Nicaragua

Being a weekend warrior means driving to most of our destinations. It allows us the ability to bring along as much gear as we need and, most of the time, the dogs. It doesn't, however, allow us to stray too far from home and rarely the opportunity to leave the country. With that in mind, Rebecca and I knew from the start that we were going to use our week-long honeymoon to explore a foreign country instead of staying within the confines of the United States.



Rebecca found an amazing AirBnB for our time in Nicaragua - an off-grid house perched high above the jungle.



We were set to land in Managua late on Monday night, so Rebecca booked a second AirBnB in Grenada. When we reached our connecting flight, however, we received a message that the water had been shut off there and our host had most graciously booked us a room at the Hotel Plaza Colon instead. We were amazed by the gesture and gladly changed our plans for the night.



The next morning we woke to the sounds of wild birds, emerging to the balcony to watch shop keepers and horse-drawn carriages prepare for the day. Once checked out, we sought out breakfast and toured the plaza before continuing South.



Our final destination was in Iguana, Nicaragua, so we set off from Grenada midday with plenty of time to reach the house before sundown.



The drive was pretty interesting, sharing the road with every conceivable vehicle and even the occasional herd of livestock.





Along the drive to Iguana, we stopped at a fruit stand to load up our pantry.



The best part of the drive to our AirBnB was the final jaunt up the mountain. Our little Jimny handled it wonderfully, scooting through mud holes and up the rutted mountainside.



We took daily trips to explore different beaches such as Playas Popoyo, Gigante, Maderas, and Majagual.



Majagual was our favorite, though, with an isolated feel and beautiful scenery. Our best meal was there, also, at Matilda's.





At Playa Maderas, we rented surf boards and spent some time trying to catch waves.





On our final day, we took the scenic route back to Managua. At one point, we reached a bridge yet to be completed, so we found passage around by driving through the river it was meant to circumvent. Once back on the main road, we set our sights for the Maderas Volcano.



The next morning we flew out of Managua. Although it was a spectacular trip, we were both happy to return home.

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Big Sky (Montana)

During my second day in Montana, I decided to ride at the Big Sky Resort.



With three lifts running during the summer, access to the sprawling trail network was impressive. The two high-speed chairs were running at full speed, a welcome change from most resorts that slow the cables during the summer season.



My favorite trails trails were "Snake Charmer" and "Joker Lips" - two tracks featuring jumps and berms over technical rock gardens. I did ride plenty of other trails, but the layer of loose dirt created a feeling of unpredictability, so I quickly returned to the more heavily-ridden jump lines.

On my way to the airport that afternoon, I stopped along US Highway 191 to take a dip in the Gallatin River before heading east.



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West Yellowstone (Montana)

When we received word that a machine we'd produced had broken down, my boss immediately decided to send someone to rectify the situation. When I heard that the machine was located in Big Sky, Montana, I jumped at the opportunity!



On Monday afternoon I raced to the airport, bound for Bozeman, Montana. On Tuesday we tackled the repair and had the machine running properly by 1pm. With ample time left in the day, I decided a trip to West Yellowstone was in order.





The sights were amazing! I was blown away by the vibrant colors produced by reactions beneath the surface.



One of the main attractions, of course, was Old Faithful. By complete chance, I arrived just moments before the next eruption, which fully met my expectations.



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