Saturday, February 28, 2009

La Carolina Lodge

We took to the road for a 3-hour excursion to the mountains of NW Costa Rica. We arrived 5-1/2 hours later and opted to stay the night at La Carolina Lodge. Little did we know what a magical 24 hours awaited us...




We stayed in this cabin, which was the first Carolina Lodge structure built many years ago.


The lodge is bordered by the Rio Celeste. You can hear the river rushing from every place in the lodge.


This deck goes out about 10 feet over the river.


Another one of the Carolina cabins.


And yet another cabin.


The outdoor natural rock spa which gathers river water and heats it in a wood-burning water furnace and spills out into the rock spa.


You can go back and forth between the hot water and the cold river water pools that form adjacent to the spa.




Caballos.


Alejandro and the crew, cleaning a fish that Grandpa caught.


We shared all of our meals at a big long table that sat 14 people.


Big pot of stew simmering in a huge iron pot.


The lodge grows its own coffee beans and roasts them underneath the wood-burning stove in the kitchen.


Before the hike!








Boyes means Oxen in the espanol.


Fuerte means strong in the espanol. Jacob, flexing his fuerte-ness.






Nathan and Juan, our hiking guide.


Lots of mud!




After the hike!



Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Farmer's Market and Randoms


Jacob at the local Farmer's Market in Santa Cruz.


Sam scoping the watermelons.


Gracie Gracie Gracie.


Gracie at the Heladoria (ice-cream shop).


Gracie getting busy with her helado.


Gracie- full diva style.


The view of Avellanas Beach from Lola's Bar.
This is the beach where we go everyday to swim and play.



The sunset view from Hotel Playa Negra.
When the waves are good, this is the place to be.



Dave and Gracie cutting a rug on the Hotel Playa Negra "dancefloor".


Sam & Jacob's mountain bikes.

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

The Minibus!


We finally got a car! A Hyundai H-1oo "Minibus". Brings back memories of Muffin in the college days!

Birthdays and Everydays


Greg Corinth (aka Uncle GooGoo) serving Sam his birthday apple cobbler cake.

Sam and the sunset.

Our little beauts.

GC.

Naters...with stick in hand, what else is new?