Month: December 2018

“L’Etoile du Nord” which stands for “The Star of the North,” seems very fitting for this extreme Northern state. First off we work up to a frigid 2 degree temperatures. With the wind chill you could feel every single degree of the icy fridge state. Trying to stay optomistic we began our day in Minnesota.

First stop, Bloomington! That’s right the Mall of America. It is HUGE! It’s the biggest mall in America with over 500 stores. The mall actually has it’s own zip code! You can get married there AND it used to be a stadium where the Beatles once played. All in all it’s incredible and it literally has everything.

When you enter the mall there are signs up for different 10K and 5K trails. You almost have to get a map because there are so many floors and stores it is super easy to get lost. In the middle of the mall there is a huge Nickelodeon Theme Park!

There are many many roller coasters and even a huge Ferris Wheel. They have created a kids dreamland, and potentially the most fun mall of all time. It is no wonder they have an indoor theme park with the freezing temperatures outside. People can buy single ride tickets, or a pass to ride for the whole day. FUN!

Once you get through the theme park, you are welcome with another nostalgic memory: LEGOS!

That’s right they also have a Lego Land, with tons of giant Lego figurines. It is a two story experience that even has a helicopter with Lego men repelling from it. If you ever played with Legos as a kid, (or stepped on one) this is an experience you shouldn’t miss.

The mall has an Aquarium, IMAX movie theater, and mini golf courses. There is any store you have ever imagined and it truly is a shoppers paradise. They also have a Crayola World. It has a huge play area and creation center for the kids, as well as a gift shop for the adults. They have ever years exclusive released color since 1935. It’s a colorful experience, once you get past the waxy smell. 🙂

You could seriously spend all day here, and people use it as an indoor track and park for their children. After exploring for over 3 hours, we still didn’t feel like we had seen everything. BUT, we were just about all shopped out and decided to head to: Minneapolis.

One of the main highlights of Minneapolis is The Minneapolis Sculpture Park. So we bundled up and decided it was time to face the cold for the love of art!

Throughout the park you can find a variety of really interesting and even interactive pieces.

Perhaps the piece that gets the most hype is the Spoon and Cherry Bridge. It is the only bridge probably in the world that is actually made up of a giant spoon. Sure enough it has a little pond below it, and it pretty huge.

The sculpture park was worth venturing out into the chilly weather and we were pretty impressed with some of the pieces. We appreciated the time it must have taken the artist to create this large sculptures. Good job MN!

After chilling our butts off, we decided we should get a little snack. We read that Minnesota is known for this Hot Dish so we set out in hunt of this little treat.

After some searching we found some Hot Dish at a cute little place called The Mason Jar. We got some to go due to them closing soon and enjoyed this warm casserole like dish. Basically it is like a tater tot casserole, with sausage meat and lost of cheese. Delish!

With our bellies warm and happy, we spent the night in Minneapolis. In the morning we were South Dakota bound! Sioux Falls, here we come! But along the way we found an unexpected treasure. Minneapolis’s Largest Candy Shop!

This Candy shop is really impressive. They have homemade candies, European imported goodies, and all the American Classics.

They even had vintage candies I hadn’t seen since I was a little kid. Not only was there an impressive amount of sweets, the whole store was decorated with giant super heros everywhere and brightly decorated ceilings.

Each section is divided into specific candy goodness. There’s a gummy section, sour part, and aisles and aisles of chocolate. There is even a soda section with some FUNKY flavors.

But we decided the weird butter soda we did decided would pair nicely with the giant popcorn display. The whole store was like a carnival sugar wonderland.

Not only was this store home to Minnesota’s largest candy shop it also housed the Minnesota’ss Largest Porta Potties. It’s actually kind of funny. They designed their bathrooms with these porta pottie doors, so its just a giant bathroom “porta potty.”

The back room of the store is a circular building and the ceiling is decorated in all kinds of Spaceships. Each object actually moved up and down, and spun around the room. This added for a really cool effect to the personality of this travel stop.

• 

• 

After exploring this unique store, we decided that it was the perfect way to end Minnesota on a good note. Well, that’s about it for our adventures in the Frozen Tundra of the Northern Star, Minnesota.

Until Next time, GOD BLESS!

