http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOcBzFLxWRw

Join me as I take a behind the scenes tour of Castle Staudinger with host Captain Chris Staudinger.

This modern day 15th century castle boasts two spiral staircases imported from Europe, a library full of hand written books, an armory of 14 weapons which are accessible when ever the realm requires them.

During our stay at Castle Staudinger, we learned to play our first ever game of The Settlers of Catan. The fire was blazing as we sipped our mead and held down the fort.

NEXT: You’ll get an insiders look at the intense medieval weapons training that went down during our stay at Castle Staudinger. Stay tuned my friends.

Big thanks to Captain & Clark for hosting us in Washington!

Yeah, we’re supposed to be on a bike trip right now but we’ve been a little side tracked ever since arriving in Bremerton. Our hosts, Chris and Tawny, offered to take us on a road trip out to Chris’s parents home in Spokane which also happens to be the home of Castle Staudinger, a modern day 15th century castle. More on that to come…

Hitting the road…

Our morning started off with a delicious home cooked omelet that really set the tone for the day.

We packed up the car and headed East on a six hour road trip out to Spokane, WA.

Crossing the Narrows Bridge

Along the way Chris told us stories about all of the topless coffee shops in the area. Believe it or not, there are actual topless coffee shops all over the place here in Washington. With names like Sexpresso, and Brewlesque and  Cowgirls Espresso – How can you go wrong?

Throughout the ride we shared stories of our travels and laughed like never before. Will and I are so glad we decided to come hang out with Chris and Tawny. These guys have been outrageously accommodating and we all happen to share the same personality traits so we feel as if we have all been best friends when in reality I just knew of Captain and Clark from the travel blogging world prior to flying out here.

Cruising through the Cascades

We made a few stops along our journey. Our first stop was in Vantage, WA at the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park. The park itself wasn’t anything spectacular to look at but the views overlooking the Columbia River were incredible to say the least.

Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park

Our next stop just across the bridge from the Ginkgo Petrified Forest State Park was the Wild Horse Monument. After a quick hike up some fairly rocky terrain, we arrived at the top and found fifteen lifelike horse sculptures made out of welded steel plates.

Hiking up to Wild Horse Monument

As soon as we arrived at the top we were all running around like little kids trying to find the best horse for a photo op.

Steel horses run wild...

Since I couldn’t choose just one, I’m going to show you some of my favorite photos from Wild Horse Monument below.

Chris

Ryan

Will

After going wild at Wild Horse Monument, we jumped back in the car and drove the last two hour stretch to Spokane. A lot of the ride was filled with fields and puffy clouds and one big blue sky.

Approximately two hours later, we arrived at the home of the Staudingers (aka Chris’s House) and boy were we in for a surprise. What ever you do, DO NOT miss out on my next post…

The first day of our Pacific Coast Bike Tour was quite adventurous to say the least. Our morning started bright and early and before we knew it we were strolling into Logan International Airport with our bags and boxed up bikes in tow.

We boarded our JetBlue flight from Boston to Seattle Tacoma International Airport at 7:45AM EST. Thankfully, I got some quality sleep thanks to my Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow.

I ended up handing the pillow over to Will half way through the flight so he could get some sleep as well. Just five and a half hours later we arrived in the evergreen state of Washington.

Assembling our Bikes

As soon as we stepped off of the plane we headed straight for baggage claim. We snatched up our bikes and dragged them over to an open area where we would have some space to remove them from their boxes and piece them together.

While tightening my pedals on to my bike my back tire spontaneously combusted about a foot from my left ear. It sounded like a small bomb went off and it didn’t help that this went down inside of an airport. Our ears were ringing, but we  just kept on working on our bikes as if it never happened. Funny enough, nobody came over to us after the explosion. Turns out my rear tube must have been pinched when I pumped it up and due to the pressure, it just popped.

Lesson learned: Be sure your tube isn’t twisted when fully inflating your tires!

