adventures Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Cruisin with the Colemans

VF Day 16-18: Finding Joy in the Long, Flat Road & Teaching

Posted on June 19, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

This long flat road from Santhia to Pavia reminds me first of the Meseta on the Camino Frances only longer. My photos are all same, I am tired of the views, and my inspiration isn’t coming like it was just a few days ago. It also reminds me of how a 15 week semester can feel.

Finding the beauty when the terrain doesn’t change

At the beginning of the semester everyone is filled with excitement, the students are diligently reading the assigned chapters, and they have set lofty goals for the term. Even after 24 years, I am inspired by their enthusiasm every single time… and then we settle into a routine.

Before long the honeymoon phase is over. The students are working two jobs, have a family, and are taking a full load of classes. They aren’t reading consistently before they come to class. I’m trying to raise their energy level but they are realizing how lofty their goals really were from the start.

I’m swamped with grading, committee work is intense and usually a waste of time, but dang it I have a job to do. I want them to love Public Speaking. See, see I have lofty goals too. Haha!

Teaching is much like being on a pilgrimage. In the beginning we are excited to embark on the new adventure, we are instantly inspired by everything around us, have completed the research, and oh yes, we have set our own lofty goals.

Then the routine settles in. We are more experienced than the typical student so we think we are ahead of the game. This is our third pilgrimage, so we are well-versed about what the routine will be – eat, walk, eat, walk, wash clothes, eat, sleep, repeat. But it only takes one tough semester for a student to figure out their routine. Experience can happen quickly out of desperation to stay afloat.

Something happens in the semester that requires a lot more of my energy to build them up, engage them, and remind them how important Public Speaking really is to their future. Good thing I am the queen of passion when it comes to Communication courses. I need that same mustering up of spark when the days on pilgrimage are long and boring.

Just like in a semester, on pilgrimage, I know what happens after the honeymoon phase is over. It’s the same thing that happens to me, my students, and yes, even to my professional clients. Life happens. All of a sudden you realize the five other projects you have put off doing and now they are due, someone gets sick, a bad nights sleep, maybe something stole your creativity, or maybe your schedule feels too monotonous to bear.

We are currently in the part of our pilgrimage where my creativity was stolen and, at the same time, my schedule is feeling quote monotonous. Some days Brian is the creative one. Have you seen his animated video game YouTube video from our walk? If not, click here. Other days, I try to be the creative one. Here’s my attempt at a TV show on the Via Francigena, click here.

We make a great team and together we get through the tough days. In comparison, I wish I could team teach. Creativity multiplies amongst creative people. A team gives one person the space to have a bad day, work through their emotions, while the other person cheers the team along.

Until the day comes when I can team teach, I will learn the lesson before me – a team comes from anyone around you and I when I don’t have my husband with me, I usually have an outstanding group of students eager to be on my team.

I look forward to the days ahead, the next phases of our pilgrimage, and I pray for that easy feeling of daily inspiration. I will continue to make notes which will come in handy when inspiration in low in my “regular life.” For now, I will rely on my teammate while on this pilgrimage.

Check out these two days on YouTube!

Then check out our ridiculous attempt at singing our way through the Via Francigena on this YouTube video!

Walking stats from Robbio to Mortara – 15.78 km

Lodging – B&B Antica Corte Lombarda – € 77

Walking from Mortora to Tromello – 13.6 km

Lodging – Hotel Duca di Tromello – € 75

Train from Tromello to Garlasco – 5.4 km. Walk from Garlasco to Pavia – 18 km

Lodging for 2 nights in Pavia – B&B Castellani – €171

*Listing our accommodation is not an endorsement. This is just a point of information for fellow pilgrims. See our reviews on Booking.com, the guidebooks, and fellow pilgrims for more details to make the decision best for you.

Reflections After a Long Distance Hike – 3 Changes for Next Time

Posted on April 2, 2022May 26, 2024 by Cruisin Michelle

Why did I bring that, why didn’t I pack a …, why didn’t I put things away differently. Let’s do this again! Haha

The analyzing of all of our gear began on the first day of walking and before the weekend is over we will have resupplied. Gear has been our top conversation this week from undergarments, to camera gear, to shoes, and everything in between. We knew it would be the top conversation but we didn’t know how intensely we would scrutinize our gear.

I’m sure it’s because we have the ability and time to make changes before we backpack the Via Francigena from Switzerland to Rome this summer. We know our hike will be more comfortable if we change out some of our gear for we go.