-McKayla

The DAIRY state. Thank the sweet Lord baby Jesus. Also known as the Breadbasket state, this state is full of probably some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet! I am still trying to figure out how they survive in such cold temperatures, though. We drove through the Narnia of Michigan and headed straight for GreenBay. Although neither myself or Daniel are huge Greenbay fans, we couldn’t resist heading to Lambeau Field. Plus it was a HUGE added bonus that their happened to be a home game this Sunday, so we headed towards the action in search of some cheap last minute tickets. The tickets were still $80 each about a half hour before the game so we hoped we could maybe find someone selling in the parking lot. Even if we didn’t get tickets, it was still worth joining all the tailgating and excitement.

Parking at the Stadium is almost as much as buying a ticket. But the sweethearts of Wisconsin that live near the stadium opened up their yards and offered cheap cheap parking in their front lawn. We parked in a really sweet man driveway. He was very hospitable, letting us use his bathroom and even giving us a beer for the walk to the stadium. Which was a pretty short walk just about 5 blocks away. 15 minutes before the game started the tickets dropped to 15 buck online and we snatched some pretty sweet seats! After sorting through the deal of not being able to bring my purse inside we finally made it inside.

The cheeseheads are probably the sweetest and most friendly fans known to the NFL (and that’s saying something, due to us being Colts and Seahawks fans). They welcomed us to the game and told us, “It’s the most Wisconsin thing to do!” This particular night the Greenbay Packers were playing the Miami Dolphins. Honestly, I was really surprised to see any of the dolphins fans risk the iceland of Wisconsin. The game ended up being a pretty awesome experience.

First off, the Packers won! So that ended everything on a good note. But the full experience was so nice because the fans were great, we stayed warm by drinking Wisconsin brews, we cuddled up under our blanket, and it started snowing right at the end of the game. It was a pretty magical experience.

The game ended pretty late, so we wrapped it up and called it a night. In the morning we drove down to Milwaukee and visited the town of Pabst. This is actually the town Miller and Pabst Blue Ribbon were both started. But Unfortunately once PBR got bought out they moved their location to Los Angeles . On the other hand, Miller is still open and brewing in Milwaukee so we headed to the brewery for a tour of the factory.

The tour was only $8 and they take you all over the grounds, give you plenty of free samples, give you souvenir glasses at the end, and even give you a token to get a free beer at local bars nearby. The tour is about two hours long and very informative.

They started out with a movie and then they take you to the Miller Caves. These caves were originally used to store the beer to keep it refridgerated, and are the oldest part of the Miller estate grounds. There are german murals on the wall and they describe the history of how Miller was started, and how they survived the prohibition.

After that, we toured were the beer is brewed and mixed before it gets packaged. These containers were gigantic and stored more beer than any one person could drink in a life time.

Following that, we visited the first Miller bar and were served beer in a private setting. The hall gets rented out to certain families, but other than that is only used for touring purposes. Huge steins are displayed throughout the whole bar.

Finally, we ended our tour in the packaging room. We watched the beer get bottled, the bottles travel on a conveyor belt, and watched them all get boxed and packaged. It was really interesting to watch all the different beers getting bottled and understand the background of such a huge company.

After touring the Brewery, we didn’t have too much of an exciting evening. We toured Pabst a bit driving past the huge Museum and Theater buildings, and admiring some of the local architecture. Then we did some laundry, and headed towards Minnesota.

All in all, we were very impressed with the hospitality and friendliness of the local Wisconsin people and the land of the Badger is pretty neat.

Try and stay warm. Cheers,

McKayla

We finish our trip through the Great White North, and find ourselves at the U.S. Canadian border. We pull up in our trusty steed, and begin the questioning process.

Turns out, a certain driver that will remain nameless was misdirected by a certain copilot who will also remain nameless and we got misdirected back to the Entering Canada border.

Border Patrol: Hello sir, where are you headed?

Me: Detroit!

BP: … Where are you coming from?

Me: London!

BP: Sir… Do you know where you are?

Me: Yeah… About to enter the United States

BP: nope

He eventually chuckled and directed us in the right direction in a very friendly manner. Very similar to the man who stamped our passports going into Canada: Cordial, professional, and friendly. I’m telling you this because we are about to go back into our home country, the one in we are citizens of, and it was a much different experience. You know that feeling of being condescended to? Well mix that feeling with the feeling of telling the truth to someone who no matter what you say firmly believes you’re lying, and that’s what our experience with the U.S. Border Patrol was. Dear President Trump, please build a wall around our border security gates so we can climb it and get into the country without dealing with the jerks in customs. Sincerely, Americans trying to go home everywhere.

