No. 26: Run Across The Golden Gate Bridge

How poetic the American Dream.  That one day you, me, our children, their children; we could all live without inequality.  The city of San Francisco embodies this credo.  Our short experience among 0.011% of the world's population was eye opening.  One worth writing about.

The first time I saw the Golden Gate Bridge I was 19 years old.  I remember looking at it through the rear view mirror of our work truck as we drove away from Fisherman's Wharf.  Now, almost a decade later, I was able to look at it from a completely different perspective.  I am grateful this new experience was shared with my family.

A few years ago Jennive and I started running as a way to exercise.  We have been hooked on running ever since.  Every few months we try to race together.  Mostly 5 kilometer races.  We have even run a few 10 kilometer races.  I have completed a few half marathons with Jennive and the kids cheering me on; however, we have never been able to run one together.  Coincidentally there was a half marathon in San Francisco that met our before thirty criteria of running across the Golden Gate Bridge.  So we signed up for the US Half Marathon San Francisco.  To run together.

We decided to make this a family event.  It was a hard decision which we weren't entirely sure about.  Though, looking back I am glad we did.  Our children love to learn.  We try to teach them about the world through hands on experiences.  They are young and may not remember each place we take them, or the words we say, but I am positive they will remember the lessons we teach them.

Our adventure started out on a Friday morning, bright and early.  Since we were taking the kids, we decided to drive the 765 miles from our house to San Francisco.  It took us 12.5 hours to get there.  Jennive and I have always loved driving together.  It's very relaxing and a great opportunity for us to catch up on all the things we want to talk about.  The kids did well too.  It was a learning experience for us all.

The night we arrived we stayed downtown in a time share.  The building was an old hotel built two years after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and subsequent fires that destroyed almost all of the cities structures.  We went to a local pizza restaurant for a real meal after eating junk food all day.  It was a different experience than we were used to.  Our first encounter with the significant lack of children in the city...

The next morning we woke up and headed out for breakfast.  We found a crepe cafe and ate the best crepes I've ever had.  Again, where were all the kids?

That day we went on a city tour which ended at Fisherman's Wharf.  We were able to eat some local crabs.  The kids loved crab more than the cheesy noodle meal we ordered for them.  After that we headed to pick up our race-day packets.  That night we decided to stay in a different hotel down in South San Francisco.  Then we would be out of the hustle and bustle of downtown.

Sunday morning we woke up early and headed to the race.  I was a little worried we would have problems entering the race with our three kids.  The race had a no stroller policy, which when I checked with one of the race representatives at the packet pick up, they were unwilling to waive.  No matter, I wasn't really asking for permission anyway.  When we got to the parking garage near the starting line we unloaded and prepared the two jogging strollers.  Many of the race participants driving past lit up with smiles when they saw our kids.  That helped put my mind at ease about pushing them through the race.  Besides, who wouldn't smile after seeing our kids?  They are dang cute!

The race started a little after 7:00am.  There were 5,000 people at the starting line...and three kids.  Jennive and I stayed out of the way and cheered on all the US Half Marathon San Francisco runners as they started.  After almost everyone went past I gave Jennive my shirt with my race bib so she could run across the starting line and activate our race chips.  It was fun for the kids to cheer her on too.  We started out running up a hill.  It wasn't bad, just the races way of saying "remember, you're in San Francisco!".  After that, the race had a few ups and downs, pun intended.  But the highlight was our purpose.  The Golden Gate Bridge.

The morning of the race I was worried we wouldn't be able to fully enjoy the scenery of San Francisco.  From what I read, the bay had a tendency to be foggy with low visibility.  That wouldn't work for us.  Luckily, the day was warm (about 74 degrees) and no fog.  It was perfect.

After ho-humming around for the first five miles, stopping every ten minutes to appease the kids, we made it to the Golden Gate Bridge.  The bridge was very loud.  You could hardly hear over the rush of six lanes of traffic.  Every once in a while I could hear the kids crying or yelling for me.  We would stop, I would try to calm them, and then we would move on.  It was a unique experience.  The fast cold wind added a unsettling perspective to the vertigo of looking over the edge.  It's as if the suspension cables were really there to hold the bridge from flying away.

