Christmas Day

Gifford Pinchot State Park, York County

Rocky and Nemo

White Rocks, Cumberland County

Colorado

Last year we traveled to Copper Mountain, Colorado with our friends Kevin and Anna. We decided to visit during Colorado's mud season, which usually lasts from March to May and is the least popular time for a Colorado vacation. In our opinion, it was the perfect time to visit for multiple reasons... less expensive, smaller crowds, fantastic weather and plenty of outdoor activities!

5/21/2010 - 5/28/2010
Location: Copper Mountain, Colorado
Lodging: Copper Mountain Resort
Travelers: Steve, Christine, Kevin & Anna

The Copper Mountain Resort was almost completely vacant, so it felt like it was all ours. The sun shone almost every day and there was still snow on the mountaintops, so we were able to take advantage of both. We rented a car for the week, which allowed us to explore more than just Copper Mountain. Our roadtrips included visits to Frisco, Breckenridge, Leadville, Buena Vista and Arkansas River. We went whitewater rafting in Brown's Canyon, explored several trails during the week, rode a steam locomotive on the Georgetown Loop Railroad and went on a mine tour. The boys spent a lot of time fly fishing, while the ladies enjoyed some small town shopping. If you love the outdoors, dislike large crowds, and want to experience both the sun and snow, then a Colorado vacation during mud season should be on your agenda!

Copper Mountain Resort
This picture was taken from our deck, a majestic way to start and end every day.

Peaks Overlooking Copper Mountain Resort

Buena Vista

Kevin and Steve flying fishing in Buena Vista. 

 They call it "fishing" and not "catching" for a reason.

Spruce Creek Trail, Breckenridge

This Gray Jay and the next few pictures were taken 

during our hike on Spruce Creek Trail in Breckenridge.

Me, Anna and Kevin

Steve and I before our whitewater rafting trip in Brown's Canyon

Niagara Falls

Spring in Copper Mountain, Colorado

Rockefeller Center

New York, New York

In honor of my trip to the city this weekend and the holidays...

Merry Christmas! 

Let It Snow!

A view of Clarks Creek from "The Cabin"
Dauphin, Pennsylvania - Winter 2010

Dominican

Steve and I were engaged on October 1, 2009 at sunset on the overlook of Pole Steeple in Pine Grove Furnace State Park.  It was a day I will never forget! Two days later, we departed for our celebratory engagement vacation to the Dominican Republic.


10/3/2009 - 10/10/2009
Location: Boca Chica, Dominican Republic
Lodging: Oasis Hamaca Resort
Travelers: Steve & Christine


As you can imagine, we spent a lot of time on our all inclusive resort, which included beaches, pools, a spa and casino.  The few times that we left the resort were to participate on excursions. Our first excursion was a trip to Santo Domingo. In Santo Domingo we spent time exploring the city and Parque Mirador del Este. Our next excursion was a tour of the Dominican countryside and included visits to: a sugar cane plantation, a Dominican market, and a Dominican home, where we made our own coffee and witnessed a cock fight exhibition match (not my favorite to say the least!). The Dominican tour ended at a series of beautiful waterfalls, where Steve and I exfoliated with natural clay. This vacation was the perfect mixture of culture, the outdoors, relaxation and fun!

-Christine

Oasis Hamaca Resort

Our resort was located at the heart of the Bay of Boca Chica,

one of the most famous beaches of the Dominican Republic.

These canopy beds were great for lounging in the sun with a good book.

Los Tres Ojos (The Three Eyes)

This is a 50-foot open-air limestone cave in Parque Mirador del Este, Santo Domingo.

These next few photo's were taken during our tour through the Dominican countryside.

Playing in the clay! 

Ricketts Glen State Park

Snowy Mountain in Park City, Utah

Majestic Forest

A Dog's Bond

As litter mates, Nemo and Rocky share a bond stronger than most. It can be seen on a daily basis and is documented in many of our photographs. They also share a bond with mother-nature and are happiest when exploring the world around them. The images below capture both their bond as brothers and with nature.

Enjoy!

-Christine

 White Rocks, Cumberland County
Side by side, Nemo and Rocky will take-on any adventure.

At eight years old, the boys are still hard to keep up with and have no fear of heights.

2010 Snowstorm
They adore frolicking in the snow.
As soon as their paws land in it, their spirits renew and they are puppies once more.
.

 Hiking Tumbling Run near Pine Grove Furnace

Like most Labrador Retrievers, Nemo and Rocky can't stay out of the water.
In their eyes, Tumbling Run is heaven on earth!

 "The Cabin"

My mother-in-law's home is a favorite family getaway, especially for the canine members.
With plenty of land to run on, woods to explore, and a creek to swim in...
the cabin provides the ultimate escape for all of us.

Darlington Trail near Harrisburg
Because the Darlington Trail is near our home, we visit often.
After a tough day at "the office", Nemo and Rocky like to hit the trails.

Do your dogs feel the call of the wild? What do they like to do?
Do they have close canine companions?

Yakin' on the Hanna

Clematis

Alaskan Cruise

As a college graduation gift, Steve's mom, Linda, invited us to join her on an Alaskan cruise. Adventurous or not, an Alaskan cruise should be on your vacation wish list. A cruise is perfect for those who want to cover some serious ground in a week.

