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Tag: travel


olympic training center, colorado

18
May

US Olympic Team sign

Do you know what one thing in Colorado Springs exists in only three places in the United States?   The United States Olympic Training Center (OTC)!

(The other two campuses are in Lake Placid, New York and Chula Vista, California.)

I was thrilled to have the opportunity to tour the Colorado Springs campus with a fun group of people while in Colorado – the first of the three to be built and also the home of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

OTC Entrance in CO

Some athletes preparing for the Olympics, Paralympics, and Pan American Games live at the OTCs for a period of months or years, while others visit periodically with their respective national teams for training camps, coaching, or physical testing.  (Although foreign national teams are occasionally granted use of the US OTCs, they are used mainly by athletes from the United States.)

Athletes

The best part of the tour?  It was given by athletes!  Our group was treated to conversation with paralympic gold medalist, 2-time world champion in the paratriathlon, Allysa Seely and U.S. skeleton athlete, Stephen Garbett.

Olympic training in CO

Since Colorado Springs is situated near the base of Pikes Peak (at the eastern edge of the southern Rocky Mountains), the view of one of the most famous American mountains is visible from most parts of the OTC.

Boxing ring OTC CO

The high elevation of the OTC (located on the former Ent Air Force Base) is thought to improve training effectiveness.  Its facilities include a swimming pool, an indoor shooting range, the Olympic Training Center Velodrome, two sports centers housing numerous gymnasiums and weight room, and a sport science laboratory, in addition to an athlete center and dining hall, several dormitories, a visitors’ center, and the offices of both the USCO and U.S. Paralympics.

gymnast OTC CO

Even when Pikes Peak is not in view, there are awesome mountain views from most angles.  I was particularly impressed by the magnificent mountain view from the  2nd floor indoor track in one of the sport center buildings – what a view to enjoy while running!

weight room at OTC with mountain view

I highly recommend an Olympic Training Center tour if you ever find yourself near one of the locations – it is an inspiring experience, for sure!

restroom sign

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on olympic training center, colorado | field trips, travel

rockin’ garden of the gods

11
May

beauty in rocks

A public park located in Colorado Springs, Garden of the Gods was my favorite visited spot on my first trip to Colorado.

beautiful rock formations

Not only was I able to enjoy a morning hike with a great group of people, but I was able to enjoy the breathtaking natural beauty of this park.

rocks offlooking green trees

Visitors are not limited to hiking through the park – horseback riding is also an option.

view of the rocks

And, for the most adventurous, Garden of the Gods can be viewed from a higher vantage point – while rock climbing!

rock climbing at Garden of the Gods

During most of my hike, the snow-capped Pikes Peak was visible in the distance.

rockin pikes peak

My favorite view was when its beauty was framed perfectly through a rock formation.

Pikes Peak through the rock window

Four-hundred eighty acres making up the park was gifted to the city of Colorado Springs back in 1909 and was designated to “remain free to the public, where no intoxicating liquors shall be manufactured, sold, or dispensed, where no building or structure shall be erected except those necessary to properly care for, protect, and maintain the area as a public park.”

beauty in rock colors

Are you wondering how all this beauty was created?  The Garden of the Gods’ red rock formations were created during a geological upheaval along a natural fault line millions of years ago.

loving rocks at Garden of the Gods

I hope you enjoyed your visit to Garden of the Gods!  Have a fabulous weekend!

Garden of the Gods entrance

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on rockin’ garden of the gods | field trips, travel

amelia island beach memories

10
November

Ritz Carlton Amelia Island Beach

Here in Connecticut, the weather has turned cold.  Thoughts of fall are being replaced by winter and holiday preparations…Christmas decorations are on display everywhere!

The beach at The Ritz Amelia Island

I think it is the perfect day to take a glimpse of some warmer days that are not that far behind us!  Don’t you miss that feeling of sand between your toes?

tables amelia island

For today’s Friday field trip, a few photos of the beach taken during my recent stay at the Ritz-Carlton on Amelia Island, Florida.

umbrella on the beach amelia island

Enjoy!

walkway Amelia Island

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on amelia island beach memories | field trips, inspiration, sand & sea

giraffe love

3
November

close up giraffee at White Oak

I was very fortunate to have had the opportunity recently to visit White Oak Conservation in Northwest Florida.  White Oak is one of the world’s premiere wildlife breeding, education, and training facilities.  This wildlife conservation facility spans 13,000 acres of pine and hardwood forest and wetlands.  Its mission is to save endangered wildlife and habitats through sustainable conservation breeding, education, and responsible land stewardship.

giraffees at White Oak

Founded in 1982, White Oak leads professional efforts to improve veterinary care, develop holistic animal management techniques, and better understand the biology of critically endangered species.