We finally made it across the bridge.  When we reached the North Vista Point we were beat.  Tired, fatigued, and ready to give up.  It was difficult.  We didn't want to be there anymore than the kids.  But we pushed through.  We got back on the trail and headed slowly toward the finish.  We complained, we went through the motions, but we just kept moving forward.  One foot in front of the other.  Some runners hit a wall.  When the body requires a shift in energy source.  We were there.  Yet we were only half way through the race.  Sounds about like life, huh?

Finally, we finished the race.  We felt accomplished.  We were glad we had not given up half way through the race.  A short taxi ride back to the city would have been far less difficult than sticking with it.  It would have also been far less rewarding.  The finishers medals hang high in our home.  The custom racing bibs that say "30*B*4*30" have more importance to us than any other race we've been in.  We completed our first half marathon together!!!  The US Half Marathon in San Francisco ended up being the perfect race for us.

Later that day we ate at IHOP.  Our tradition after completing a race.  Pancakes taste ten times better after running all morning!  After that we headed out for some more fun.  We thought to make the day a Super Sunday.  One where we could cross off three of our before thirty goals.  Our first goal of the day was completed.  Run the US Half Marathon San Francisco across the Golden Gate Bridge.

The second goal of our Super Sunday was No. 8: See a Redwood Tree.  We drove the forty-five minutes north of San Francisco to Muir Woods.  It's a local redwood forest remotely discovered far from the Redwood National Forest.  Unfortunately, after running 13.1 miles that morning we had no desire to walk the two miles of backed up traffic to get there.  Apparently everyone else thought they would go on a family outing too.  We'll try again for this before thirty sometime next year.

The third goal of our Super Sunday was No. 3: Visit A Beach (With The Kids).  We did, and it was tons of fun.  We'll write about it in a separate blog post.

That night we went back to our hotel.  I drove around and found some authentic Chinese food.  Why would we go all the way to San Francisco and not eat Chinese food, right?  It was the best Chinese food I've ever had (well, not really)!

The next morning we woke up bright and early.  We loaded up the car and started back home.  A long drive to end a short weekend in San Francisco.  Certainly one of our favorite blitz vacations ever.

I love steel.  To me, it's an inspiring portrait of strength and dedication.  The iconic Chrysopylae, with it's 83,000 tons of structural steel and 1.2 million rivets, is a mural of the great American work ethic.  An ethic I am determined to teach my children.

No. 30: Ride A Bike From One Childhood Home to Another (Rexburg to St. Anthony, Idaho)

You might think there isn't a whole lot to write about riding a bike 15 miles.  But then again, this is us we are talking about...

Jennive and I are experts at creating fun memories.  Or at least in our own minds!  We decided for this before thirty experience we would do more than simply ride a bike down the country road.  Instead, we put together a list of places we loved most about Home as we began our lives together.  Here is our adventure:

First we made an itinerary.  After all, we are list people.  We identified each place we would stop along our way.



Our day started out at 7:30am at the Maxfield home.  It was a little chilly, so we bundled up with sweaters and gloves.  Then we hopped on our bikes and were ready to go.



Stop No. 1: Maxfield Home - Jennive grew up in Rexburg, Idaho.  I hear a lot of fun stories about her childhood.  Maxfield's moved into the home when Jennive was 5 years old.  She started and finished school there.  Luckily we did this before thirty when we did.  Since the bike ride, the Maxfield's sold their home!

Stop No. 2: Our First Home - Jennive's and I lived at 387 Airport Road #40 for the first two years of our marriage.  It was a cozy little two bedroom single wide mobile home.  Undoubtedly one of the best investments we ever made.

Stop No. 3: Wedding Chapel -  Jennive and I were married on March 12, 2004 in this church just down the road from where Jennive grew up.  In fact, this is the same church Jennive attended when she was a child.  Ironically, when we were first married we attended church there as well.  For those of you unfamiliar with Rexburg, Idaho, that's a pretty big coincidence considering there are about 100 different churches in the city.