A little blurry, but here's our first official photo of the trip!

After installing my new tube, everything seemed to be good. That was until we started to head to the light rail and I realized I had a bubble in my tire. Once again, my tube must have had a small kink in it and when it was inflated, a piece of the tire popped outside of the rim.

Getting to Downtown Seattle

We took the Central Link Light Rail from SEA-TAC airport to the Int’l District/Chinatown stop. From there we walked down South Jackson St to the intersection of Nord Alley where we found one of the coolest little bike shops around.

As soon as I walked into Back Alley Bike Repair I was greeted by Ben, the owner of the shop. Within 60 seconds my tire was fixed and I was ready to hit the road. Before we left the shop, Ben snapped a quick photo of us in front of his shop.

Ferry from Seattle to Bremerton

We headed straight from the bike shop to Pier 52 at the Downtown Seattle Ferry Terminal where we purchased our tickets ($8.70/each) and boarded the ship.

On the way over to Bremerton we met an interesting guy named Matt who told us all about his hitchhiking adventures down the Pacific Coast when he was a young man. He also mentioned that we might be able to stay with his cousin once we start to head south along the coast.

About 45-50 minutes later we arrived at the Bremerton ferry terminal. From there we rode about 6 miles to our hosts house in Bremerton. Most of the ride was one long hill up the very busy Route 303 in Bremerton.

Our First Official Hosts of the Trip!

Over the course of the next few days, Tawny & Chris of Captain and Clark will be hosting us at their place here in Bremerton. As soon as we arrived, they pulled up right behind us with beers in hand and Will’s eyes instantly lit up. It’s been a long first day and we were both ready to settle in and relax.

We ended our first official day of the tour with Chris & Tawny at Silver City Restaurant & Brewery. I created a custom pizza with mozzarella, tomato, garlic and grilled chicken.

Well, that just about wraps up day one of our Pacific Coast Bicycle Tour. Today we’re packing up and heading out on a road trip out to Spokane, WA with Chris & Tawny. More on that to come. Stay tuned!

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Tips:

If you’re interested in getting from the airport to downtown Seattle, be sure to check out the Central Link Light Rail. We paid $2.75 each to get from the airport to downtown. The Light Rail was extremely easy to navigate and I highly recommend you use it if you’re ever in the situation where you need to get from the airport to downtown Seattle.

For more information on the Ferry from Seattle to Bremerton, be sure to check out the Washington State Dept of Transportation Ferry Website

Excuse my lack of updates this past week. I’ve been running around with my head chopped off making sure I’ve got all of the loose ends tied up for my upcoming Pacific Coast Bike Tour, giving away a free two-night stay at Courtyard by Marriott, replying to an endless inbox of emails, planning for my trip to Miami & Key West in July, one last trip to REI, working on a freelance web project, and nursing my big toe due to an extremely painful ingrown toenail. OUCH! Talk about horrible timing on that last one!

The Bikes

Firstly, I want to introduce you to our trusty bikes that are just about as old as us…

1985 Trek 520

Meet Ochocinco, the 1985 Trek 520 sport-touring bike. I picked up this gem off of free agency back in January and he’s been on the sidelines ever since. Ochocinco is a veteran in the touring game and one of the most highly recommended touring bikes around. He’s got a strong, solid frame and he’s built to last. Ocho might not be the fastest bike on the road but he should have no problem getting me to my final destination with his reliability, his street smarts, and his overall swag.

Price: $240

1986 Fuji Palisade

Meet Will’s 1986 Fuji Palisade. He spent a few weeks searching high and low on Craigslist for a bike that the thought would be reliable enough to withstand a tour of the Pacific Coast.

About three weeks into his search, he stumbled upon this ol’ rebuilt Fuji. The only additions Will made to this bike is the blue leopard handlebar tape, two matching water bottle holders and a rear rack. This bike was built to rock n’ roll!

