Lifestyle | ReneGade Roaming

Video: Norway

RRadmin — Sun, 23 May 2021 00:05:05 +0000

Dash and I had a weekend where neither of us had any plans and we found some super cheap tickets to Norway so…..

We hopped on a red eye to Bergen, Norway and watched the sunrise over the Atlantic. As we approached the coastal city of Bergen, the sun peaked out from behind the clouds and gave us a glimpse of the town and the surrounding magical mountains we were about to be exploring!

Once we had landed and made our way through customs, we grabbed a rental car and headed to our AirBNB outside of town. This adorable woman let us into our home for the weekend and we unloaded our gear before we headed back into town. When I am traveling on shorter trips, like this, I go ahead and pay the $10 a day for international service on my phone (via AT&T). Not only am I able to call/text family back home, but I can look up locations and use GPS for directions. Bonus: I can create a personal WiFi hotspot so everyone else I am traveling with ALSO has access to Internet – and can send texts/make phone calls via apps like WhatsApp.

We decided to head east into the mountains to try and find the epic towering rock that we have all seen plastered across basically every traveling influencer’s Insta: Trolltunga. The drive out of town took us immediately into gigantic mountains via never ending tunnels. Sidenote: I have an absolutely irrational fear of tunnels… and Norway was like oooohhh yeeahhh? Challenge accepted. These tunnels were ridiculous. I’m talking miles and miles inside a tunnel. Have you ever seen a round about with four exits inside a tunnel? No. They’ve got it. (It’s in the video below if you don’t believe me.) There is even a point where you are in what seems like a never-ending tunnel and you finally see light. As you emerge from the mountain you find yourself on a huge suspension bridge. As you look out across the bridge, you wonder to yourself.. “Self, am I seeing things, or does this bridge just take you to another tunnel!???!?” Nope. Your eyes are not deceiving you. The road goes out of a tunnel, onto a bridge, and immediately into yet another tunnel.

After more tunnels than I ever wanted to drive through we finally got to the trail head for Trolltunga, only to find the trail was closed. Seriously? All those tunnels for the trail to be closed. We also found out that the trail there was something like 25 km… probably should’ve done a bit more research on this one. (This is what happens when you buy plane tickets to Europe at the last minute.) We weren’t going to let it get us down. We took a shorter hike up over a small hill and found a gorgeous vista to have a snack.

And then it was back into Bergen for dinner and some much needed shut eye.

The next day we set out about seeing the town of Bergen. We ate a bunch of delicious foods, wandered around cobblestone streets and even found a group of street performers who were apparently quite funny. We didn’t get it, but the other people watching were laughing at the punch lines. When we had our fill of the city, we set about hiking up the “hill” on the edge of town for a better vantage. It was quite the hike, but totally worth it.

That night we headed back into town and found a small bar/restaurant for dinner and drinks and then headed back to our AirBNB….

To see all of the photos from this trip check out the Norway Album, and be sure to watch the video to see the whole adventure:

https://youtu.be/wSr_ARh2YYY

Great Christmas Gifts for Him

RRadmin — Sat, 05 Dec 2020 22:33:06 +0000

Oh, the fun of Christmas shopping! I am being sarcastic. I am not a shopper in any way shape or form. Luckily I have been picking up bits and bobs all year. Notebooks, silk scarves, and paintings from China; obnoxious coffee mugs from Tuesday Morning; and a bunch of knickknacks at every checkout aisle in the world. Unfortunately, I haven’t picked up much of anything for the Bug (mostly because he has been with me every time I’ve been inspired to grab a gift) so while I’ve got everyone else covered, his gift count is currently at zero. But at least with Amazon, I can get most of my shopping done from the comfort of my couch (or toilet, because let’s be real… I get a lot more inspired when I’m in the bathroom)!

So the next issue is figuring out what to get a guy who loves being outdoors, hiking and climbing, and craft breweries… but does not need another t-shirt (seriously, he’s got one for every day of the year)…? I’ve compiled a few ideas here that can be picked up right from Amazon and will be in your hands in no time. If you end up purchasing any of these from my links I get a little commission, which I am pleased to announce will most likely go straight to buying these same items. Shhhh, don’t tell the Bug!

This Zippo Hand Warmer, 12-Hour is perfect for when he is outside hiking, climbing, tailgating.. whatever! Fill the cup. Light the burner. Done! The flameless gently warmth provides 2.5 times more heat than disposable hand warmers.

For the builder (or wannabe builder) in every man get the CH Hanson 03040 Magnetic Stud Finder The Stud 4 Sure is a stud finder that uses powerful rare earth magnets to pinpoint the exact location of screws or nails in a stud. The tool doesn’t require batteries and never needs calibration. So now you can have him hang up all the shelves to display your new goodies from Christmas without worrying about their stability!