Stop No. 4: Porter Park - I remember when Jennive and I were dating we would eat a lot of snow cones from Sno Shack.  One particular day I bought some lottery tickets and snow cones and took them to the water slide (since demolished and replaced with the sprinkle park you see in the picture) where Jennive was life guarding.

Stop No. 5: Brigham Young University-Idaho Horticulture Gardens - This is where I asked Jennive to marry me.  It was December 13, 2003.  I remember it was freezing cold.  She said yes...

Stop No. 6: Gringos Mexican Restaurant - Okay, nothing against this place because we practically ate there every time we went out to eat, but after we finished riding our bikes we tried out a new Mexican restaurant in St. Anthony.  All I have to say is, wow.  Gringos has been replaced...

Stop No. 7: Maverik - Traveling all the way to Idaho would not be complete without lottery tickets!!  We stocked up on food and tickets before we left Rexburg on the country roads to St. Anthony.  Jennive won $15...

Stop No. 8: The Bench - This used to be the gathering place for our friends before we would head out for a night of fun.  Many, many good memories were started at this bench.  Funny thing, someone (I honestly don't know who) carved "Danno's Bench" in the seat a decade ago.  It's still there if you look closely.

Stop No. 9: The Roxy - One of my favorite things about St. Anthony is The Roxy.  Now because they reclaimed its original purpose as a one screen movie theater.  But when Jennive and I were younger, this used to be the location for many local band concerts.  Carleen, you know what I mean?

Stop No. 10: Miller Home - I will always remember the day we moved into this home as a child.  Many good memories.  I love my family.

It's said that home is where the heart is.  Certainly for Jennive and me our hearts have and always will be in southeastern Idaho.  We have very fond memories of our childhood and early marriage years living there.  I can only think to describe it as that feeling you get when you have been on vacation and are ready to go home.  Then when you get home you feel peaceful and warm inside.  That's what it's like for us when we go to Idaho.

Idaho, we certainly love every nook and rill.

No. 20: Eat a Florida Orange in Florida

"Nants ingonyama bagithi baba, sithi uhhmm ingonyama".  Walt Disney once said “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”

We were lucky enough to open a new door and experience Walt’s path to complete our before thirty goal of eating an orange in Florida.

Earlier this year we were given a very unique opportunity.  As circumstances would have it, a room became available with our time share exchange at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Kidani Villas for September.  Of course, this was a door we had to open!  We have been to Disney World a few (four) times before, but this was going to be different.  Like okapis, elands, and gazelles different.

With our destination set, our room booked, we only had a few things left to do.  Over the summer months we booked our flights ($262 round trip direct from Salt Lake City... incredible deal...I know!!), bought our park tickets, and started an itinerary.  We had everything planned out.  What park we were going to, what day we were going, and more importantly, where we were eating.  For this trip we wanted to experience all of the great dining Disney World has to offer.  After all, the entire purpose for this trip was to eat an orange, right?!  So to satisfy our hunger, we signed up for the Disney Dining Plan, which is basically pre-paying for your food.  We took full advantage and were not disappointed!

The DDP works like this: you pick a plan, pay for it, make reservations at specific restaurants, and then you eat tons and tons of really good food.  That’s exactly what we did.  To make it special for all of us, we each got to choose one place we really, really wanted to go to. 

Burke was too young to choose where to eat, so we chose for him.  We ate at The Crystal Palace in Magic Kingdom, which is a Winnie the Pooh and Friends character dining.  A character dining is when actual real life Disney characters visit you at your table while you eat.  They take pictures, sign autographs, and basically make your kids feel like they are the luckiest kids in the world.  Even though Burke is only six months old, he was all smiles J

Madilyn is two.  She loves princesses.  Her favorite princess is Belle from Beauty and the Beast.  Unfortunately, the Be Our Guest restaurant at Magic Kingdom is still under construction so we were unable to go there.  Instead we ate at the Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT.  Madi loved it!  She got to take a special picture with Belle and meet all of the other princesses.  She even went on a princess parade with Ariel around the restaurant.  The food was Norwegian.  Even though they had a phenomenal breakfast platter full of eggs, sausage, and potatoes, we were good sports and made our best attempts at being Vikings.  We can now say we have had raw salmon, caper, peppered mackerel, and tomato herring for breakfast!!

