John made brekkies again today, and Brownie came by to sleep on our couch all morning to stay out of the rain. Another morning like this and I could get just too used to this kind of living. Since it was to be pretty dreary all day, we opted for a long, lazy morning of double pots of coffee and lots of lake gazing. Around 12:30, we left for the Douglas Lodge Boat Tour of Lake Itasca. What an amazing way to spend the afternoon!! It was beautifully overcast, clouds of white and grey all over an expanse of sky that seemed to literally be half sunny, half storm cloudy. We saw a bunch of loons, an Osprey, a Bald Eagle and many beautiful trees starting to change color. They had a narrator on the boat that I feared might be a little annoying, but turned out to be pleasant and interesting. It was 2 hours of pure natures beauty.
Then it was back to the state park to try hiking again. Nope. We got all excited, started off on the trail, and within seconds we were turning back because the mosquitoes were eating us alive. John is covered in bites, itching miserably, and I even though dressed in long pants and hoodie, was getting annoyed with being so hot and unable to even remove the hood lest the bugs get right into my ears. Back to the car, back along the 10 mile scenic drive. We did take one .5 mile hike up to the observation tower that was a very wide, clear path and was nice despite a few mosquitoes. I got a little too wigged out about climbing this immense tower and wussed out about halfway up. John was a gentleman and just came down with me. We decided that between the mosquitoes, consistent rainfall and the fact that the afternoon was quickly turning into the evening, we left the park for the last time.
Dinner was on the grill again: chicken brats with spinach and sage, corn on the cob, baked beans and S'mores. Brownie the cat was there for more mooching; he loved sweet corn and snubbed everything else!! The corn really was fantastic, and it all hit the spot. The mosquitoes drove us in again, and we've been packing, cleaning and getting ready to head out tomorrow morning. We're excited to see our own kitties again, though it was nice to have a surrogate here :)
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Perfect Day
Waking up was another wonder today: a delicate fog clung to everything, the tips of the trees, the wild rice reeds, the cabin awnings, the very surface of the lake as if it were dry ice. As we marveled at the site over steaming coffee, we took many cool photos as the fog then descended heavier on the landscape and made it difficult to see past the grassy marsh at the waters edge. The moisture in the fog seemed to start dripping over the campsite as if it were rain, and the eery sounds of blurping fish, dragonflies and the calls of loons across the lake unseen were a bit unnerving, but short-lived, as the sun rose above and seemed to simply wave the fog away with a majestic sweep of his arm.
There are some things up here that have been a little...disturbing, and though I don't want to linger enough to speculate too much, I feel the need to record it because this is, after all, our travel blog of experiences, and where I believe the small details of our trips belong. As I sat on the dock, there was a long while where the peace here was filled with some sort of animal distress. What sounded like a duck or bird of some sort, its calls coming from across the lake somewhere were mixed with what sounded like terrible suffering. I can only assume that a hawk or some other predator had found its prey that morning, and I shudder to imagine that horrible end, regardless the details. We've also heard a number of dogs getting into some sort of scrap, and at one point, among the snarling, growling and ferocious barking, another animals' noises could be heard in the scuffle, and it weren't a pleasant sound, either. Again, I assume a fox or some other poor thing lost its battle that day to its enemies. Anyway, there that is, and moving on.
Off to Itasca State Park once again to do some exploring in what we'd hoped would be a day filled with satisfyingly exhausting hikes. Well, it turned out we spent more time in the car on the 10 mile scenic wilderness drive than hiking because after a .5 mile hike and 50 mosquito bites later, we decided that humid end-of-summer days aren't that hospitable to hikes in a dense forest. We literally couldn't walk an inch without frantically swatting at the blood-suckers. It was quickly agreed upon that hiking in these conditions is horribly unpleasant at best, so we jumped back in the vehicle and had a very lovely cruise around the entire park. We did stop off at a creek and a couple of lake areas that weren't nearly as buggy, and frankly more spectacular than the forest. We took loads of photos and stretched our legs, enjoying the afternoon breeze mosquito-free! Stopping off at a couple of gift shops (there are several in the park), checking out the Douglas Lodges and the boat cruise schedule for the next day, we picked up a few things, then headed home for more pleasant recreation. After a leisurely nap, we used the cabin's paddle boat for a short excursion around our little corner of the lake. Though I'm well accustomed to swimming as its my exercise of choice, I've never been one for natural bodies of water. I'd like to say I'm not afraid and that swimming is swimming, and being in a lake should feel more natural to me than a pool and not completely foreign and frightening, but that's not the case. I'm actually quite terrified of natural bodies of water, and I've had several panic attacks in lakes and the ocean. John has only recently begun to really learn to swim, and so the two of us boating alone for the first time was kind of a big step. We were originally going to try the canoe, but after hauling the thing into the water and getting into it, we realized that might be above and beyond what we can realistically handle. The thought of that thing tipping us over was enough to squash our hopes of a romantic river "stroll" in an instant. After some debate, we opted to try the paddle boat (which also scared me because, let's face it, anything that floats on the water can also sink) for a quick jaunt. It was actually super fun, and only a little scary, although we stayed distinctly on our side of the lake. After a mere 20 minutes, we decided that was enough adventure so we made our way back to the dock. We had to make an awkward rescue of the other paddle boat which somehow got untied from the dock, and other than my khaki's being completely soaked in the butt, and poor John being soaked from the waist down, we returned unscathed. After the embarrassment of everyone at the resort witnessing our clumsy water antics, it was time for another cookout!
