Thailand in 10 days...

In Bangkok I might....

1. See the skyline

2. Ride in a tuk tuk

3. Visit The Emerald Buddha and the Royal Palace

4. Go to a Muay Thai fight

5. See a cobra show

6. Eat street food/drink local beer

In Chiang Rai I would probably....

1. Live amongst a hilltribe
*A quick note about The Mirror Foundation (our connection to Chiang Rai and the hilltribes) - this organization helps villages/hilltribes in the northern mountains of Chiang Rai. The hilltribes are denied Thai citizenship which denies them many fundamental privileges and rights that Thai citizens employ. The mirror foundation sets up various projects and homestays throughout this region to help the hilltribes.*

our home in the Akha Village

Our room

Sunrise in the Akha Village

In Chiang Mai I should....

1. Learn about thai culture

2. Visit an elephant conservation center

3. Explore the city/go to the night bazaar

4. Go to the floating market

Things I learned while surfing in Bali....

1. If you want to catch a wave you should sit next to a local in the lineup, anywhere else is probably useless

2. Breaks named lacerations, impossibles and racetracks are named that for good reason

3. Surfing over shallow reef brings a whole new element to the game

4. When your boat driver hands you a shot of Arak you don't say no

5. When a local points at the horizon and whistles you should immediately paddle that way. Ignore the fact that you see nothing coming. You may still take the set to your dome

6. Falling off the face of a set wave CAN and WILL give you whiplash

7. Reef booties may look lame but picking reef shards out of your feet is more lame

8. If you think you have this "surfing thing down"...go to Bali...chances are...you don't

9. Befriend your local Warung owner, buy a Bintang and eat whatever they make for you. Leave your life savings in a basket by their store and it will be there when you get out of the water...no joke

10. Walking down 600 steps to get to Nyang Nyang is definitely worth it

11. The beaches really are beautiful in Bali....

12. On your "off" day you should visit Ubud, ride bikes through the rice paddies & visit the monkey forest

crazy monkeys.....

13. Your a.m. surf report is obtained from the back of your motorbike

14. A full moon (Purnama) has a lot of meaning in Bali. It seemed fitting that this moon ended our stay in Bali

Christmas in Indiana

I miss the snow. Of course I'm talking about the powdery, pristine, new stuff. I miss the amazing feeling of waking up and experiencing a "blue bird" day. By definition a "blue bird" day is a beautiful sunny day after an overnight snowfall. It's a perfect snowboarding day with a clear blue sky, bright sun, and fresh snow. This past week I got my blue bird day...the only thing missing was the snowboarding part. If only there were moutains in Northern Indiana.....

This perfect day happened to be Christmas morning and like the stereotypical little kid at Christmas I was giddy with excitement. Here are a few photos of our perfect Christmas morning.

Simple Beauty

White Christmas!!!

cold morning on the lake

down south for the winter????

Santa Barbara, Surf & Stuff

This past weekend we took a road trip up the coast to Santa Barbara. Santa Barbara is only 220 miles from San Diego, but has a completely different vibe. Wedged between the Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean, you get the best of both worlds. We were hoping for an epic surf trip, but only scored surf our last day. Santa Barbara can be a finicky place for surf because it often gets blocked by the channel islands. Although we wanted to surf all 3 days this actually allowed us to really explore Santa Barbara. If you like beautiful beaches, amazing wineries and scenic hikes, this is your place. Our last day we got to surf Rincon. I was extremely stoked, as I have wanted to surf this wave for quite some time. The surf was a reasonable 3-4 feet with a mixed lineup of short and longboards. The water was a chilly 55 degrees, but that didn't stop us from surfing for a solid 3 hours.

Rincon Point is located just south of Carpentaria and is what you would consider a classic point break. The wave itself is created by the shape of the coast. Rincon is actually made up of 3 main sections. The Indicator, the Rivermouth, and the Cove. Rincon is at its best when it gets a large medium-long period W swell. If a swell is connecting just right it is possible to land a wave that connects for almost 300-350 yards and dumps you near the rocks by the highway.

Spot details:
Best swell direction: W (260-280 degrees)
Best Wind: NE-E, light Santa Ana or light and variable winds
Sea Floor: Rock…mostly cobblestones
Best Season: Late Fall through early Spring
Crowds: You can see it from the 101…there are lots of people on it when it is breaking. It can get outright ridiculous on medium to large swells.

my last wave of the day...

Another beautiful place and surf break is Leadbetter. Leadbetter is located just north of Santa Barbara Harbor. This break was within walking distance from my friend's house. Leadbetter is a mellow wave and needs the right angle, swell and tide for it to be a desirable spot. Here are a few photos of the area around Leadbetter.

These next photos were taken at the Douglas Family Preserve. Talk about an amazing dog park!!! The park was made possible by a donation from Michael Douglas who named it after Kirk Douglas. The Douglas Family Preserve is located on the Mesa and has spectacular views of the ocean bluffs.

Santa Barbara County is one of California's premier wine producing and wine grape growing regions. The region is home to more than 90 wineries and some 27,000 acres of planted vineyards. The microclimates of the Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Valleys are uniquely suited to growing a wide variety of grapes, including Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Noir. With warm, sunny days and cool evenings, these narrow valleys draw cool ocean breezes from the Pacific, a marine influence that keeps yields low and quality high. We were lucky enough to visit Gainey Vineyard (made famous by the movie Sideways). By the way Mr. Giamatti the Merlot was fantastic!!!! We also were lucky enough to score a private room and free tastings. Here are a few photos from that excursion...