#Pali Wine Company

[wine-porn]

Summit

Ethereally strong dirty spice right out of the first pour, the kind of sublime Pinot expression buffeted down on rich fruit concentration but elevated with the magical funk only this variety can produce in stellar examples. Calm, deep cherry anchored in beautiful barrel-treatment and careful vinification where the vitamin C and ridiculous dessert are at one with dank briary greenery and earth.…

[khotgirl]

Lost

Yoongi loved her so much.

Why did she have to leave? Did he deserve this? Did he even mean anything to her? How fucking pathetic was it that she just decide to get up and leave him out to dry. He felt helpless.

Love is not simple, we learn that since we are kids. Why do you think sometimes you get that tingle in your stomach when you have something as simple as a crush, well subconsciously the word rejection lingers in your mind.

When you don’t get what you’ve done wrong in a relationship and suddenly your partner (now ex) decides to end it, it’s inevetiable to stop you from obsessing  over it, think about it hundreds times, till your brain decides to think about “something else” but it doesn’t really cover for all the pain and the hurt you’re going through. Either way, your brain keeps on the mind games, makes you feel happy then sad all over again, it never gets tired and while you go through the rollercaoster of emotions - you just feel empty. Nothing makes sense anymore.

 You have to feel it, you have to feel the hurt and the pain, evrery singñe drop of it, so someday you can heal form al the damage that’s been created, you’re not gonna be the same anymore but you’ll eventually learn hot to be happy again.

Anyways, so fucking what if ou feel empty. Life always takes what makes you the happiest, always takes the things that are so precious to you and throw it away, letting you be in your darkest moments, feeling like complety shit and souless. You’re not yourself anymore.

Yoongi couldn’t accept it, he couldn’t handle it, he wanted her back so bad, he couldn’t stop thinking, he didn’t want the companion of others he just wanted her. She was his life, he told her everything, from the simplest things  to the sad and horrible things he thinks before going to sleep. She knew him more than anyone, and he still couldn’t believe that after all they’ve been through she just decides to go and leave him.

She just said “I don’t feel the same way as before, I don’t think i love you anymore, I’m sorry” She couldn’t look him, his perfect dark brown eyes, the ones that once were full of joy- were then full of sadness, sorrow, pain and fear, fear of losing the one thing he felt was right for his life.

 She then continued  to say “I really loved you at one time, i just have these feelings. I-I don’t feel like I do that anymore. loving you, it’s been a while since I started feeling this way” It all really just felt staged, she never loved him, she was just palying him like a puppet, he was his play thing until she finds the next BIG THING. He felt pathetic thinking someone could actually love him, be with him, for fucks sake BE in a relationship with him.

“I’ve found someone else” Yoongi  looked at her, he felt his heart break right then and there into a million pieces. He couldn’t believe he didn’t see this coming, he wanted to laugh at himself, thinking that he could have something nice for once in his life. Well maybe people are telling the truth when they say that love blinds us, it’s so true and in the most painful way.

After that day, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, he even dreamt about it, he felt it all over again, he fell onto a hole and couldn’t get up anymore.

For months now they’ve broken up, he still couldn’t get over it, over her. He woke up every day went to work, produced some songs, (he writes the sourest lyrics and the deepest beats); he guesses that maybe people love it so much since is a feeling that everyone feel at least once in their lives; then he goes home. At home he drinks like a sailor and smokes like he wants to get cancer.  Self-destruction that’s how you call it, he couldn’t find any other source of happiness. Nothing was enough fot him, not the cigs, not the sex,not the alcohol not the porn, not even the fucking drugs, he wasn’t satisfied with his life anymore. He jus realized that there really way out from this shit-show people call life.

-

When he was with friends, he wanted out, he didn’t want to be with them, he was tired so tired of human interaction, his thoughts consumed most of his energy, he wanted to die and never have to look at anyone’s eyes again, not now, not ever. 

That until he found a girl on a quite depressing night out, she seemed somehow broken, she had those lost puppy eyes and a really sad smiled painted all over her face. He approached her, she was sitting on the last banco of the bar, he headed over there and said “Hey you look sad, want some drinks? On me ‘cause I had a pretty shitty day myself and I could use some companion" she looked at him with wide eyes. He could see she was hesitating, I mean who the fuck would just say “fuck it yeah I’m going to let you buy me some drinks and think you’re not some creep looking to take advantage of me” she made up her mind and shrugged her shoulders with a fuck it composure and responded “Yeah sure why not, I could use some drinks tonight”. The night was long, they talked about everything, they laughed, they smiled, they cried and were just strangers, they felt comfort in each other companion. 

But that’s all it was one not so shitty human interaction, with the same broken feelings, at a bar, with friends, feeling out of their element.

After that encounter with the not so anymore mysterious girl, he went back to being his old sappy self, “ it was nice to talk to someone about it” he thought “but that doesn’t change the way im feeling” he ended on a sad note.

-

He wrote letters to her, the girl he loved, probably more than a thousand times, he wrote letters, music, melodies, text messages, he didn’t want to give up, he couldn’t give up. It was hard for him to realize the fact that she was gone, that she found someone else that he was left alone in the dark feeling like shit, his mind was so fucked at this point he didn’t know what to do, he didn’t know how to cope with his feelings.

Yoongi was alone, he had probably only two friend, others were just acquaintances he talked to from time to time. His family disappointed on him, his company now crumbling, they really needed Yoongi, but he was out of it. He spent most of his days drunk, drinking full bottles of wine, walking around his apartment sulking on why? why? why? why? why? why? why? why? No one knew what was going on with him, he was done talking about his feelings, he kept them bottled up, the only way they could get out was when he drank, he cried so much, he called her, he wanted an out and not even his friends could tell them how to fix it, he felt like no one cared.

-

The feelings he held on for so long got the worst of him, he became rude to others, he was aggressive, scared, scared of feelings, hurt and tired. One of his only two friends left him they left him without saying a word, without trying to talk to him he literally just went up to them and said “Hey, words out that you don’t want to hang out with me anymore, is it true?” that was a lie, no one told him he just had a gut feeling and it was starting to be pretty much obvious, to which his “old friend” responded “Um hey yeah, I mean look I think we should take some time off of talking to each other I just want to hang out with my other friends so yeah, sorry”  Yoongi felt so heartbroken. The one person he thought would be there didn’t even have the guts to tell him the reason they wanted to stay away from him, they ended up resuming their relationship shortly after, but still made him feel insecure it made him realize that he wasn’t as important as he thoguht he was for some people at all.

During that part of his life he had obscure feelings, he didn’t try getting over her, he still tried to get her to contact he to get her to love him, he came back to self-destructing himself, only this time with the girl he’s been cherishing for so long used him, knowing how yoongi felt for her, she told him tstuff she knew yoongi would want to hear, they went on long walks they ended up  kissing each other everytime and Yoongi in that moment, felt like everything was falling back to place.

He knew though, what she was doing, he knew that she was using him and he let it happen ‘cause that was the only source of happiness he thought he could get. She stopped talking to him when she saw him, she wanted to see how much he could play with him, she wanted to see how much she had destroyed, she wanted him to beg to see how his face fals down when she was with other guys, when she was with her friends, when she was with his now ex. Yoongi took it all, he took it all because he loved her, he loved her so much to the point where he didn’t stop to think about the damage he was doing to himself.

-

He thought it was impossible to get someone you loved dearly out his head. She too at one point just really toyed with him, she used to ask him to tell her why he loved her, she spew words like “Maybe in the future we could be together, just wait for me to be ready.” The worst part, he believed her, and he got so happy when she said that. At those moments he felt like he was on cloud nine, he felt happy that he was spending so much time with her, with the lover of his life, that she would text him, that she would make him laugh just a little, her kisses made him forget all of the bad she made him feel. He knew inside, that it was just fun and game for her, that she would never look at him as more than just one toy who could play with his emotions, but he was in love, he fell in love so hard that not even if he had the chance to stop loving her he would, because he felt like his world would stop, he felt like there would be nothing to live for if he stopped loving her.

Those things said were just for a period of time, she started to ghost him again, she started acting like he was nothing, she made him be so used to her that now the thing she was doing was way worst, she ignored him when he talked to her, didn’t let him talk when he needed to, declined every possible text and call he would have made. Other days she would talk to him, she would call him, she would tell him to hang out and the next day never saying a word about it, she started playing but in a different way in a much more painful one, she would disappear for more than two weeks and then come back saying something on the lines of “Just fell asleep, ah ah.” Yoongi kept on knowing that she was just using him and letting it happen, not daring to leave, not now that he felt like he had her.

That went on up until probably 4 months when she decided to stay out for good, once again leaving Yoongi broken, he started calling and texting again, she would answer him from time to time but not in the way yoongi wanted. One day Yoongi woke up and realized that maybe, just maybe the relationships he tried, the things he had that didn’t really work out for him it was maybe because of her, maybe because he spent so much time thinking about her, sulking for her, longing that he didn’t even realize that he was destroying himself and he stopped after that day he stop calling, texting and thinking about her, he may’ve had a few slips but very little.

He still thought of her from time to time, he felt comfort of thinking of the feelings, the purest feelings he ever had, from time to time he still wondered what would it be like to be with her, how would it feel like if it wasn’t a one sided love, how would it be like if she cared for him, if she loved him like he did to her. There are days though still where he wants to talk to her, he doesn’t even know what he would say but still, loving her was really hard but easy at the same time, hard because it was so painful and easy because it was a pure feelings it came right out his soul, and he would always hold on to those feelings, cause that’s all they were now longing memories, memories he wished could’ve been better but still somehow got to live them, he got to live what love and falling in love felt like, how suffering for love felt like, how pain felt like and how sometimes it made him feel happy.

[dangerjury7-blog]

Examine This Report On Santa Ynez Wineries

1 Chambers & Chambers A Glass Of Wine Merchants. Pali Wine Company. Petrus was actually later sold to Antoine Arnaud in 1770. It offered for concerning the same price as the First Growths in those times. wine insiders reviews You wouldn't recognize it from the millennial pink white wine barrels that Bernardo's is the oldest running winery in Southern California, founded in 1889. The vineyard goes to the greatest factor of the Pomerol appellation, 40 meters above ocean level. Adhering to the fatality of Madame Loubat, Jean Pierre Moueix brought in the renowned Instructor, Emile Peynaud to aid with the wine creating at Petrus. The Fess Parker winery is positioned on the Foxen Route. As opposed to having one registration system to provide all forms of red wine enthusiasts, red wine clubs along with a number of subscription degrees enables them to provide subscription solutions and also red wine options that target certain kinds of a glass of wine lovers. It was offering for the very same volume of funds as the widely known First Growths. Match your a glass of wine with among their mouth-watering cheese as well as charcuterie platters as well as celebrate TGIF with Friday satisfied hrs. Established in 1982 by Mike Miller, the business selects white wines that satisfy strict requirements for high quality as well as value. For minimal olds, that cost is up to a fairly low-priced 350 to five hundred europeans ($ 470--$ 670) a container. There are also particular vintages where Ptrus on its own is actually not made. Petrus is actually best matched with all sorts of classic meat product recipes, veal, pig, meat, lamb, duck, activity, roast chick, baked, braised as well as barbequed foods. The dirt is actually stuffed along with extremely, dense, rich, dark, blue clay. While the reasons are pleasant, the real cause to visit Brander is actually the Sauvignon Blanc and also the Cabernet Sauvignon. Petrus is absolute best provided at 15. The heavy rocks on the bordering plateau is actually only 1 thousand years of ages.

[architectnews]

Orum House, Bel Air Los Angeles

Orum House, Bel Air Real Estate, Los Angeles Luxury Residence, Californian Property Photos, US Home

Orum House in Bel Air, Los Angeles

Oct 11, 2021

Orum House For Sale

The Orum House is on the market at $42 million.

Location: Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Source: TopTenRealEstateDeals

Beyoncé Shines In Tiffany Diamond & $42 Million Mansion!

Beyoncé is the face of a new Tiffany ad, which debuted during 2021’s Emmy Awards broadcast, and has the Internet and Madison Avenue abuzz. A tribute to the Audrey Hepburn movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the 90-second commercial showcases Beyoncé playing the piano while singing the movie’s Academy Award-winning, “Moon River,” and wearing the company’s iconic 128.54-karat Tiffany Diamond.

Just as opulent as Beyoncé and the Tiffany Diamond is the commercial’s setting, a spectacular Bel Air hilltop contemporary, The Orum House in Bel Air, which is on the market at $42 million.

Designed by architect Zoltan Pali, whose other projects include The Getty Villa and The Pantages Theater, The Orum House is a three-story architectural masterpiece with laurels of its own, including an American Influencer Award.

Designed to float above the surrounding city, the glass-walled estate sits alone atop a promontory in the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains, offering unobstructed views of the Los Angeles Basin from the Getty Center to Downtown and all the way to Long Beach. Glass in four different opacities make it look like the home’s exterior shifts and shimmers in the L.A. sun.

Fit for a queen (or a queen of pop), the mansion offers 18,800 square feet of interior space, 6,000 square feet of deck, nine bedrooms and 15 baths. An exquisite entertainment space, Orum has parking for 30 cars, a 1,000-bottle glass wine room, a theatre with Dolby Atmos sound, dual formal living rooms, a formal dining room, a chef’s kitchen, butler’s kitchen and an outdoor kitchen.

The expansive wrap-around deck includes multiple fire-pit lounges, grass lawns, and an LED-lit, mirror-image pool and spa. The home wellness center consists of a fully loaded indoor/outdoor fitness center, a cedar sauna, a steam room, and dual massage rooms.

At the top of the steel-and-glass central staircase (or one of the two elevators), the residence’s third floor provides ample space and comfort for the family, carefully delineated from the entertainment zones of the lower floors. Five bedroom suites, each with its own spa tub, are headed by dual masters with their own terraces and spectacular 270-degree views.

A detached guest-house known as “The Cube” offers four additional bedrooms for guests or staff. Imported gold, white and black marble enhance the home’s luxurious contemporary aesthetic. The Orum House is offered fully furnished, with interior design choices and curated works of fine art.

Sitting on 1.6 acres of prime Platinum Triangle real estate, the ultra-private residence is located in one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive neighborhoods. With sky-high prices and one-of-a-kind estates, Bel Air is home to numerous celebrities, including Beyoncé. The singer and her husband, fellow superstar artist Jay-Z, share a nearby $90 million mega-mansion with their three kids and an unrivaled collection of musical accolades.

Beyoncé is one of the most-awarded recording artists of all time, responsible for 28 Grammys, 29 MTV Video Music Awards, 31 BET Awards, and Billboard Hot 100’s Female Artist of the Decade in 2010. Her 22 Billboard #1 songs, including “Single Ladies,” “Crazy in Love” and “Run the World,” have propelled her to $118 million in record sales and international superstardom. She is only the fourth woman, and the first Black woman, to wear the $30 million Tiffany Diamond.

The listing is held by Mauricio Umansky and Farrah Brittany of The Agency.

Photo credit: Matthew Momberger

Video Credit: Sean Evans, @evvo1991 backtothemovies.com/

Orum House in Bel Air

Orum House, Bel Air Los Angeles images / information received 111021

Location: Los Angeles, Southern California, United States of America

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[teamgishtastrophe]

GISH 2019 / Hunt List

1

21 POINTS

Make an Assbutt of yourself in public. Literally.  

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2

43 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Nothing caps off a good, hot summer day like a footlong s’mores eaten by two, Lady and the Tramp Style. (No hands may be used in the creation of or eating of the s’mores.) - Rae M.  

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3

57 POINTS

They say stepping on a LEGO is the greatest pain one can experience. We Gishers laugh in the face of pain. Make shoes entirely from LEGOs - no fluffy socks or insoles allowed- and demonstrate them in use. Post it to social media and tag the LEGO accounts and @GISH. - Deidra  

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4

59 POINTS

Hula hooping is hard, and you’re just not ready to go it alone yet. Create a hula-hoop with training wheels for beginners and show it in use.

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5

36 POINTS

At least 3 grownups working in an industrial mud-pie factory. They must be wearing hair nets. Supervising them is at least one tidy child under age 10 in a suit and carrying a clipboard.  

