"it is now in chronological order Amanda..."

Amanda requested that this blog be arranged in chronological order. Because, you know, she's earth and I'm water, so that's how we roll. So, first order of business is The Opera House Internet Cafe. One night we were strolling around looking for a warm place to sit and read, and cringing because we were continually met with the same combination on every street: ice cream place, pizza place, bar, obnoxious gift shop. But suddenly we stumbled upon the Opera House Internet Cafe. This wonderful little place is located on Cottage Street in Acadia National Park, Maine. If you're ever in Bar Harbor, please skip the overpriced t-shirts and the "I climbed Mt. Cadillac" stickers, and instead, go to this place. They operate on the "honor code," meaning they have a little area in the middle of the shop filled with yummy pastries, coffee, and other beverages. You go get what you want, and when you leave, they just trust you to tell them what you actually had to eat. There's also a lovely little circle of grandma chairs with blankets draped over the back of each one. Big band swing music plays in the background. It was such a homey little haven. But the best part is, we played hangman with one of the guys that worked there. His word was "shenanigans," shiz stamp.

Next we have to recount the epic fail that we witnessed in Acadia. After a long day of kayaking in the Atlantic, we came back to shore and saw this:


And this:


Some people just don't understand the concept of "high tide." What had earlier been a sandbar where people could drive down to the water's edge, was now submerged in seawater, and so were this mini van and subaru. We stood by and watched helplessly as the subaru's alarm went off in a muffled cry for help under the water, and then slowly faded away. Can you say epic fail?

A long day of kayaking also left us craving pizza, so when we arrived in Portland, Maine we found a local pizzeria called Otto's. Roasted tomatoes, basil, and ricotta cheese. Highly recommended.



And then--cue Vampire Weekend Contra album--"In December drinking horchata..."

We tasted horchata for the first time in Portland. For only $2. In a mason jar. SHIZ. For those of you who haven't experienced horchata, it's almond and rice milk with vanilla and cinnamon. Ours were iced with an optional shot of espresso. Our hearts sang as the sweet mixture touched our tongues and our cell phones charged on a nearby table in the 2nd story coffee shop that overlooked the street.

Now we're in New Haven, Connecticut visiting Amanda's cousin. We had a great dinner, walked around Yale, and ate some delicious ice cream. After four nights of sleeping in the back of the car, we've had a hot shower and we're sleeping on a bed. Life is good.

Amanda & Stephanie

shiz worthy adventures of 2010

Hellooooo friends, family, and random internet followers! It's 2010 and we're back on the road for epic adventure number 2! This time we're exploring the east coast of the U.S. We're already halfway through our 2 week gallivanting and we've reached our turning point in Maine. Here's where we've been so far:

Asheville, NC
Cumberland Falls, KY
Charlottsville, VA
Philadelphia, PA
Burlington, VT
Mt. Katahdin, ME

While traveling by car past mountains, over rivers, and through cities we've made a list of things we term "the shiz," which therefore receive a theoretical "shiz stamp" and things that are, well, not the shiz. Here are the highlights:

THE SHIZ
-The Twisted Tree Branch Tea Bazaar in Virginia.
-Morning run and wonderful breakfast with our couchsurfing host Nancy in Virginia.
-Epic u-turn across five lanes of traffic in tourist central across from the capitol and famous monuments in Washington, D.C. "I swear, the interstate just ended!"
-$20 futon mattress from Craig's list in Philly. We've now slept on it 2 times in the back of the Pathfinder. Comfy!
-Fresh and cheap fruit market in the middle of Philly.
-Staying with Jamie and Adam in Vermont.
-Nutella crepes at the Skinny Pancake in Vermont.
-$50 ticket waived in less than 30 seconds by friendly northerner in Vermont.
-Katahdin: "My pronunciation is better than your pronunciation"
-Hitching a ride for the 2 miles back to our car after hiking 9 miles on Katahdin.

NOT THE SHIZ
-Failing to see the moonbow for the second time, due to clouds at Cumberland Falls, Kentucky.
-$11 ticket in Knoxville, Tennessee, we were so exciting about coffee and tea that we forgot to pay the meter.
-Hoping for a refreshing swim, only to find that the lake was only 3 feet deep and filled with grunge and v-algae in Virginia.
-Toll roads
-Untrustworthy roadsigns in D.C.
-Misinterpreting a northern accent in Starbucks in Maine: "hot or aced?"





Now we're off to Acadia National Park!

Amanda & Stephanie