Dear Monday + Hello September!

Happy Labor Day Monday! I'm linking up with Megan at Happy Day! for Dear Monday letters.

Dear Labor Day Monday, Holla for days off! Today I leave Ohio & Amanda Sue and head back home to Minnesota.

Dear Amanda Sue + Ohio, thank you for rolling out the welcome mat for me! I loved car dancing across Ohio, eating tasty food and laughing the entire time. What a wonderful 3 day weekend!

Dear Liv, just a few more days home slice and we will be cheering on the Bison, sipping coffee, climbing mountains and hiking.

Dear Shellac manis and Parenthood, where have you been all my life?

How are you spending this Labor Day Monday? I'm hanging out with Amanda Sue for a few more hours in Ohio and then jet setting home to Minnesota!

{please excuse the blurry pictures - I blame it on the collage app I used, ippicy is so much better and quality!}

{Dear Monday} North Edition

It is Monday and I am linking up again with Megan at Happy Day for Dear Monday. Head on over to Megan's blog and check out her own exciting news and leave her some love!

Dear Monday, I rejoice that I had today off. Four day weeks are really the best. 

Dear Girls Weekend, thank you for being so wonderful. Your days were filled with coffee, beautiful northern sights, and many fun talks. 

Dear L & Curly Locks, thank you for always being up for an adventure, laughing with me, reliving the 'college years' and understanding my love of photography (and never thinking it's silly that I need to stop for ANOTHER photo). You're the best. 

Dear Minnesota, You are an addiction that I never plan to give up. 

Dear Self, I am sorry that I did not have good eating habits this weekend, that burger was just so good, and those fries... don't get me started on those delights! I promise to get back to the basics and eat better this week and thus forward. 

Happy Monday to you! 

Due North

Hello ya'll!
Welcome to Friday!
My own personal Friday actually started yesterday. I'm heading into a four day weekend and plan on taking a little Minnesota v-kay to one of my favorite places. I have been looking forward to this particular weekend for weeks now!

Unfortunately life got a little up in my grill along the way and my frenimies  hectic & busy came to visit. Why is it that before vacation it is always, always, always stressful? Work was crazy busy, gone every evening, errands never seem to stop and then there are always surprises - mostly the unexpected & unwelcome ones!

I'm trying to roll with the punches though and tell myself I'm ok without my 'out of office reply' set up for work, my boss is capable and can handle what I left her, people will feel better, and I'll survive with out a pair of cuddle duds in the chilly temps of Minnesota.

At least that's what I tell myself.

But I'm headin' north and am leaving it all behind!

Happy weekend to all of you!

Minnesota: Revisiting Minnehaha Falls

A few months ago Tie & I visited Minnehaha Falls, the beautiful laughing waters. After seeing it beautiful, flowing and thawed I really wanted to go back and see it beautiful, cold and froze. I got my wish and during my staycation I visited the beautiful frozen waterfall of Minnesota.

I'm typically not a rule breaker but for pictures I will pretty much do anything. Including climbing sliding down the snowy stairs past the "Do not Enter" signs. And over the half frozen stream behind the "Do not Enter" and the poor excuse of a fence.

Staycationing!

My last few days I have been staycationing! It has been marvelous. Lots of family time, seeings friends and a little bit of relaxation!

Girls heading North: Bayfield

Here is the final (second) post to recap the glorious Girls Heading North mini series of my small & short but glorious little fall excursion. {Part 1 - Duluth can be found here}

{Bayfield}

We arrived in Bayfield late in the afternoon and decided to head right on over to Madeline Island where we were staying for the next two evenings. We checked in to the hotel and proceeded to drive around Madeline Island. If the colors were beautiful in Duluth, they were gorgeous in Bayfield/Madeline Island. 

We also started looking for someplace to eat supper at. Madeline Island, also known as La Pointe Wisconsin is mostly a tourist vacation spot. Madeline is the biggest island in the chain of Apostle Islands.  Madeline Islands' population ranges from 220 in the winter to a whooping 2500 in the summer. Most of the homes on Madeline are summer homes. 