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6

7 out of 10 dentists and dental hygienists recommend Flossing, and they practice what they preach. Show us 7 out of 10 real dentists and dental hygienists flossing (not tooth-flossing. Dance-flossing.) 28 POINTS

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7

113 POINTS

SLOW-MOTION. It’s time for the most elegant and beautiful of all affairs: the paintball ballet! 5 ballerinas playing paintball on pointe. They must all be pointe dancers; they can be wearing safety gear, but it must be pink and there must be tutus and pointe shoes.

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8

47 POINTS

It’s summer, and that means it’s time to do your civic duty. Take a swim in the jury pool -- complete with flotation devices, snorkel, etc.

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9

34 POINTS

Bee-drinking poles are all the rage, but your neighborhood bees deserve to really unwind. Create a bee bar - a bee “saloon on a pole” using recycled bottle caps. Install it somewhere public. - Item Written By Misha’s Mom

NOTE: For the safety of the bees, our resident apiarists ask that you please use sanitized lids with no chemicals or beverage residue on them, and plain water (not sugar water).

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10

74 POINTS

A real matador in a real bullfighting ring with any of our GISH/gishwhes “flapes” (these are flags some Gishers purchase during registration). The bull is a Gisher, convincingly dressed as a bull.

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11

31 POINTS

Listerine Mouse Wash.

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12

43 POINTS

A child reading a bedtime story to the monster under their bed. The monster should be charmed and cozy and cuddled up.

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13

36 POINTS

The machines are taking over, and now they’re even infiltrating the dating sector. Your blind date tonight at a 4-star restaurant is a humanoid robot.

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14

58 POINTS

Nothing can shake you up! Show us how you keep centered: meditating on a moving mechanical bull. Keep your chakras aligned! Fall off in less than 2 seconds and score 0 points.

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15

80 POINTS

Create a “food truck” that sells something incongruous with food trucks. It could be delicious pesticides, microchips, shower caps or anything in between. It can’t be compassion, empathy, or anything that “feeds the soul.” As loathe as we are to say this: get creative. Your truck must advertise its wares with flashy signage.

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16

66 POINTS

LOCATION-BASED. Clowns were the original glad-iators. Prove it with Roman clowns fighting in an actual Colosseum or ancient amphitheater in a knock-down, drag-out pie fight.

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17

23 POINTS

Trip the light fantastic. Literally. - Kelli R.

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18

53 POINTS

You know that saying: “Christ on a paddleboard!” Well, it’s used for a reason - Jesus walked on water and was an innovator in the Stand-Up Paddleboard world. Show Jesus on a stand-up paddleboard, with at least 3 disciples following him in a rowboat, canoe, or scull.

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19

49 POINTS

The world is in desperate need of more Cheese Balls. Many more Cheese Balls. Many many many more Cheese Balls. Delivered as rapidly as possible. Build a functional Cheese Ball launching/delivery system and demonstrate it shooting cheese balls from a distance of least 30 feet away. You must be able to catch at least 1 in your mouth. - Dave L.

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20

12 POINTS

A housecat happily flaunting a stylish mustache.

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21

43 POINTS

You’re a real dish. No, really. You and a friend, dressed as commemorative collector plates, donating platelets (that’s what plates bleed).

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22

291 POINTS

People always say, “GISH lights up the night!” Prove it. Get a bunch of drones with lights on them to spell out the word “GISH” in the night sky. The drones must serve as pixels in the sky, so you will need a lot of them. Probably at least 40.

UPDATE: The purpose of the Hunt is to do things creatively, not to enrich a company. You may not pay a company to do this (see: Commandment 26: Outsourcing). However, in the event that you cannot achieve this as written, we’re offering a one-time analog alternative: you MAY also do this with LED decorated kites. Don’t just do one letter per kite, though... So you will still need a lot of them. Maybe 40? Go BIG.

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23

41 POINTS

(Up to 20 seconds. You may use fast-motion or tight editing). When baking, measurements are vital to the culinary success of your creation. Small missteps will ruin your souffle. Of course, measuring cups and spoons, over time, change size and volume due to humidity and aging. Let’s use a measuring device that you trust and know intimately: your mouth. First, figure out exactly how much volume is in you mouth and then use it to source and distribute all ingredients to bake a cake. You may not use any utensils or measuring devices. Grab whatever ingredients you use to make a cake and place them on your counter and then, without using your hands to measure or fill, fill your mouth with the appropriate amounts of each ingredient and then deposit in your cake dish.(Yes, this means you would need to “bob for flour” in your flour bag and then “mouth spout” it into your mixing bowl). Once the ingredients are all safely in the mixing bowl (again, delivered by your mouth), you are allowed to mix it with any device--as long as that device is a part of your face. Bake it and enjoy it with a loved one (without using your hands).

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24

94 POINTS

(UP TO 45 SECONDS). Have a child under 8 years old create an original recipe, a la “Cooking Fast & Fresh with West”. Record them inventing it, then executing their vision. It must be 100% child-led with an adult-only serving as sous chef. In a blatant cross-promotional stunt, the best recipes will be posted on my social media when my new book, “The Adventurous Eaters Club” hits bookstores. (BTW, you can pre-order now here.)

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25

68 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS) You’ve been bragging you can out-dunk a professional basketball player, and now it’s time to prove it: go one-on-one for a 30-second milk-and-cookies dunk-off against a pro-baller. Your competitor must be a current or retired member of the NBA or WNBA. Bonus points if your competition is a household name. Post your video on social media tagging the player with #GISHDunkChallenge

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26

31 POINTS

Be a stand-in for me! Wearing a convincing Misha Collins mask, have a cup of tea with someone who still has a bonafide original Team 3 Rhino Hunt puzzle piece. The puzzle piece must be visible in the image. If you are on a team and you are a Team 3 Rhino Hunt puzzle piece holder, you MAY collaborate with other teams to help them out on this one. (I will still honor the tea-time for any unredeemed puzzle pieces. This offer never expires.)

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27

46 POINTS

Food waste is a real problem in many countries. At the same time, food deserts are a problem, making it difficult for some people to get fresh, nutritious food. We’re helping both problems in one fell swoop with our GISH Mobile Free Grocers! Get a grocery store to donate the day’s “ugly” produce, day-old bread, and any other still-edible fresh foods to you, then go and distribute it as a GISH Mobile Free Grocer to people experiencing homelessness.

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28

42 POINTS

The tooth fairy is sick and tired of waiting around to collect the teeth under kids’ pillows, so she’s gone rogue and has started taking them right out of their mouths to meet her quota. Obviously, she needs to be stopped! Create an effective anti-tooth fairy nighttime mouth guard and show it in use, successfully stopping the thieving fairy. -Ant G.

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29

49 POINTS

(UP TO 20 SECONDS: You may speed up and edit video) The big trend in experience-based restaurants has you eating in total darkness, but these gimmicky restaurants charge a fortune. We’re bringing it to the masses: Take a dinner date to an upscale restaurant - the fancier, the better - wear white. There must be a white linen tablecloth. Sit across from each other and feed each other dinner while both of you are blindfolded. You must be serving one another red wine or a similar dark beverage, too.

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30

53 POINTS

The recorder is an under-appreciated instrument, with roots in ancient times. The depth of its mythical sirenic tones are magical and hypnotic. So what better place to play this divine woodwind than amongst the most beautiful sites in the world? Play the Kansas song “Carry on Wayward Son” at sunset on a recorder, overlooking one of the following: the Grand Canyon (Arizona, US), Angkor Wat (Cambodia), Machu Picchu (Peru), Great Wall of China, Taj Mahal (India), the Colosseum (Italy), Iguazu Falls (Brazil), Stonehenge (UK), Egyptian Pyramids or the Sphinx, Tikal (Guatemala), Angel Falls (Venezuela), Atacama Desert (Chile), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (Japan), The Azores (Portugal), Boulders Beach (South Africa), Cappadocia (Turkey), Cliffs of Moher (Ireland), Disko Bay (Greenland), Lake Tekapo (New Zealand), Na Pali Coast (Hawaii, US), Sagrada Familia (Spain), Eiffel Tower (France), Reynisfjara (Iceland), Trolltunga (Norway), Ubud (Indonesia), Sydney Opera House (Australia), Banff National Park (Canada), Niagara Falls (New York or Ontario), Yellowstone (Wyoming), El Capitan (Yosemite), Statue of Liberty (Liberty Island), Eilean Donan Castle (Scotland), Neuschwanstein Castle (Germany), Matterhorn or Zermatt (Switzerland), or Chichen Itza (Mexico).

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31

75 POINTS

In the past, stained glass windows usually depicted flowers or devotional symbols like angels and saints. But modern culture venerates a different group. Create a stained glass window of a Kardashian, famous Instagram Influencer, or similar personality with more than 4 million followers. It must be someone who is worshipped simply for being worshipped for being famous. You may not use anyone from the cast of Supernatural. Bonus points if it’s installed in an actual cathedral.

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32

43 POINTS

We’re putting you in charge of Supernatural canon for the day. Paint a cannon with an elaborate SPN mural showcasing something that you think should be canon, with a caption like, “It’s #SPN Cannon!”

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33

24 POINTS

In the 2018 GISH Most Premiumerest Registration, we included a Misha Collins MishSqueezie stress ball. And though our concept artist did a great job, something got lost in translation and, well... Nailed it! But somewhere out there, there must be the guy that actually looks exactly like this stress ball. Find him and take a picture of him with the MishSqueezie.

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34

81 POINTS

The Federation of Stormtroopers has been officially sponsored by the X Games this year. Let’s see a highlight from one of their competitions with the stormtrooper participating in an extreme sport.

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35

41 POINTS

A pop-up card that’s for a blind child. Written in Braille, with pop-ups that can be understood completely by touch. Let’s see it in action.

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36

118 POINTS

Like many Americans, I’ve been trying to get supplies to the families and kids in detention center along the US border, and despite my C-List celebrity status, it’s been tough. But we found a way. Go to SPNFamilyValues.com and follow the instructions there, then screenshot it and send that in as proof.

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37

32 POINTS

I keep losing my stuff. Invent a Misha-proof AirPod-finding solution that is NOT a cord, because that defeats the entire point of AirPods - and one that works when they’re not charged. Show it in use.

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38

48 POINTS

Ugly Holiday sweaters are great, but with the climate crisis heating up the planet, we’ve got to branch out. Model your best ugly Holiday bathing suit or bikini made of repurposed ugly holiday sweaters. Model it at the beach with a caption touting the virtues of your “Global Warming Holiday Sweater.”

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39

108 POINTS

There’s regular golf, and mini-golf, but where are all the maxi-golf courses? We want to see it all - the giant putters, the huge balls, and of course, the windmill.

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40

45 POINTS

The world is heating up! Time for an old-fashioned kids game that we all know: Hot Planet. With at least 8 people in a public place, play a game of Hot Potato with a reddened globe of the planet Earth. Everyone must be wearing oven mitts and summer wear and not be fazed by the heat, except for one person who is dressed in a suit with a red tie and a Donald Trump mask. Trump isn’t wearing mitts and his hands are covered in blisters and while he tries to hide it when the globe gets to his hands, it really hurts.

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41

67 POINTS

Edited To Add Rainbows:

(UP TO 30 SECONDS). A high-speed giant game of red rover played by at least 50 wedding guests. One spouse must be the one flung across the field. The other must be running after her holding the train of a wedding gown or veil. - Inspired by mdsteele47

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42

95 POINTS

TWO PICTURES SIDE-BY-SIDE IN ONE IMAGE. I always feel a lot of guilt about the tattoo items in GISH. The first time I added one, I thought it was funny until I saw the tatts and then I felt a little bad. Of course, it gives me a rush of power when I see them in person, and many of them are actually very cool... So I have an idea that allows me to keep feeling powerful, but takes away all of my guilt: Get a tattoo of the encouraging message you wish your higher self had written to get you through the tough times. Because I know many of you already have inspiring tattoos, you must submit two images. The first is an image of you getting the tattoo when you are halfway done at the tattoo parlor, in the chair, holding a sign that reads, “GISH made me do it.” The second image is of the finished tattoo. If you can, include your triumphant face. (Don’t include more than 2 images in your submission. Just one image with two photos side by side.)

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43

24 POINTS

Choose a sport you’ve never played before. Go do it with your coach: a child under the age of 10 who is an experienced participant. - Inspired by Coach Odette Padalecki

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44

94 POINTS

Recreate a Civil War-era photograph with Captain America, Iron Man, and/or their respective sides using the Woodburytype photography technique. As always, no Photoshop allowed unless specified. This one does not allow it.

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45

62 POINTS

Why have chain letters, when you can have chain mail? Create an intricate medieval knight’s suit of armor entirely out of junk mail, with chain mail comprised of chain letters. Must include a junk mail shield, sword, and a codpiece (to protect your “junk”).

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46

135 POINTS

Someone turned your local parking lot into your favorite childhood board game! Using sidewalk chalk or removable tempera, transform at least 5000 square feet of pavement into an enlarged version of your favorite childhood board game. Using a drone’s eye-view, show the whole board (complete with people costumed as game pieces playing).

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47

141 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS) Garfield phones keep washing up on beaches in France. As you know, that’s because mermaids love cats, so there’s a mermaid call center operation down there selling these phones on QVSea. Show us the QVSea commercial for these phones, as pitched by a mer-spokesperson. Oh, and it should go without saying, but all of this is taking place underwater.

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48

64 POINTS

(UP TO 60 SECONDS). A real barbershop quartet singing a passage from the Mueller Report in front of a federally elected political leader’s office.

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49

48 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS) Talk to an elderly person over 80 and learn all about the best day of their life so far. Then, create a diorama of their best day in a small empty tin or box and give it to them. The video should show them briefly describing the memory and then you presenting them with the diorama. Make sure we get to see the diorama you made and their reaction, too.

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50

59 POINTS

Write a formal, one-page letter to Gina Haspel, the current Director of the CIA. In it you must outline a plausible, one-page decoding of the fourth Kryptos. The letter must frame the description as an urgent matter and must seamlessly deploy the term “wild unicorn training centers around the globe”. Post a photo of your letter on social media and tag @CIA.

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51

27 POINTS

Conspiracy theorists need to get with the times! Update the tinfoil hat to reflect technological innovations.

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52

33 POINTS

Create MAILWHES, The Most Amazing, Intimidating Letterbox The World Has Ever Seen: a mailbox so amazing, so intimidating, so horrifying that your mail carrier will never dare leave you another piece of junk mail again. There must be teeth around the mail slot or opening.

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53

64 POINTS

FAST-MOTION. At my friend Philip’s wedding, Giles Duley, myself and a few other forward-thinking innovators devised a new product and we would like to beta test the concept with you. It’s called: SoupFace and it involves eating soup from a bowl made from a mold of your face. First, create a mold of your face and create a bowl from food-grade silicone or food-safe resin or similar material. (Take all necessary safety precautions.) The exterior of the bowl should look like your face, and the interior should fit your face. Once it’s cured, fill it with warm soup. Consume the soup without using a utensil and when the soup is gone and your face is back in the wet mold. Lift the SoupFace mold off the table without using your hands so you are wearing it as a mask.

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54

59 POINTS

As all diehard Supernatural fans know, “Assbutt” was a featured player in Season 5, Episode 22 of the show, but the episode ran long and Assbutt’s scene was left on the cutting room floor. Rectify this oversight by releasing the never-before-seen cut of this scene.

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55

39 POINTS

TRIPTYCH. Dawid Planeta illustrates his depression as mysterious creatures. In a 3-panel illustration, show your biggest fear or struggle as a symbolic creature with which you gradually come to terms. Label it so we know what your creature represents.

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56

73 POINTS

A lot of people use their cell phones while in the bathroom, which is really gross. We understand that it can get boring in there, though. Help people break society’s screen addiction with our new solution: Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter toilet paper! Re-create a verified social media account on a roll of toilet paper- images and all. Scroll away—but don’t read the comments. (They’re crap.) Install it in a public bathroom as a public service.

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57

47 POINTS

Send noods! There’s been an epidemic of people sending explicit noodle photos to unsuspecting people. We believe consent is important, and in this case, we consent—with some STRICT caveats: Recreate a TASTEFUL image of a famous nude painting or sculpture in noodles ONLY and then post it on social media tagged #SendNoods. Submit your actual image and a link to the tweet in your comments.

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58

38 POINTS

Ask a child aged 5 or under what their greatest fear is. Create and photograph or film a scene of you and them conquering this fear together. - Kristin L.

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59

28 POINTS

Cement your own joy.