First change: Why in the world did I bring pajamas? I brought them because I thought I would wear them in the evenings and I would wear them to bed. However, to save weight (the ultimate goal), I should have just worn the extra outfit I brought. I should take the clothes I’m wearing, the clothes I wear when I’m washing the one outfit, an extra layer for rain/warmth, and that’s it. It was an amateur move on my part. Bottom line: Everything should serve multiple purposes.

Second change: Headwear options. I have 2 buffs, 2 bandannas, a couple rubber bands, and hair clips. Why? Oh my gosh, another amateur move on my part. One bandana will be great and one buff. I need a bandana for wiping sweat off my face throughout the day and a buff to keep my hair back when I want it down. However, I think I’m going to bring a microfiber cloth instead of a bandana that will serve as my washcloth for showers and wiping my face during the day. Again, saving weight and ensuring everything serves multiple purposes.

Third change: Shoes again. Through no fault of my own, this is still an issue for me. I have one foot that swells up a lot due to past injuries. I have tried almost 20 pairs of shoes and they all have one issue or another. For me, the Merrell Moab Vented shoes work best. When you’re long distance hiking you should wear shoes that are 1/2 to 1 full size larger because your feet will swell, I have tried both but I am still having blisters on my injured foot because of how much it swells. I think I am going to try a wide shoe to give my toes more wiggle room. I’m also trying a different compression sock for swelling. I may even end up wearing two different size shoes. Whatever makes my feet the most comfortable. We have 55 days until we leave so I pray I get this worked out. Walking with blisters, though we know how to treat them, is no fun.

Tending to my injured foot was a daily ritual

We’ll continue to make mistakes but I’m thankful for this training week. We haven’t done a long distance backpacking trip since the summer of 2019. You forget how heavy the pack feels at the end of the day. We needed that reminder so every item we bring is intentional and as light as possible. It’s not just what we bring but where we put it. The ibuprofen doesn’t do us any good deep in the backpack during the day when we need it, but it’s perfect in an easy to access part of the pack. Life lessons right there. 😆

Backpacking is a lesson in owning what you need, having it where you need it when you need it, and clutter will always weigh you down. That’s all I have for now. I’m going to kick my feet up and rest for a bit. Have questions? Comment below.

Ohio Camino Day 7, The Final Day

Posted on April 1, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

As I sit in our hotel in Newport, Kentucky overlooking the Ohio River, I can’t believe we just accomplished this goal. I knew we were able but until you do something like this you just don’t know how it will go.

I’m thankful to be warm. The crazy part is I am confident we will complain about it being too hot at some point this summer. We’ll probably complain more than once. We don’t like to complain. It’s just the nature of weather, right? It’s typically either too hot or too cold. It tugs at my positive personality to complain, but alas, sometimes Mother Nature really pushes back to make me more realistic.

In today’s YouTube video we talk about our takeaways from our 7 day adventure walking the Little Miami Scenic Trail from Springfield, Ohio to Newport, Kentucky.

Today we walked on the Ohio to Erie trail through downtown Cincinnati. We walked through some stunning neighborhoods, walking past homes we can never afford, and over the 150 year old Purple People Bridge to Newport on the Levee.

Impressive homes on the Ohio River and the Purple People Bridge to Newport

Thank you for following our adventure. Today’s mileage was 10 miles on the nose for a total of 70.3 miles of walking and 15 miles of trail magic via friends and ride share.

Ohio Camino Day 6

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

Loveland, Ohio, what a pretty little trail town with your quant shops, delicious restaurants, ample bathrooms, and plenty of rest benches. We love you so much we slept in, stuck around for an early lunch, Uber’d to our original lunch stop, and walked the remaining 7 of our 15 miles.

The weather overnight was ugly with heavy rain and winds. I didn’t sleep the best because I kept imagining us walking in that crud. We are having fun this week but we would have more fun if we had less wind. Honestly, even the cold isn’t bad but the wind, oh the the wind.

I teach my Interpersonal Communication students that perfectionism doesn’t exist in this world and I follow by example. We have no desire to push our bodies beyond repair just to be perfect. If we had more time, more flexibility, we would absolutely skip the Uber, just walk a half-day today and the rest of it tomorrow. But we don’t have more time, lodging feels scarce, and this is the reality.

The walking today was gorgeous. The trees were more green, the scenery shifted more often, and the signage about the trails we walked on were plentiful. Today we walked on the Little Miami Scenic Trail, Buckeye Trail, American Discovery Trail, North Country Trail, Sea to Sea Trail, Ohio to Erie Trail, the Underground Railroad Cycling Trail, then we also crossed into the Great Parks of Hamilton County. I love trail signs. I love pausing to read the information and I love the meaning behind each message.