Anyways, after our early morning border shenanigans, we found ourselves in Motor City: Detroit, MI. I have been to Michigan before, once when I was younger with my little brother and my grandparents. We went during the summer, so it was interesting to see the other side of the coin with Detroit being snowy and gloomy. We decided to visit the Henry Ford Museum, and were not disappointed. While at face value, you may think that this museum would be solely about Ford and their production history, to include everything that entails what they stand for and blah blah blah. When in fact, this museum is more of a tribute to the ingenuity and inventing spirit of the American people, than it is dedicated solely to Henry Ford. The museum embodies everything that he stood for: Hard work, industrial breakthroughs, and a genuine craftsmanship that is seldom seen today. There was, of course, many exhibits surrounding car manufacturing. There was an exhibit on the birth of flight, and the progression of various plane models. There was an exhibit that walks you through every decade going back to the 1900s. There was even an exhibit that highlighted various technological advances that pushed us a nation to the forefront of the world by being catalysts for the industrial revolution. If you are ever in Detroit, you have to go here. If not for you, for your kids (if you have any); there is a lot to learn at this place.

• 

• 

• 

• 

Once we were done in the museum, we ventured our way to the Eastern Market, for some food and some local sights. The Eastern Market is similar to a Farmers market, or Saturday Market for my Oregonians out there, except it is housed inside an old structure designed and opened solely for a community market back in 1841. Huge, open, warehouse-like buildings cut into the cold Detroit sky with rich brick that have stood the test of time strongly. Despite being 18 degrees outside, the market was thriving with eager buyers, and even more eager sellers. Left and right, local farmers were selling fresh vegetables and flowers for loved ones. Beekeepers and jelly makers were holding out free samples to advertise their products. Many artists were also selling their pieces as well, and it was a very lively environment. We spent a few hours there, and then the hunger in our bellies made us begin to seek nourishment.

• 

• 

• 

You ever heard of a Dinty Moore? Its ok, neither had we. Well, that’s the signature sandwich of Michigan. A triple-decker corn beef hash sandwich with the works is basically what a Dinty Moore is. We found a local deli-restaurant just across the street from the Eastern Market named after the street it was located on: Russell St. Deli. This famous deli was home to many made-from-scratch soups and Detroit sandwiches that were absolutely delectable. We split the Dinty Moore and the soup of the day, which was Rhode Island Clam Chowder-which we picked after our new favorite state. After we had warmed our bellies and souls with this bountiful meal, we decided to head north towards the tip of Michigan.

• 

• 

We spent the night up north in Cheboygan, MI. The drive was in a coat of freshly laden snow, which made the roads a little more slick than we would have hoped, but we made it to our destination safely. We woke up early in the morning the next day, with plans to head to Mackinac Island. Have you ever watched the movie, Somewhere in Time? It’s an oldie rom-com with a sci-fi twist, starring Christopher Reeves. Mickey’s mom loves this movie-so much in fact, that she named her first-born, McKayla’s older sister, McKenna, after the leading actresses character’s name in this film. Where am I getting at with this random Plummer-trivia? Well, Somewhere in Time was filmed on Mackinac Island, which is revered everywhere for its sheer beauty. The only way onto the island is by ferry, which is why we got up early. However, we got there much faster than we expected, so we had a few hours to kill. The day we happened to be in the area was none other than November 10th: Veterans Day. If you’re not a veteran, maybe this holiday just seems like another government holiday to get school off, but to a veteran, it’s a special day to reflect upon the service of yourself, and the brothers and sisters you met while in prison the military.

You also get some sweet deals from some standout patriotic companies, which is always greatly appreciated. About ten minutes away from the ferry, we found a casino that was giving away free $20 credit to any veteran, which is awesome! We tried our luck in the casino, and had a blast! It was mainly empty, so we could pick whichever machines we wanted. This was Mickey and I’s first real experience with gambling machines, and I must say, I don’t get the hype. I’d rather blow $20 in an arcade, and at least be entertained my level of skill-or lack of skill (depending on the game, I’m untouchable on Galaga), than any of the sleazy machines that rip you off in any casino. Nevertheless, We still had a great time and it was the perfect activity to do while we waited for the ferry.

We set off for the ferry, and gave ourselves a nice 30 minute cushion just in case there was traffic.

The roads were completely empty. By now there was packed snow that had begun to stick to the roads, and it was very slippery in a multitude of places. We slid our way to the ferry with 20 minutes to spare.

