bady Abbas for Unsplash. Imaginary fitness vacations vs. actual vacations (reblog)
fitness · vacation

Imaginary fitness vacations vs. actual vacations (reblog)

catherine w

Hi readers– I just got back from a five-day beach vacation with family. We had so much fun doing the following:

  • walking on the beach
  • swimming in the ocean
  • playing volleyball on the beach (niece, nephew and sister, not me)
  • lolling on the beach
  • swimming and lolling in swimming pool
  • playing board games
  • riding beach cruisers every day all over the place
  • watching silly movies
  • playing mini golf with enthusiasm, if not skill

It was an active and busy vacation, but also very relaxing. There was loads of time for hanging out, eating and napping. We made the collective decision to do and see less this time, not more. I am so very glad.

Yes, I'm as happy as this smiley face, despite both of us being a bit weathered... Thanks, Chaitanya P from Unsplash for the photo.
Yes, I’m as happy as this smiley face, despite both of us being a bit weathered… Thanks, Chaitanya P from Unsplash for the photo.

If you find that your vacation itinerary tends to get a little too full, take a look at my post from June 2019 about my imaginary fitness vacation vs. my real one. And let us know, if you like, about any imaginary or real vacation plans you have this summer!

-catherine

My imaginary fitness vacation (vs. my real one)