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60

244 POINTS

Angry birds. Flappy birds. Candy Crush. All those other games are so boring compared to GISH: The Game! Build an app game for the GISH App. It must feature a GISH mascot and integrate fully into the GISH App. Full specs for integration can be found here.

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61

39 POINTS

(F)underwear.

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62

72 POINTS

Each day, one member of your team must find one broken thing to upcycle and give to someone in need. Take a photo and, at the end of the Hunt week, submit a collage of the 7 now-useful items your team has gathered, refurbished, and donated. (You may not use a bicycle, but you may use a unicycle or tricycle.) - Inspired by Monica D.

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63

38 POINTS

The ’80s are back, and we can’t escape all that goes with them: including stereoscopic images. Make a stereoscopic “Magic Eye” image of something that scares you as much as ‘80s fashion scares us.

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64

62 POINTS

LOCATION-BASED. Outside a migrant detention center, lift a massive banner using balloons, drones, or telescoping poles at least 10 feet high with a message like, “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.” Be responsible with your balloons. Don’t let them fly away or burst and leave shards anywhere.

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65

67 POINTS

An upscale art gallery opening at a landfill. All exhibits must be made from things found at the landfill. One professional art critic must be present to review the works.

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66

256 POINTS

(UP TO 60 SECONDS.) Plane air painting: A wing-walker on a biplane, painting a picture on a canvas of the landscape from their point of view. Show us the painting as it’s happening, and then the completed painting being held by the wing-walker.

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67

49 POINTS

A signer performing the National Anthem silently in sign language on a field at a stadium that seats more than 5,000, with a sizeable crowd of spectators. You may not wing it on this one. You must find someone fluent in sign to do this or to teach you how to do it & coach you through it.

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68

42 POINTS

I’m not saying Jared Padalecki is a big softie, but here’s a portrait of him toasted onto a marshmallow. Just the way it should be.

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69

40 POINTS

Nobody’s more devoted or grateful to firefighters than we are, except maybe a dalmatian. Or Smokey the Bear. Go to your local fire station dressed as a dalmatian or Smokey the Bear and create a relaxation station to thank them for their work. You can bring treats, offer mani-pedis, foot or shoulder massages, aromatherapy... You get the idea.

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70

69 POINTS

Over the years, Jensen Ackles has been depicted in Skittles, but we all know his character Dean loves pie. Let’s do a crossover: Bake a Skittles pie with a portrait of Jensen baked into the upper crust. Lattice work in the top crust should allow you to see the Skittles inside behind Jensen. Here’s some inspiration..

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71

66 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Create a th?thạch rau câu (Vietnamese Jelly Cake) portrait of a classic movie monster. You may not use the blob. We must see the injection process and your completed jelly cake.

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72

51 POINTS

In Chengdu, China, kung fu tea (long spout, performance tea pouring) is popular. But it was just a matter of time before it was appropriated by other cultures. Show us a barista performing the Mengding Mountain 18 Forms of Dragon Flying Postures Kung Fu Tea pour at a Starbucks.

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73

47 POINTS

An actual lumberjack working up on a tree with an impressive, long beard made out of googly eyes.

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74

77 POINTS

(Up to 30 seconds) A stop-motion animation of a life-saving first aid technique (CPR, the Heimlich maneuver, etc.) featuring dolls or puppets in crisis.

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75

178 POINTS

Danish artist Thomas Dambo creates massive wooden giants from recycled materials and installs them in Copenhagen forests. That’s great, but some giants prefer urban living. Build a hipster giant that’s at least 8’ (2.4m) tall from recycled materials and place it in the middle of a busy city or town.

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76

22 POINTS

Not all insects aspire to just be insects. Some have ambitions and hobbies! Without harming it, get a live fly, beetle, roach or other insect to sit on a sheet of paper and doodle an environment around it showing it at its job or hobby.

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77

75 POINTS

An actual space suit with a GISH 2019 patch on it next to the national flag.

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78

23 POINTS

The Enterprise wasn’t the only vehicle in the not-so-final frontier. Show us Star Trek covered wagons. Tweet your image to @WilliamShatner with the message “Admit it, Bill. This is how you really voyaged.” You may use Photoshop for this item. Submit your image, along with a LINK to your tweet in your submission comments for points.

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79

72 POINTS

The insect world is under-appreciated, but they are tiny works of art. Create a realistic-looking, oversized detailed sculpture of an underappreciated arachnid or insect out of bread, ice, or marble, the way Michaelangelo would have done if he’d had the time. You may not make a dragonfly, ladybug, butterfly or any other insect that has already been socially normalized as “cute”. - Inspired by Kat F.

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80

49 POINTS

The Wondersmith makes surprise, fantastical parties in the forests of Oregon, which we find lovely. Set up a surprise party for hikers at least ½ a mile from a rest area that’s clearly been created by forest-dwelling fairies and/or trolls (that’s you). Make sure it’s welcoming, and capture the moment you’re surprising them— both you and the hikers should be in the image. They must be real hikers and strangers to you—don’t bring in ringers, or you’ll anger the fairy queen.

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81

43 POINTS

Love makes the world go round. Build a machine that uses love to spin a globe.

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82

160 POINTS

COLLAGE. In the Western United States, there are mountain monograms, giant glyphs of letters that are often there for no discernable reason. Create your own Mountain Monograms out of natural materials to craft a message with purpose. Submit a photo of your glyph message that says something inspiring to the birds and planes that fly over it. Your message must be at least 2 words long, with each letter at least 6 feet tall and each letter must be on separate peaks. You may not do this on protected land.

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83

37 POINTS

The London Zoo has a pair of penguins who are out and proud, but they didn’t get to march in Pride because they are penguins in a zoo. We think that’s just wrong. Dress up in penguin suits and march through your town with rainbow flags to show your support for Penguin and LGBTQIA+ Pride.

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84

58 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. This means something… Subtractive food sculpture. Start with a block of cheese or a massive mountain of mashed potatoes and without using tools, eat your way to an ornate re-creation of a famous statue.

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85

29 POINTS

You’ve heard of a scarecrow, but let’s see a straw-stuffed scarevolleyballplayer at the beach.

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86

84 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS) In 2020, we’re gonna need a 30-second GISH ad worthy of airing during the Super Bowl, advertising the latest in summer refreshment: “GISH.”

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87

45 POINTS

Misha doesn’t have a ton of skills other than “acting on camera”, but he does try hard. He’s also at a potential career transition point. Help him explore other career paths by creating a poster of him photoshopped doing another job you think he’d be suited for.

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88

31 POINTS

Ben Ferencz started each dinner table conversation with his children by asking them, “What did you do today to make the world a better place?” Wake up tomorrow and take a specific, positive action to make the world a better/nicer/happier/prettier place with a child as your assistant. Then show us what you did.

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89

34 POINTS

LOCATION-BASED. Some people long to have a picnic at the Longaberger Basket Building, and you and your friends are no different. But size matters! Enjoy a to-scale picnic on the grounds in front of the building- giant fruits and sandwiches, etc. No Photoshop just forced perspective.

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90

58 POINTS

It’s an ineffable Good Omen to see Aziraphale and Crowley sharing a hot fudge sundae on Sunday. Post your picture on social media tagged #GoodOmens and @neilhimself. Bonus points if the sundae is eaten at a Sundae School on Cape Cod.

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91

23 POINTS

A Cairn Terrier. (His name is Rocky. He won’t come when he’s called.)

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92

48 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS). One of our Gishers was able to help her mom act FAST and responded in time to help her with a stroke. Last we heard, her mom is okay, but she can’t play this year so in her honor, it’s time for a quick refresher on recognizing a stroke. Do a rendition of “Head, Shoulders Knees and Toes” with some kind of lyrics like: “Face, Arms, Speech, Call in Time (don’t waste time)! Face, Arms, Speech, Call in Time (don’t waste time)! When someone’s had a stroke their life is on the line! Face, Arms, Speech, Call in Time (don’t waste time)” with the appropriate movements. Include a link to the National Stroke Association and GISH on a final card of your video (You can hold a sign up or add an end card digitally). You may also add the link in your YouTube description, if you like. Post it on social media tagged #GISH, @robbenedict, and @american_stroke. - Inspired by Nicole’s mom

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93

41 POINTS

A Mom-and-Pop shop that sells Moms and Pops. (New and used.) Show a young child making a purchase.

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94

36 POINTS

(AUDIO UP TO 90 SECONDS) We’re auditioning new anchors for G-ISH, GISH RADIO! Send us a clip of your team’s broadcast debut as you discuss the climate crisis’ effect on sea levels with a real, noted expert in the field.

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95

63 POINTS

Tatsuya Tanaka creates miniature worlds with everyday objects. His scenes are whimsical, which is how the world should be... but is not always how tiny-world actually is. Create a miniature, dismal and tragic scene using small reimagined objects.

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96

15 POINTS

Write your resume as a haiku.

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97

34 POINTS

8554J46H+FH. You, the Carrot God, have summoned them.

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98

95 POINTS

(GRID). The hot new trading card battle game is GISHémon! Create a trading card for each of your team mates with their photo and stats (location, Gisher type, powers, etc.) as the powerful kindness monsters they are. We must see each teammate’s unobscured face for it to count. Photo editing is okay.

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99

55 POINTS

Little known fact: when an avocado is fully ripe, it hatches. Show us the tiny, intricately carved creature sleeping inside (which you’ve carved from the pit).

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100

24 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Write a phrase on a piece of wood of something negative you say about yourself to silence yourself or hold yourself back. Burn the wood and the phrase in a fireplace or fire pit. Use the ashes to write something affirming about your strong self on a sheet of white paper.

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101

30 POINTS

The heir to the throne of France was known as the Dauphin, French for “dolphin”. According to Donald Trump, the heir to the British throne is the Prince of... Whales? Illustrate a meeting of these two majestic undersea figures, with Macron and Prince Charles as their respective attendants. (This may be photoshopped or, for bonus points, live action.)

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102

31 POINTS

Reach out to a senior in your family or community and ask them about a commercially made snack or dish from their childhood that brings them fond memories—something that just doesn’t exist anymore. Try to recreate it based on their description, then share your creation with them and record their assessment.

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103

23 POINTS

A carbon footprint on a globe.

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104

58 POINTS

A motorized vehicle with cheese wheels. It can be a motorcycle, tricycle, or 4-wheel vehicle, but it must have cheese wheels made from actual cheese.

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105

320 POINTS

Get Donald Trump, Mike Pence, Jeff Sessions, Jair Bolsonaro, Boris Johnson, or any other duplicitous, nationalistic high-ranking politician to tell the absolute, verifiable truth about any controversial and uncomfortable (for them) topic they normally lie to the public about. It must really be the real person, not an actor or someone in a mask. You must be able to verify the facts through a nonpartisan, independent source. (This may be our first truly impossible item.)

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106

48 POINTS

A bacterial culture petri dish portrait of Jonas Salk. Tweet this to Melinda Gates thanking her for her work vaccinating children.

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107

24 POINTS

Create a haiku for an animal on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species that tells of the animal’s plight and why we should protect it. Next to the haiku, include a hand-drawn picture or origami sculpture of the animal.

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108

79 POINTS

Stonehenge was cool, but it just wasn’t built with sustainability or environmental impact in mind, so now we’re stuck with ancient druid clutter by the side of the road. As a modern druidic architect, you know better. Next to a highway, build an architecturally significant henge out of 100% recycled materials that represent our current culture. (Cardboardhenge, Styrofoamhenge, LaCroixCanhenge, etc). Stonehenge is 30’ (9.1m) tall, but don’t worry—yours can be as short as 1:3 scale—but it must include at least one dolmen.

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109

96 POINTS

An elaborate hinged, Faberge-style Easter egg that opens to reveal Trump & Putin embracing.

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110

21 POINTS

LOCATION-BASED. Play “the floor is lava” in front of the Osservatorio Vesuviano in Pompeii. If you can’t get to Pompeii, you can play it at any Olive Garden, as long as you get other diners to join in.

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111

38 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. COLLABORATIVE. Swap-meet day! Use the GISH app to coordinate with at least 5 other Gishers in your area to meet up and hold a yard sale. Except, this is not a yard-sale, it’s a yard-giveaway: the GISH Community Bazaar. Bring as many items as you can bear to part with and set up shop. And remember, no money must change hands and no bartering! All items must be gifted to passers-by and everything must go!

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112

24 POINTS

A jello mold with a funeral scene inside.

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113

18 POINTS

COLLABORATIVE. In Uppsala, Sweden, there is a tradition called the Flogsta Scream. Every night at 10 pm, students at university stop what they are doing to let out a collective, primal scream from their rooftops and dorms. This tradition shouldn’t be exclusive to Sweden, so at 6PM on Friday, August 2rd, get together with as many Gishers and other humans as you can in a public setting and let out one deep, primitive, collective howl.

PS: We’re still #sorrynotsorry, Sweden.

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114

46 POINTS

The best part about being in the hospital is the couture. Hold a hospital gown fashion show in your local hospital to show off red-carpet-worthy hospital gowns of your creation. Glam it up and walk (or roll) the runway with any patients that might be able and willing to participate… and don’t forget the slip-proof socks!

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115

48 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. Bring an old bike back to life with a flourish—make it the most beautiful bike in the world. Give it to someone to someone in need. Submit photos of the bike before and after refurbishment, side-by-side. - Item Written By Misha’s Mom

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116

40 POINTS

MONTAGE. Basic Training can be hell, and the military needs our support! Create a video of you and your team collecting and packing “basics” to send to a currently deployed serviceperson. The catch: your video should emulate a “basic training” montage from a movie-obstacles courses, bucket brigades, etc. (You must actually ship the goods, choosing ONLY from this list or a similar approved list for your country of origin: CLICK HERE) - Jennifer W.

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117

45 POINTS

This year, we lost a beloved furry friend, Peter Mayhew (the actor who played Chewbacca). In honor of his memory, create a felted Chewbacca out of your pet’s hair.

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118

46 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. The LGBTQIA community struggles a lot with erasure. Make sure everyone feels seen: create a portrait of an iconic LGBTQIA person by first filling up a page with a rainbow of colored pencils or pastels, then use an eraser to lift out the negative space, leaving the colored portrait behind. Include a message letting them know they are seen and loved. Post it to social media and tag the person, if they’re on social media, then submit your portrait with the link (if any) in the comments. (This may be done in oil pastels as well.)

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119

82 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. Some people really do have eyes in the back of their head. Before and after images of a person with long hair, and then their head shaved and a recognizable portrait of their own face shaved onto the back of their own head. (Donate the hair to a non-profit organization that makes wigs for cancer patients.)

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120

26 POINTS

Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Moon 50 years ago. To memorialize this amazing achievement, make your own “One Small Step” monument. Take a Giant Leap for mankind and put your foot somewhere it has never been before and probably should not go, then show us the resulting footprint.

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121

33 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. You know those garden gnomes that dotted your grandmother’s backyard? Well, it’s been a while and now they have fallen on hard times. They have turned to a life of crime and misanthropy. Their little gnome hearts are filled with despair, hatred, and regret. Show us the before and after.

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122

131 POINTS

The next time that Earth’s magnetic poles reverse themselves, your magnetic compass won’t be much help navigating. Fortunately, you remember a mention from a history class of a “south-facing chariot” [SFC] invented in China some 2500 years ago. To be better prepared for the coming magnetic mélange, you have decided to build a functioning SFC so that you can always find your way home. Of course, your SFC will be topped with an assbutt and your chariot will be modeled after a 1967 Impala.

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123

81 POINTS

Everyone goes to visit the Southernmost Point in Key West, FL, but it really never gets to travel. We’re changing that. Make a 1:2 replica of the Southernmost Point and take it on holiday to the Westernmost, Northernmost, or Easternmost points of the US or any landmass. Take a photo with it at the nearest marker or tourist attraction to prove you were there, and submit with the location and coordinates in your comments.

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124

23 POINTS

Put your face somewhere it absolutely does not belong. Not a picture of your face. Your real face. In that place. Where it should NOT be! (Keep it clean. My mother will see this.)

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125

33 POINTS

Senator Ted Cruz is worried about pirates in space. Seriously. He is. Well, we are pretty sure that his fears are well-founded. Let’s prove it to him: Show us space pirates in action. Tweet your picture to him at @tedcruz (and be sure to use the #GISHSpacePirates hashtag!)