Price: $200

Gear

Our original plans were to go uber-budget and rig up a 14 gallon rugged tote storage bin to the rear racks of our bikes. I actually mounted the tote to my bike, loaded it up with all of my gear and took it for a spin with no issues at all.

While the idea would work perfectly for local commuting around the city, it just wasn’t the greatest idea to attempt to take this invention all the way out to the West Coast and hope that it’s still in one piece by the time we reach the border of Mexico.

Instead, we decided to go with the most recommended and reliable option on the market when it comes to panniers for long distance bicycle touring; Ortlieb Back Roller Classic Panniers.

Take a look at the next guy you see rollin’ through your city fully loaded. It’s more than likely that he’s running Ortlieb Panniers, just like ours.

Besides the rear panniers hanging from our racks, we’re also bringing waterproof bags that will sit on the top of our racks. Will has a waterproof duffel bag which he will use for any extra gear that doesn’t fit in his panniers. I’m using a 30L Sea to Summit Waterproof Sack that will hold my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and a few other small items.

Here’s a final look at what my bike looks like fully loaded…

The only other bag not shown in the photo above is the Avenir Raincity Handlebar Bag I picked up the other day at REI.

It was sitting on the shelf with no packaging, just the bag and the hardware needed to attach it to the handlebars. It was originally $80, marked down to $38! I thought that $38 was a steal until I got out to the car and checked out the receipt which showed that I was only charged $20.93 for it. SCORE!

Packing List

Clothing:

(3) T-shirts

(2) Long sleeve shirts

(1) Under Armour Hooded Sweatshirt

(1) Columbia Waterproof Jacket

(1) Pair of Frogg Toggs Waterproof Pants

(2) Pairs of Shorts

(2) Pairs of Boxer Briefs

(2) Pairs of Novara Padded Boxer Briefs

(3) Pairs of Socks

(1) New Balance Reflective Running Vest

Miscellaneous:

(1) Hiker First Aid Kit

(1) Tube of Chamois Butt’r

(3) Novara Tubes

(1) Novara Tube Patch Kit

(6) Tire Removers

(1) Bicycle Cable Lock

(1) G-Shock Watch

(1) Topeak Cargo Net

(1) Waterproof Notepad

(1) Razor

(1) Biodegradable Body Wash

(1) Bowl w/ utensils

(1) Box of SOYJOY Bars

(1) Hand pump

Ready to Rock…

Well, that just about sums up the bikes and the gear. Tuesday May 1st is coming up fast! I still can’t believe we’re leaving in two days…

As an avid traveler I am always concerned about keeping my valuables safe while on the road. Some things are more important than others like my money, passport, and debit/credit cards. If these things were ever lost or stolen it would not only cost me money to replace them but also time, aggravation and patience that I just simply don’t have!

While on the road I have slept with these items in my pillow case, tucked them into the most remote places in my backpack.

Note: This method does not come in handy when you need to pull them out in a reasonable amount of time OR when you forget where you put them!

Hmm, where did I put my passport?

I also carried my most valuable items in my purse while holding on with a very tight grip whenever walking through a crowded street or boarding an overcrowded train or bus.

Luckily, with all the travel I’ve done, I have never had any problems with theft or loss of an important item. However, that doesnt mean I worried any less or spent any less time double checking to make sure everything was intact.

There are horror stories of travelers’ belongings stolen right out of their bags while they slept, and wallets and cellphones swiped from pickpockets so meticulously the traveler never even realizes it until they go looking for them.

Fortunately, there is now a solution to stop thieves in their tracks! Meet Dovetail…

Dovetail Travel in Peace

Dovetail provides you with two different options for storing your valuables.

1. The Body Band

The Dovetail Travel Safe Body Band gives you the extra sense of security that you need when you want to store your money/passport and other valuables safely, without worry. It wraps comfortably and securely around your waist.