Tom's Burnt Down Cafe

After driving around half the island we decided to park and visit a few of the local restaurants and establishments. We finally decided upon a local watering hole, Tom's Burnt Down Cafe was the lucky winner of the night. Let me tell you we did not choose this place for their award winning food or the fact that they were clean. If ever you were looking for a place that all the locals went to this was the place,  The place consisted of a old semi trailer as the kitchen and bar area, most of Tom's Burnt Down Cafe is located outside with a big tarp as the tent covering about a third of the entire cafe, in the back at the "entrance" there were two wood burning stoves going (keep in mind it was 40 degrees). In the "interior" every quote and never sold garage sale item finds its home here at Tom's. There were no words to exactly describe this place, but it did not seem to fit in Wisconsin, but we did enjoy this eclectic place none the less.  

{Applefest}

Saturday was the big Apple Fest, we headed back on over the ferry to Bayfield and disembarked and immediately started looking at wares. We met up with some friends and headed about 10 miles out to of Bayfield to the Hauser Winery for complimentary wine tasting as well as some free apples. At the winery Fiery C & I had the most amazing smoked pulled pork, were able to check out the view of Lake Superior from their barn loft, sample apple wines, and walk in the woods. 

 Hausers' "Superior" View (har har har)

We ended the day with a glorious sunset over Lake Superior and star gazing. 

{Big Bay State Park}

We ended the weekend with a quick jaunt around Big Bay State Park. The day was simply gorgeous, the warmest of the entire weekend. It was amazing to see the large rock shore underneath the crystalline waters, simply gorgeous. 

It was a beautiful end to a beautiful weekend. 

Smiley, Incognito, & Squinty 

Girls heading North: Duluth

{Duluth}

Fiery C, Curly Locks and I rolled into Duluth late into the evening after checking into our hotel we walked along the boardwalk making our way to Fitgers for super, where we all partook in the best burger I have every had, a wild rice burger, the pattie was PURE wild rice and so delicious. Fiery C had a flight of beer (they were shot size), Fitgers makes their own microbeers, as well as the Lake Superior Oatmeal Stout Syrup from several months ago.

Our hotel was located right on the lake and the following morning the sight from our hotel room window was utterly gorgeous with a slight haze over the lake. Unfortunately the rain and drizzle came and camped out over Duluth for the morning but that did not stop 3 midwest girls from showing Fiery the rest of the town.

We drove along beautiful tree lined streets bursting with colors

We did a driving tour of Duluth downtown as well as ended up at the beach. The beach in Duluth is such a difference from the rest of Duluth.

Fiery C & Curly Locks on the beach

A storm brewing in Duluth

We ventured up to Enger Tower, saw magnificent views and beautiful trees. And rung the peace bell .... several times.

 Pretty soon it was good bye Duluth and hello scenic drive to Bayfield. 

Goodbye Minnesota, Hello Wisconsin

This past weekend I spent time with a friend at my family cabin. It was a much needed mini-vacation from the world, especially after a week of teaching VBS to preschoolers! It was glorious, so many wonderful memories of my youth were made at that cabin. As a kid I always loved heading to the cabin with my grandparents, knowing I would be able to run around and play, have my grandparents to myself and the possibility of ice cream every evening.

After grabbing groceries in Stillwater and toting our Caribous we headed for the road and said goodbye to Minnesota, and hello Wisconsin.

We spent the time to the cabin driving through gorgeous countryside dotted with small towns, rolling hills, green pastures and high cornfields. Finally destination was found nestled in it's own puffy blue clouds, amid the cornfields lay the cabin. The cabin had not changed much over the years, still the same loved cabin of my childhood.

The cabin was relaxing and inviting. We spent the quiet moments taking walks in the country, curling up with books & magazines, canoeing & paddle boating, movies in the evening, even star gazing and seeing two shooting stars & the big dipper.

We ventured into a nearby town twice for some good old mom & pop restaurants. 

We at at Nezzy's Sports Bar & Grill. 

I had the Jalapeno Raspberry Chicken Wings

The Tower House

Silly countryside roads.

Every good thing must end, even weekend at the cabin. But thankfully I have the pictures and memories... and unfortunately the sunburn to remember the quiet & relaxing weekend.

{Day Six}

Washington: Saying goodbye to Washington

We began our day at Pikes Place Market before it open and was able to go to the ORIGINAL Starbucks across from Pikes Place and ate our bagel breakfast and sipped our last Washington coffee, sat on the pier overlooking the bay, and wondered through Pikes Place Market again. 

… all pictures for better or for worse taken by me …