Only there was no ferry.

The whole town was deserted-or at least that’s what it seemed like. We pulled into the ferry parking lot, and it looked like nobody had been there in days. No tire tracks in the snow, no footprints, no signs of life in the toll booth. Turns out they only offer winter ferry rides from one side of the island, and that was the opposite side of which we were. We were an hour and a half from the other side, and the next ferry didn’t leave for another couple of hours. This would delay us almost an entire half day, which, unfortunately, we did not have to spare at the time. We said our goodbyes with Mackinac Island, with plans to later return in the future to explore this magnificent land. Maybe we will return, Somewhere in Time (I know that was bad, sue me).

Our next plans were to travel up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before descending down into Wisconsin (pronounced Wi-sscaaaaan-sihn). Our journey went through a winter wonderland, with not much to offer but a scenic route of the Upper Michigan State Forest. Evergreens spread out along this part of the trip, and it was a very soothing, yet slippery drive. We headed for Green Bay, WI, in hope of catching the Cheese Packers play on legendary Lambeau Field before exploring the cheese state.

Cheers!

-Daniel-

After our brush with death in Vermont at the hands of chili-thirsty hounds, we headed west towards the city of broken Super Bowl dreams: Buffalo, NY. The plan was to view the mighty Niagara Falls here, and then hop the border into Canada to get a glimpse of the Falls on their side. On the way, we stopped in the Adirondacks Mountains to do some hiking. The Adirondacks are massive, one of the biggest ridges on the east coast. We selected Cascade Mountain, a 4 mile hike to the peak and back down. We get to the trailhead and notice something that we had not seen before: a ledger with a check in/check out box. We read that this was for the park rangers to be aware of your whereabouts, and if you aren’t checked in by sundown, they can begin the search for your frozen corpse. It was about 33 degrees fahrenheit at the base of the mountain as we began our ascent. It was a beautiful fall morning with red and orange trees and their fallen leaves guiding us up rocky and wooded terrain. The trail was steep, and that word does not do justice to how steep it exactly was. Our quads began to burn with lactic acid buildup as we trekked forward.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We were out of breath about 30 minutes in. The higher we went, the lower the temperature got. Red and orange gave way to green and white, as we were transported from a somber fall morning, into a frigid winter wonderland. Snow and icicles beset us either side, and a frozen creek created a divide down the center of a rock structured trail.

The further we went up the mountainside, the less the trail resembled a trail, and the more it resembled amateur bouldering terrain. We started to slip and grab onto the frozen tree trunks around us, as we noticed that entire rock surfaces and fallen logs were coated with at least an inch of solid, clear ice. About an hour into our journey, we crossed paths with an older German hiker-maybe in his mid to late 50s. He was decked out in every hiking accessory you could imagine. Hiking poles? Check. Full matching hiking suit? Check. Compact backpack with all the bells and whistles? Check. He look exhausted as he trudged his way down towards us. He scanned us down; not in a judging way, but kind of like a disapproving father who just told you what you were about to do was a bad idea, and we did it anyways. We had jeans, a jacket, and I had boots but McKayla had tennis shoes on.

German guy: What are you guys doing?

Us: We are going to the top!

G: It gets really dangerous up there, please, I beg of you, be careful and make sure to wear your ice spikes.

Us: … Ice spikes?

We looked down at his boots and realized they had metal spikes jutting out of the bottom and fronts of them which were banded together by a rubber harness that kept them snug on the form of his shoes. They were like chains for your feet, and we sure as hell had never seen anything like it-let alone owned a pair. We looked at him in bewilderment and his eyes widened.

G: Please, please be very careful… I would hate to see you two get hurt.

We thanked him for his advice, and dumb-wittedly headed up towards our dangerous demise. Well, to be fair, he wasn’t wrong, the journey was treacherous. Huge boulder faces made the remainder of the trail almost impossible. Completely shelled in ice, it was very dangerous for anyone to climb them. But, we did it anyways. Yes, I know, that wasn’t the best idea, but you don’t just give up a hike 3 miles in and head back. That’s gotta be the lousiest feeling I could imagine. After our best Survivorman impersonations willed us to the top of Cascade Peak, we stood atop the peak and took in the beautiful settings that lay beneath our journey. Peak after peak scattered in the sunlight met our eyes in a wonderful sight that will stay with me for the rest of my life. It was breathtaking. It was a cool 12 degrees fahrenheit at the peak. We caught our breath, snapped a few photos, and slid back down to our car for lunch, before continuing our journey, westward bound.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