2. The Body Wing

The Dovetail Travel Safe Body Wing is worn like a vest on your back and over your bra. It’s very light and super comfortable. It’s almost as if you never knew you had it on.

Both the Body Band and the Body Wing are big enough to hold your cash, debit/credit cards and they also stretch wide enough to fit your passport.

Keep in mind, if you are going to be doing some shopping at the local market or need easy access to your money, you should still keep a small amount of cash within reach, unless you want to pull up your shirt for every transaction!

If you’re interested in learning more about Dovetail products, please check out the official Dovetail Travel in Peace website.

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Review written by: Liz

And the winner is…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JYgopxoTYF4

Thank you to everyone who submitted to this great giveaway courtesy of Courtyard by Marriott! Look out for more great giveaways in the near future right here on Pause The Moment!

Who doesn’t love a good giveaway, right? Especially a travel giveaway!

Last week, Courtyard by Marriott contacted me regarding a giveaway of a two-night stay at one of five hundred newly renovated Courtyard by Marriott properties across the United States.

The reasoning behind this giveaway is that Courtyard will be celebrate a huge milestone for the brand – 500 Courtyard hotels will be renovated as of April 23, 2012!

See the Press Release. For more information on the renovated business lobbies, click here.

Courtyard by Marriott believes business travelers deserve options in their travel as well as a contemporary and smart place to recharge.  Today, the iconic power brand announced that 500 of its properties, nearly 60 percent of its portfolio in North America, has undergone the innovative Refreshing Business renovation that features convenient Bistros, award-winning GoBoards®, and revitalized space that provide guests with an open area to relax instead of just a place to pass through. By the end of 2012, it is expected three-quarters of the more than 800 domestic Courtyard hotels in the U.S. and Canada will offer the refreshed lobbies.

The 55-inch virtual concierge GoBoard® LCD touch screen is packed with current weather, local news, and business and sports headlines from USA Today.  Guests can navigate the touch screen to find restaurants, download QR codes for local attractions and even print directions from lobby printers. The lobbies also feature a Bistro dining option that gives guests the choice to sit and relax or “grab and go”. All menu items include calorie counts that allow guests to maintain a healthy lifestyle on the road.  The Bistro also serves Starbucks coffee and offers a selection of domestic and imported beers, wine and cocktails.

Video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcwRAvL_b80

Now, who wants to win a FREE two-night stay at one of the 500 newly renovated Courtyard by Marriott properties?

Enter Now!

All you need to do to enter for a chance to win is the following:

1. You must be a fan of Pause The Moment on Facebook in order to be eligible to win this giveaway. If you are not a fan of Pause The Moment, head on over to the fan page and click that Like button! ;-)

2. Leave a comment below telling me which of the 500 newly renovated properties you would potentially stay at if you were the lucky winnner of this free two-night stay.

See: List of renovated Courtyard by Marriott properties

3. Tell me why you think you deserve to win!

4. Share the link to this giveaway on your Facebook Wall!

Bonus Points:

There are two ways to score bonus entry points…

1. Copy & Paste your comment on the wall of my Facebook Fan Page and you’ll score double points!

2. Retweet this giveaway! (Twitter Users)

Don’t forget to tell your friends and family that they have to be a fan of Pause The Moment on Facebook in order to be eligible to win!

Details:

• This gift card is valid for two free nights at a newly renovated Courtyard by Marriott property in the US only. Click here to see a list of the 500 renovated US properties.
• Once I determine the winner on 4/27/12, I will contact you (the winner) via E-Mail letting you know that you have won. I will then request your mailing address information. Once I have that, I will pass it along and make sure your prize is fulfilled by Courtyard by Marriott.
• The $300 Gift Card should be used before August 31, 2012.
• You must be a fan of Pause The Moment on Facebook in order to be eligible to win this giveaway

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Disclosure: This contest was sponsored by Courtyard by Marriott. The winner will receive a giftcard towards 2 free nights at a Courtyard by Marriott property within the Continental US. I will select a winner on Friday April 27, 2012 and reach out to him/her via email with further instructions.

