Elisa's Daily ScoopMy Night with Bethenny FrankelHi there!! Getting my day going here on a not-so-sunny-partly-cloudy-W2GW (Where to Go Wednesday). I want to direct you to Tanya's side today - she did an amazing job in her blog today talking all about MOAB, UTAH and Arches National Park. I think you will LOVE reading all about one of her all-time favorites hiking places - Devils Garden. So, mosey on over a column and read about this spectacular destination. Tanya's photographs are breathtaking from this, her current trip!!!  Marta and I at Grand Luxe Cafe in Garden City last night While Tanya is galavanting around Moab, I'll be spending my day here on Long Island. A little bit of a let-down folks. But, such is life. I do, however, have Kelsey's Brownie Troop meeting today, during which, we will be making cookie bars for the girls to earn their "Snacks" Merit Badge. This is Kelsey's last year as Brownie, as she will "bridge" to Juniors next month. Where did the two years go????? These kids get so big...before you know it, they are grown. Too depressing for me to focus on. In any case, that is the focus of my day, other than homework, dinner and spending what free time I have later on Portugal and Spain research. LAST NIGHT was a fun night!! I went with my friend Marta to the Bryant Library in Roslyn, Long Island, where Bethenny Frankel (of Housewives of New York and Skinny Girl brand fame) was doing a book signing for her latest book I Suck At Relationships, So You Don't Have To. I will be honest with you, I do not follow her or her show. I wasn't even aware of her business accomplishments with her Skinny Girl brand and other successes. But, I thought it would be a fun night out with Marta. However, I was so pleasantly surprised and very much enjoyed hearing Bethenny speak. She is very charismatic, upbeat, positive and a true entrepreneur!! I think, as a working mom and successful business woman, she is a wonderful role model and inspiration for women. Thanks Marta, for having this event on your radar!!! So glad I attended - great way to spend Cinco de Mayo!  Bethenny Frankel at Bryant Library in Roslyn on Cinco de Mayo (Click link on image for Bethenny's website) Marta and I headed over to the Grand Luxe Cafe for dinner after the book signing. We were eating and chatting away and before we knew it, it was much later than either of us had planned to stay out! Incidentally folks, I had a great "Southwest" Salad!! filled with romaine lettuce, corn, black beans, cilantro, tomatoes, jack cheese and even grilled chicken.  Southwest Salad from Grand Luxe Cafe, Garden City, NY I just love Tanya's pictures from her hike through Devils Garden!!! It has been a delight staring at her pictures as I've been writing my blog today! Tanya was up bright and early and had her blog completed, before I even woke up - and that's with a two hour earlier time difference! Usually, I'm the one whose blog is finalized first - You are the energizer bunny this week Cuz!! See ya back here for Throwback Thursday tomorrow!! Wishing all your dreams come true today!! -E xoxo  | Tanya's Daily ScoopAdventures in Moab - Hiking FunHey Hey Hey! It's W2GW (Where to go Wednesday) and this week I'm only gonna suggest one place for you to go - MOAB, UTAH...  It's seriously one of the best kept secrets...especially for all you outdoor enthusiasts! There's just soooo much to do! I'm still here and you KNOW that I've got plans of coming back! Just yesterday... We were up and at 'em on schedule and rearing to go, when "click click click" the battery in the truck appeared dead. Definitely something that will put you behind on your schedule! Well that kinda sucked, but at least it didn't happen when we were 20 miles (or more) out in the middle of no where! I tried to turn the truck on once more before taking the next step in repair, and it worked! The truck was running, and there was only one thing to do - get to the auto repair shop and test the battery. Hopefully that's all it was and it would be an easy fix. So we drove into town and lo 'n behold it was the battery. I had a feeling it wasn't anything more involved. And once the new battery was installed, there was no holding us back!! Off to have a nice breakfast, grab a picnic lunch and put on our hiking boots!  Into Arches National Park we went. We took a wonderful hike that is one of my all-time favorites - Devils Garden. Being the most strenuous, difficult and longest trails in the park... It's also a fairly easy one to get lost on - luckily I've learned and have become a pretty savvy hiker over the years.        After seeing: Landscape Arch, Partition Arch, Navajo Arch, Double O Arch, Private Arch and others we had finished the trail as planned, and with there being time to go out to Poison Mesa and the Dinosaur Tracks! Driving out along the Colorado River on the Utah scenic byway 279. We spotted ancient wall art that Archaeologists believe was created during Archaic (6,000-1,000 B.C.) and Fremont (450-1,300 A.D.), in addition to dozens of waterfalls.   Plus... Wowzers there were real life Dinosaur tracks in their natural wild setting!!! How absolutely exciting! With findings of at least 10 different meat-eating dinosaur tracks preserved in blocks of Navajo Sandstone that have eroded from the cliffs and fallen, splitting along the bedding planes that preserved them. Both the original and the layer that filled them are present on the slabs. (Credit: Moab Bureau of Land Management)  By this time it was raining pretty steadily, we were in a full on rain shower, and it was time to put our rain jackets and ponchos back on. We climbed up the short trail of slick rock...which when wet becomes SLIP rock. Extra careful footing is necessary!!! It was yet another very successful day here in Moab! This place has never ending things to discover, and is basically in one word: otherworldly! I'd like to help you enjoy more of your hikes with my coming soon - TOP 15 HIKING TIPS Now, we've got a very early day planned, with catching sunrise at North Window Arch looking at Turret Arch, then into town for some fueling up at back at the Love Muffin for breakfast, and then shuttling out to the Gemini Bridges trailhead to begin the 24 miles of riding that we have planned for today!! Time to get rockin' & rollin', wheeling' & dealin'!! Catch ya tomorrow, -T  |