So this day was an adventure all around: we decided to cook directly on a campfire. I prepared some tilapia fillets with butter and lemon slices, skewered tomatoes, buttered apples and the leftover broccoli and cauliflower, all in foil packets as John readied the campfire. He had an awesome fire ready for the food in no time, and the food turned out better than fantastic. The fish was perfectly cooked (Brownie, to his delight, agreed, and sat with us for the rest of the night by the campfire), the tomatoes were again so juicy and delectable I ate them right off the skewers, and the apples with butter were like apple pie without the crust. S'mores were last on the menu, a campfire must!! We talked philosophically all the rest of the night and gazed at the stars through the telescope (we could see the swirls of Jupiter!) until the coals died out. This was my favorite day :)
Oh, and we saw a turtle making his way to the lake!! We even got video!
There are some things up here that have been a little...disturbing, and though I don't want to linger enough to speculate too much, I feel the need to record it because this is, after all, our travel blog of experiences, and where I believe the small details of our trips belong. As I sat on the dock, there was a long while where the peace here was filled with some sort of animal distress. What sounded like a duck or bird of some sort, its calls coming from across the lake somewhere were mixed with what sounded like terrible suffering. I can only assume that a hawk or some other predator had found its prey that morning, and I shudder to imagine that horrible end, regardless the details. We've also heard a number of dogs getting into some sort of scrap, and at one point, among the snarling, growling and ferocious barking, another animals' noises could be heard in the scuffle, and it weren't a pleasant sound, either. Again, I assume a fox or some other poor thing lost its battle that day to its enemies. Anyway, there that is, and moving on.
Off to Itasca State Park once again to do some exploring in what we'd hoped would be a day filled with satisfyingly exhausting hikes. Well, it turned out we spent more time in the car on the 10 mile scenic wilderness drive than hiking because after a .5 mile hike and 50 mosquito bites later, we decided that humid end-of-summer days aren't that hospitable to hikes in a dense forest. We literally couldn't walk an inch without frantically swatting at the blood-suckers. It was quickly agreed upon that hiking in these conditions is horribly unpleasant at best, so we jumped back in the vehicle and had a very lovely cruise around the entire park. We did stop off at a creek and a couple of lake areas that weren't nearly as buggy, and frankly more spectacular than the forest. We took loads of photos and stretched our legs, enjoying the afternoon breeze mosquito-free! Stopping off at a couple of gift shops (there are several in the park), checking out the Douglas Lodges and the boat cruise schedule for the next day, we picked up a few things, then headed home for more pleasant recreation. After a leisurely nap, we used the cabin's paddle boat for a short excursion around our little corner of the lake. Though I'm well accustomed to swimming as its my exercise of choice, I've never been one for natural bodies of water. I'd like to say I'm not afraid and that swimming is swimming, and being in a lake should feel more natural to me than a pool and not completely foreign and frightening, but that's not the case. I'm actually quite terrified of natural bodies of water, and I've had several panic attacks in lakes and the ocean. John has only recently begun to really learn to swim, and so the two of us boating alone for the first time was kind of a big step. We were originally going to try the canoe, but after hauling the thing into the water and getting into it, we realized that might be above and beyond what we can realistically handle. The thought of that thing tipping us over was enough to squash our hopes of a romantic river "stroll" in an instant. After some debate, we opted to try the paddle boat (which also scared me because, let's face it, anything that floats on the water can also sink) for a quick jaunt. It was actually super fun, and only a little scary, although we stayed distinctly on our side of the lake. After a mere 20 minutes, we decided that was enough adventure so we made our way back to the dock. We had to make an awkward rescue of the other paddle boat which somehow got untied from the dock, and other than my khaki's being completely soaked in the butt, and poor John being soaked from the waist down, we returned unscathed. After the embarrassment of everyone at the resort witnessing our clumsy water antics, it was time for another cookout!
So this day was an adventure all around: we decided to cook directly on a campfire. I prepared some tilapia fillets with butter and lemon slices, skewered tomatoes, buttered apples and the leftover broccoli and cauliflower, all in foil packets as John readied the campfire. He had an awesome fire ready for the food in no time, and the food turned out better than fantastic. The fish was perfectly cooked (Brownie, to his delight, agreed, and sat with us for the rest of the night by the campfire), the tomatoes were again so juicy and delectable I ate them right off the skewers, and the apples with butter were like apple pie without the crust. S'mores were last on the menu, a campfire must!! We talked philosophically all the rest of the night and gazed at the stars through the telescope (we could see the swirls of Jupiter!) until the coals died out. This was my favorite day :)
Oh, and we saw a turtle making his way to the lake!! We even got video!
Headwaters of the Mississippi
Neither of us slept well at all. There was a steady, hard rain that was just loud enough on the logs of the cabin to keep us from deep sleep. We both laid there until about 2:30 AM, drifting in and out of hazy consciousness before we decided to just get up for awhile. The storms passed, leaving a beautiful sky above with a crystal clear view of a zillion stars, and the Moon and Venus gleaming bright as anything. We awoke late to the sound of drips on the cabin, and just when we were about to shrug and say, "Let's stay in bed, it sounds gloomy out there", John got up for some water and looked out to the lake. He called me out to see the most gorgeous morning, sunny and bright, fluffy clouds dotting the morning sky, the suns' rays beaming over everything in just such a way that made our hearts leap to be alive. We spent a long while just listening to peace on this exquisite lake.