8/6/2007 - 8/13/2007
Location: Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway & Whittier, Alaska

Lodging: Island Princess of Princess Cruises, Voyage: 2723
Travelers: Steve, Christine & Linda

The ship was beautiful and there was plenty to do while on board, though we spent as much time as possible on shore. In Ketchikan, we crossed rope bridges and zip-lined from tree to tree at Alaska Canopy Adventures.  Juneau provided a whale watching and wildlife quest, where we saw Humpback Whales, Harbor Seals, Steller Sea Lions, and Bald Eagles. Then we toured the Alaska State Museum, visited the Green Angel Gardens, explored the Mendenhall Glacier and quenched our thirst at the Red Dog Saloon downtown. Skagway was our next stop, where we spent time in town, went horseback riding, hiked the Chilkoot Trail, and white water rafted. Between Skagway and our last stop, Whittier, we sailed through Glacier Bay, which was breathtaking and provided plenty of photographic opportunities. In Whittier, we kayaked and caught salmon with our bare hands. Alaska is awesome, I can't wait to go back, and I can't thank Linda enough for such a wonderful experience. 


-Christine

Ketchikan

Skagway

Bald Eagle

Amanita Muscaria "Magic Mushroom", Chilkoot Trail

Glacier Bay

Glacier Bay

Whittier

BOO!

...and you thought Halloween was over! 

Homegrown Snow-O-Lantern

Happy Halloween!

Daydreaming of Fall

Backpacking in Colonel Denning State Park

Steve and I prefer to backpack in the fall and winter, so that’s what we did this past weekend!

Along with the four of us, Steve’s college roommate and best man, Kevin, came along for our overnight excursion. Steve did some research on places we could go, provided us with a few options and we all decided to head to Colonel Denning State Park.


10/22/2011 - 10/23/2011
Location: Colonel Denning State Park, Pennsylvania
Lodging: Three-man tent along Warner Trail
Travelers: Steve, Christine, Kevin, Rocky & Nemo


The highlight of this park is the view of Cumberland Valley, which can be seen by climbing Flat Rock Trail to the overlook on the crest of Blue Mountain.  In addition to the view, the park has 18 miles of hiking trails and is a trailhead for the 105 mile Tuscarora Trail. The weather and temperature were typical for fall and in the evening, after setting up camp, we were able to sit close to the fire and sleep comfortably at night. We had an excellent time with a good friend in the great outdoors!

-Christine

Flat Rock

This view of Cumberland Valley was taken from the overlook
at Flat Rock on the crest of Blue Mountain.

Our Campsite Along Warner Trail

The next few pictures, including the one above, were taken in the area surrounding our campsite. This photo was shot in the evening and the others were taken at sunrise.

Ring-Necked Pheasants

These colorful, male Ring-Necked Pheasants are not native to North America,
but now are one of it's most popular game birds, especially in Pennsylvania.

Finding Nemo

This image was taken during a hike on one of our favorite local trails -
Tumbling Run in Michaux State Forest, PA. Finding Nemo is easy when there is water near by.

Fall in Central Pennsylvania



Our Honeymoon in Costa Rica

Steve and I tied the knot on Saturday, June 25, 2011. We left for our honeymoon in Costa Rica the following Monday. This was our first adventure together as a married couple, and our first trip to Central America. We had such a wonderful time together, saw a lot of exotic animals and took some amazing shots!

6/27/2011 - 7/5/2011
Location: Arenal & Manuel Antonio, Costa Rica
Lodging: Arenal Nayara Hotel & Gardens; La Mansion Inn Hotel
Travelers: Mr. & Mrs. Brindle :)

If you are interested in seeing tropical rainforests and wildlife, then this is the place to visit! We saw a variety of species including: Capuchin Monkeys, Three-toed Sloths, Basilisk Lizards, Iguanas, Red-eyed Tree Frogs, Squirrel Monkeys ... the list goes on. In Costa Rica, summer is the rainy season. The thunderstorms were intense, but quick and never ruined our day, only woke us up occasionally at night. When the clouds gave way to the sun, it was beautiful and warm. Both the Arenal Nayara Hotel and the La Mansion Inn Hotel were extraordinary. We toured Arenal Volcano and went hiking in Manuel Antonio National Park, relaxed in the Tabacon Hot Springs in Arenal and sunbathed at the public beach in Manuel Antonio, ate delicious food at local restaurants, and rafted on the Savagre River. It was a fantastic honeymoon and a great start to our life together as a married couple.

Enjoy and be inspired by nature!

-Christine

Arenal Volcano

This was taken from the Arenal Nayara Hotel.
The Arenal Volcano is Costa Rica's most active volcano
and one of the ten most active volcanoes in the world. 

Eyelash Pit Viper

We found this viper on a hike around the Arenal Volcano.

Panoramic View of Manuel Antonio
La Mansion Inn Hotel provides 360 degree views from its rooftop.

Both this image and the one below were taken there.

The peninsula in this picture is part of Manuel Antonio National Park.

Manuel Antonio

Rainbow Grasshopper

We found this colorful grasshopper during a hike through Manuel Antonio National Park.

Capuchin Monkey

We saw a lot of Capuchin Monkeys during our stay in Manuel Antonio.
It was fascinating to witness their athleticism and human-like behavior.