Signs from the trails were traversed on today

Below are 3 more signs we saw from the trail with a description of each one including the future plans for the Little Miami Scenic Trail thanks to Ohio Riverway.org. I know we will walk this path again and we are excited to see it grow.

Left to right (1) The blue hashes you may have seen before but never realized what they were. This sign, in particular, represents the Buckeye Trail and tells the hiker to make a right. (2) A bit of history on the Little Miami Railroad. (3) The most exciting sign that outlines the future of the trails in this area!

Tomorrow is our last day of walking. I have mixed feelings because my body needs more training but I am over the cold, windy weather. The trip got a bit more pricey than we planned so I am glad it’s wrapping up for our wallets sake. Work is going to get intense over the next 7 weeks with Brian’s musical in 3 weeks and wrapping up the school year for both of us. Time between now and our trip is going to fly by. I’m thankful for this week.

As of today we leave for the Via Francigena in 57 days. Mentally, we are ready. Physically, well nobody is ever ready for pushing your body that hard for that long, but we will press on and have a blast. We have a few changes to make regarding our gear which we’ll talk about on our final YouTube video for this adventure.

Today’s totals: 7 miles walked, 8 miles in an Uber. Accommodation: The Mariemont Inn, a stunning place to stay (see today’s YouTube video for a tour). We had a $40 Air B&B but they had to cancel on us so today’s budget was blown on this hotel alone. I’ll leave it there, again.

Ohio Camino Day 3

Posted on March 28, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

Glorious day 3, oh how glorious you are for getting us back on track. We slept like babies, awoke with a renewed spirit, our legs were miraculously healed overnight, and as a bonus, the sun was shining.

In 3 days we have covered over 30 miles, with almost half of that mileage being today. We walked from Xenia to Corwin on the Little Miami Scenic Trail. It was a long one today coming in at 14.4 miles. But, honestly, it was easy overall. Our spirits were up, the views improved, and we have great company tonight with fellow Dayton Hiker friends, Mary & Mike.

Don’t get me wrong, our legs aches, I have Compeed (like mole skin but better) on a few hot spots on my feet, and we need to go to bed soon in order to do this all again. But today was great and even better as we continue to be with kind people who are able to put us up for the night. We wanted a pilgrim experience and we’re getting it. Yay!

There were flowers on the trail, a few great pit stops, we wandered by a lake, and had a fabulous lunch at Slim’s in Spring Valley.

A pit stop in Spring Valley and Brian taking video of flowers on the trail

This trail is officially an Ohio State Park, but the cool part is that some of it overlaps with the Buckeye Trail, the North Country Trail, and the American Discovery Trail. Ohio is a great trail state with more hiking, walking, and biking opportunities than many realize. The signage on the trail is great, you won’t get lost if you know what you’re looking for along the way. If you want to practice for a big trip like us or you just like long distance hiking, Ohio is the state to be in!

Today’s mileage: 14.4 miles. The cost came in at only $26.54 for lunch. We are beyond blessed that Mary made us a delicious dinner and has already mentioned coffee cake for breakfast. I will have sugar plum dreams in anticipation!

Ohio Camino Day 2

Posted on March 27, 2022 by Cruisin Michelle

The sun teased us a few times today but the cold air never gave us a break. I hate trusting a forecast only to be disappointed by it.

The 2nd day of walking is always harder. Momentum doesn’t come as easy as the first days adrenaline rush. The aches and pains start to kick in. The “what were we thinking when we planned something like this in an Ohio Spring” thoughts flow in and out of our minds all day.

Then there are the lack of views or distractions for the mind to toss around. Today we completed the stretch between Yellow Springs and Xenia on the Little Miami Scenic Bike Trail. It’s an easy walk, thank goodness, but don’t walk it for the views. Haha

We know how to hike in cold weather. We actually love hiking in the cold. We actually lead a hiking challenge over the winter months. This weeks challenge with the cold is two-fold. First, the forecast didn’t say it was going to be this cold. Have I mentioned that? Grrr…. Second, the wind was not supposed to be this intense. I’m trying not to complain, we are blessed to be able to do this, it’s just hard to be cold. Maybe the last two years have made us weak. Haha

Views from the Little Miami Trail from Yellow Springs to Xenia

Tonight we are lucky enough to have free lodging. Our host is a fellow member of our Dayton Hikers group. The generosity of others makes this feel even more like a Camino and that is the best feeling ever.

Our two stops for today: Nick’s Restaurant and the Xenia Station

For as many years as we have walked/biked this trail, we’ve never stopped at Nick’s Restaurant on the north side of Xenia. It’s right on the trail and in the summer their outdoor patio taunts us. Today we stopped and they did not disappoint our empty stomachs. Try the spin dip!