After brekkies, we made our way to Itasca State Park to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi. Firstly, the drive into the park's South entrance is spectacular enough: rolling by our windows were endless trees, bogs, leafy traces of autumn, and lakes of such a great number it's hard to believe they're all contained within one state park. It was cool just driving in, and we hadn't seen a fraction of all this park had to offer. The headwaters were surprisingly serene. A couple of ducks cleaned themselves along the rocks at the crest, and a few tourists who were respectfully mellow. We took many photos on either side of the bank, and then took a very lovely hike along the humble stream that becomes the great river.
Many photographs later, we headed out for Bemidji to get some groceries (I decided against getting jeans) for the week's meals. In a word, Bemidji was lame. I'd been there many times as a kid and never thought much of it, and after John saw it, he felt the same way. It reminded us a bit of "the suburbs" back home with all the same shit: jocks, backwards attitudes and hick-ness that I never seem to figure out how it befalls people. No offense to anyone, but it was just another one-story town. Actually, it looked so similar to Sioux Falls, ND that one might mistake it for the same place, if it weren't for Lake Bemidji sitting right there. It being too much like real life after dealing with Target and the grocery store (and me getting crabbier every second) we headed back to the cabin promptly for some grilling!
This part needs it's own paragraph, because those of us condo-dwellers who've been stripped of grilling capabilities due to new fire regulations are seriously missing out on one of life's greatest gifts: cooking on an open flame. We made teriyaki marinated chicken kebabs with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. There is something about fire roasted tomatoes that is pure heavenly bliss, and pair that with a mouthful of perfectly cooked chicken, zesty bell peppers and creamy new potatoes in each delicious bite....yum. Just, yum. The resident kitty (who goes by "Kitty" or "Brownie") was in attendance as well, and though skeptical at first of teriyaki chicken (he prefers fish, and from the sounds of it, everyone spoils him rotten with their leftover minnows), he finally had a taste of it and approved. He hung around the rest of the evening with us as we watched the sun sink, the lake turn still and glassy, and while we viewed Jupiter through the telescope. Another perfect day!!
After brekkies, we made our way to Itasca State Park to visit the headwaters of the Mississippi. Firstly, the drive into the park's South entrance is spectacular enough: rolling by our windows were endless trees, bogs, leafy traces of autumn, and lakes of such a great number it's hard to believe they're all contained within one state park. It was cool just driving in, and we hadn't seen a fraction of all this park had to offer. The headwaters were surprisingly serene. A couple of ducks cleaned themselves along the rocks at the crest, and a few tourists who were respectfully mellow. We took many photos on either side of the bank, and then took a very lovely hike along the humble stream that becomes the great river.
Many photographs later, we headed out for Bemidji to get some groceries (I decided against getting jeans) for the week's meals. In a word, Bemidji was lame. I'd been there many times as a kid and never thought much of it, and after John saw it, he felt the same way. It reminded us a bit of "the suburbs" back home with all the same shit: jocks, backwards attitudes and hick-ness that I never seem to figure out how it befalls people. No offense to anyone, but it was just another one-story town. Actually, it looked so similar to Sioux Falls, ND that one might mistake it for the same place, if it weren't for Lake Bemidji sitting right there. It being too much like real life after dealing with Target and the grocery store (and me getting crabbier every second) we headed back to the cabin promptly for some grilling!
This part needs it's own paragraph, because those of us condo-dwellers who've been stripped of grilling capabilities due to new fire regulations are seriously missing out on one of life's greatest gifts: cooking on an open flame. We made teriyaki marinated chicken kebabs with new potatoes, cherry tomatoes, green peppers and a side of steamed broccoli and cauliflower. There is something about fire roasted tomatoes that is pure heavenly bliss, and pair that with a mouthful of perfectly cooked chicken, zesty bell peppers and creamy new potatoes in each delicious bite....yum. Just, yum. The resident kitty (who goes by "Kitty" or "Brownie") was in attendance as well, and though skeptical at first of teriyaki chicken (he prefers fish, and from the sounds of it, everyone spoils him rotten with their leftover minnows), he finally had a taste of it and approved. He hung around the rest of the evening with us as we watched the sun sink, the lake turn still and glassy, and while we viewed Jupiter through the telescope. Another perfect day!!
Wilderness Bay Resort
We're reporting from Wilderness Bay Resort in Park Rapids, MN! After a nice long, relatively quiet drive, we arrived to a quick and friendly check-in, and promptly sat on our picnic table directly overlooking the serene Little Mantrap lake. It's got to be one of the clearest lakes John and I have ever seen in our lives. There's just no murk whatsoever, seaweed yes, but the water itself is crystal clear. It's so quiet out here, all we can hear is the wind and a donkey off in the distance, and even a wild turkey gobbling across the other side of the lake :) We've already seen quite a few wild turkeys (and a host of not wild ones that I won't describe, but I will give a solemn nod to) along the journey up here, along with tons of cows and horses. They've got the cutest, friendliest, hairiest kitty that lives here, and she just ran right up to us, sat on the picnic table and has been hanging around the cabins, stalking along the banks, and she even came into the cabin with us for awhile when the thunder was roaring close by.
This place really is an "up north" marvel. It's perfect for our tastes (running water, bathroom, shower, heat, fully stocked kitchen, etc) but more rustic than the last place we stayed with the family. I think this place will be where I recommend us all to come next year because there are two log cabins right next to each that would be perfect for mum and my sisters family to all stay in. We're in the bigger one, which I think would be great for the family and then another couple snagged the little one that we originally tried to book which is also right on the lake but only one queen bedroom. They're downright quaint.
