lillie in the citytravel | lillie in the city

bike camping

lillie — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 18:05:31 +0000

The days have been flying by recently – without much daily writing or Friday founds to be had this week. But adventures are on for this weekend!

Today, we’re headed north by bicycle for a one-night bike camping trip by Bodega Bay. Mischa + I are in the midst of training for the AIDS Lifecycle in June – from San Francisco to Los Angeles on a tandem bicycle. So this weekend will be two days of back-to-back rides and a night by the ocean and a morning with fresh camp coffee. Happy weekend!

photos from an evening training ride in china camp

weekend in big sur

lillie — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 18:02:40 +0000

Over the weekend, Mischa and I made a quick escape to Big Sur, a beautiful coastal area about 3 hours south of San Francisco. I first read about Big Sur years ago, and although I’ve only visited once before, the area holds a magical spot in my mind.

This visit included some great camping + hiking with redwoods and water falls and ocean views. One major highlight was a middle-of-the-night trip to the Esalen Institute, hot spring perched on a coastal cliff with the ocean roaring at 1am. We cooked at our campsite a few times – and then loved a rustic dinner Big Sur Bakery + Restaurant and ate the best-ever eggs benedict at Deetjen’s.

Now it’s back to work – but already stirring up plans for a return trip sometime soon…

listening to: Anna by The Happiness Project (listen)

riding the train

lillie — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:05:30 +0000

A big aspect of our cross-country adventure was the train ride itself–the many hours sitting and sleeping and living on the train. Every so often, the train would stop just long enough for folks to disembark for a ten-minute break–streeetch, run in circles, breathe in the outdoors. But the rest of the hours were spent onboard, jumping from car to car to keep things interesting.

afternoon in the observation car

Train travel is all about location. It’s the ongoing topic of conversation. Where you’re coming from, where’s the next stop, where you’re passing through, and where you’re headed to. But funny–while riding the train, it feels like all those locations are passing by you, rather than the reverse–as life onboard is like a little world of its own.

window seats

There’s still some magic about travelling by train. It’s not fast or always entirely timely–but something feels right about watching the changing landscape and feeling the long transition from one place to another. It’s a trip worth taking if you have the chance.

Any chance that you’ll ride the rails sometime soon?

listening to: Peace Train by Cat Stevens (listen)

a quick trip to chicago

lillie — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:30:49 +0000

Halfway through our cross-country trip, we were able to escape the train for a blissful (and melting hot) few hours in Chicago. Yes! The main train station is right in the center of the city, so we grabbed a deep dish pizza and a local beer – and then ran over to Millenium Park to see a few Chicago sites.

Art park, hurrah! The Chicago Symphony Orchestra was in the midst of a free performance at the main pavilion (which was beautifully designed by Frank Gehry). Perfect timing. A little music, and then we had a photo shoot with Cloud Gate and got our feet wet in the Crown Fountain.

Too soon after, it was back on the train… A short but sweet trip to the windy city.

Have you been to Chicago yet? Any favorite must-see spots to check out for my next visit?

listening to: Chicago by Sufjan Stevens (listen)

cross-country train

lillie — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 15:00:58 +0000

Taking the cross-country train from the West Coast to the East Coast was the start of this summer’s travels last month. The ride from San Francisco to Boston takes nearly four days, passing through 12 states and covering some 3,400 miles.

The first leg on the California Zephyr winds through the Rocky Mountains and the Great Plains and then into Chicago. The second leg on the Lake Shore Limited runs along the Great Lakes through upstate New York and finally rolls into Boston.

For us, the train trip was part adventure and part experiment with alternative travel options (much more energy efficient!). Of course, one of the best parts of the train was the scenery along the way. There were endless hours of sightseeing along the way…