I don’t know about you but every time the Bug walks into the bathroom he turns on his Pandora station. This Shower-Mate Water Resistant Wireless Bluetooth Portable Speaker and Hands-Free Speakerphone Compatible with All Bluetooth iOS Devices and All Android Devices is great for him (and you) to get your Karaoke on in the shower every morning. No more barely hearing your music as soon as you turn your shower water on! Plus double duty – you don’t have to only use it in the shower. He can take it out to the backyard or garage to always have his tunes with him.

This next one is a great combo: everyone needs more soap in their life, he can get all sweaty and nasty hiking in the woods, and it’s beer (soap)… Enter the Hoppy IPA BEER SOAP from Swag Brewery.

Is the guy you’re shopping for more of a whiskey lover? Check out these Whiskey Stone Set Box of 10 Chilling Stones and Tongs, Pure Soapstone for Cold Whiskey Beverages for cooling down his whiskey without watering it down. Oh and Swag Brewery also makes Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Soap. For the whiskey double win!

Finally, for the bookworm/science nerd guys out there, I found this book, What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions, for some fun, light reading around the Christmas tree. Because who doesn’t need to contemplate some absurd hypothetical questions from time to time.

Of course, these gift suggestions are based on the things that I know the Bug loves so they may not be the exact thing you are looking for. Check back for some sweet discounts from Amazon on other Great Gifts for Him!”

Blowing Rocks Preserve

RRadmin — Fri, 03 Jan 2020 21:24:48 +0000

“If you’ve been to southern Florida and haven’t stopped into Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island, you are missing out. The environmental preserve, owned and maintained by The Nature Conservancy, boasts the largest Anastasia limestone outcropping along Florida’s entire eastern coast! The main attraction are the “”blow holes”” caused by waves breaking and spraying water upward through holes eroded in the rock. Under the right conditions, they can spray up to 50 feet in the air! As you walk out to the coastline you will pass through a number of coastal ecotones in the preserve. First, you will encounter maritime hammocks & mangrove wetlands as you pass through sea grapes, gumbo limbo, Sabal palms, and other species native to the area (invasive species are removed in an attempt to preserve the indigenous plants. As you emerge from the canopy you will traverse beach dunes before coming up to the limestone outcroppings. The preserve includes an educational center, native plant nursery, boardwalk, oceanside path, and a butterfly garden. The Hawley Education Center features rotating natural history and art exhibits and offers environmental education classes and workshops. You can also take a walk along the Indian River Lagoon via a boardwalk where you will find interpretive signs about the plants, wildlife, and area environment.

The preserve is an awesome place to spend a day with plenty to see and do. Check out this QuickVid on YouTube I put together after my last visit in January 2020.”

The Katie Couric Show

RRadmin — Fri, 31 May 2013 19:57:51 +0000

It was like something out of the movies. I jumped on the train from Gramps‘ house in New Jersey and rode the 30 minutes into Manhattan. From there I grabbed a cab up to the studios that were just off of Central Park. When I got there I gave them my name and they shuffled me into a room. A couple of women from hair and make-up came to doll me up a bit before the camera showed up.

We were doing the pre-recording for the show that was gonna happen tomorrow. My girlfriend Angela had hooked me up with this random appearance on the Katie Couric show. Crazy right? But it was awesome. We quickly finish the pre-recording and had a bit of a conversation before it’s time for me to head back to New Jersey.

The following morning I woke up early and picked out what I was going to wear for my national television debut (!!!) I settled on a pair of white jeans and a deep blue silk top. Then I spent about an hour choosing the right shoes. By the time all of that was taken care of the town car that the show had sent for me had arrived. The driver was an older man name Stan and as we drove into the city he talked about what it was like driving in New York the traffic with the bridges and tunnels. He told me all about his family. He told me about his favorite pizza. And he gave me all kinds of information about what I could go see after the show was over.

We ran into quite a bit of traffic trying to get onto the island so we pulled up a little behind schedule and I was rushed into hair and make-up to get ready for the day. The ladies there were absolute jams and I had a blast getting ready with them. Then it was often soundstage and the next hour and a half was just a blur there’s Katie here I was there I was on the screen with our pre-recording it was like something out of a movie.

And then just that quickly we were done. Stan my driver offered to take me anywhere I wanted he said he would take me home or he could drive me around for a little while show me the sites. Apparently, the show booked him for the full day. So I took him up on a private tour of Manhattan complete with all of his own tidbits of knowledge and experience before he drove me home.

As we pulled into Gramps’s driveway are you still riding a high from the whole experience jumped out took a selfie with Stan with goodbyes he drove back down the gravel driveway.

Without missing a beat Gramps was at the door asking if I had time to mow the yard in my big during my busy schedule. So I headed over to the workshop and jumped on the tractor still in my clothes from the day and mowed the lawn looking like a freaking superstar.