Since the skies are cloudy tonight, we won't be able to use the telescope, but we've just spent the entire evening staring at the rippling waters, listening to an amazing wind, and talking the evening through. We're tucked in having tea and reading now that it's too dark and buggy outdoors. Tomorrow we plan on heading into Bemidji to get some jeans (since I didn't re-check the bag after we did laundry and forgot to pack them) and get a few more groceries to grill up for supper. Tonight we just had a breakfast-dinner of eggs, sausages, toast and bananas, followed by coffee and a walk around the grounds. We also bought fixins for S'mores that we'll have to settle on the gas stovetop tonight since it's supposed to rain out.
What a perfect evening!!
This place really is an "up north" marvel. It's perfect for our tastes (running water, bathroom, shower, heat, fully stocked kitchen, etc) but more rustic than the last place we stayed with the family. I think this place will be where I recommend us all to come next year because there are two log cabins right next to each that would be perfect for mum and my sisters family to all stay in. We're in the bigger one, which I think would be great for the family and then another couple snagged the little one that we originally tried to book which is also right on the lake but only one queen bedroom. They're downright quaint.
Since the skies are cloudy tonight, we won't be able to use the telescope, but we've just spent the entire evening staring at the rippling waters, listening to an amazing wind, and talking the evening through. We're tucked in having tea and reading now that it's too dark and buggy outdoors. Tomorrow we plan on heading into Bemidji to get some jeans (since I didn't re-check the bag after we did laundry and forgot to pack them) and get a few more groceries to grill up for supper. Tonight we just had a breakfast-dinner of eggs, sausages, toast and bananas, followed by coffee and a walk around the grounds. We also bought fixins for S'mores that we'll have to settle on the gas stovetop tonight since it's supposed to rain out.
What a perfect evening!!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Coming in September: Itasca!
Yes, we think we may actually have solid travel plans again! We're planning a week-long jaunt up to north country to hopefully stay at a cabin in Itasca State Park in early September. It sounds like there's tons of lakes, and we found these cabins that offer rooms for whatever amenities you might need. I would prefer the four-plex since it's a bit more rustic (and romantic!) than the others, yet has a bathroom. A kitchen would have been nice, or at least a fridge, but we can live without it. There's a firepit which I find pretty cool and it would be good for us to learn how to properly start up an actual camping fire. I'm guessing that's one of those skills that Hubby can pull out of nowhere when he needs to but that I would somehow turning into a disaster if left to my own device. John never ceases to impress me with weird stuff like that :)
Anyway, we're syked to have some plans that won't break the bank, but that will get us away for awhile. I'd like to stay in one place and do a lot of hiking and maybe even rent a canoe to cruise a serene lake, but counter that with John's wanderlust! So maybe some day trips to Bemidji and the surrounding areas would be in order, photo shoots, birdwatching and exploring a bit, but then we can come home to the same place and not have to be packing and unpacking so much. YAY! I can't wait to be blogging our inane details here in September!!
Anyway, we're syked to have some plans that won't break the bank, but that will get us away for awhile. I'd like to stay in one place and do a lot of hiking and maybe even rent a canoe to cruise a serene lake, but counter that with John's wanderlust! So maybe some day trips to Bemidji and the surrounding areas would be in order, photo shoots, birdwatching and exploring a bit, but then we can come home to the same place and not have to be packing and unpacking so much. YAY! I can't wait to be blogging our inane details here in September!!
Monday, May 11, 2009
More Photos From Duluth
Here's a random selection of more vacay photos that include scenes from: Hawk Ridge, the balcony view of the Inn on Lake Superior, Goosebury Falls, Split Rock Lighthouse, Iona's Pink Stone Beach, Two Harbors, the woods near the Northern Rail hotel, and a whole lot of Schmoopiness :) Thanks for reading!
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Leaving Las Duluth
Welp, it's our last day here in this lovely haven of tranquility. Sigh. We enjoyed some complimentary s'mores last night out by the fancy fire pit, lakeside. It was a cool night, the s'mores, crashing waves and relaxed visitors felt reminiscent of times long ago when life was sweet, simple, youthfully fleeting. We took a stroll along the rocks until we were too chilly to continue, then slept like babes in the fluffy, warm bed.
After an ample and tasty breakfast, we took a long walk almost the entire length of the pier. I collected a few large stones to bring home as reminders of this time, also some driftwood that was interesting and flat. There was a light rain, and being a workday here the walk was only sparsely populated with friendly retirees. Reluctantly, we came in for some coffee, newspaper reading and hot showers.
I primped myself up with some gorgeous bracelets that I found yesterday for $1 each: two are round stones of Black Onyx and Aventurine, and three are gemstones chips of Amethyst, Amber and what I think is either more Aventurine or Aquamarine. I've decided I want to wear more funky jewelry, and I love gemstones. We're spending some final moments on the balcony listening to the waves before heading out to Hawk Ridge Observatory to see (finally) some birds of prey. We toyed with the idea of visiting the aquarium, but it's too lovely out here to be inside.
Then it's off home to the little furry nutters!
Love & hugs,
R&J
After an ample and tasty breakfast, we took a long walk almost the entire length of the pier. I collected a few large stones to bring home as reminders of this time, also some driftwood that was interesting and flat. There was a light rain, and being a workday here the walk was only sparsely populated with friendly retirees. Reluctantly, we came in for some coffee, newspaper reading and hot showers.