As a side note, we decided to take the princess experience for Madi a step further.  On our first day in the parks we had breakfast at Cinderella's Royal Table which is located in the iconic castle of Magic Kingdom.  To make the experience extra magical, the servers address guest as “the Royal Family” and use titles like m’lady and m’lord.  They give the princesses magic wands and the princes swords.  Madi and Mason took their souvenirs everywhere they went for the rest of the trip.

Mason turned four years old on the trip.  As part of his birthday celebration we had a big family dinner at T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family restaurant located at Downtown Disney.  

By this time on our trip we were all exhausted.  It was the last night before we flew back home.  We were running on fumes.  Or at least the grownups were...  The kids however had plenty of energy.  From the moment we stepped out of the rain and into the restaurant, Mason, Madi, and cousins could not stop having fun!  I think they would still be digging for dinosaur bones in the kids waiting area if we hadn’t stopped them when our table was ready.  The best part of this experience wasn’t the cave-like dining area that changed colors between blue and red as dinosaurs became interactive, or the sixteen inch tall slushy drinks each of the kids practically inhaled, it was definitely the volcano birthday cake they brought out for Mason and Grandma Maxfield.  What a great way to celebrate the conclusion of our magical escape.


Another choice of Mason’s was the classic Hollywood & Vine restaurant in Hollywood Studios.  This was a character dining with Jake (of the Neverland Pirates), Special Agent Oso, Handy Manny, and June (who I mistakenly thought was Dora the Explorer…not Disney…my bad).  Mason dressed up in his pirate costume to make the experience authentic.  He even danced with Special Agent Oso during the interactive sing-along.

If you know Jennive, then you know she loves fish.  Even though Nemo’s friends council us that “fish are friends not food”, the Coral Reef Restaurant in EPCOT has been on her list of to-do’s ever since she found out you eat with underwater views of dolphins, turtles, sharks, and what seems to be an infinite number of other fish in a 5.7 million gallon salt-water tank.  For starters we ate crab cakes, crispy-fried shrimp, and creamy lobster soup.  Jennive’s white fish dinner was almost as good as my steak (yeah, I know…why go to a fish joint if you are going to order a steak…it won’t happen again!).  My favorite part of this experience was watching Mason and Madi stare at the fish.  The world is so much more spectacular through their eyes.  Jennive’s second choice was Kouzzina by Cat Cora at the Boardwalk Area.  We have a mutual appreciation for the cooks of The Food Network.  Unfortunately, we got on the wrong bus to go to the restaurant.  By the time we realized where we were, it was too late for our reservation.  We ended up settling for a quick stop with some orange juice, a muffin, and some grapes.  Hopefully someday we will get to appreciate Cat’s amazing Mediterranean inspired menu.

My choice wasn’t a hard guess.  We eat at the Biergarten Restaurant at EPCOT every time we visit.  The Biergarten is a German themed restaurant with killer food and entertainment.  Jennive and I have listed vacationing to Germany as one of our before thirty goals.  I can hardly wait!!  My second choice was the Flame Tree Barbeque at Animal Kingdom.  It’s no Jiko (the five star restaurant at our hotel), but it’s a classic we enjoy every time we go to Animal Kingdom.

Since this was a food themed vacation it’s probably important to list all of the other places we ate at.  We watch Mickey’s “Boo-to-You” Halloween Parade from our dining table at Tony's Town Square Restaurant.  Mason gave Donald a high five and Madi freaked out (in a good way) when she saw Daisy at Tusker House Restaurant.  We had by far the best service and ate what I would call some of the best tasting food ever, at Jiko – The Cooking Place.  We couldn’t get enough Africa inspired food at the buffet of Boma–Flavors of Africa.  We never ran out of ketchup at Whispering Canyon Café.  Mason, Madi, and Burke were all complimented by other guests for their manners at the five star restaurant Citricos.  And lastly, the best beef and broccoli I’ve ever had at the Yak & Yeti Restaurant.  In all, the food was great.  We definitely had our fill (pun intended).