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126

71 POINTS

Last year we asked you to put wings on something that absolutely should not fly and prove that it can. One team (Team Schnitzeljaeger) made a pizza box fly. For this year, make a pizza fly (sans box). You may not throw it in the air, drop it, or fling it. It must attain flight through some mechanical means. Just the pizza. Not the box. The pizza must fly from near ground level to at least 50’ high and must travel horizontally at least 100 feet by any means. Must be edible and consumed after it lands.

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127

46 POINTS

LOCATION BASED. UPDATE: Bad news! GISH HQ has just received a bulletin that Dalton Highway is a moose-free zone this week, so your new task is: meet-up at any safe landmark denoting the Arctic Circle. If you absolutely can’t make it to the Arctic Circle, you may do this at their other favorite location: any Timmy Hortons. Having a moose in the picture is optional, but preferred. Being dressed as a moose is mandatory.

The Dalton Highway stretches 414 miles from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. About halfway along it there is a roadside marker denoting crossing into the Arctic Circle. Send us a photo of you standing next to the marker.

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128

56 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. We’re creating the GISH International Forest! Go out and plant as many trees as you can and add your trees to THIS MAP. Once you plant them, you will become their stewards, so choose your location wisely: make sure you’re allowed to plant there and that the trees are native so they can flourish. Add a small, eco-friendly sign with GISH INTERNATIONAL FOREST, GISH.com and your team’s name on it. Submit your photo along with a screenshot of its place on the map and number of trees you planted in the comments. If you can’t plant a tree on your own for reasons of mobility, hospitalization, etc, a donation to OTP of at least one tree will suffice, but you still have to tell us approximately where they are and how many trees you planted and add them to our map.

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129

44 POINTS

This year is the 150th anniversary of the first Transcontinental Railroad, which opened up rapid (for the time) access across the United States. The original event in 1869 was celebrated as the Central Pacific Railroad locomotive “Jupiter” and the Union Pacific Railroad locomotive #119 came nose-to-nose as a Golden Spike was driven into the final section of track. Well, we firmly believe that every good anniversary deserves cake! Recreate the Jupiter, or #119, or both, made entirely from cake.

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130

26 POINTS

A cyanotype photo of junk-food wrapping or junk-food.

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131

61 POINTS

You have accepted a new position with the Mars Tourism Bureau. To attract potential visitors to the wonderful Mars climate, you plan to inform them of the daily environmental trends. Create a 15-second video weather report, complete with temperature and wind descriptions and get a real weathercaster dressed as an alien to report it on local news during a live broadcast.

Note: Your Mars weather information must be real and correct for the day you submit your video! We will be checking!

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132

132 POINTS

A very large balance scale. (The kind of old-fashioned scale that we think of when we say, “the scales of justice.”) On one side, at least 5 very wealthy-looking people. On the other, at least 5 very impoverished-looking people. The scales are tipped in favor of the elite. Find a way to balance the scales.

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133

22 POINTS

Everyone talks about “viral videos.” We think we know what those are. Share a GISH video of a biological (not technological) virus and get it to go “viral” with at least 1,000 likes. It must include GISH.com in the video and text in the video to count. Post a screenshot of your post with at least 1,000 Likes on it. #ViralVirus

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134

81 POINTS

(UP TO 30 SECONDS). It’s time for GIFF - the GISH International Film Festival! Create a 30-second horror film. Noted author Neil Gaiman tweeted: “You’ve got a week to rob a bank using only a rattlesnake, radioactive uranium and a bottle of whiskey.” “Jed here has a week to steal a battleship using a goat, a can of gold paint, and three resin models of Warren G. Harding. Go!” Use either prompt as the plot of your GIFF film. Post your film on social media and be sure to tag #GISH and @neilhimself, then submit the video and the link to your post in comments.

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135

51 POINTS

The aliens have been in Area 51 for decades. Why do they stay? Because of all the amenities, of course. Show us the leisurely life of aliens at Area 51: the best Retirement Community in the Universe! We want to see elderly aliens playing shuffleboard, mahjong, and bingo, getting alien spa treatments, doing tai chi and pilates... You get the idea. Post your submission to social media tagged #GISH, #Area51 & #SocialSecurityCheXFiles

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136

37 POINTS

COLLABORATIVE. Join the movement to cross-stitch what you care about: create a cross-stitch picket sign for a cause you believe in. Connect with at least 2 other teams and craft a protest march on a street corner. - Item Written By Misha’s Mom

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137

38 POINTS

Megan Rapinoe reminds us all that despite equal skill, women are often not treated to a level playing field in business. Show us a team of female office workers playing soccer in traditional business attire opposite men with a ball that says “EQUAL PAY.” The women, of course, should score.

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138

26 POINTS

The most stressful spa environment ever. - Lynette

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139

126 POINTS

Recently, a mylar balloon from Disney’s Frozen was found on the bottom of the ocean floor… Clearly leftover from an undersea birthday party. Show us the underwater party, including the birthday person blowing out the candles on their cake. PS: Your mother doesn’t live there! DO NOT leave a mess or impact sea life.

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140

37 POINTS

UPDATED TO REMOVE PATRIARCHY. Now that Donald Trump is president, people around the world have squandered billions of hours talking/worrying/complaining about him. Have an economist calculate the cost to the global economy of these lost hours. They must show their work and be a professor of economics.

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141

31 POINTS

Part of your job for the Mars Tourism bureau is managing PR. Design a brochure or poster that convinces people to visit our timeshare at Scenic Mt. gishwhes (on Mars).

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142

33 POINTS

We just celebrated the 50th anniversary of the moon landing. Prove it was faked.

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143

91 POINTS

Thanks to modern technology, we can relax and watch TV virtually anywhere, even in the loo—but we still can’t kick back on the porcelain throne and relax while we do. Create a toilet recliner to solve this problem.

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144

37 POINTS

You thought they said, “Get Out the GOAT.” Be the Greatest Of All Time by co-hosting a voter registration booth with a goat.

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145

70 POINTS

Mary Poppins and the Demogorgon from Stranger Things both loved hanging around in the Upside down! Create a convincing image of you having upside-down high tea on the ceiling with Mary Poppins and a Demogorgon. Post it to social media and tag the Stranger Things accounts and GISH. - Inspired by TessaMac

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146

53 POINTS

Every year, I send Gishers to visit my grandmother at Roland Park Place retirement home in Baltimore, Maryland, and this year is no different. Visit her retirement community (or any nursing home or community near you) and help the residents escape—metaphorically, of course. Take them on a tropical getaway by staging an impromptu beach party! Between the hours of 1 PM ET—3 PM ET on Monday, July 29 and Wed July 31 only, bring flower leis, small flowers, pre-packaged treats (nothing homemade), postcards with kind notes on them and/or a ukulele or guitar to sing with them. Ask them to reminisce about the happiest summer vacation they ever took. (PS: No bathing suits and leave the sand home, please. Hawaiian shirts are fine.)

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147

73 POINTS

COLLABORATIVE. The evening of Sunday, July 28 is the event of the year: the #WeJustMetGala! Get together with Gishers in your area at your local museum in the strangest, fanciest attire you can create—go so all-out, you make Billy Porter jealous. Roll out the red carpet and a banner, then convince strangers passing by to pose with you for red carpet pictures. Be fabulous! We must see the museum in the background, and there must be paparazzi. Post your images and videos to social media and tag #WeJustMetGala, #GISH & @theebillyporter, then submit your image or video to us with the link to your social media post in the comments.

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148

31 POINTS

You know that this is the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. But did you know that Woodstock the bird from Peanuts first appeared 2 years earlier? In 1967? So actually Woodstock the bird is 52. He’s drunk a lot of beer over the years and can’t hide it, but he is vain, so he’s had lots of work done. Tons of collagen and botox. He wears a toupee. He dyes his feathers. Show us what he looks like today.

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149

81 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. A Jackson Pollock paint-by-numbers kit: before, and after it’s been painted. Don’t try to find an existing kit. Make your own. (No cheating- follow the numbers!)

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150

47 POINTS

A ukiyo-e woodblock print depicting an image of your worst nightmare. (Caption it so we know what it is.)

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151

21 POINTS

You know how they keep making movies out of games? Like the Pikachu movie? Or Battleship: The Movie? Why don’t they ever go after the real money and make poems out of these properties? Write Battleship the poem, or Pikachu the poem. Must be at least 10 lines long.

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152

63 POINTS

Birthday wishes are getting fulfilled so much faster since we automated processing. Show us a Rube Goldberg machine that is activated by a child under 10 blowing out candles on a birthday cake, and ends with the thing they wished for being delivered into their hands.

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153

41 POINTS

I said no more ponies in the living room, and I meant it! But unicorns are totally okay.

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154

37 POINTS

(UP TO 90 SECONDS) It’s GISH University, Year 2! Each person on your team must attempt to learn a new skill they have never tried before and document the experience, including the first attempt.

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155

33 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. Thar’s plastic in them thar waters! A prospector panning for microplastics on a public beach. Craft jewelry from anything you collect and show it to us.

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156

47 POINTS

EDIT: CLIMATE CHANGE HAS THWARTED US AGAIN! Liss Ard is closed due to flooding. But the angels still need to unwind, so let’s see angels shooting pool and knocking back a few beers at a sketchy dive bar instead. Bonus points if there’s a Hell’s Angel in the mix. Note: You will still get points if you completed the earlier version of this item.

LOCATION-BASED. Where do angels go for tea? To the sky garden, of course! Depict two angels having tea while seated on a cloud on the edge of the Liss Ard Sky Garden in Ireland. Photograph them from the central plinth so it appears they are hovering in the sky.

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157

37 POINTS

A hand-made kite that looks just like the face of that famous person you look up to, high in the sky.

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158

249 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Oceanic exploration shouldn’t just be for the elite. Companies are working on making exploration affordable, but we need something now. Drop a camera and a light in a tiny, weighted, protected housing with a window on a line (so you can pull it back up). Just outside the window a common object filled with air. Like an aluminum water bottle, or a balloon animal, or something made of styrofoam. Lower everything at least 1000 feet below sea level. The camera should be rolling so we can see at what point your object gets crushed by the pressure of the ocean. You cannot contract a submersible company and cannot pay for this to be done—this is a DIY project only. Oh, and keep it green: you must retract the line or you will be docked points. If you leave any piece of this in the ocean, including the line, we’re docking you points.

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159

7 POINTS

Right a great American novel. This is not a typo.

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160

51 POINTS

The lunar ticks are in the hall… Pink Floyd knew what was up. Show us what the lunar ticks on the dark side of the moon look like (you know, because you have a specimen preserved in a jar in your front hall.)

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161

81 POINTS

Thirsty for a challenge? Build a puzzle jug. Show you building it, then someone else figuring it out and successfully drinking from it.

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162

77 POINTS

GRID. Thomas Deininger makes amazing representational sculptures out of found objects. Using EVERY piece of non-recyclable, inorganic trash you generate during the Hunt, create a 3-dimensional, representational self-portrait. EVERY member of your team must do this.

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163

39 POINTS

Edited For Internationality:

Paint a Jenga set with your national flag’s colors. On each one write a word or phrase representing laws from your constitution. Get two real opposing politicians (national or regional) to play. See how many they can remove before this whole thing collapses.

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164

223 POINTS

“Fake news” was bad enough, but it’s pervading all media now and we can’t believe anything we see. Create a Deep Fake of Misha Collins complimenting Donald Trump. (We put this item in at the last minute after Misha’s final read-through of the list, so he doesn’t know about it. Don’t tip him off. We just want to see his reaction. You know, because he loves Donald Trump so much. This must be actual, digital Deep Fake footage (google it), not you in a mask, and not just a voice over or clever edit, to count. Video must be at least 5 seconds in length.

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165

42 POINTS

Apparently, once upon a time, the US government weaponized ticks. (Really.) Show us a pinboard with an example of a tiny, weaponized tick, complete with Rambo-style military gear and assault rifles.

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166

43 POINTS

Love has no borders, and neither does fun. Show two people on opposite sides of an international border crossing or wall playing a game such as charades, Pictionary, or another game that does not require them to touch or pass goods across the border.

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167

36 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Last year, we suggested Gishers melt a message into a glacier or iceberg with a laser and received lots of complaints. We now recognize that people melting words into icebergs for scavenger hunts is one of the biggest problems facing our environment today. Have a climate scientist calculate the volume of water produced by, let’s say, 10,000 people melting eleven 6’ tall letters, 2” deep in an iceberg. Then have them calculate the amount of water produced by the additional melting caused by a .5 degree global temperature increase. Show us the numbers and analysis so we know how bad Misha should feel.

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168

28 POINTS

Check out a book from a local small-town library that hasn’t been checked out in at least 20 years. Submit a photo of you holding up the book with the stamped inner jacket showing the dates or other visual proof of this stellar feat.

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169

159 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. Tiny homes help those experiencing homelessness be a little safer and have dignity, but they’re hard to move around, and that presents a problem. Create blueprints for a Tiny Home that is durable and large enough for an adult to comfortably walk into through a door, yet can be folded down into a flat cart on with wheels for mobility and made of ultra-lightweight materials.

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170

119 POINTS

Climb ev’ry mountain! Like most nuns, Mother Abbess was an avid climber. Show us a nun in a full habit, rappelling down a steep grade of mountain.

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171

88 POINTS

(Up to 30 seconds) Get a well-known sportscaster to do a play-by-play for a real wedding.

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172

40 POINTS

They say that to perform CPR, you should compress someone’s chest to the beat of “Staying Alive” by the BeeGees. Get CPR certification while dressed in 70s disco attire.

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173

31 POINTS

Gishers have become nationals of Westarctica and other micronations, but it’s time we claimed our own land. Since nobody else has done it, we’re officially claiming the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as New Gishlandia! Help us with our micronation building: Create a flag, a national anthem, a crest, a statue of our Founder or a propaganda poster (all material items should be constructed solely from plastic trash).

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174

45 POINTS

The Gabra people of northern Kenya are a nomadic people who believe in living in balance with the environment and live by the tenet, “a poor man shames us all.” Mutual support is imperative in their culture, and no one is allowed to go without food, shelter, or hospitality—something the whole world could learn from. Take a page from the Gabra and go on a nomadic journey through your neighborhood, bringing with you as much food and water as you can carry along with cards with phone numbers and addresses for local shelters. Bring sustenance, hydration, and support to anyone in need you find, and document your journey including how far you traveled and how many people you helped along. Anyone appearing in the video must give permission.

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175

41 POINTS

Update For Climate Change:

Climate change has us thwarted, but you can’t keep a Gisher down! Do what floats your boat, but do it in a homemade boat of 100% recycled materials. PS: Your boat MUST float. LOCATION-BASED. Do something you’ve always been told you can’t, or shouldn’t, do while at (or outside) the Forbidden Corner in Coverham, England.

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176

68 POINTS

You look so festive with your “real avocado leather” purse or shoes made from avocado peels. - Inspired by Debbie M.

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177

31 POINTS

Remember FloJo? Florence Griffith Joyner a world-record-setting Olympic athlete whose long, intricately painted fingernails made her an 80s style legend. Times marches on, and now instead of FloJo, we’ve got BoJo—but style trends endure. Paint a portrait of Boris Johnson, FloJo style—on your excessively long acrylic pinky nail.

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178

28 POINTS

When you want to say something sweet to your loved one, you always use s’mores code.

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179

90 POINTS

Walking on water is so 2,000 years ago--but it’s a timeless tradition. Construct shoes that allow someone to walk on water. You may not be standing on anything that’s under the water and the water must be at least 6 feet deep. You must be in a lake, pond, river or ocean. NOT a swimming pool. You must take at least 6 steps. No stilts in the water. No super shallow water.

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180

41 POINTS

Create a 6 ft by 6 ft painting using only your body, paint, and a white sheet for a canvas. Bonus points if you manage to create representational art. - Kamila B.

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181

36 POINTS

On today’s segment of your cooking show, we learn how to make your world-renowned recipe for dessert haggis.