Note: I will also be receiving a complimentary two night stay at a renovated Courtyard property!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxREk0D65Nk

No More Tangled Headphones!

Where do your headphones go when you’re finished with them? If you’re like me, you stuff them in your pocket, your backpack or you just toss them on a table and they end up becoming a giant tangled mess by the time you go to use them next.

What a mess!

With CordCruncher, you can now store your headphones tangle free with a quick stretch of a cord!

CordCruncher vs. Your old tangled headphones

How It Works

The idea is simple, yet genius. CordCruncher headphones are wrapped in a stretchy latex sleeve that allows you to extend your cord to the length you need. When fully extended, the CordCruncher headphones open to a length of 42 inches.

CordCruncher fully extended to 42 inches

When finished, you place your two fingers on the headphone jack, while you grab the hard foam piece on the upper part of the sleeve near the ear buds and pull. Instantly your cord shortens to the storage length of 16 inches.

CordCruncher shown in its storage length of 16 inches

What’s even cooler about CordCruncher is that when you’re finished with them, you can take the headphone jack and plug it into the hole at top of the sleeve where the earbuds come out as shown above.

Your headphones can be worn around your neck or you can double up the CordCruncher and wear it on your wrist. How convenient!

Wearing my CordCruncher on my wrist

CordCruncher Colors

Available colors include: Pearl Blue, iGizmo White, Rocket Red and Matte Black

CordCruncher Headphones come in a variety of colors. Color choices for the first manufacturing run include Pearl Blue, Rocket Red, iGizmo White and Matte Black.

Conclusion

I’m going to be honest here and tell you that CordCruncher is quite possibly one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen in a long time. I’ve been dealing with the annoyances of tangled headphones for years and finally someone has invented something to make my music listening experience that much easier and stress free.

Why it has taken so long for someone to come up with a solution to the annoyance of tangled headphones is beyond me.

The only negative thing I can say about the CordCruncher at this point is that it’s not interchangable with other types of headphones. When you purchase the CordCruncher, you get a set of Skullcandy earbuds wrapped in the CordCruncher latex sleeve. Do not mistake this product as a sleeve that you buy to put over your headphones.

I believe that because the CordCruncher is not interchangeable, it will be a major turn off to those who enjoy listening to music with their own choice of high-end ear buds. If CordCruncher wants to take the world by storm with this incredible idea, they will definitely need to create an interchangeable sleeve.

I’m actually a huge fan of Skullcandy earbuds so I absolutely love the CordCruncher. These are now my go to headphones and I believe once you get your hands on them, they will be your headphones of choice as well.

Don’t forget to check out the CordCruncher official website for product updates, videos and more.

So, you read about our upcoming Pacific Coast Bicycle Tour, now it’s time to meet the riders.

The story behind the friendship of Will and I goes way back. All the way back to the third grade, as a matter of fact. It was my first year going to school in Bridgewater (my current hometown) as I had just moved there from Brockton over the summer. I remember being nervous entering a new school, not knowing anyone and wondering if I would end up making any friends.

Then, I met Will.

I remember heading back into the backpack area to grab my lunch and for one reason or another Will’s fist met my face. It was one of those moments when you’re young and you fight with a neighborhood kid and within minutes of the fight being over, you’re best friends. No? Never had one of those moments? The only difference is that there was no fight. It was a simple, “Hey! [insert PUNCH here] and it was over.

To this day, neither of us can remember why he assaulted me. Considering that we should be spending a lot of downtime together on this trip, I’ve decided that one of my goals for this trip is to somehow go back in time and piece the story together. You know, like CSI? I’m determined to find out why I was punched in the face, one way or another.

Speaking of the devil, I think this is a perfect time to segway into Will’s bio.