On to other fun activities and memorable events, our room being at the top of the list.  When we booked our vacation we were able to get a Savanna View room.  Only it’s not just a “room”.  It’s almost a house.  There was a full size kitchen, a huge master bedroom and master bathroom, a second bathroom, and a dinning/living area.  The room was African themed.  

The dining table even had giraffe legs as the legs of the table.  The bathroom had sunset imprinted tiles with trees and animals.  Disney went all out on the room!  In all, the best part was of course the savanna view.  What this means is that from the balcony of our room we could watch various African animals grazing or being playful.  Now I want to go on safari to Africa.



We were also able to get tickets to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.  Mason was Woody, Madi was Jessie, and Burke was supposed to be Bullseye, but we couldn’t get the costume to work, so instead he was Mickey Mouse!
They were all adorable.  Jennive and I didn’t take costumes so we put on our workout cloths and went as “runners”.  Included with the party was plenty of trick-or-treating.  The kids made a haul!  I also want to share an experience we had on the bus ride to the party.  If you have never had the opportunity to talk with our son Mason you need to.  For twenty minutes on the bus he carried a conversation with a fifty-something-year-old adult he had never met before.  They talked about all kinds of things you would never think a child would even care about.  As the couple got off the bus they complimented Mason and were surprised to learn his age.  I am proud of you Mason!  You will touch so many hearts in your life.

The fireworks show was pretty cool too.

The weather was uncooperative at times.  It didn’t really bother us any since Jennive and I had just spent a week in the rain of Alaska.  Warm rain in Florida is much better!  That said, the first day we were in Magic Kingdom everyone ran for cover when it started to rain.  Everyone except Mason, Madi and me.  Instead we played.  Everyone watch from their cover as we ran in the courtyard enjoying the coolness the rain brought to the hot day.  We played tag, Simon says, and puddle splashing.  It was good to let loose and enjoy life just like the kids inherently know how.

 The rain also meant we spent a lot of time indoors.  It can’t be all fun and games, right?  Indoors there were a lot of rides and plays.  One of the many plays we went to was Beauty and the Beast.  This was a live twenty minute production with dancers, singers, and lots of movement.  Madi was captivated.  At the beginning of play there are three Gaston admirers trying to get his attention.  Madi looked over at them and said “oh, they’re beautiful” in her cute two year old voice.  She is such a precious girl.  We love our Madilyn.

Burke, our youngest, really grew up on this trip.  While it’s hard to customize any vacation for a six month old, we did our best with Disney.  Burke was a trooper.  Almost anything we did, he did.  He experienced most of the week from a tummy pouch.  You would not believe the looks he got from girls.  What a womanizer already!  I’m sure his squishy cheeks and chunky legs were too much for any girl to ignore!

Every time we have visited WDW we have taken a picture in this exact location.  

Happy memories J

Thank you Maxfield’s (Bob & Jo Anne) and Brett, Melissa, and kids (McKinley, Annabelle, & Gavin) for sharing this experience with us.  

We were fortunate enough to have a great time as a family.  One we will never forget.

We hope to return again someday.  After all, Walt Disney put it best when he said “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

"Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our company, M-I-C, see you real soon, K-E-Y, why? because we like you, M-O-U-S-E!"

Oh yes, and the orange was delicious!!

No. 21: Catch a Fish (In Alaska)

I’ve been waiting to write this blog update until we officially ate our catch!  Well, tonight we ate fish!!  Pink Salmon.  Pretty good too.  Here’s the recipe: http://ravenous.runnersworld.com/2012/06/05/how-to-make-the-best-salmon-rub/

Jennive and I have been fishing a few times over the 8 years of our marriage.  It’s odd, or maybe just a lack of talent, but in all the times we went fishing together we had never caught a fish.  That’s why catching a fish had to make our list of 30 things to do before we turn 30 years old.  It’s not a huge achievement, but for us it was something we had to do.