We rolled into Buffalo on a frigid, frostbitten evening. We were starving. I do not know if you know this about me, but I like wings. Chicken wings to be specific, of the buffalo nature. No, I’m not talking about that weak-sauce, dry-meat, cost-you-an-arm-and-a-leg-just-to-get-them-an-hour-later-cold Buffalo Wild Wings… No, I like them perfectly crisp, juicy, and tossed in the sauce of the Gods (or anything spicy, really). Well, I don’t know how many who read this who are well read on our country’s food geography history, but the grandiose of bar food and football parties was actually birthed for the first time in Buffalo. The mecca of meat eaters was born in a manger in a sports pub known as Frank and Theresa’s Anchor Bar. In 1964, Mother Theresa’s (no relation) son Dominic was tending the bar when his drunk friends came in, asking for food. So, of course, Dom had to ask his mom for some delicious treats-as every son in history has, and will continue to do until the end of time. Well, Mamma T went into the back and whipped up HISTORY. She took the drumsticks and flats she normally used to create chicken stock, and deep fried them. Then, an angel descended upon the kitchen she was in, and bestowed upon her the sacred, secret recipe for the sauce that would become famous around the globe: Buffalo sauce. She tossed the deep fried wings in her new culinary concoction and presented them to her inebriated dinner party. As you might have guessed, it was all history after that. Her new snack went viral (or whatever things did back then when they went big) and her wings became world famous. I don’t know if an angel actually gave her the recipe, but that is the only logical explanation I can come up for the birth of such a holy matrimony of hot and savory. Kidding.

• 

• 

Now, we got there at around 7 PM, and I practically ran to the door. Admittedly, this was my most anticipated food stop of the trip. New York pizza? Please. Chicago style? You mean casserole? Nah. New England Clam Chowder? Child Plea-well you get the idea. Well, anyways, we walk into the pub and sit down in a room surrounded with signed pictures of famous people gorging on their delectable dinners of buffalo wings. Long story short, I order a pound of their traditional hot wings and if it weren’t for McKayla’s voice of reason, I would have ordered another after I polished them off before the waitress even let go of the plate. I won’t go into detail about what the wondrous wings of legend tasted like, I’ll just say that if they were $100 wing, I would still have ordered a pound. For those that say Heaven cannot exist on Earth, I employ them to go to Buffalo and change their minds.

We woke up the next morning to small snowflakes covering the roads and everything in sight with a light dusting. Thankfully, we were in a place that is used to the snow, so I didn’t have to worry about inexperienced snow drivers careening into us while we drove to the Falls. We get to the mighty Niagara Falls and the snow has transitioned into more of a wet, icy sleet. It was cold, it was wet, it was foggy. Fortunately, the fog was hanging ominously just above the opening of the waterfalls, so we still could see them in their splendor. We first visited American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls as we walked in step to McKayla’s chattering teeth. For those that do not know, Mickey does fair too well in the snow, as her southern roots are not accustomed to the frigid temperature of the north. She’s a trooper, and I’m always so proud of how she powers through any arctic tundra we may go through. Also fun fact for those that have never been to Niagara Falls, there are actually multiple. There are three, to be exact: American Falls, Horseshoe Falls, and Bridal Veil Falls. Horseshoe Falls, the longest of the three, is arguably the most iconic shot of Niagara. Better seen on the Canadian side, this waterfalls shape is easily described by its name. The American Falls is also beautiful and massive, and looks like a traditional, wide mouthed waterfall that is best seen on the American side, obviously. There is a very impressive sky deck constructed just above the American Falls that gives viewers a beautiful perspective of the waterfalls and the surrounding area. The final, smallest waterfall is Bridal Veil Falls, which does in fact look like its namesake. This one is miniscule in comparison to her bigger brothers, but is still a wonderful sight-best seen from the American side.

• 

• 

• 

• 

After enjoying the view from our home turf, we decided to catch the falls on the flipside and venture across the border into the land of unusually nice folks, mounties, and Tim Hortons. After crossing the Canadian border, we were met with the exact same weather we went through on the American side (shocker, I know). The Horseshoe Falls were glorious, larger than life, and cold. We fought for parking, sprinted to the falls, enjoyed them, and then sprinted back to the car to warm back up. What a journey it was into Canada! We pulled up our planned trek and prepared to move forward. Our next stop: Cleveland, OH. Oh, how exciting of a stop! Probably the most anticipated stop of the whole trip-right below the entire state of Kansas, of course. We looked back at the map and realized something: Why don’t we just head towards Michigan? Our end destination for the first leg was Oregon, and this route would cut 4 hours off our time!