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182

16 POINTS

You know that feeling, when there’s a word on the tip of your tongue but you just can’t seem to say it? Show us that word. On the tip of your tongue. - @baileysaurusrex

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183

31 POINTS

My favorite poet, Mary Oliver, passed away recently. In tribute, make a video showcasing the top highlights of your team’s week and end it with the quote “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” - Inspired by The Plaid Fox

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184

63 POINTS

We’ve seen the pictures of dogs catching treats by German photographer Christian Vieler. Let’s see a high-speed photo of your teammate catching treats in the same style and photographic detail. -Kandace

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185

28 POINTS

SIDE-BY-SIDE. Hasan Minhaj rightly points out that there are many places in the US (and the world) with offensive names. We’re all for a good Assbutt, North Dakota or ****, Michigan, but if it’s racist or marginalizes a group we’re opposed. Find a place on the map or a street name that celebrates a known racist or slave-holder or war criminal or simply a place name that uses a derogatory term and petition to have it changed to an inoffensive alternative. If you’re in the US or if you’re abroad, seek out your local organization that manages names of cities, towns, and locations. Submit a screenshot of your proposal, then put your petition here so other teams can sign yours. Finally, make sure you sign at least 5 other teams’ petitions (you’ll find all the petitions here.)

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186

35 POINTS

It’s not just for fine dining anymore... At a fast-food establishment, get a grill cook to create a McAmuse-Bouche and serve it to a waiting, unsuspecting customer.

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187

104 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. In Japan, there is a fad of polishing aluminum foil into a perfectly polished ball. You just topped that with your wad of aluminum foil-turned-perfectly polished bust of your favorite celebrity. Tweet the video of the final product to your celebrity crush tagging #GISH, and include the link to the tweet in the comments section of your submission.

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188

69 POINTS

A menstrual Pad-alecki. Create a menstrual product bust of Jared Padalecki... and make sure his hair really “flows.” Then, donate at least an equal number of products to a women’s shelter. (We don’t have to see you donating: just include your donations receipt somewhere in the image by your sculpture.)

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189

49 POINTS

We’re not saying the cast of Supernatural is hot, but your fumage portrait of a Supernatural actor or actress speaks for itself. Smokin’! (Be super careful with this one- and have a fire extinguisher at the ready just in case. Remember, GISH doesn’t pay medical bills and you’re not allowed to hurt yourself - or anyone or anything else. If you can’t be sure of that, pick a different item. (Post your video or image to the actor depicted).

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190

229 POINTS

Evolution of the selfie: A person with an iPhone taking a selfie next to a person with a point-and-shoot camera who is taking a photo of a person with a Polaroid camera who is taking a picture of a person with a 35mm camera who is taking a photo of a person with a daguerreotype camera taking a picture of a person with a camera obscura taking a picture of someone painting a self-portrait. This should be a single photo, not photos from each camera.

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191

239 POINTS

CHANGE A LIFE. Each year, Gishers come together to “Change A Life”, making a profound difference in the lives of people or communities facing extraordinary hardship. As most Gishers know by now, unexploded bombs are a significant problem in certain areas of Laos. Since the Vietnam war, over 20,000 people have been injured or killed - over 8,000 of those being children. These explosives lie dormant in fields and some rural areas. Often, a farmer will accidentally strike one, or a child will think it’s a ball and pick it up. One such boy, Kayeng, was injured after his cousins lit a fire to stay warm, You can learn more about his story here.

This year, GISH is teaming up with Random Acts (a 501(c)(3) nonprofit) and our GISH Ambassador, photographer Giles Duley, to help change the lives of Laotian children and families in what is our most ambitious Change A Life to date in two ways:

1. With your help, we’re going to continue clearing unexploded bombs from farmlands. Your support has already helped make hundreds of acres safe already for the children and families of Laos.

2. Our bigger initiative will help fund the manufacture of much-needed prosthetics for countless Laotian children and adults missing limbs. You’ll help provide limbs and arms for children so they can walk to school and play, and farmers so they can provide for themselves and their families. From the funds raised, we hope to improve the lives of thousands in Laos for years to come.

Visit the Crowdrise page here! CHANGE A LIFE DONATIONS ARE 100% TAX DEDUCTIBLE, AND 100% OF THE DONATIONS GOES TO THE THIS EFFORT (for countries other than the U.S., deductions are contingent on your laws).

Your GISH Item: Using the link above, create a Fundraising page for your team, and get family, friends, and others to donate. Since this is GISH and there’s always an extra twist to everything we do, here’s the deal: we also want you to get OTHERS to donate to your Crowdrise page. We know you don’t need “points” as an incentive to help these families, but since it is part of the Hunt, we want to maximize the power of these points to help.

Get at least 10 donations from friends, family, individuals or businesses NOT on your team. You and your team members are welcome to donate to your campaign, but that is not a requirement for points- the Item requirement is to get at least 10 people to make a cumulative total of least 10 donations from donors who are NOT on your team. There is no minimum to donate for GISH purposes, but Crowdrise does require a minimum $10 donation be collected, and let’s all please encourage others to be generous so we can make a profound impact. SUBMIT a screenshot of your team’s page with a minimum of 10 donations on it. (To initially create a fundraising team, click the FUNDRAISE FOR THIS CAMPAIGN button.)

If for any reason your team is unable to (or chooses not to) join this Crowdrise campaign, you may still get points for this Item by collecting goods or volunteering at least two hours of your time with any relief organization providing relief to anyone directly impacted by acts of war-- refugees, disabled veterans, etc. SUBMIT PROOF YOU HAVE DONE THIS.

If your team is in the top 10% of number of donations or dollar amount, you’ll receive double points for this Item, so get in on this.

We need to raise $150,000 at minimum. We know it’s a lofty goal - but we believe in you, Gishers. Let’s do this!

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192

58 POINTS

Tonight’s date is so special, you wore your water ball(oon) gown! Hope your significant other “pops the question...” All water balloons must be filled with water. Remember, this is a zero-waste Hunt, so any water or balloons used must be recycled or used wisely (such as in Items 162 and #9).

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193

34 POINTS

A tiny painting of Misha and the Queen on a coin, made using toothpicks instead of brushes. - Arianne

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194

25 POINTS

Not all angels are 100% sweet and not all demons are all bad. Dress up as a demon and hand out messages of hope and positivity for the future to commuters at a busy bus, train, or subway station.

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195

34 POINTS

Create a HairBnB for head lice. Showcase all the amenities in photos. But don’t post it on AirBnB! Instead, hang your flyer where your clients will see it: at a local hair salon. - Inspired by Maison Collins

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196

28 POINTS

You’ve been out fishing for compliments, and you just snagged a whopper.

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197

53 POINTS

We could all use a little extra help to stay afloat. You wouldn’t go on a boat without a floatation device; why go through life without one? Create an “emergency life jacket” that you can wear when you feel a little underwater, out of your depth, or just like you need to be buoyed a little, customized with whatever will help you keep swimming.

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198

48 POINTS

Maybe hotels are onto something with their door hangers. Create an ornately designed reversible necktie you can wear that says “Do Not Disturb/”Please Tidy Up” or any other appropriate messaging for those times you want to quickly and efficiently broadcast a message but really don’t feel like being social.

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199

33 POINTS

Last year, you participated in the Bellyflop Olympics. But the most artistic activity in the summer Olympics is always the Synchronized Slip n’ Slide. Tandem sliders executing at least 3 beautiful, perfectly synchronized poses will win the gold. You must have judges and large score cards present.

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200

51 POINTS

Crochet or knit a doily recreation of our solar system.

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201

38 POINTS

From Spiderman’s web shooters to Batman’s ability to brood and spend money, if comic books have taught us anything, it’s that what makes us unique is what makes us super. But not everyone has internalized the message. Without being self-deprecating, identify one trait, offbeat skill, or feature about yourself that, properly applied, could be the origin of your new superperson identity. It can’t be an existing superhero in culture. Create a poster that showcases your superperson identity and what your flaw or feature-turned-superpower is. You may use Photoshop for this one.

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202

57 POINTS

Create a compliment vending machine! This machine offers free compliments on activation. Install it in a busy public place... with you safely hidden inside (make sure you have visibility, airholes, etc. See Commandment 6, “Scavenging Safely.”). Offer a sincere, honest compliment to anyone who activates the mechanism and have a friend record the transaction.

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203

41 POINTS

Before he was an Assbutt, our 2019 GISH Mascot was an Asserpillar. Illustrate or create a page from the award-winning children’s book The Very Hungry Asserpillar. (As you know from reading the book, each page features an important life lesson or moral, so make sure yours does, too.)

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204

48 POINTS

COLLABORATIVE. This is not a drill! Your pillow fort is under attack. Build the world’s most impenetrable Pillow Fort ever. You can include pillow cannons, catapults, etc. for defense, or just trust the integrity of your architecture. You may do this at home with family or friends, or collaborate with other Gishers in a public park. Then, defend it against the attackers (make sure there are extra pillows on hand for anyone who wishes to attack.)

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205

28 POINTS

As tournaments go, Wimbledon’s got nothing on Piladex. Show off your prowess at this 19th-century analog game of Pong, which is played by keeping inflated bag or balloon aloft by blowing on it. (For our tournament, you may not use your hands.) You may play one-on-one or a doubles match. Game, set, match!

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206

38 POINTS

Spoiler alert! Nobody has time to really sit down and read anymore. So, bring the stories to them. Recreate major plot points of classic books by acting them out at your local library. But in deference to library “rules”, you must be silent, so you’re going to have to use interpretive dance on this one. Note: If you’ve submitted a photo, you will still get credit.

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207

57 POINTS

Put your friend on display as a human statue at your local art museum. You may use props. Include a didactic card explaining the piece and its significance as a true work of art as well as an Artist’s Statement.

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208

28 POINTS

FAST-MOTION. Everybody always thinks zombies are after their brains, but they’re just really into “tag”, as evidenced by the 3 zombies playing slow-speed tag in your local mall, then speed it up and send it in.

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209

28 POINTS

LOCATION BASED. It’s time to sit for your GISH Global Compliance Exam. Resistance is Futile! Misha says you must meet up at at 8:30 AM on Saturday, Aug 3rd. DO NOT COME early, and definitely don’t be late. No proxies, please: only registered Gishers may attend! Wear your Gishiest hat and bring donations for the Lighthouse Mission Drop-In Center from the list below. If you cannot attend in person, watch our social media tomorrow for further instructions to complete this Item globally.

DONATION LIST:

Hygiene supplies: shampoo, hand sanitizer, soap/body wash (full size or travel size), toothpaste, safety razors, toilet tissue, hand wipes, etc.

First aid supplies (bandaids, etc)

Undergarments (M-XL, new only) and Unisex Socks

Unisex t-shirts and sweatpants (M-XL)

Water or shelf-stable food

If you couldn’t attend today’s meet up you can still score points for your team! Your mission: Take a donation of hygiene supplies or shelf-stable food to your local homeless shelter or food bank. But in honor of the Lighthouse Mission Drop-In Center in Bellingham, you should wear the tallest hat you can, with a light at the top so you can be a beacon to those in need.

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210

39 POINTS

STOP-MOTION. You have too many things in your house, and they’re ready to leave the nest and strike out on their own to find new lives. Create a stop-motion video of at least 10 useful items you’re ready to part with packing themselves into a box, then take it to a local shelter near you.

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211

47 POINTS

You’re a world-famous bodybuilder, but we know your secret: you use the performance-enhancing supplement: cotton fibers. Go to a homeless shelter and strike your award-winning bodybuilding pose out front (no other people should be in the image). Stuff as many packages of still-wrapped, new socks in the clothes on your upper body as possible to achieve bulk and definition and make you look muscle-bound. Then, remove all the socks and donate them to the shelter because your true strength is your kindness.

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212

52 POINTS

TIMELAPSE. Go trick or treating at your office or any large businesses near you, collecting school supplies (pencils, notebooks, erasers, or other donations). Donate anything you get to your local schools.

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213

53 POINTS

@dog_rates on Twitter & @weratedogs on Instagram rates dogs on their inherent dog attributes, but you know there’s a dog at your local shelter that deserves a 13/10 would take home forever rating. Go to your local shelter and identify the dog that has been there the longest or is most in need of a home. Take appealing photos or videos of your canine candidate and create the best, most shareable post you can of this good doggo, including information on how and where to adopt them. Post your creation tagging @WeRateDogs/@dog_rates, using #RateGISHDogs, and DM them your post as well, then submit a screenshot of your post. Bonus points if @WeRateDogs posts your dog before the end of the Hunt (send us THAT screenshot as proof instead if that’s so.) Double bonus points if you can prove the dog was adopted as a direct result.

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214

29 POINTS

(UP TO 60 SECONDS.) Guinness World Records? Been there, done that. This Item is for the GISHess World Records. Set a record for the most acts of kindness by one person in under 60 seconds. You may not speed up the video.

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215

36 POINTS

Tar and feathering is so 1800s. It’s time for an old-fashioned, public Maple Syrup and Glittering Make your own biodegradable glitter for this.

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216

39 POINTS

You’re a _____, Harry! It’s Harry Potter’s birthday today (July 31). Let’s envision what other jobs Harry Potter might’ve ended up doing if Hagrid had failed to make it to the hut-on-the-rock and Harry hadn’t made it to Hogwarts. Post your image to social media with hashtag #GISH and #MuggleJobsForWizards.

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217

17 POINTS

You are an undercover agent for the GISH Bureau of Instigation! Go to a public place looking for someone doing a kind deed. When you spot someone, blow your whistle and identify yourself as a member of the GISH Bureau of Instigation and issue them a citation thanking them for spreading positivity in a public setting (a Section G-2019 violation).

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218

29 POINTS

Have an attorney draft a class-action lawsuit against humanity on behalf of pollinators. Submit your evidence of the attorney, holding the filed paperwork.

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219

47 POINTS

Caregivers of those with life-threatening illnesses or chronic health conditions sacrifice a lot but are often forgotten. Let’s fix that. Make buddy care-bags: one bag for the caregiver, and one for the person they support. Contact a hospital, hospice, care facility, caregiver or person with a life-threatening illness or chronic condition to find out what would be most helpful to include in the bags, then donate them directly or through a caregiving organization near you. Submit a photo of the care bags -- the recipients need not be depicted. Tell us the story of the person you helped in the comments.

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220

19 POINTS

Chewing gum tug of war.

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221

21 POINTS

You better watch out... Santa Clothes just hit up your local laundromat! The jolly old sartorial elf left presents of laundry soap and quarters for the machine along with notes of encouragement for all the good little folks in need of some help getting the most boring of household tasks done.

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222

132 POINTS

Crack the pinata zipline-style! Play pinata with your friends -- but you must use a zipline to get your shot at hitting it. At least 2 people must play in your video or photo, and someone should crack it open so candy can spill to the people waiting below. - Brenda

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223

185 POINTS

You Wanted to See It! Jump the Fonz: Water ski jump over Henry Winkler. Bonus points if it’s a shark or attorney making the jump. -Ghassan

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224

68 POINTS

PUZZLE. New Item, Who Dis? 3x3=9, null=0. And that’s the Tea. Don’t get your wires crossed! When you think you’re done, the fun’s just begun...

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225

99 POINTS

Yeah, yeah. We’ve got like 8 Guinness World Records, so we’re really not impressed by them anymore. But your team loves to collect them, so you went for one anyway. Either on your own or in collaboration with other teams, break the record for the world’s largest sock monkey, made all out of socks. Bonus good karma in the afterlife if you fill it with socks and donate it all to a homeless shelter after it’s been officially accepted as the new record-holder. See the guidelines here.

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226

49 POINTS

PUZZLE. DO GISH.

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227

68 POINTS

LOCATION-BASED. The GISHBUS served us as well as it could, but there comes a time when we have to let things go and move forward-even if the GISHBUS never really could. Soon, it will belong to a new owner who will decide its fate. But we want you to have one last chance to say goodbye. So let’s send it off in GISH style!

Your ITEM:The GISHBUS is currently waiting for you at THIS LOCATION until 4PM PT tomorrow. Keep driving and hang a left. Do not bother the businesses there. Your team’s task: Say goodbye! Bring water-based paints and/or permanent markers and tag the exterior of the vehicle with the following:

Your team’s name

Write something on the bus that you or your teammates want to let go of in your lives

Submit a photo of your team mate (or proxy) with your graffiti on the bus as proof that you were there. Post your image on social media tagged with @GISHBUS, #GoodybyeGISHBUS & #GISH.

Note: Do not write over another team’s messages and leave room for other people! Also, please note that this is an industrial park. Use common sense, follow laws, don’t disturb the neighboring businesses and give high-fives to any Gishers you see. DO NOT ENTER THE BUS OR DISTURB THE TROLL INSIDE. We mean it. Doing so could mean forfeiture of points or disqualification from the Hunt.