I primped myself up with some gorgeous bracelets that I found yesterday for $1 each: two are round stones of Black Onyx and Aventurine, and three are gemstones chips of Amethyst, Amber and what I think is either more Aventurine or Aquamarine. I've decided I want to wear more funky jewelry, and I love gemstones. We're spending some final moments on the balcony listening to the waves before heading out to Hawk Ridge Observatory to see (finally) some birds of prey. We toyed with the idea of visiting the aquarium, but it's too lovely out here to be inside.
Then it's off home to the little furry nutters!
Love & hugs,
R&J
Monday, May 04, 2009
Duluth
Reporting from Duluth tonight! We're currently nestled into a room at The Inn on Lake Superior with a view directly out to the enormous Superior. It's serene, comfy and warm inside which is great because while it was short-sleeve weather here yesterday, it is two-layer and long-john's weather here today! It's a posh room in one of the "greenest hotels in the country" apparently. They have these awesome large rock soap holder thingys that's inspired me to find some for our bathrooms (that I'll try to remember to post a photo of), and "Bare Earth" toiletries with Eucalyptus & Lemon Myrtle. Yes, I get excited about the free stuff :)
Our stay at the Northern Rail hotel was quaint and restful, but we had loads to see so we checked out a couple hours early to get a jump on the mornings activities. We headed up first to Gooseberry Falls State Park where we had the nicest hike! It was nice and cool this morning, so we didn't get too overheated walking. As expected, we've got tons of photos. There were these cute little red squirrels (which only look cute, I've heard they're actually quite mean and nasty) that I kept trying to get photos of, but the little buggers are fast! Dodgy and mating, it seemed, as they'd make these loud clicking, chattery noises while chasing other red squirrels round and round the tree stumps. I only caught a couple of photos of birds, and surprisingly, we've hardly seen any hawks the past two days. And I'm still on my quest to spy an owl, but alas, none to be seen yet.
Off to Iona's Pink Pebble Beach just up the road, which we have few photos of because it was a disappointment. In my naivete, I envisioned a glittering, sparkling beach covered in shiny, bright pink pebbles, the kind you'd like to make a necklace of. What's there is rusty-pink-ISH, dull, flat stones that are less appealing than regular ones and there were funny little bugs crawling all over them. We didn't stay there long, and my imagination again proved more wonderous than real life. Sigh.
Split Rock Lighthouse! This was awesome to finally see, even though it was completely covered in scaffolding. Originally when we were planning our wedding, I had wanted to elope at Split Rock. I'd never been there, but I love lighthouses and water, and thought it would have been so romantic to exchange vows overlooking Mother Nature's glory. We finally decided that a wedding would quite possibly be the only adult rite-of-passage for us non-breeders (besides the final rite of passage-death-which really isn't enjoyable) and figured on a celebration near home to appease the family :) Anyway, the lighthouse was amazing, but not near so much as the view. It's a massive rock overlooking the lake, which looks like liquid tourmaline and gigantic rocks all around. They had a great hiking trail and also steps going down to the shoreline where we hung out for a long while. Again, I found myself not wanting to tear myself away from my element, the sea, but it is derned cold out there. I put a finger into the water and holy caca, FREEZING! I marvel that Gretchen and I once actually swam in Lake Superior. Brrr!
By this time, the day was getting on. I'd been up since 5, John not too long after that, and it was already past lunchtime. We'd already hiked a good several miles between the two parks. Our original notion was to visit Tettegouche State Park, then try to make it up to Grand Marais for at least a swing-through. Well, it's quite a ways from Split Rock, and since we've got to get John home for work by Wednesday, and also try to relax and enjoy some down time, we opted to skip the high North and just head back to Duluth for the night. Grand Marais will have to wait for another trip, sadly. But I think enjoying your surroundings, whereever they happen to be, relaxing, having fun and not being on too-tight a schedule is crucial to a good vacation. Duluth is serene, quiet, pretty and there's actually stuff to go do which is nice for us city-slickers who bore easily.
So we're here in our room overlooking the lake, enjoying our last night of this two-day excursion, and goofing around together. We're about to head to the Green Mill for some supper (this cool-sounding place, Thirsty Pagan Brewing, is just too far for such a limited menu and we don't feel like driving any more). Maybe we'll be in the mood for a drunken podcast :)
Hope all is nice & warm at home!
Love & hugs,
R&J
Our stay at the Northern Rail hotel was quaint and restful, but we had loads to see so we checked out a couple hours early to get a jump on the mornings activities. We headed up first to Gooseberry Falls State Park where we had the nicest hike! It was nice and cool this morning, so we didn't get too overheated walking. As expected, we've got tons of photos. There were these cute little red squirrels (which only look cute, I've heard they're actually quite mean and nasty) that I kept trying to get photos of, but the little buggers are fast! Dodgy and mating, it seemed, as they'd make these loud clicking, chattery noises while chasing other red squirrels round and round the tree stumps. I only caught a couple of photos of birds, and surprisingly, we've hardly seen any hawks the past two days. And I'm still on my quest to spy an owl, but alas, none to be seen yet.
Off to Iona's Pink Pebble Beach just up the road, which we have few photos of because it was a disappointment. In my naivete, I envisioned a glittering, sparkling beach covered in shiny, bright pink pebbles, the kind you'd like to make a necklace of. What's there is rusty-pink-ISH, dull, flat stones that are less appealing than regular ones and there were funny little bugs crawling all over them. We didn't stay there long, and my imagination again proved more wonderous than real life. Sigh.