Tonight, we shared hiking stories with our host. We piddled away at documenting memories to the blog and YouTube. The YouTube video (linked below) includes a segment on our gear. My backpack is a Gregory Jade 38L, Brian’s is an Osprey 48L. We share with you what we carry in our packs so look for that video on our YouTube channel .

The goal of this adventure is to be more prepared for our walk on the Via Francigena. I know we are already one step closer to that goal as we’ve learned so much already. Who knows where the next 6 days will take us but we excited to share with you.

Focusing on one day at a day, I know this: We need to stretch – a lot – before we go to sleep. Tomorrow we will rise again. We will pray for more sunshine and less wind. We pray you enjoy following along. Please lift some love up for us, we appreciate it.

Totals for today: 9.54 miles; $118.38 for meals, lodging is free. 🙌🏼

The Camino on YouTube

Posted on July 25, 2019 by CruisinColemans

We haven’t been blogging this summer but we’ve been posting about two videos a week about our Camino adventures. Have you checked them out? We’d love to share our Camino with you! Go to YouTube.com/CruisinwiththeColemans to catch up on our videos.

We walked about 300 kilometers on the Camino Frances from León to Santiago in June. Then we flew down to Lisbon, Portugal to complete the Camino Portuguese. We rode bikes from Lisbon to Porto, walked the coastal route from Porto to Caminha, took a boat over to Tui, then finished by walking Tui to Santiago. We arrived in Santiago on July 24th to enjoy the beginnings of the Feast of St. James.

We have one more adventure before we say goodbye to the Camino. We will leave on July 27 to walk to Muxia and then walk on to Finisterre.

You can follow the remainder of our journey on Instagram and Facebook. Our YouYube channel is a few weeks behind where we are now but they are worth the wait for sure!

For now we say, “Buen Camino,” and we will see you when we’re blogging again this fall.

Meet our new YouTube Channel!

Posted on March 27, 2019 by Cruisin Brian

For some reason, we have been really nervous to start a YouTube channel. I think that watching our favorite vloggers such as Keep Your Daydream, Less Junk More Journey, and Gone With the Wynns has created some pressure that was just overwhelming. We tried shooting a video back over the summer but never pulled the trigger to upload it because we just weren’t happy with the content. I think it’s also about making sure we have the time to dedicate to a good YouTube channel. I don’t know if we have found the time, but we certainly have the motivation to record our adventures.

This week in the Smoky Mountains we bit the bullet, we have two videos up so far and hope to put out a couple more before the end of the week and then start releasing videos from time to time as we continue our Camino training through the Spring. Here’s our first video.

Why do we feel the need to start a YouTube channel in the first place? We want an interactive visual way of sharing our travels with our families and friends as we travel across the country and around the globe! Our long term goal is to be full-time adventurer’s once we have retired from our teaching jobs and we know that YouTube is one method of eventually making some income.

One of the reasons we were hesitant to start the channel was the intimidation I mentioned above that we felt when watching so many other channels. Their production value is so slick and polished, we just are not sure we could compete. We’ve decided to throw caution to the wind and go for it! Since we will be walking across Spain and Portugal over the summer, we will not be able to carry much gear in our packs. Because of this, our videos will be pretty low tech for the time being. Before I go any further, the links below will take you to Amazon through our affiliate page, meaning that we get a VERY small commission if you buy. Here is what we’ve decided to take along:

iPhone 7

The iPhone 7 has a great camera and the video quality is pretty good too, I might be upgrading my phone before we go, but that’s only if I can convince Michelle that we can work it into the budget, but she won’t be upgrading her phone. Not only will I be shooting on my iPhone, but also all of the editing will be happening here using iMovie.

Michelle and I both do video and photos for the blogs and now, videos.

Monopod

Again, because we can’t carry items unless they fulfill several needs I really want a monopod that would double as my hiking pole. After testing out several monopods that felt either too flimsy or too heavy, I’ve finally settled on the Go2Gether trekking pole with integrated camera mount. The pole feels sturdy and the locks have kept it from collapsing with moderate pressure. It comes with snow and mud baskets and several different tips. The handle is a little small for my hands and I’m going to be adding some bike handlebar tape to give them some extra padding. I bought two because I want my poles to match.

Gimbal

The go-to company for smartphone gimbals seems to be DJI and after checking out several, I am really happy with my Osmo Mobile 2. I’ve come across a couple of problems so far. The Bluetooth connection between the gimbal and phone really eats up my phone battery. So far the solution has been to power off the gimbal whenever I’m not shooting video and that is helping. Problem number two is not being able to readily connect a mic at the same time as the gimbal because of the port placement on the phone. I’ve found an adapter but it is not a graceful solution that I am pleased with.

