Capturing the Moment

  I've always had a soft spot for trains, ever since taking a train from Savannah to New York as a kid with my family. There is something quite romantic about them. So I was quite excited for this next leg of our Scandinavia trip. We planned to travel from Oslo to the western fjord lands by scenic train. It involved two trains, first Oslo to Myrdal, then Myrdal to Flam. We started in the hub of Oslo Central Station, but quickly made it out past the suburbs into the rolling farmlands. That was pretty, but it soon became quite beautiful as we headed up into the snowy mountains, past waterfalls, lakes, and even a glacier, barely visible through the low clouds. At Myrdal we switched trains, just as the rain really started to come down. Little did we know that this train ride would be a slow motion cinematic experience with massive waterfalls, huge valleys, and incredible scenery. We made a stop at one waterfall, where they let everyone get off the train to get a better look. We heard t...

Me grabbing the rail at Honolua Some surfer getting shacked   What a way to ring in the new year! A week on Maui with old friends, borrowed camping gear, and a good winter swell brought out many smiles. We made sure to get in a couple of whale watches complete with muggings and breaches, and even managed a few dives at some of our favorite spots. Nate breaking the mystique Cutting hard at Honolua   There are a few spots on the island with big firework shows for new years eve but the real scene is in the local neighborhoods. Fireworks sell like crazy leading up to new years and it shows with explosions heard from noon onwards. I even heard a few the next morning. I checked a few times to see if Nate's car was on fire because of all the smoke. And despite her best efforts to fall asleep I still kissed Heidi at midnight thanks to some unbelievable explosions from the neighbors. Whale tails everywhere! Adult breaching Baby attempt   It was a n...

   Fjordland National Park is the biggest national park in New Zealand. It covers the southwest corner of the south island and has ice carved fjords, massive sea cliffs, lakes and valleys, and towering waterfalls. Multi-day hikes abound and since you can fill your canteen with water straight from one of the thousands of waterfalls your pack won't even be that heavy. Although it might be wet, everything is saturated here with the incessant rain. Looking back from the mouth   Of course as we neared the town of Te Anau, the gateway in Fjordland National Park, the rain started and didn't stop all day. Luckily the rain does not stop things here in the Fjordlands. In fact it just brings more waterfalls. Some of which dry up shortly after the rain stops. Our final destination was Milford Sound, the end of the road. From here boats leave a tiny harbor and spend a couple hours motoring around the fjord and out to the opening to the Tasman Sea. Fur Seals are often seen fr...