A few years ago my younger brother James got a job working for a fishing resort in Alaska.  He invited Jennive and me up to the resort last year, but after looking at airfare at the time, we decided not to go.  That was a big mistake.  I kicked myself a few times for making the decision not to go.  This year however, my brother went back to work in Alaska for the summer.  He extended the invitation once again.  There was no way we were going to pass up the opportunity twice.  We booked our flights (this time for half the price of the previous year).

Now we had our chance to catch a fish…or twenty.  Our experience was fun.  It was also rewarding.  Jennive and I spent a lot of time catching up on life.  We tried to enjoy every minute.   I didn’t know what to expect when we got there.  We just kind of went with the flow.  My brother and his wife went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed to be successful at fishing.  They even took time out of their day to take us out on our first adventure.  Halibut fishing!!  To catch a halibut you have to fish deep.  Hundreds of feet deep.  We spent part of an afternoon with our bait a couple hundred feet down sitting, waiting, bobbing…  Finally we got a bite.  Turns out, sharks like to swim deep too.  Apparently the shrimp pot we decided to fish next to had attracted some small dog sharks.  After a couple of hours we were up two sharks, but no halibut.  So we decided to go salmon fishing.  We spent the rest of the week fishing for salmon.  It was a great experience.  The highlight of the fishing part of the trip was the last day.  We woke up early at about 4:45am.  We got everything ready and headed out on the boat at 5:30am and made it to our selected fishing hole at 6:00am.  By 6:30am we had our first two fish of the day, Silver Salmon.  They were nice, maybe 8lbs each.  Then we proceeded to catch 12 more fish, Pink Salmon (our limit for the day) before 10:30 am.  We would have caught our limit hours earlier, but many of the fish would either steal our bait or spit our hooks just before we could get them to the boat.  It was a very fun morning.

Not on the list of 30, but equally notable achievements were:

Whale watching: We saw more than a dozen whales while we were out fishing.  Mostly humpback whales, but there were some orcas in the area.  In addition to just swimming along, we saw the humpback whales breach (jumping out of) the water and bubble feeding.  Two things as magical as nature itself.

Eagle watching: I got some pretty spectacular photos of eagles swooping down out of the trees to catch fish floating on the surface of the water.  Just listening to the eagles chatter back and forth was worth the trip.  Filming them pick a two pound fish out of the water as they gracefully floated through the air was my favorite part of the entire trip.

Eating: We ate, and ate, and ate.  There was so much good food, we just had to eat it all!  I really enjoyed the pot roast, steamed carrots and red potatoes, with banana cream pie for desert.  Who wouldn’t!?  The last night we were in Alaska the resort hosted a seafood feast.  They put clams, muscles, king crab, shrimp, corn, red potatoes, sausage and various seasonings in a steam pot, and vuala!!  Seafood dinner served family style on newspaper table clothes.  It was awesome!

Boating: Jennive and I went all over in the boat.  Even at night we dreamed we were still on the boat.  In fact, every time I closed my eyes my body started drifting back and forth like I was out on the water again.

In all, it was a great experience.  Thank you James, Tiffany, Natasha, and the rest of the Silver King Resort staff for making our No. 21 the most memorable fishing expedition ever!

A tribute to my wife Jennive and the special experience we shared together in Alaska:

Humility is a characteristic you are either born with or learn throughout life’s obstacles.  The later is likely my fate.  I like to meet people who are born this way, humble.  They are great examples of selflessness and embody a spirit of harmony I can only hope to discover sometime during my life.  These are the people who provide you with memorable experiences.  They make you smile with each thought.  I am very fortunate I found someone to accompany me early in my pursuit.  She helps me more clearly recognize others acts of kindness and humility.  To appreciate the gift of these moments.  She helps to add perspective to my wondering mind and wishful thinking.  And to better understand the tranquility of humility.

I like to believe that nature teaches us humility through the vastness of forests, oceans, and deserts.  To comprehend the creation of each is inconceivable to me.  The idea that someone has created each molecule, each seed, each element of nature is remarkable.

I am forever grateful for the opportunity to travel to Alaska and see its beautiful landscape.  And to experience every moment with my best friend.  I will cherish these memories which are forever imprinted in my mind.