My favorite activity.

My name is Joe Unden. I am a husband, father, grandpa, brother, son, school teacher, coach, bike rider, writer, and photographer ... listed in order of importance.

Oh, did I forget to mention that I also take out the trash, maintain the yard, clean the pool, ... but I am sure you don't want to hear about that.

Working on website in Durango KOA

I live in Lakeside, which lies in the foothills outside of San Diego, and have been teaching math and coaching baseball at El Capitan High School since 1984. I have always been very athletic, and growing up with 3 brothers has forced me to be very competitive. As kids, our parents frequently took us camping and involved us in outdoor activities. When I was 17, my oldest brother John, started taking me on backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In a short time all the Unden brothers (and wives/girlfriends) began backpacking together. Even though my parents are now in their 80's, we all (brothers/wives/kids/grandkids/friends/...) still camp, off-road, target practice, and have fun together in our local desert. My brother Jamie gave my Dad a bow-and-arrow for his 84th birthday last June! By the way ... Jamie runs a website where he will design plans so you can make your own guitar. To visit his site click Guitar Plans Unlimited.

John........George.....Mom.....Dad.........Me....Jamie

Since 2005 my favorite activity has been biking ... mountain biking, that is. I have always come back from a ride and told everyone about my adventures. In 2011 I decided I wanted to share my biking experiences with others online.

Cindy

Cindy and I were "high school sweethearts", and have been happily married since 1978. Cindy is the oldest of 3 girls. She was a dental assistant for 15 years, then became a teacher and has taught here in Lakeside since 1995. She's been at Lindo Park Elementary since 1998. Her favorite activities are reading, cooking, and learning about nature. As a teenager she did a lot of outdoor activities with Girl Scouts, including backpacking trips to Wyoming and Colorado. She prefers to experience Mother Nature on a hike. She can recall every last detail about a hike ... each plant, animal, insect, person, rock ... and can also tell me the temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction.

Picture taken on hood of car.

Nicole........Kayley.....Alissa

What little she doesn't know she is quick to look up. She is my chief editor, advisor, companion, and best friend. She knows more about me than I do. I swear she can remember things I've done that I have absolutely no recollection of ... almost as if I she was making them up.

Family? We have three daughters, Nicole (27). Alissa (25), and Kayley (19). All three girls are attending college. We have tried to teach our daughters that education is the key to living a productive and enjoyable life. We also have our two grandchildren living with us, Bubby (6) and Jaelynn (5). We are a close knit family. We have always tried to include our daughters (and now our grandkids) in all family activities.

Sissy.......Grandpa.......Bubby

We all believe the Earth is here to enjoy ... but not abuse. Every time I go mountain biking I am thankful for this world we live in ... for Mother Nature. We are constantly reminding Bubby and Sissy not to be litterbugs. I often tell my students that I want this world to be beautiful for my grandkids, "so recycle!"

To read/see more about what we do to help the environment click Unden Ecology.

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