As you can tell by the photos in my post today for Friday field trip, my favorite part of my visit to White Oak was the opportunity to be ‘up close and personal’ with a group of giraffes!  That, and getting together with a fabulous group of people, made my afternoon at White Oak one I will never forget!

close up of giraffee face

I also had the chance to see rhinoceros, cheetahs (including baby cheetahs!), and antelope as well as a brief sighting of some okapi (a beautiful and rare giraffe relative).

2 giraffees at White Oak

Founded in 1982, White Oak is well known in the conservation and zoo communities and leads professional efforts to improve veterinary care, develop holistic animal management techniques, and better understand the biology of critically endangered species.

I hope today’s post may inspire you to visit your local zoo!  A shout out to White Oak and to all the friends that shared the amazing afternoon visit with me!

feeding a giraffee at White OakThanks for stopping by!

Have a fabulous weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on giraffe love | field trips, travel

jeni’s ice cream

20
October

flight of ice cream at Jenis in Columbus

I have eaten a lot of ice cream in my day and I thought I had a couple favorite spots that couldn’t be beat. That is, until my recent trip to Ohio!

I found the ice cream by which all other ice creams should be measured! This super flavorful and perfectly textured dessert is sold at Jeni’s scoop shops throughout Ohio (and select other states). OMG. It is truly amazing!

Jeni's scoop shop in Columbus, Ohio

I was visiting the motherland…all Jeni’s ice creams are handcrafted in the production kitchen in Columbus, Ohio. Talking to locals about the ice cream, we actually even found someone who planned their wedding colors around a Jeni’s ice cream flavor! (If you are curious, that flavor was brambleberry crisp.)

What flavors did I try? On my visits to Jeni’s while in Columbus, I ordered a ‘flight’ of half scoops – 3 half scoops served in a dish. This way I could try 3 different flavors per visit.

On one of my two trips to Jeni’s while in Ohio, cream puff was my favorite flavor of the three!

close up Jenis ice cream German village

Cream puff is a salty-sweet custard vanilla reminiscent of the filling inside old world cream puffs. Jeni was inspired by the massive cream puffs served in the 100 year old Ohio restaurant, Schmidts when she created this yummy flavor!

flight of ice cream at Jenis

My second flavor choice was salted peanut butter with chocolate flecks. This is the perfect flavor for anyone that loves peanut butter and chocolate together. Originally named ‘The Buckeye State,’ this regular flavor is made with salted ground roasted peanuts and rich chopped dark chocolate.

My third flavor choice was brown butter almond brittle. Made with a sticky almond toffee candy crushed into butter cream ice-cream, this flavor is inspired by Krokan – a Norwegian toffee-like treat.

finishing a flight of ice cream at Jenis

In flight number 2, on my second visit to Jeni’s, the sweet cream biscuits and peach jam was my favorite flavor! Buttermilk ice-cream, crumbled shortcake biscuits and swirls of sweet-tart jam made from Georgia peaches made this flavor over-the-top delicious!

I also tried wild berry lavender – a berry flavor of pulverized black currants scented with sweet orange and lavender essential oils. Because of my love for lavender, I found this flavor very unique and tasty!

wildberry lavendar ice cream at Jenis Ohio

Lastly, I tried sun-popped corn. This flavor is made with organic popcorn kernels popped by the sun in kettles in the New York Hudson Valley. It truly tastes like a bowl of freshly popped popcorn!

Jeni’s is consistently adding new flavors – both temporary and standards, so there are always interesting flavors to try – like sweet potato éclair or super moon (blue violet and vanilla marshmallow swirled together)!

standard flavor at Jenis

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams was founded in 2002 by Jeni Britton Bauer using whole ingredients with dairy from grass pastured cows and no synthetic flavorings or dyes. Jeni is a James Beard Award-winning author of two cookbooks and her New York Times best-seller Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has been dubbed the “homemade-ice-cream making Bible” by the Wall Street Journal with more than 100,000 copies in print!

sample spoons at Jenis ice cream in Ohio

Used sample tasting spoons at Jeni’s scoop shop in Columbus, Ohio

Guess what? If your mouth is watering and you wish you could try Jeni’s ice cream – you can! Jeni’s is available online as well as in select markets! If you don’t have a shop near you, I strongly recommend you order some at least once in your life – especially if you are an ice cream lover!

on Jenis scoop shop wall in Columbus

Thanks for stopping by! I hope I have inspired you to make or try a new flavor of ice cream!