[wine-porn]

Hunt & Peck

Probably one of the least-expensive wines I have ever owned from “The List” was the 2012 version of this wine which garnered–from memory–a top-30-ish spot. I snapped up as many as I could find, and have a couple left in the cellar. I open one now and then as they age predictably–for a $30 pinot–and have visited numerous releases since at events and gatherings. But this is the first time I’ve been…

[alyssaruffin]

Performing "Salt" by Ava Max at Pali Wine Company Lompoc Tasting Room. Thank you @chuckruffinmusic for helping me out with sound. I had bronchitis and he was constantly adjusting my sound as I worked through my set! ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎ ▪︎@paliwineco #alyssaruffin #music #musician #girlsthatsing #salt #avamax #pop #mainstream #cover #paliwineco #lompocwineghetto #saturdaynights #pacificcoast #centralcoast #california (at Pali Wine Co. Lompoc Tasting Room) https://www.instagram.com/p/B5Yi2_XFqe8/?igshid=jmseqo8btwjl

[airball27-blog]

The Single Best Strategy To Use For Santa Barbara Wineries

presquile winery santa clam barbaraPresq' uile Vineyard. Leading 10 A Glass Of Wine Dealers in Los Angeles. Through the close of the 19th century, Petrus had actually enhanced its a glass of wine as well as their amount of popularity remained to develop. In those times, Petrus was planted closer to 80% Red wine and 20% Cabernet Franc. If you ever before wanted to inspect this area out in individual, today is actually the opportunity. We presently market white wines from California, Italy, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Armenia as well as spirits from the U.S.A., Mexico, Great Britain, Holland, Italy, France, and Russia. Although it would be difficult if not difficult to compare the top quality of wine every bottle our company tried to match up a business's previous red or white wine cargos specifically those in their beginning groups which consist of a lot of the wine registration systems individuals enroll in. Petrus, Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking. The smart Trick of wine clubs That Nobody is Discussing Separated into 12 separate tracts, the Petrus vineyard is located on top of the highest altitude on the Pomerol stage. Get a little R&R at this regional winery sampling a flight (just $12 for 5 tastings) on their exterior patio area or go with a little enjoyment like their Sundown Art Stroll every Friday night, live music on Sundays, Farmer's Market every Friday, and public scenic tours every weekend. Youthful Fine Wines is a California-based importer and representative of hand-crafted glass of wines from France as well as the U. Wine club registrations are also wonderful gifts for buddies who love red or white wine. Soils differ as properly coming from effectively run off sandy dirts on the lowland flooring to silty, clay, clay loam goes the foothills. The Sangiovese is king of the globe and also their innovative red blends are a point of magic. Visitors can pick from a four-tasting flight ($ 12) or a six-tasting trip ($ 15). - idwco. - [12] Mme. - Cooling down devices. Located in the heart of Little Italy, Pali is the excellent area to relax on their roof deck with a flight of 5 tastings for just $15. Make sure you go for a sampling at each areas. Ptrus vintages ranging over 40 years Frederik Vandaele TOP 10 A Glass Of Wine CLUBS FIRMS. Petrus requires time to establish. Loubat chose certainly not to replant but to coppice (decrease back gravely) the vines on making it through rootstocks; this process of recpage had been actually recently untried in the area; [6] her excellence made certain that the vines' mean grow older stayed higher and developed a practice that has actually because been observed. The cool, practically storage temperature provides the red wine a lot more quality and also airlift. There are no negative days in San Diego where the sunlight is plentiful as well as local winemakers are creating several of SoCal's most well known containers. Within Santa clam Ynez area are the one-of-a-kind townships of Solvang and also Los Olivos.

[marymperezga]

15 Best Hiking Vacations In The USA (And Other Top-Notch Outdoor Activities)

Dust off your hiking boots and grab your backpack for this wanderlust-worthy roundup of hiking vacations in the US. From family-friendly, scenic trails to heart-thumping climbs, we’ve uncovered 15 great hiking trips you can take—no matter the season.

If your favorite part of a hike is getting back to home base with a sense of accomplishment, FlipKey has you covered. Each of these outdoor getaways offers amazing cabin rentals available to book right on our site. Enjoy a celebratory, post-hike drink on the private patio, utilize the full kitchen for a home-cooked meal, then light up the fireplace and hunker down for a movie night.

And it’s not just the stellar trails and cabins that make these some of the best hiking vacations in America—after all, you may want at least one day of lighter outdoor recreation. That’s why we’re also featuring top tours, activities, and in-destination experiences to enjoy during your stay—courtesy of our friends at TripAdvisor (FlipKey is a TripAdvisor company). Think guided photography tours of Yosemite, visiting a conservation center in the Adirondacks, or a wine-and-waterfalls excursion in Oregon.

Acadia National Park, ME

Acadia National park is one for superlatives—both the most-visited national park in the Northeast and home to the highest peak along the North Atlantic seaboard, Acadia is one of the best hiking destinations in the US. Make the drive up Cadillac Mountain to take in stunning views from the 1,500-foot tall peak, or challenge yourself to hikes like the Gotham Mountain Trail. You can even rent canoes and kayaks to take out from Bar Harbor. Check it all out on your own or join a guided tour, like this 7-day Food, Brews, and Hiking tour of New England, to see the park’s highlights.

Find a great place to stay in Acadia National Park!

Glacier National Park, MT

Montana may be landlocked, but a visit to Glacier National Park is all about the water. Hike to pristine alpine lakes, drive past waterfalls, or take a white-water rafting trip down the Flathead River. The Grinnell Glacier stands as a looming challenge over the park, but its rewarding views are unbeatable—be sure to bring plenty of food and water if you do the 8-mile trail on your own. Then, give your legs a break when you drive down the 52-mile Going-to-the-Sun-Road, a scenic highlight reel of Glacier National Park’s diverse wildlife and incredible landscapes.

Find a great place to stay near Glacier National Park!

Yosemite National Park, CA

In Yosemite, steep granite cliffs tower above redwood trees and host tumbling waterfalls.  Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan stand out as the park’s most recognized natural formations. Though so much wilderness makes Yosemite one of the best hiking vacations you can take, the park is also a hit among photographers. Follow in the footsteps of Ansel Adams on a Yosemite photography tour to find the park’s best angles. Plus, unlike many parks that are far from urban centers, Yosemite is easily visited on a day trip from San Francisco, Tahoe, or San Jose.

Update: Due to the recent wildfires, please refer to the National Park Services’ website for information about accessibility and permissibility in Yosemite.

Find a great place to stay in Yosemite!

Big Sur, CA

Rocky coastlines give way to crashing Pacific waves in Big Sur, a gem of a hiking destination along the California coast. Big Sur is easy enough to fit in during a California road trip—the area is right off Highway 1—but Big Sur’s incredible natural beauty merits its own visit. Take a hike through Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park or at the Point Sur State Historic Park for gorgeous views of mist-shrouded cliffs and waterfalls dropping straight into the ocean. If you don’t have your own car, consider visiting as part of a tour, like this Pacific Coast Highway day trip.

Find a great place to stay in Big Sur!

Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC

The Great Smoky Mountains are one of the best hiking vacations for their rolling hills and scenic trails. Hike up Mount LeConte to see the Smokies stretching endlessly into the horizon, or check out the popular Alum Cave Trail, which leads you past rushing rivers through fields of wildflowers. Though well-marked trails make it easy enough to explore on your own, go with a guide to make the most of every moment. Specialty tours include a Smoky Mountains Waterfall Adventure and a historic Smoky Mountain hike that highlights Cherokee and settler history in the area.

Find a great place to stay in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Zion National Park, UT

Zion National Park is easily one of the most-recognized hiking destinations in the US, known for its mesmerizing red rocks smoothly carved out by water. Bring your A-game to the trails at The Narrows, aptly named for the tight squeezes needed to get through columns of river-bound rocks. Once through, you will be richly rewarded by a number of viewpoints around the park that will surely take your breath away. If you’re looking for extra adventure, try a rock climbing and canyoneering tour or combine a visit to Zion with other nearby parks on a multi-day guided tour of Utah.

Find a great place to stay in Zion National Park!

Blue Ridge, GA

The sleepy town of Blue Ridge is full of historic Southern charm. Ride down old train trestles on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, stroll through the quaint boutique-filled downtown, or bring the whole family for a day of outdoor fun at the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge or Long Creek Falls. Plus, because it’s nestled in the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town is an ideal home base for a mountain retreat.

Find a great place to stay in Blue Ridge!

Estes Park, CO

Estes Park is the quintessential Rocky Mountains vacation destination and aptly known as the Gateway to the Rockies. Between its homey downtown and easy access to some of the best hiking trips in Colorado, Estes Park is a top stop for serious backpackers and casual hikers alike. Experienced hikers can use Estes as a basecamp for longer ascents into the Rocky Mountains, while nature-lovers of all hiking abilities love the easy Adams Falls Trail and hike to Lily Lake. If you aren’t looking to attempt hikes on your own, a guided tour like the Discover Rocky Mountain National Park tour or a private wildlife safari offer good introductions to the area’s rich wildlife and scenery.

Find a great place to stay in Estes Park!

Big Bear Lake, CA

Big Bear Lake may be small, but it packs in plenty of outdoor activities. This lakeside retreat in southern California is best known for its winter skiing, but also offers a number of hiking trails like Castle Rock Trail that are perfect for exploring in the summer. The area also features the popular Big Bear Alpine Zoo, which rehabs native animals and offers visitors a great chance to learn about local wildlife, including the lake’s namesake creatures.

Find a great place to stay in Big Bear Lake!

Columbia River Gorge, OR

In addition to being one of the best hiking destinations in the US, Columbia River Gorge is one of the most popular and scenic day trips from Portland. Take a half-day tour from Portland to the picture-ready Multnomah Falls—a wine-tasting and waterfalls tour is also an option—or spend the afternoon wandering down well-marked trails and taking scenic drives on your own. Dewy forest floors and wildflower-filled fields make Columbia River Gorge a hiker’s dream. Opt for a cabin in Hood River and you’ll be just a few miles away.

Find a great place to stay in Hood River, just minutes from the Columbia River Gorge!

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Clear glacial waters hemmed by towering snow-capped peaks make South Lake Tahoe a popular vacation destination. Though hiking Mt. Tallac Trail or to Lower Eagle Falls are good trekking options, the area is also well-known for its water sports and cultural activities. Take a cruise on Emerald Bay, book a parasailing adventure, or snag a kayak for a day paddling through blue waters. Then, hit up the town’s many restaurants, bars, and clubs for a fun end to a full day.

Find a great place to stay in South Lake Tahoe!

Kauai, HI

A whole island full of gorgeous scenery and exciting outdoor activities, Kauai makes for a paradisiacal hiking vacation. From the jagged ridges of Na Pali Coast State Park to the gulches of Waimea Canyon, hiking opportunities abound—and more. Rev your adrenaline with an off-road adventure, unwind on a sunset dinner cruise, or opt into one of the most popular helicopter tour destinations in the country. With a whole island of activities to choose from, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy.

Find a great place to stay in Kauai!

Jackson Hole, WY (Grand Teton National Park)

Jackson Hole is a skiing paradise in the winter, but has hikes to waterfalls, crater lakes, and woodland wonderlands during warmer months. From the family-friendly Cascade Canyon Trail to the heart-thumping Static Peak Divide, Grand Teton National Park is by far one of the best hiking vacations you can take. Pack in even more adventure by booking a Grand Teton safari for chances to see animals like elk, bears, and bison in the wild.

Find a great place to stay near Grand Teton National Park!

Jay, VT (Jay Peak)

A high-end ski resort turns summertime bucket-list destination in Jay, a cozy city with family-friendly amenities and plenty to keep kids entertained, including the popular Jay Peak Pump House. The town’s best hike is to its namesake summit, Jay Peak, a moderate 3-mile trail past wildflowers, boulders, and pastures.

Find a great place to stay in Jay!

Adirondacks, NY

The Adirondacks have great hiking, to be sure, but they offer a whole lot more: go white-water rafting, learn about conservation at the kid-friendly Wild Center, or make some waves on glassy Lake Placid. Be sure to get to Bald Mountain, too, for an easy hike for the whole family.

Find a great place to stay near the Adirondacks!

This post was originally published on the TripAdvisor blog. FlipKey is a TripAdvisor company.

The post 15 Best Hiking Vacations In The USA (And Other Top-Notch Outdoor Activities) appeared first on The FlipKey Blog.

from Tips For Traveling https://www.flipkey.com/blog/2018/08/14/15-best-hiking-vacations-in-the-usa-and-other-top-notch-outdoor-activities/

[mrrolandtfranco]

15 Best Hiking Vacations In The USA (And Other Top-Notch Outdoor Activities)

Dust off your hiking boots and grab your backpack for this wanderlust-worthy roundup of hiking vacations in the US. From family-friendly, scenic trails to heart-thumping climbs, we’ve uncovered 15 great hiking trips you can take—no matter the season.

If your favorite part of a hike is getting back to home base with a sense of accomplishment, FlipKey has you covered. Each of these outdoor getaways offers amazing cabin rentals available to book right on our site. Enjoy a celebratory, post-hike drink on the private patio, utilize the full kitchen for a home-cooked meal, then light up the fireplace and hunker down for a movie night.

And it’s not just the stellar trails and cabins that make these some of the best hiking vacations in America—after all, you may want at least one day of lighter outdoor recreation. That’s why we’re also featuring top tours, activities, and in-destination experiences to enjoy during your stay—courtesy of our friends at TripAdvisor (FlipKey is a TripAdvisor company). Think guided photography tours of Yosemite, visiting a conservation center in the Adirondacks, or a wine-and-waterfalls excursion in Oregon.

Acadia National Park, ME

Acadia National park is one for superlatives—both the most-visited national park in the Northeast and home to the highest peak along the North Atlantic seaboard, Acadia is one of the best hiking destinations in the US. Make the drive up Cadillac Mountain to take in stunning views from the 1,500-foot tall peak, or challenge yourself to hikes like the Gotham Mountain Trail. You can even rent canoes and kayaks to take out from Bar Harbor. Check it all out on your own or join a guided tour, like this 7-day Food, Brews, and Hiking tour of New England, to see the park’s highlights.

Find a great place to stay in Acadia National Park!

Glacier National Park, MT

Montana may be landlocked, but a visit to Glacier National Park is all about the water. Hike to pristine alpine lakes, drive past waterfalls, or take a white-water rafting trip down the Flathead River. The Grinnell Glacier stands as a looming challenge over the park, but its rewarding views are unbeatable—be sure to bring plenty of food and water if you do the 8-mile trail on your own. Then, give your legs a break when you drive down the 52-mile Going-to-the-Sun-Road, a scenic highlight reel of Glacier National Park’s diverse wildlife and incredible landscapes.

Find a great place to stay near Glacier National Park!

Yosemite National Park, CA

In Yosemite, steep granite cliffs tower above redwood trees and host tumbling waterfalls.  Yosemite Falls, Half Dome, and El Capitan stand out as the park’s most recognized natural formations. Though so much wilderness makes Yosemite one of the best hiking vacations you can take, the park is also a hit among photographers. Follow in the footsteps of Ansel Adams on a Yosemite photography tour to find the park’s best angles. Plus, unlike many parks that are far from urban centers, Yosemite is easily visited on a day trip from San Francisco, Tahoe, or San Jose.

Update: Due to the recent wildfires, please refer to the National Park Services’ website for information about accessibility and permissibility in Yosemite.

Find a great place to stay in Yosemite!

Big Sur, CA

Rocky coastlines give way to crashing Pacific waves in Big Sur, a gem of a hiking destination along the California coast. Big Sur is easy enough to fit in during a California road trip—the area is right off Highway 1—but Big Sur’s incredible natural beauty merits its own visit. Take a hike through Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park or at the Point Sur State Historic Park for gorgeous views of mist-shrouded cliffs and waterfalls dropping straight into the ocean. If you don’t have your own car, consider visiting as part of a tour, like this Pacific Coast Highway day trip.

Find a great place to stay in Big Sur!

Great Smoky Mountains, TN/NC

The Great Smoky Mountains are one of the best hiking vacations for their rolling hills and scenic trails. Hike up Mount LeConte to see the Smokies stretching endlessly into the horizon, or check out the popular Alum Cave Trail, which leads you past rushing rivers through fields of wildflowers. Though well-marked trails make it easy enough to explore on your own, go with a guide to make the most of every moment. Specialty tours include a Smoky Mountains Waterfall Adventure and a historic Smoky Mountain hike that highlights Cherokee and settler history in the area.