Split Rock Lighthouse! This was awesome to finally see, even though it was completely covered in scaffolding. Originally when we were planning our wedding, I had wanted to elope at Split Rock. I'd never been there, but I love lighthouses and water, and thought it would have been so romantic to exchange vows overlooking Mother Nature's glory. We finally decided that a wedding would quite possibly be the only adult rite-of-passage for us non-breeders (besides the final rite of passage-death-which really isn't enjoyable) and figured on a celebration near home to appease the family :) Anyway, the lighthouse was amazing, but not near so much as the view. It's a massive rock overlooking the lake, which looks like liquid tourmaline and gigantic rocks all around. They had a great hiking trail and also steps going down to the shoreline where we hung out for a long while. Again, I found myself not wanting to tear myself away from my element, the sea, but it is derned cold out there. I put a finger into the water and holy caca, FREEZING! I marvel that Gretchen and I once actually swam in Lake Superior. Brrr!
By this time, the day was getting on. I'd been up since 5, John not too long after that, and it was already past lunchtime. We'd already hiked a good several miles between the two parks. Our original notion was to visit Tettegouche State Park, then try to make it up to Grand Marais for at least a swing-through. Well, it's quite a ways from Split Rock, and since we've got to get John home for work by Wednesday, and also try to relax and enjoy some down time, we opted to skip the high North and just head back to Duluth for the night. Grand Marais will have to wait for another trip, sadly. But I think enjoying your surroundings, whereever they happen to be, relaxing, having fun and not being on too-tight a schedule is crucial to a good vacation. Duluth is serene, quiet, pretty and there's actually stuff to go do which is nice for us city-slickers who bore easily.
So we're here in our room overlooking the lake, enjoying our last night of this two-day excursion, and goofing around together. We're about to head to the Green Mill for some supper (this cool-sounding place, Thirsty Pagan Brewing, is just too far for such a limited menu and we don't feel like driving any more). Maybe we'll be in the mood for a drunken podcast :)
Hope all is nice & warm at home!
Love & hugs,
R&J
Two Harbors
We got a late start to the day yesterday, leaving home around 11:30 or so, and got up to Duluth in time to enjoy a quick lunch at Angie's Cantina, then off to bask in a lovely, warm day out on the pier with throngs of seagulls who tail every boat in sight. I know many people think they're a nuisance, but I absolutely adore seagulls, so I was in bird heaven. They're so funny to watch, and there were so many it was like an orchestra of seagull cries. They've got such a funny little shape to them, their beaks, tiny round heads and birdy legs :) Although, I was glad none flocked at us for food like they were doing to other people who were giving out bread or pooped on us.
There was an enormous cargo ship coming through at the time, so we got to see the lift-bridge open up for it. All the crew was waving at everyone on the pier. We walked up to the lighthouse and took tons of photos of the gulls, each other and marveled at the grand scale of Lake Superior. It really is an impressive, gorgeous lake. Although I could have stood there for hours, the day was getting on and we headed off to book a room at the Northern Rail, which is a hotel made from converted rail cars! We're in the Lighthouse Porter Suite, which faces the woods and is quaint as all hell. It's what you'd expect for "Up North" decor, and the general manager of the place is as friendly as can be.
We settled into our room, took a nice snuggly nap, then off to explore Two Harbors. We had a lovely walk where we saw 5 deer grazing along the lake that didn't seem disturbed by people in the least. There was a little lighthouse way out in the lake that had a cool gangway that everyone was walking along and even some guys out fishing on it, so we watched the sun setting as we strolled along. It was quite chilly, and the fresh, damp was refreshing. We opted for a simple dinner of sandwiches, fruit and Chex Mix from a local grocery instead of a heavy dinner. We're pretty tired of eating out already, so this morning's simple continental breakfast of oatmeal, bagels and muffins was appreciated.
There is reportedly a friendly wolf that scouts the area, but we didn't see him last night. Poo! I was so hoping to see a wolf up close! However, there are three little deer that were hanging around last night, and then again this morning they were out grazing on the lawn. I got tons of photos that I'll post as soon as John uploads them. He is currently snoozing with his glasses on, and though I'm tempted to join him, I get cranky if I nap too long, so I think I'll just meditate or read my Julia Golding book.
Anyway, it was brilliant to have a night's sleep without a heavy kitty weighing down my chest all night, and we're having a peaceful vacay. We've only got one more day, so we plan on driving up to Grand Marais to see the waterfalls, also hitting Goosebury Falls, Iona's Pink Stone Beach, and another place that I can't recall how to spell. Ok, more later!
Love & hugs to all :)
R&J
PS: We plan on doing a podcast later tonight!! I know you're all waiting with bated breath for that, nyuk-nyuk ;)
There was an enormous cargo ship coming through at the time, so we got to see the lift-bridge open up for it. All the crew was waving at everyone on the pier. We walked up to the lighthouse and took tons of photos of the gulls, each other and marveled at the grand scale of Lake Superior. It really is an impressive, gorgeous lake. Although I could have stood there for hours, the day was getting on and we headed off to book a room at the Northern Rail, which is a hotel made from converted rail cars! We're in the Lighthouse Porter Suite, which faces the woods and is quaint as all hell. It's what you'd expect for "Up North" decor, and the general manager of the place is as friendly as can be.
We settled into our room, took a nice snuggly nap, then off to explore Two Harbors. We had a lovely walk where we saw 5 deer grazing along the lake that didn't seem disturbed by people in the least. There was a little lighthouse way out in the lake that had a cool gangway that everyone was walking along and even some guys out fishing on it, so we watched the sun setting as we strolled along. It was quite chilly, and the fresh, damp was refreshing. We opted for a simple dinner of sandwiches, fruit and Chex Mix from a local grocery instead of a heavy dinner. We're pretty tired of eating out already, so this morning's simple continental breakfast of oatmeal, bagels and muffins was appreciated.