Will

Sports, physical fitness, and traveling are three components that define my life. As a young buck I grew up with a world explorer for a mother and her lifestyle not only molded my passion for travel but she would often take me along for the ride. Although I have been around the world and have visited most of the continental U.S. all before high school, I still feel I’m new to the travel game.

In high school I found myself more of an athlete than a traveler. I eventually earned a scholarship to play football at the University of New Hampshire. As a Wildcat I studied sports medicine and received my bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. Currently, I am pursuing a Master of Science degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Strength and Conditioning.

—

Ryan

I’m currently a full-time travel blogger and owner/editor-in-chief of Pause The Moment.

I offer freelance services such as Computer Repair, WordPress, Web Design, Website Maintenance, Social Media Consultation and more.

I have a passion for travel, fitness, and inspiring people to travel to international destinations they might not have ever thought of visiting.

I’m LIVING, BREATHING and EXPLORING until I can’t anymore!

—

Next up, you’ll find out more about our route, where we plan on stopping along the way and more. Stay tuned!

Back in February 2012, South Africa Tourism sent myself and three other travel bloggers on a two-week, adventure filled trip to South Africa.

South Africa Tourism just published a brand new video with never before seen footage that pretty much sums up our entire trip from start to finish and you HAVE to watch it!

Note: My death scream made it into the video!

ENJOY!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SMgNG7mmmk

Still to this day, I daydream about my time spent in South Africa…

DBH Travel Pillow vs. Generic Travel Pillow

Do you travel often for business or leisure? Do you usually bring a pillow with you when you travel? If you answered yes to these two questions then you’re going to love what I’m about to introduce to you.

No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow. – Lin Yutang

But wait, a pillow is a pillow, right? WRONG!

Let’s start off by comparing the Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow with your typical travel pillow found in most airport stores. Oh wait, there is no comparison.

The Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow is hands down the best travel pillow out there and here’s a few reasons why.

• Inflates in 3-4 big breaths, much less than your standard travel pillow.
• Deflates quicker than your standard travel pillow.
• Deflated center of pillow keeps neck in comfortable upright position while resting.
• Removable jersey knit cotton pillow case.
• Small carry pouch included for easy storage.

—

I’m going to show you three different examples of travel pillows below. The first two pillows will be your “standard” and “double comfort” travel pillows and the last one will be the Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow.

These examples below will show you exactly why the DBH Travel Pillow is a game changer when it comes to traveling in comfort.

1. Standard Travel Pillow

Eh, it’s just a standard travel pillow. Not much to report here. We’ve all seen these before and we know that they are uncomfortable but we still continue to use them. Why? Well, there’s just not that many alternatives out there on the market right now. But, wait… what about this next one. It must be called “double comfort” for a reason, right?

2. Double Comfort Travel Pillow

Oh, yeah, that’s exactly what I’m looking for! A double pillow that will make my head and neck tilt forward even more than the standard travel pillow. NOT!

Is this travel pillow serious? Note that this “double comfort” travel pillow is made by a big name brand in the travel & accessories industry and they probably sell millions of these things just because it’s made by [insert big brand name here].

Now onto the game changer, or what I like to call the GTPOAT (Greatest Travel Pillow of All Time). Yes, I just completely made that up.

3. Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow

You’ll notice that I’m showing you the naked version of the Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow above. I removed the travel pillow case from the pillow so that you could get a better understanding of what I meant when I said the center of the pillow is deflated.

As stated above, the Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow comes with a soft and comfy removable pillow case as well as a small pouch for quick and easy storage for your pillow.

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Video Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlWBHhJwS3s

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No more neck pain, and no more sleepless flights.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the GTPOAT (Greatest Travel Pillow of All Time), it’s time that you invest in one!

Click Here to purchase your new Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow!

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If you’re a proud owner of a Davidsbeenhere Travel Pillow, be sure to leave a comment below!