Wild West Adventure 2013: Let The Planning Begin!

The gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway

Good morning all! Well, I'm having a heck of a good time planning our two-week trip out to California this summer. I'm mapping out our itinerary and making hotel/motel/cabin reservations (which I love to do) and lining up airfare and a rental car (do I go with an intermediate SUV or really let lose and get a convertible?). I'm excited and can't wait to go!

Basically, we will be gone from July 19 - August 4. We fly out of Columbus to Las Vegas, where my niece is getting married on July 20. Then we hop into a rental car and start our journey to California. We will be hiking in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks for a week, and then instead of continuing up to Yosemite National Park, we will head west to Monterey on the Pacific coast and then drive down the gorgeous Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles, stopping at breathtaking points along the way. One stop is Big Sur, with awesome hiking opportunities and places for long walks on beaches with sand dollars and other "gifts from the sea" on the shore. My husband loves the woods, I love the ocean, so this couldn't be a more perfect place for us! We will fly back to Columbus from L.A.

I was thinking this morning that there is no way in God's Green Earth I would be physically able to do this wild, wonderful excursion carrying that extra 80 lbs. of weight. Just forget about it. My back was screaming in pain, I waddled around, hating to move, and all I would be focused on would be the food, not the hiking and getting out to enjoy all the beauty Mother Nature offers us. This trip wouldn't be an option for us. But look at me today! I feel fit and fabulous. I can't wait to lace up my hiking shoes and get out amongst the redwoods. The window of opportunity is wide open for me. Thank you Optifast for making this trip a reality!

Travel scale

As far as managing my weight while I am on vacation, Millie is giving me tips. The first one was get a travel scale -- they sell light-weight ones you can carry on the plane for $19.99 at Amazon.com. Mine arrived yesterday and it is a funky red/orange color. You know I'm sensitive about scales, but I also know I am going to be panicked about weight gain if I don't have one. So now I do. I am also packing Fiber One "Snack Attack Packs" (sweet and salty -- recipe in "The iDiet" book) and bringing flax seed muffins I make. I'm going to watch what I eat but allow for some nice dinners out occasionally. I know I'll gain some pounds, but all the physical activity is going to curb some of that, I'm hoping.

So I'm in a wonderful mood right now. Oh -- I've been watching what I eat this week, and doing my 2-mile streaking, and my weight has settled back to my comfort level. So I have recovered from Memorial Day weekend beautifully. I am going to continue to watch things closely all the way up to our departure. I want to go into this on the lower end of my "weight comfort zone." I'll keep you updated on my progress!

Happy Friday all and have a wonderful weekend!