Have a wonderful weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on jeni’s ice cream | field trips, food & festivities, travel

katalina’s in columbus

19
September

Table at Katalinas in Columbus

I have some fun things to share with you from a recent trip to Ohio…my first ever!

Part of visiting someplace new is checking out the food scene and my visit to Columbus was nothing unusual in this respect!  My first Ohio share is one of my eating adventures.

The best way to find the best eating in town?  Talk to a local, of course!  After receiving a glowing endorsement from an Ohio State student, my friend and I decided Katalina’s was a must-see and we headed over to try it out on a bright Sunday morning.

pancake bites at Katalinas in Columbus

Located in an adorable Columbus neighborhood, this fun and colorful, tiny café is located in a renovated 100-year-old gas station and on this particular morning (like every morning?) had a line of regulars out the door!  Not to be discouraged by the line, we reviewed the menu to make the tough decision of what to order.  The choices were very innovative and seemed to have a Latin flavor – all made from scratch.

pancake bite specialty in Columbus

Since Katalina’s boasts of creating pancake balls, I was intrigued and ordered them.  But then, I saw their version of avocado toast with toasted pepitas listed as a special.  I just had to have some!  So, I added that as well as a cup of bottomless coffee to finished out my order.

We were able to snag an outdoor table when our food was ready.  The pancake balls – over a million have already been made – were very yummy!  Made with stone ground flour, they were filled with organic pumpkin apple butter and served with bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

water at Katalinas

Of course, I ordered way too much food by getting both the pancake balls and the toast, but I was glad I tried both…they were each super tasty!

avacado toast at Katalinas in Columbus

I am so happy we listened to the recommendation of our new friend from OSU and I would do the same for anyone visiting Columbus!

katalina columbus ohio

I hope my brunch adventure has inspired you to try a new eating spot! :)

Thanks for stopping by!  Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Comments Off on katalina’s in columbus | food & festivities, travel

visiting the st. augustine lighthouse

27
June

visiting the St. Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

The latest issue of Coastal Living Magazine named St. Augustine, Florida in the top 5 for happiest seaside towns in America.

For today’s Friday field trip, I am taking you on a lighthouse visit – one of my happy places during a recent weekend visit to the “Nation’s Oldest City” in the Northeast part of Florida.

St. Augustine Lighthouse in Florida pleasure in simple things

Completed in 1874, after taking three years to build, the lighthouse is St. Augustine’s first and oldest surviving brick structure and rises 165 feet above sea level.

Staircase in St. Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

Walking past the nine windows in the lighthouse provided beautiful panoramic views as I ascended the 8 flights of cast iron spiral stairs – a total of 219 steps.

St. Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

This is what one of the windows looks like from the inside…now, check out some of the views to the outside!

view from lighthouse pleasure in simple things

A view of the keeper’s house from one of the St. Augustine lighthouse windows.

view from lighthouse window pleasure in simple things

view from St. Augustine lighthouse window pleasure in simple things

I was able to make it to the observation deck at the top of the lighthouse just before an impending lightning storm cut my visit short.

top of the St. Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

Jackie at the top of the ST. Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

The lightning storm was probably a good thing – no telling how many photos I would have taken if I was given the opportunity!

top of the St Augustine lighthouse pleasure in simple things

I hope you enjoyed sharing my visit to the St. Augustine lighthouse on today’s Friday field trip.  Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

4 comments » | field trips, sand & sea, travel

11 countries in 60 seconds

26
April

field trip friday

You can take the same field trip that I am enjoying today without ever leaving your house – actually, without ever even leaving your chair.   A perfect day to stay put on a cold, dreary New England day. Today,  I am going to take you through eleven countries in sixty seconds….are you ready?

Three friends traveled through eleven countries in fourty four days.  They  took 18 flights and traveled 38,000 miles. From this trip, they created three one minute video travel logs:  Move, Eat, and Learn.  All three are inspiring and visually exciting, but the one I keep watching over and over again is Move.

Please watch below…enjoy!

What do you think?

I LOVE sharing my very favorite online video.  I am not big on videos online… Sure, I am savvy to Tupac’s hologram video and yes, I know who Tosh is.  And, I know that the honey badger went viral, but come on….is Move not the most inspiring sixty seconds EVER?  Doesn’t it put a smile on your face?  Truly beautiful.  Play it a few times today…it’s worth the three minutes.  :)

2 comments » | travel

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