What do you do with 12 teenagers in Las Vegas for two nights and three days? You play video games, ride roller coasters and eat at buffets until you can’t stuff one more chocolate chip cookie or ice cream tower in your belly… As far as Vegas goes, we had a fun few days. No one was arrested, no one snuck out and hired a stripper and luckily when our kids tried to get married they received laughter instead of handcuffs- we call that a success! One of our favorite Vegas memories was holding our evening meeting at the top of the Stratosphere. From up top, you can see the entire Vegas strip and to top off the night we surprised the kids with one last roller coaster ride, the Big Shot that shoots up into the sky and drops back down in an instant!

“Sheila” was the name of our van but better described as our home. She drove us more than 5,000 miles, across 5 states, kept us and our angels safe from crazy bums in San Francisco, storms, bears and sometimes one another. She was not only the prettiest van in the West but also the best decorated. From her 70’s disco themed interior to her customized paint job, Sheila was our rock. Eric and I spent every night perched up on top of her roof rack, star gazing and watching our campers like prison guards in a watch tower. I miss her…..

After a jam packed day of picking up our twelve angels from the airport, covering orientation details, making lunch and driving to Utah we finally settled into our campground in Zion National Park. Just as we pulled into one of the most breathtaking natural wonders of the world, the song “Poker Face” came on and our van erupted into a crazy dance party. The energy and hype set the tone for an unbelievable couple of days of hiking, swimming and enjoying such raw beauty.

A major highlight of our entire trip was hiking Angels Landing. Our trusty “X” book described this hike as the most exhilarating, challenging and spectacular hike of our entire trip and it was definitely not to be missed. We had heard the trail was not for the faint of heart and knew that we would be venturing on an all day expedition. We started early, about 5:30 am and worked together to complete the most terrifying climb of my entire life! Sheer cliffs, 1,500 foot drop offs, a dinky chain for false security and about three feet of trail before plunging to your death. It was definitely a challenge and the reward can not be put into words, nor do the photographs do this view any justice.
Here are a few random internet quotes regarding this trail for fun and emphasis as to how darn sketchy this hike was:
“I am somewhat amazed that they actually let people go on this hike. Make no mistake about it, one slip on the last portion of the hike and you are a goner.”
“The literature said, don’t take the exposed hike all the way to Angel’s Landing if you are afraid of heights … I didn’t think I was. 20 minutes in, when you realize the national park system will definitely let you fall to your own demise you get a little weak in the knees.”

“If you have a life list, put this one on it and don’t hesitate!”
Other than our death defying hike, we swam, wandered through the “Narrows” wading in waist deep river water through gorgeous canyons winding our way towards waterfalls and swimming holes, ate ice cream under the magnificent sandstone cliffs, roasted marshmallows under a full moon and became a tight family unit. What a way to start off our trip!

“The Hike”

At the beginning of staff training, each trip is given an expedition book that is more holy than the bible itself! This “X” book contains step by step instructions, timelines, phone numbers, directions for the entire trip and includes local information, tips… every possible detail down to the best ice cream and laundry mat. To add a bit more flair and customization to our trip, Eric and I set out to decorate our “X” book with some style.

Note that we had to spell “Sequoia” with a “J”… we cracked up every time someone looked at our book and didn’t notice our blatant error. We couldn’t find a “Q” so we improvised!

On our way to the airport, these kids are in for it!

Aloha! Wow, has it really been two months since I last blogged? I guess time really does fly when you are having fun!

I am back from my summer with AAVE and had an incredible trip touring across Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California with the Bold West crew. I shared an amazing summer full of camping, hiking, white water rafting, rock climbing, surfing, shopping in San Francisco, and eating until my heart was content in Las Vegas at the ridiculous buffets! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience, my group of kids were fantastic and I feel so lucky to have spent 25 days learning and appreciating how creative, smart and fun teenagers can be! I also have to give a huge shout out to Eric aka “brother man” for being such an outstanding co-leader. Eric took me under his wing and showed me why Bold West is the absolute BEST trip to be a part of! I have so many wonderful memories to share with you and I’ll start by posting a few photos from different parts of our trip.

Our adventure began after a jam packed camping trip/staff training. Our week of “training” was full of silly games, camp fires, sing-a-longs and late night dance parties. AAVE sure knows how to host a great party and I made some great friends throughout our week of team building and learning the AAVE way. Here are a few pictures around camp:

Since our trip started by picking the kids of in Las Vegas, Nevada, Eric and I had a long road trip ahead of us. We made our way some 10+ hours into “Sin City” but stopped off at Moab and Arches National Park for a fun afternoon of hiking and relaxation. We enjoyed some of the best roadside nachos of my life at Maverik’s gas station in Utah, watched fire works in the sleepiest town of America and ended up sleeping on the side of the road at a random truck stop somewhere on interstate 15….it was an adventure to say the least and a great start to our trip. Who knew we would have so much fun before our trip actually started?

I’m not going to lie, it was HOT our here!

Eric practicing his yoga while I take a nap!

I love it out here!

As a way of visualizing just how long two months is (and in support of my dad and crew on the Transpac), I decided not to shave the whole time Heather was on her AAVE adventure. Photos and stories from her trip will be up soon. Meanwhile, enjoy the parting shots we took of me and my new furry friend. May he rest in peace for now…

If you aren’t a surfer and don’t know what it feels like to get barreled, here’s your chance. This is the best point-of-view barrel footage I’ve seen. If you turn your speakers up you can even hear the hiss as Brian Conley gets spit out of the barrel.