Find a great place to stay in the Great Smoky Mountains!

Zion National Park, UT

Zion National Park is easily one of the most-recognized hiking destinations in the US, known for its mesmerizing red rocks smoothly carved out by water. Bring your A-game to the trails at The Narrows, aptly named for the tight squeezes needed to get through columns of river-bound rocks. Once through, you will be richly rewarded by a number of viewpoints around the park that will surely take your breath away. If you’re looking for extra adventure, try a rock climbing and canyoneering tour or combine a visit to Zion with other nearby parks on a multi-day guided tour of Utah.

Find a great place to stay in Zion National Park!

Blue Ridge, GA

The sleepy town of Blue Ridge is full of historic Southern charm. Ride down old train trestles on the Blue Ridge Scenic Railway, stroll through the quaint boutique-filled downtown, or bring the whole family for a day of outdoor fun at the Toccoa River Swinging Bridge or Long Creek Falls. Plus, because it’s nestled in the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the town is an ideal home base for a mountain retreat.

Find a great place to stay in Blue Ridge!

Estes Park, CO

Estes Park is the quintessential Rocky Mountains vacation destination and aptly known as the Gateway to the Rockies. Between its homey downtown and easy access to some of the best hiking trips in Colorado, Estes Park is a top stop for serious backpackers and casual hikers alike. Experienced hikers can use Estes as a basecamp for longer ascents into the Rocky Mountains, while nature-lovers of all hiking abilities love the easy Adams Falls Trail and hike to Lily Lake. If you aren’t looking to attempt hikes on your own, a guided tour like the Discover Rocky Mountain National Park tour or a private wildlife safari offer good introductions to the area’s rich wildlife and scenery.

Find a great place to stay in Estes Park!

Big Bear Lake, CA

Big Bear Lake may be small, but it packs in plenty of outdoor activities. This lakeside retreat in southern California is best known for its winter skiing, but also offers a number of hiking trails like Castle Rock Trail that are perfect for exploring in the summer. The area also features the popular Big Bear Alpine Zoo, which rehabs native animals and offers visitors a great chance to learn about local wildlife, including the lake’s namesake creatures.

Find a great place to stay in Big Bear Lake!

Columbia River Gorge, OR

In addition to being one of the best hiking destinations in the US, Columbia River Gorge is one of the most popular and scenic day trips from Portland. Take a half-day tour from Portland to the picture-ready Multnomah Falls—a wine-tasting and waterfalls tour is also an option—or spend the afternoon wandering down well-marked trails and taking scenic drives on your own. Dewy forest floors and wildflower-filled fields make Columbia River Gorge a hiker’s dream. Opt for a cabin in Hood River and you’ll be just a few miles away.

Find a great place to stay in Hood River, just minutes from the Columbia River Gorge!

South Lake Tahoe, CA

Clear glacial waters hemmed by towering snow-capped peaks make South Lake Tahoe a popular vacation destination. Though hiking Mt. Tallac Trail or to Lower Eagle Falls are good trekking options, the area is also well-known for its water sports and cultural activities. Take a cruise on Emerald Bay, book a parasailing adventure, or snag a kayak for a day paddling through blue waters. Then, hit up the town’s many restaurants, bars, and clubs for a fun end to a full day.

Find a great place to stay in South Lake Tahoe!

Kauai, HI

A whole island full of gorgeous scenery and exciting outdoor activities, Kauai makes for a paradisiacal hiking vacation. From the jagged ridges of Na Pali Coast State Park to the gulches of Waimea Canyon, hiking opportunities abound—and more. Rev your adrenaline with an off-road adventure, unwind on a sunset dinner cruise, or opt into one of the most popular helicopter tour destinations in the country. With a whole island of activities to choose from, you’ll find plenty to keep you busy.

Find a great place to stay in Kauai!

Jackson Hole, WY (Grand Teton National Park)

Jackson Hole is a skiing paradise in the winter, but has hikes to waterfalls, crater lakes, and woodland wonderlands during warmer months. From the family-friendly Cascade Canyon Trail to the heart-thumping Static Peak Divide, Grand Teton National Park is by far one of the best hiking vacations you can take. Pack in even more adventure by booking a Grand Teton safari for chances to see animals like elk, bears, and bison in the wild.

Find a great place to stay near Grand Teton National Park!

Jay, VT (Jay Peak)

A high-end ski resort turns summertime bucket-list destination in Jay, a cozy city with family-friendly amenities and plenty to keep kids entertained, including the popular Jay Peak Pump House. The town’s best hike is to its namesake summit, Jay Peak, a moderate 3-mile trail past wildflowers, boulders, and pastures.

Find a great place to stay in Jay!

Adirondacks, NY

The Adirondacks have great hiking, to be sure, but they offer a whole lot more: go white-water rafting, learn about conservation at the kid-friendly Wild Center, or make some waves on glassy Lake Placid. Be sure to get to Bald Mountain, too, for an easy hike for the whole family.

Find a great place to stay near the Adirondacks!

This post was originally published on the TripAdvisor blog. FlipKey is a TripAdvisor company.

The post 15 Best Hiking Vacations In The USA (And Other Top-Notch Outdoor Activities) appeared first on The FlipKey Blog.

from The FlipKey Blog https://ift.tt/2P37MI6

[winela411-blog]

“ 4th Annual Stars of Pinot” July 11, 2018

Beverly Hills, Calif.  (Updated April 17th) – 

Champagne Henriot is now the official Champagne of STARS of Pinot! This event now has over 44 wine brands being featured including, Beaux Fréres, Wines of New Zealand, Pali Wine Company, Bouchard Pére & Fils, and many other top producers. Pinot Noir has been a very important grape since the Roman era. In fact, Pinot Noir has two times as many acres/hectares planted in France than it does in California, even though Pinot has been in a huge growth mode for almost 20 years! To honor this majestic grape, WineLA is thrilled to present our 4th annual STARS of Pinot event on Wednesday,  July  11,  2018,  at  The  Montage  Beverly  Hills.  With  over  40  top  Pinot  Producers  set  to participate, WineLA invites you to join us and taste over 100 different wines at this annual gathering. The Montage Beverly Hills expects to welcome hundreds of wine enthusiasts to meet the makers and celebrate the best Pinots’ from many of world's top producers. Wineries set to participate: Clos Pepe Estate, Croix, Kanzler Family Vineyard, King Estate, Iris, Mail Road Wines, McIntyre Vineyards, Tolosa, Wrath, J Vineyards and Winery, Fess Parker Winery and Vineyard, Willamette Valley Vineyards, Bernardus, Hyde Vineyards, Old Bridge Cellars, Robert Talbott Vineyards, Hartford Family Winery, Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards, The 50 by 50, Bouchaine Napa Valley + Carneros, Roadhouse  Winery,  WeatherBorne  Wine  Corp,  Artesa  Napa  Valley,  Carmel  Road,  Russian  River, Sonoma Coast, Oregon, Burgundy and more! The event will begin at 6PM for VIP DINNER TICKETS (Advance tickets for the VIP experience may be purchased for $150; price increases as sell out approaches, remaining tickets will be $200 at the door). 6PM entry grants a delicious VIP PINOT PANEL Dinner and a beautiful Los Angeles Magazine gift bag lined with artisan products and thank you gifts. There are a limited number of VIP (6 p.m. admission tickets). 7 p.m. doors open for General Admission. Advanced tickets may be purchased for less than $80 per person with day of tickets (if available) at $95. All guests will be able to participate during our silent auction, and bid on wines and collectables benefiting the T.J Martell FOUNDATION for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The VIP PINOT PANEL DINNER - Hosted by Master of Wine, Jennifer Simonetti-Bryan (the most famous MW in the world)! This VIP panel dinner gives you a chance to enjoy a great MONTAGE dinner and drink a special set of VIP wines served with the panel discussion. The Winemakers debate and discuss various topics and the audience is typically filled with wines most enthusiastic.  Panelists’ Include: Jeff Stewart of Hartford Family   winery (SONOMA); Richard Sanford of Alma Rosa winery (SANTA BARBARA); David Coventry of Robert Talbott Vineyard (CARMEL/MONTEREY); Brandon Sparks of Dragonette (SANTA BARBARA); and Jay Somers of J.Christopher (OREGON). Come and meet with the who’s who of Pinot Noir while enjoying unlimited wine tasting, great MONTAGE tray passed appetizers and a wonderful audience. WineLA welcomes wine fans of all experience levels. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit http://www.winela.com/stars-of-pinot-2018 About WineLA WineLA is about enhancing the wine culture of Los Angeles one event at a time. To do so, wine must be in rhythm with fashion, music, food and other beverages. It must take advantage of the geography, the architecture and the centers of interest. Los Angeles is a giant playground with an amazing array of venues, spaces, wine bars, restaurants, beaches, rooftops, gardens, and magical views. We are a part of the LA lifestyle, the wine lifestyle, and celebrate the people, the place and the passion. For more information call 310-451-7600 or email PR@winela.com

[ki6-7-l8r]

Errata.........

Don't recall when I was thrown into the world, does anyone? My first memory was in some kind of mansion where the sun filtered through a round stained glass window. A big man with a messy beard, wisping out like excremental cotton candy from his face stood over me. I saw a couple of fools, my parents looking up at me as I floated into the air. I was levitating, but the big fat Doktor just looked straight ahead, so ends this little wash of recall. I was around three years old in the house. I was at a neighbours house when a toy gun clipped my fingers and the metal took a chunk of skin out. I did not cry. The old neighbours; man and wife, laughed about how tough I was, and then giggled when I began to black out. For some reason I hated these people, I hurled a rock at their car when they were driving to go see a parade, put a big dent in the door. My mom spanked me so hard I saw my feet fly in the air. Sometimes I would walk around the neighbourhood and not remember leaving the house, ringing doorbells and running away. My Mom got tired of this and put me in preschool, sometimes sick, where I would barf until one of the teachers covered it up with sand. There was one teacher who was an evil looking woman with eyes like the demoness Lilith, Adam's first devil-wife. She and another woman gave me a ride home, but I don't remember ever getting home actually, I don't remember where I ended up on that ride. One day I was wandering around the neighborhood again, and I peeked through a mail-slot in a door and I saw a room with velvet red drapes. I saw an altar with an inverted pentagram, with candles which were not lit. The Chalice, The Bell, The Sword, I knew what these were but I had no words for them, I had somehow been in that house but I did not recall ever going there. Weird things happen when your only three, in some ways you are already old. I saw too the vast room filled with hooded figures! A giant Jackal-Headed statue black as night around 200 feet tall, was flanked by braziers wafting clouds of incense. Beneath the vast altar was a huge pit with low burning fires. The small sacrifices were hurled like soccer-balls; soaring through the air into the flaming pit. Pitiful cries and screams of torment were heard. In this way the forgotten ones of the maternity wards were given a manifest destiny. I was scared, but a priest told me that I "need not fear in that my hourglass had red sand." After my parents split up I ended up in a big house, bigger than the one before. I found crucifixes made out of wood and for some reason I liked to turn them upside-down and break them into peace signs, but the sides would not hold and would fall on the ground. I then found my sisters old barbies and scraped the boobs off of them against the wall so they would be flat chested. I was around 8 years old when this happened. When I was nine I developed a craving for wanting to drink human blood. My friends would cut themselves and let me drink their blood. Their parents found out about this and called my folks, and my folks were alarmed by this disturbed behavior. They took me back to the Doktor with the wispy beard that looked like cotton candy made out of shit. The Doktor told my parents that their was nothing wrong with me, just going through a weird phase. This Doktor pretended to talk with a German accent, but I knew he was faking!! He knew that I knew, and gave me a mean look. He had dead eyes. I was a teenager and an occult shop opened up where I lived. It was run by a real fortunate son, he seemed very fortunate which was strange in that the shop was not doing that well. I started doing a lot of acid in those days, and would practice black magick rites in the makeshift temple in the back. Once I did a ceremony to summon the 7 Crown Princes of Hell. Only Belial showed up, he materialized in the incense outside of the magic circle. He gave me two visions: The first one was of a witch cackling and stirring a giant cauldron, on a very dark night. The second was of a naked man taking in a giant beam of celestial fire; drinking it into his face, with his arms outstretched and his legs parted in a standing embrace. I still don't know what this signified. At the occult shop one day I also met a company man. I was 26 and it was a very bad year. Too much debauchery had caught up with me, as well as other things. I spent some time in nuthouse, but a nice shrink helped me recover. He gave me Dilantin and Centrax at the same time, it kept me in a mellow mood. After I got outta stir I moved in with a very weird madlady who indeed was legion. She was a lot of people in one person, and I did not like any of them and they did not like me. Except for two exceptions: I liked the little kid that came out as her sometimes, and the old medicine woman. The little girl told me all about the company, and how they like to turn one person into a whole bunch of people; and tell them to do things with the same body. Its a hobby of theirs, a game, maybe even a joke, but its a killing joke. I thought the story she told me was about as daft as a flying doughnut. After awhile I believed it but she was such a bitch I could not stand her and moved out. I did not care about all the spy stories, or politics at all. I was an occultist! She said she knew more about the Occult than I did. She was lying. The last thing she said was this: "Your just like all the bad people, because you think that life is meaningless!" Whatever. I was 31, and I met up again with the fortunate son in VEGAZ; another cult scene, but not too hairy. He was a big dip-waffle who tried to use me and did. But he needed me, as he was in the market for a MAGUZ. No modesty is not one of my traits. I cannot afford to let it be, due to the fact that I am a collossal failure. I learned to put myself in really great trance states and bring down demons into my body. I could still maintain control though, and could kick them out at any time. We called down voodoo loa, devils and demons as cute as the conqueror worm. We hurled astral shit through the vortex; flinging it at the enemies of the fortunate son. One of his enemies succumbed to the sorcery; a woman had an asthma attack and died. The enemy coven thought that our magick did this, and the girl's mother called the fortunate one and cursed him on the phone. The fortunate one got freaked out and sent flowers to her funeral, thus denying that he cursed her and denying the devils that slew a-one in his name. Like Peter denying the Savior the curse rebounded on Fortuno's head and his life turned into shit. I got sick of him using me, so I cursed him as well. I would drink bottles of rum and evoke the Petro Loa and dance around the altar, flinging hateful laughter and raging curses upon his worthless ass. It seemed to make things worse for him which delighted me. At this time too I met this guy who was a big fat liar who said his uncle invented Ritz crackers. He said he was related to a big-band leader with a big beat. He told me that he was levitated high up over the ocean and floated into a cave on a summit of the Na Pali Coast in Kwaii. When he got floated into the cave he met a Kahuna Shaman who instructed him in the delicacies of Sumerian Sorcery. This guy's mind was as fried-out as a toasted jaybird in a torched forest. And damn it, he made friends with another one of those people who was a bunch of people in one body! A girl who was a martial arts and weapons expert, on top of everything else! She knew about the fat liar's uncle and his big beat band: "Booker M.K. & The Ultras." One day she was flipping out and Fatso panicked and brought me down there. I told her that a mandala was one image, yet it had many facets, many in one, and one in many was still one. Finally she mellowed out. I was really scared, because she had a black belt in Karate and was a weapons expert, I on the other hand was a wuss who had only shot a B.B. gun at age 12. She was real nice to me and said that she would protect me from enemies, but Fatso got between us and kept her away. At that time I was just getting through day by day, and did not care. Although I did once bring down spirits that came through my body and cracked the inside of a crystal that I held in my hands. So goes it. Amused and bemused; this story is a tragedy in a laugh, and a laugh with a crying face. I found out later that Doktor Shit-Beard ate some Uranium 235 and bought the farm; ded of cancer. That's the funny part, so you can laugh now!! But you know, when the Romans sacked Jerusalem and routed the Second Temple in Palestine, they killed a lot of Hebrews and impaled babies on their swords. But the thing is, is that this has never stopped. There are many walking wounded amongst you, who are locked in gulags with invisible walls, tormented by translucent tech. hands, mocked by unseen voices. There are mindless masses and complicit Doktors who will just call all this madness. Perhaps this is why I thanked God, when I had that dream about the world being destroyed by nuclear weapons. I got out my last praise indeed; right at the moment where I lost all my atoms.

http://www.my-journal.com/jrn/md__1/jrn__24539/dt__1473750000

Welcome us nearly, inside soft floors of music. Through dope-heads dark recovered, through isles of the twisted.