Wide Angle Lens

In order to get some special shots, I wanted to play with adding some lens onto the phone too. Some Genius at the Apple Store recommended the Olloclip Core Lens and Clip. The core pack comes with a super-wide angle and a dual fisheye/macro lens. Also, the clip that holds the lens can attach to your pack with a carabiner and converts into a mini phone stand. You can purchase additional lenses that just clip on including telephoto and ultra-wide.

Photo taken with the regular iPhone 7 camera, no zoom

Same photo with the Olloclip Super Wide Angle Lens

Using the Olloclip Fisheye lens yields some interesting results

Finally with the Marco lens, great detail becomes visible

Microphone

I was concerned about wind noise, especially when hiking near roads or in windy situations and wanted to add a microphone. Rode makes good quality mics at an affordable price point so I picked up a Rode VideoMicro Mic that comes with a shock mount and windshield. I had to add a ring clamp to attach it to a hiking pole and an adapter to plug it into the phone (it has a 1/8 inch plug, not lightning). I’m still working battery issues and haven’t used both the gimbal and the mic at the same time yet.

So there it is, our setup to get started on YouTube. Of course, I know that there will be more gear to come (anyone want to buy me a DJI Spark Drone?) and that we will probably have to make some adjustments as we travel along the Camino. Check out our first two videos and give us some feedback! Also, make sure that you click on the subscribe button and click the bell to get notifications every time we post new content.

When Talking about Adventuring is Hard

Posted on October 10, 2018 by Cruisin Michelle

This past summer was filled with the highest of highs and sadly the lowest of lows. The highs consisted of our son’s, my cousin’s wedding, and time with a breadth of my family. Sadly, what brought my extended family together was the passing of my grandfather. My grandfather was, simply stated, the most amazing man I have ever meet. Together

my grandparents provided the world with 5 boys, 20 grandchildren, and countless great-grandchildren. They loved attending every possible special event of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and even the not so special events. Family brought them genuine joy. They taught me how to love unconditionally, what to look for in the perfect mate, to appreciate and enjoy live theater, and the value being committed to your community. I can only strive to be half as amazing as they were collectively. I am thankful I had 41 years with my grandmother and 47 with my grandfather. I am a better human because I knew them.
My grandfather affectionally referred to as the gentle giant, survived World War II, the Depression, drought after drought as a dairy farmer, and six years ago, the loss of his bride, my grandmother. I respected him as a husband, a grandfather, and a man, more than any other human being I know. He was smart, frank, graceful, loving, patient, kind, generous, and non-discriminatory.
When I knew his end was near this summer it was like I was frozen in fear of the inevitable. I didn’t want to go adventuring, I wasn’t in the mood to leave the RV, and all I wanted to do was go home to be with my grandfather. We finally made it to his side, his passing was slow, but fortunately, all of his family made it home to say our good-byes. The time with family was the greatest gift we could give him. It lifted all of our spirits and we could feel our grandmothers presence everywhere which was precisely what we all needed.
So comes the sudden stop of my newly developed appreciation of weekly blogging. My heart needed time to mend. My mind needed time to reconsider my goals. I wanted to blog, I tried to blog, I have 3 drafts waiting for me to finish, but my focus hasn’t been there. I come to you with a heart that is trying to mend and a new focus on greater goals to achieve undeniable happiness. I have had several conversations with my grandparents in my dreams. They were my greatest fans and thoroughly enjoyed listening to every single detail about any story I was willing to share with them. Therefore, I will write again. I will share our adventures with you. Maybe there is someone out there who needs to hear about them. Maybe somehow my grandparents are listening and smiling because all they wanted was for their family to live their best lives.
Brian and I have a lot to share with you. Next week I will pick up where we left off as we entered the UP of Michigan to finish our summer 2018 adventure. Then I will share with you what has been going on as we have begun to the plan our summer 2019 adventure which is going to be hiking the Camino Portuguese. My goal is to post an adventure blog every Wednesday morning at 8:00 a.m. EST. Brian will continue to post his “Recipe of the Week” every Monday morning at 8:00 a.m. EST. If you like what you are reading, please like, comment, share, and follow! We write our blogs for you. We write them to inspire an adventurous spirit in all of us. We write them to remember what it looks like for us to live our best life.
To everyone who helped me through the passing of my grandfather, thank you. To Brian who kept our posts coming while I mended a broken heart, thank you. I see my grandfathers spirit in Brian and that is the ultimate compliment. To anyone who still has either or both of their grandparents on this Earth, call them. Share everything that is is going on in your life with them. They are waiting to hear from you.