There is reportedly a friendly wolf that scouts the area, but we didn't see him last night. Poo! I was so hoping to see a wolf up close! However, there are three little deer that were hanging around last night, and then again this morning they were out grazing on the lawn. I got tons of photos that I'll post as soon as John uploads them. He is currently snoozing with his glasses on, and though I'm tempted to join him, I get cranky if I nap too long, so I think I'll just meditate or read my Julia Golding book.
Anyway, it was brilliant to have a night's sleep without a heavy kitty weighing down my chest all night, and we're having a peaceful vacay. We've only got one more day, so we plan on driving up to Grand Marais to see the waterfalls, also hitting Goosebury Falls, Iona's Pink Stone Beach, and another place that I can't recall how to spell. Ok, more later!
Love & hugs to all :)
R&J
PS: We plan on doing a podcast later tonight!! I know you're all waiting with bated breath for that, nyuk-nyuk ;)
Sunday, May 03, 2009
May 1&2
We're still hanging chill at home, so I thought I'd do a quick update of the past couple of days. We had a leisurely morning on Friday of simple breakkies, John went out for a run and then we took the car in for an oil change. After having a small lunch at Applebee's (using John's winning certificate courtesy of the Twins), we connected with our best pal Chris to go see Wolverine (not horrible, but not great, either) at the Rosedale cinema. Deciding it was best to not drive him home in rush hour traffic, we opted to hang at Leaning Tower of Pizza for some 'Za and sodas. Off to home where we were so pooped out and still stiff from the walk at the Arboretum, we crashed out watching the game on the couch and subsequently missed the public sky viewing at the astronomy lab that I'm sure was quite cool, the theme being "Galaxies & Dark Matter". We'll have to catch the next one.
May 2, our anniversary, started a little rocky for me. Vesta, our naughtly little monkey-cat, has this habit of walking on me all night long. So she's been really active the past 5 nights or so, and my crankiness at the lack of sleep just cannot be hidden at this point. So even though I meant to get up early and get a jump on the day (as I've been meaning to for the past 5 or so days) I was so freakin' tired I had to just sleep in. Although, I do remember Hubby coming in and singing the "Happy Anniversary" song to me that made my morning :)
When I finally did surface, Hubby was already planning another run (the man is a jogging machine lately! You go, my Love!) so I decided to do the Wii workout. John made us yummy smoothies and sammies, and we lazed around until 2 o'clock when we headed out to see our friend dance in the Festival of Nations! It was really cool, and I hadn't been to the FoN since my dad used to perform in it (many moons ago) and John had never been there. It's like the State Fair, but way better food and wares. We watched the Japanese, Egyptian, Hungarian, Scottish and Dutch dances at the main stage. Our friend danced in the Egyptian set and their troupe was excellent! She'd told us, "Sparkly ladies with canes!" and she was right; they were very sparkly! Of course, the Egyptians do it with such flash that it's hard to beat their routine :) Although, the Hungarian (and anything Balkan) routines have a special place in my heart since that was my dad's speciality.
I sampled Chicken Curry with Rice and Roti at the Pakistani booth while John went back to the Motherland (Norway) and sample the Viking in a Blanket (saugage in lefse). Later, we sampled the Samosa's from Somalia, very delectable! I love African spices, so earthy but not hot. We caught up with our sparkly cane lady in the food area and wandered around looking at the wares and wishing we all made more money with which to purchase cool stuff. We caught some musicians from India, Hungaria, Spain and Ireland who were all impressive. Then off to catch the Egyptians in their second (and different) dance set of the day. Again, awesome! After that the Chilean and Korean musicians played some incredible music that provoked almost every child seated to get up and start a furious little swirling dance reminiscent of a May Pole dance :) It was just cute.
Deciding that our anniversary celebration wasn't quite complete, we later went to The Loop for dinner to support our local neighborhood establishments. We enjoyed a very romantic dinner of walleye and chicken sammies (with, ahem, salad instead of fries) in a cushy booth, a cosmo martini & beer in hands, and marveled at our 11 years of marital bliss :) YAY!
Anyway, next post should be from Grand Marais! Whoo-hoo!
May 2, our anniversary, started a little rocky for me. Vesta, our naughtly little monkey-cat, has this habit of walking on me all night long. So she's been really active the past 5 nights or so, and my crankiness at the lack of sleep just cannot be hidden at this point. So even though I meant to get up early and get a jump on the day (as I've been meaning to for the past 5 or so days) I was so freakin' tired I had to just sleep in. Although, I do remember Hubby coming in and singing the "Happy Anniversary" song to me that made my morning :)
When I finally did surface, Hubby was already planning another run (the man is a jogging machine lately! You go, my Love!) so I decided to do the Wii workout. John made us yummy smoothies and sammies, and we lazed around until 2 o'clock when we headed out to see our friend dance in the Festival of Nations! It was really cool, and I hadn't been to the FoN since my dad used to perform in it (many moons ago) and John had never been there. It's like the State Fair, but way better food and wares. We watched the Japanese, Egyptian, Hungarian, Scottish and Dutch dances at the main stage. Our friend danced in the Egyptian set and their troupe was excellent! She'd told us, "Sparkly ladies with canes!" and she was right; they were very sparkly! Of course, the Egyptians do it with such flash that it's hard to beat their routine :) Although, the Hungarian (and anything Balkan) routines have a special place in my heart since that was my dad's speciality.