Within Theatres of Perdition, we will sojourn after, to greet the dancing incubus, admire strange relations.

Unearth the Corpse of Incest Death, so we can have a festival. Weep silent pagan forests, and blaspheme all the saviours.

Let us dance around the Mayfires, and ride the maddened vine, climb secret goddess mountains, and drink the horn’ed wine.

Let’s dig up all the graveyards, reclaim relics of the doomed, assemble laughing, sacred skeletons, build temples to the Moon.

Let us know nocturnal days, lost transparent hours, sleep magic silver waves, encompass nights of flowers.

Let us weep the winsome madness, of those beyond the realms, of Space’s indifferent irony, that Time’s chalice overwhelms.

To pour primeval vision, upon partakers of the strange, who consume the droughts of clarity, the gods have doth deranged.

Let’s speak of the unspeakable, say wild atrocious things, let’s talk of God’s own truth, and the falsehood that it brings.

A Creator that’s a Liar? The Whole that is a sham? We’ll leave the dead to sleeping, the living remain Damned!

[trekwithtech]

San Blas, Panama

If you haven’t already make sure to check out this video I made during my time on Sin Blas

The trip to San Blas is advertised everywhere for a premium. These All-inclusive packages may sound amazing but I’ve always been a skeptic. I was determined to find the cheapest way to get to San Blas. So I did what we all do. I googled “San Blas on a budget” the first non-advertised hit was an article by Seven Continent Sasha who is a world explorer from down under. In her article, Sasha mentions the Franklin family that she was unable to stay with. Taking her advice I was lucky enough to reserve the Franklin family (thanks to her awesome article). I also decided to stay at hostel mamallena (also mentioned her article) which the tour company knew instantly allowing everything run smoothly. Great hostel by the way.

Tourism in San Blas is still fragile and on small scale, this makes the islands a beautiful place for you to explore. It has one of the best-preserved coral reefs in the world where you are allowed to snorkel. One of the main spots for tourist to try out snorkeling is Dog Island also known as Isla Perro. This island is famous because there is a shipwreck in front of the island reachable by snorkeling and swimming. On the Dog Island, you will also find a very nice beach.

Much of the information below was taken directly from the email received after booking with Lam Tours (contact info at bottom of page)

Panama City hostel to San Blas

Pick Up in the Morning: The pick-up time is between 5-5:40 AM

Land transportation from Panama – Port Barsukun – Panama.

Takes roughly 3-3.5 hours

Boat transportation from Port Barsukun – Cabanas Franklin (Tubasenika Island) – Port Barsukun.

Takes roughly 30-40 minutes

What to do when you get to San Blas

Aside from snorkeling around the island and eating coconuts off the ground, you can get to know thy neighbors. Visit many other islands for $5-$10 bucks. So you don’t have to worry about getting marooned on an island you don’t like (unlikely but nice to have options). You can stay with more than one family so you if you find one you like during your tours, speak to the family you are with to arrange the transition. The community profits directly from tourism so they do not mind sharing tourists with a fellow native.

TOURS: You can make any tour to get to know other islands or the indigenous community, ask for Pali and will help with the cost of the tours that are paid directly on the island. Tours start from $15 per person.

Drink costs I can recall

Balboa beer can 1.50

Coca-Cola can 1.50

Closo Wine – 10/box? (surely not 10 bucks a glass right?)

Total Costs

How much does it cost in total? Below are figures that the Tour Company does not include in your total. Make sure to bring cash with you as It does not seem like they take VISA.

NOT typically INCLUDED:

–  Entrance Fee to San Blas $20.00

–  Port Taxes $2.00

–  Any Types of beverages: Water, sodas, beers, etc. (Your driver will stop at the Grocery Store on the way).

Total Breakdown of one person

a 4×4 trip to and from Guna Yala Port: $60

Boat ride to and from San Blas islands: $30

Entrance Fee/Port Tax: $22

Total including Entrance Fee/Port Tax/RoundTrip Transportation= $112

…Then it’s just a matter of how long you want to stay.

$26 dollars a night for shared cabin (includes 3 meals a day)

+$18 more per night for Private which will most certainly put you directly on the beach with ocean view. 

I recommend you stay for at least 5 days. The hardest part is getting there so soak it up while you can.

My money saving TIP: Keep in mind I booked a shared cabin and received an empty cabin so depending on the time of year couples may not have to pay more for privacy. You can always change your reservation on the island (given its available) so you may be able to get by booking shared and upgrading based on the population of the shared room.

Are you a picky eater? Great, I am too. Youll is happy to hear its mostly edible. The scariest thing was a fried fish (where it looks like it jumped out of the ocean and into a deep frier). They have options for lobster as well for those of you who want to splurge.

What did I eat?

Breakfast: fried egg on Untoasted bread served with tea and coffee

Lunch: fried fish with rice and vegetables served with tea and coffee

Dinner: fish and papa fritas (french fries) served with tea and coffee

Try the cinnamon tea it’s amazing.

How will you know when it’s time to eat?

A man blows a Conch! The island is small enough you will definitely hear it!

Additional info about the Gala/Yala Kuna community

As you can see, San Blas will remain informal until the Panamanian laws are effective in the region of San Blas, and no one can force them to change their laws because they are independent, the government of Panama may require that they must respect as his first law, the Constitution of Panamá.

Mandatory Documents Requirements: DON’T FORGET YOUR ORIGINAL passport, Migration and Border Police will review all passports before arriving in San Blas and out of San Blas. Must travel with your original passport or cedula Panamanian as will go through a review of migration and border police, will review the entry stamp to our country, and no one can be illegal crossing borders to go to Colombia or arriving from Colombia (ORIGINAL passport – DO NOT ACCEPT COPIES – THERE IS NO EXCEPTION).

Drone footage: Despite the Drone footage you may see on my page. Please be advised Drone footage is strictly prohibited on the Franklin Island. I found out the hard way. The drone footage you see was taken during the brief moments I did not know about this policy. I took down my drone immediately upon learning of violation and implore those who go in the future not to mimic my behavior.

Pictures of indigenous people: There was a moment when a man was paddling his canoe down the river, I grabbed my phone to take the shot and was informed by the boat driver not to. It’s easy to forget about sensitivity and privacy (especially when you grew up in North America) however it’s always a good idea to ask permission before taking shots of people on and around this community.

Starfish: Never bring starfish above water, you can kill it this way.

Contact info to arrange San Blas Trip from Panama City

I recommend using WhatsApp as Judy is very on top of it, she responded quite promptly to my messages starting at 8:30pm. Her English is exceptional and she made Booking this trip a breeze.

Judy E Lam

www.lamtourspanama.com

USA: 1 (704) 469 – 9146

Panama: 507 395 – 7105

WhatsApp: 507 6706 – 2810 | 507 6088 – 9000

E-Mail: info@lamtourspanama.com

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San Blas on a Budget? It's possible! Learn how in this informative blog post. San Blas, Panama If you haven't already make sure to check out this video I made during my time on Sin Blas…

[thesixweekseeker]

Kauai: The Garden Isle (South Shore)

(January 2017)

I just wrapped up my time in Kauai and I could not have imagined a better place to spend the New Year and launch our January Six Week groups: A+++.  We decided to start our Kauai adventure on the South Shore “the sunny side of the island” and had the good fortune to have Steve from Steve’s Taxis, who grabbed us from Lihue Airport on day one.   He became our super helpful “hey – what’s the best place for…” guy over the next few days as he was taking us to/from excursions.  (Side note on getting around in the South Shore: if you go over the holidays, and get quoted a ridiculous amount for car rentals like we did, using a taxi is totally do-able and you’ll likely come out positive vs the rental price.) 

We picked Koloa Landing for our hotel option, and this turned out to be a great choice for the no-car situation. We were a five-minute walk to the beach and within easy walking distance to all of the little village centers.  It was a large property with good pools, hot tubs, a practice putting green and the rooms are big and recently updated.  The big winner for me was the washing and drying machines IN THE ROOM.  Coming from 2.5 years of needing to schlep my laundry a few blocks to the wash and fold, I felt like a big time baller.  If traveling to the area, especially if you don’t have kids (fine if you do – just less “kid crowded” than the other nearby hotels) this is a great option without breaking the bank.

Once lodging was situated, I of course needed to find and become friends with a local barista (me caffeinated = everyone benefits).  I was excited to find my new local coffee shop in Koloa: Cortado Coffee Bar. I met the owner Schuyler, who decided to pack up life and relocate to Kauai (good choice) three years ago and set up this small fabulous coffee shop.  There were several drinks on the menu that I wanted to try, but this cute bubbly girl in front me told me to get the CocoLoco since that’s what she had every morning for the past two weeks, and I of course wanted to be cool like her, so I got the CocoLoco… and proceeded to come back for that drink every morning during my time there.  The CocoLoco included a delicious blend of espresso, cayenne, coconut milk, local raw honey and coffee ice cubes.  For my Six Weekers, I’m now throwing in some cayenne with my coffee, coconut oil and cinnamon blend and it gives it a nice little kick.  From someone who usually doesn’t like the kick – this is a big deal.  Five stars to you Schulyer for making my morning java jolt fantastic!

Now that coffee was covered, I had a goal to eat fish tacos for every meal. Luckily I didn’t accomplish that goal, but I did find Savage Shrimp in the Kukulu'ula Village shopping center (just a few minutes’ walk from Cortado).  It’s a little hole in the wall but please do yourself a favor and get one order of the Garlic Shrimp Tacos and one order of the Fish Tacos.  The service is definitely on Hawaiian time, but well worth the wait brah.  Another winner for fish tacos was Duke’s in Lihue, which also happens to serve a gigantic complimentary macadamia nut ice cream chocolate something for birthdays, so they clearly won my heart. (This happened in between Six Week programs so don’t judge.)

One of my favorite dining experiences of the trip was dinner at The Beach House.  Look ahead to see what time the sunset is on the night you want to go, then make your reservation for about 30 minutes before that.  In addition to amazingly fresh fish dishes, you will have a front row seat to an epic sunset.  They have a professional photographer there if you want a legit pic and you can go to/from your table during the sunset to take it all in if/as much as you want.  Another bonus - if you have a celebratory bottle of wine that you want to bring with you, which we did, they only charge you a small corkage fee.  Double bonus, since we had a special birthday that night, they waived the fee.  High five.  

Two additional favorites that are well worth the mention: Kauai Juice Company and Anuenue Café.  Kauai Juice Company has a great story as the owner got her start by making homemade Kombucha on the side.  Through the support of her community who helped her raise funds through a Kickstarter, she has successfully started her business and is now in three locations on the island using 100% organic and locally-sourced ingredients.  The girls behind the bar (who all happen to be beautiful, friendly and helpful – so I’m guessing the juice works, right?) anyway, they introduced me to the benefits of Blue Magik Algae and Moringa.  Since I hadn’t tried either in my previous juice concoctions, I went with the Avatar, Shine On and Sexy Baby Maker (because why not) and all three were super.  

Anuenue Café was right next door, and was the only spot open for breakfast on New Year’s Day, so we gave it a shot.  I’m not sure if it was that crowded because of New Year’s or if it’s always that packed (assuming the latter) but it was worth the hour wait.  I was greeted by the friendly owner who rocked my world when she had me order the Rip Tide (Eggs Benedict with Kalua Pork) and also had me get some Haupia Macadamia Nut French Toast on the side (twist my arm but again, in between Six Week courses, so game on).

Since my life isn’t JUST about finding great food, I wanted to get out there and explore everything that the South Shore had to offer.  We went big on day two and set out with Mauna Loa Helicopters to see the island.  Bruno, our happy Brazilian pilot, took us all over beautiful Kauai and kept us entertained with his music and commentary for the entire hour.  We decided to go “doors off” and I would HIGHLY recommend it as you get more of an adventure, the best unobstructed views and most importantly there is no glare in your selfie game. 

There were tons of great options for helicopter tours in Kauai, but I picked Mauna Loa because they were the only ones that offered the two seater planes/private ride – and let’s be real, I don’t like to share my toys.  Since 90% of the island is only visible by air, and you definitely don’t want to miss Na Pali Coast, Jurassic Falls, Waimea Canyon and Mt. Waiale’ale Crater from up top, make this a top priority if you are visiting the island.  It was unbelievable and hands down my favorite experience in Kauai.

A close second was the kayak/hike/waterfall swim that I did with Ancient River Kayaks.  You do a tandem 2-mile kayak ride on the Wailua River.  (Fun fact: Wailua River is the original home to the very first Hawaiians.)  After the beautiful 2-mile kayak, you have about 1.2(ish) miles of hiking through the rain forest in search of your half-way point destination: Secret Falls.  This is a 120-foot waterfall into a natural pool, and though it was on the “brisk” side, taking a dip in and behind the waterfall was such a cool experience.  We took a break at the falls for some lunch (provided by them) and we got to learn more about our awesome tour guide Annie. Huffington Post featured her in an article and my favorite quote from that (which rings true for most people that I met in Kauai) “I’m so rich here. I mean, I don’t have a lot of money but my quality of life is abundant. I get to do what I love every day and my heart is so full.”  

Side note: once you finish the return hike and kayak back, you should definitely head over next door to Lava Lava Beach Club on Waikoloa Beach.  This is the perfect spot to grab some beers (I was hooked on Wailua Wheat– great golden ale with a passionfruit flavor) and you can even watch some highlights of your favorite sports team losing to USC ...sigh.  

We did the obligatory luau and chose the Grand Hyatt Luau on NYE.   I was told the Hyatt and Smith’s were the two best luaus on the island and this one did not disappoint (though I’ve never been to any other luaus so I can’t compare).  It was neat to see the rich history of the island and its local people, and they had performances/tributes for all of the “relative” islands (Samoa, New Zealand, Tahiti).  Since we had a birthday in the house, we were selected to go up with a few people to learn how to hula in front of everyone.  I failed pretty miserably at this.  However, where I didn’t fail is the all-you-can-eat buffet.  Our host told us that we would fall in love at a luau …and I did …. with Kalua Pork.  As I mentioned with my world being rocked at Anuenue (the day after this luau happened) this pork tasted beyond delish.  Click here for a recipe (Six Week allowed) which includes three ingredients: pork butt, natural liquid smoke (make sure no molasses added) and Hawaiian sea salt.  Pop those bad boys into a slow cooker for 7-12 hours and you will fall in love too.  

Once I was done eating all of their food, I of course wanted to see some fireworks on NYE.  I was laughed at when I asked if the fireworks went off at midnight, to which the reply was “oh honey, the entire island is asleep by 9 – fireworks are at 8.”  So we capped off NYE with some early fireworks over Poipu Beach and went to bed like the rest of the island … at 9pm.  Cue 2017.

To cap off the South Shore adventure, we decided to go surfing on the last day. There is no shortage of surf schools in Kauai but we stumbled upon Kauai Surf School.  It was a picture perfect day in Poipu and the baby waves by the surf school were perfect for my beginner skills.  Asher was our instructor for the day, and he obliged when I asked him to pretty please just push me right into each wave for two hours so I could easily stand up and feel like a stud on my board - thanks Asher.  I was gaining major confidence with my surfing ability and felt ready to try out the North Shore surf as we were heading to Hanalei the following day.  FAIL.  To read more on the episode of Susie vs Surf Board, check out Part II of my Kauai blog.

[wine-porn]

Huntington Bear

Was reminded this weekend–by the winemaker (oops!)–of my less-than-stellar review of this wine almost exactly 2 years ago. I’ve got a few left and decided to re-visit. Surprisingly, this bottle’s in a great place, and I’m not feeling much of the sullied nature I noted in the last one. Beautiful dark garnet, a light dusting of sediment evenly-placed around the bottle, nose creamy and rich–ALL…

[wine-porn]

Wine and Fire Tasting

A few bottles I found interesting at Saturday’s WINE & FIRE @tasteofstaritahills Grand Tasting at La Purisima Mission in Lompoc… First of all, I’ve said some good and quite a bit of bad about Jonata and @thehiltestate over the years, and almost skipped because of that, but I have an open mind and their Chardonnay is just absolutely BANGIN! Easily one of the most austere versions being poured at…