I sampled Chicken Curry with Rice and Roti at the Pakistani booth while John went back to the Motherland (Norway) and sample the Viking in a Blanket (saugage in lefse). Later, we sampled the Samosa's from Somalia, very delectable! I love African spices, so earthy but not hot. We caught up with our sparkly cane lady in the food area and wandered around looking at the wares and wishing we all made more money with which to purchase cool stuff. We caught some musicians from India, Hungaria, Spain and Ireland who were all impressive. Then off to catch the Egyptians in their second (and different) dance set of the day. Again, awesome! After that the Chilean and Korean musicians played some incredible music that provoked almost every child seated to get up and start a furious little swirling dance reminiscent of a May Pole dance :) It was just cute.
Deciding that our anniversary celebration wasn't quite complete, we later went to The Loop for dinner to support our local neighborhood establishments. We enjoyed a very romantic dinner of walleye and chicken sammies (with, ahem, salad instead of fries) in a cushy booth, a cosmo martini & beer in hands, and marveled at our 11 years of marital bliss :) YAY!
Anyway, next post should be from Grand Marais! Whoo-hoo!
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Local Vacation
Wow, has it really been since August 2008 since we've gone anywhere?! Well, we're not going far this time, but it's a vacation, darn it, and I'm going to blog about it. We kicked things off with a Twins game last night and what a lucky night it turned out to be! First, I got 'recognized' at work and received a lovely $10 gift card from Target which put me in a very good mood. Then we got to the Twins game and it turns out our staff ID's got us discounted tickets (only $4 a piece!), once inside we got our dollar dogs and took our normal nosebleed seats with a bunch of frat-boy hosers since it was student night, and the game was going great. In the third inning, John actually won the Twingo (I was convinced no one ever wins, they just hype it and make you think they've got some great prize but really we're all just suckers), and while he was off to claim his $10 Applebee's gift certificate, a well-dressed gentleman came up and sat next to me. Of course, I was immediately suspicious when he asked if I was alone, but then noticed he was wearing a Twins ID badge, and after his elusive questioning, it turns out he gave us two owner's box seat tickets to sit in the SECOND ROW behind 3rd Base!! As much as I loathe to sit in such tight quarters with a bunch of germy, obnoxious strangers, there really is nothing like being right down there, and it was most awesome! I forgot all those around me and just enjoyed the game, seeing the players up close, and hearing the Ump's calls. And honestly? The people really weren't that bad down there. In fact, they were better down there than they were up in the cheap seats since we'd already witnessed one major fight and subsequent police escorted removal of a fan.
After the Twins kicked the Rays' butts, we strolled happily to fetch the car when lo and behold, we get flashed by some enthusiastic birthday girl in a limo! I couldn't help but yell out, "Put 'em on the glass!" and then she flashed her bosoms again. I got a way with the ladies, what can I say? Once home, we hung out on the balcony marveling at our unbelievable luck until we were too tired to stay up anymore :)
This morning, we headed off for the Arboretum and had the most perfect day. The weather was beautifully overcast, not too warm or cold, and the sky filled with the clouds I favor the most: blue-gray with streaky white, undulating oceanic-esque sky-fluff with breaks of warm sun every now and again. We packed a picnic so we could just wander the trails all day in romantic silence. The paths were so lovely, crispy with leaves, wet with mud, deer tracks (and droppings) all over the place, and hawks, crows and cranes populated overhead. We even saw a little fuzzy caterpillar that we moved out of the path lest a gaggle of field-tripping kids squash it. Other than their obnoxious behavior at the pond with a little family of geese with chicks, we were able to move along faster than their group and weren't bothered by the noise. I shot 115 photos during our walk, and plan on submitting some of them to the photo contest the Arboretum is having!! Yippee!
Our day trip was absolutely wonderful, and we came home for a snuggly nap with the kitties. John went off to tuba practice and I fooled around with my crafts watching Dead Like Me all night. Now he's home, and though we talked about going out for a drink, we decided to just hang out here on the balcony and enjoy our little place in the sky :)
After the Twins kicked the Rays' butts, we strolled happily to fetch the car when lo and behold, we get flashed by some enthusiastic birthday girl in a limo! I couldn't help but yell out, "Put 'em on the glass!" and then she flashed her bosoms again. I got a way with the ladies, what can I say? Once home, we hung out on the balcony marveling at our unbelievable luck until we were too tired to stay up anymore :)
This morning, we headed off for the Arboretum and had the most perfect day. The weather was beautifully overcast, not too warm or cold, and the sky filled with the clouds I favor the most: blue-gray with streaky white, undulating oceanic-esque sky-fluff with breaks of warm sun every now and again. We packed a picnic so we could just wander the trails all day in romantic silence. The paths were so lovely, crispy with leaves, wet with mud, deer tracks (and droppings) all over the place, and hawks, crows and cranes populated overhead. We even saw a little fuzzy caterpillar that we moved out of the path lest a gaggle of field-tripping kids squash it. Other than their obnoxious behavior at the pond with a little family of geese with chicks, we were able to move along faster than their group and weren't bothered by the noise. I shot 115 photos during our walk, and plan on submitting some of them to the photo contest the Arboretum is having!! Yippee!
Our day trip was absolutely wonderful, and we came home for a snuggly nap with the kitties. John went off to tuba practice and I fooled around with my crafts watching Dead Like Me all night. Now he's home, and though we talked about going out for a drink, we decided to just hang out here on the balcony and enjoy our little place in the sky :)
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