We decided to save scenic Believeland for a later time, as we were going to spend Christmas in Selma, IN, and would be in that neck of the woods later on anyways. Se we set forth to travel through Ontario, Canada with the endpoint being Detroit, MI. Canada was pretty nice! Although in the area we went through was not as scenic as we expected. London, ON is more of an industrial town and is pretty urbanized with not much to look at. Still a nice town, but my ignorant American mind was expecting Moose to be serving hugs and maple leaf-shaped candies on every block. Oh well. We stopped by a local diner on the way and had a delicious Greek-Canadian meal that warmed our cold bellies. Once we were a few minutes from the border, we set up camp, cuddled together and said goodnight to Canada, with plans to head back to the homefront in the morning. This unexpected detour saved us quite some time on our way to the Great Northwest, and later on would buy us time to relax in future states to come.

Cheers!

-Daniel-

Vermont, the upside down brother of New Hampshire, is just doing so many things right! This incredible state is full of maple syrup sugar houses, the great cheese trail, plenty of hikes, breweries as far as the eye can see, and is super dog friendly. Our first impression of Vermont was very positive starting out at their awesome visitors center. The building is packed with your average visitors center stuff, but then has a really incredible hydroponic garden attached to the building. It’s basically a two story green house with multiple plants grown in pools of water. It was really neat to see.

Outside the visitors center, is the first Vietnam Memorial in the Nation. It is a nice memorial with an intricate entrance complete with a variety of state flags. There is a statue in the front, and then you can walk around the wall and there is an amphitheater with a memorial spot in the center. It is a really nice tribute to the incredible men that fought over in Vietnam. 

After being thoroughly welcomed, we headed to an authentic sugar house. We wanted to get a taste of the sweet fresh maple syrup so it was exciting. After searching through the MANY sugar houses, we chose the Silloway Maple company. It is a family owned and operated maple syrup company and they offer personalized tours and tastings for free. 

• 

• 

We explored the sugar house, got to view the various machines that are used to process syrup, and then tasted the various different types. We learned about how the color of the syrup is reflected by the time of year and the temperature the trees are at during the harvesting of the maple sap.

• 

• 

We viewed the interact system of plastic tubing that is set up to constantly process sap while not harming the trees. And most importantly, we sampled plenty of maple candies. The whole little cabin smelled so sweet and delicious.

The sugar house was solar powered, and they use fire wood to fire up the sugar boiler. This being said, there is the most impressive stack of firewood I’ve ever seen stacked up outside the house.

• 

• 

It was a really delicious and informative stop. Don’t worry we took some syrup to go! 

• 

• 

After stocking up on sweets and peaking at our sugar high we headed North. Following along the cheese trail (thanks to our brochure) we were able to sort the various dairy farms we passed along the way. The Great Cheese Trail map breaks down which farms are open to the public, which ones offer tours, and which have a small store for taking cheese to go. We trucked along in hopes of making it to The Red Rocks Park Natural Area. It was beautiful in the fall!

The trees were a vibrant yellow and they made for a nice contrast to the dark green moss that covered most of the rocks. We chose the lake view hike and ventured through the woods and boulders leading to the water.

• 

• 

The rocks in the woods along the path were normal colored for the most part, until we reached the shore line. Maybe its something in the water but the rocks along the lake are a bright rich red.

We imagined the view would be even better enjoyed from a boat to get the full shoreline, but we still enjoyed our view! The park falls along the Champlain Lake and the body of water is enormous. There is water for as far as the eye can see. You can sit there for a long time just marveling at the miles and miles of water. This lake actually separates Vermont and northern New York, so it is shared by these two states. 

There are many overlook spots that can be enjoyed along your stroll. We found a nice overlook, cooked dinner, and watched the sunset. Beautiful!

Chili. That was our dinner of choice. Which on a chilly day, didn’t seem like such a bad idea. But boy were we wrong… A fun thing to note about any trails in Vermont is the IMPRESSIVE amount of dogs you will pass along the way. Which on a normal day is really awesome, we’d go as far to say the actual best. But when you are hauling around cans of chili trash you become a little too popular among our four legged friends. That’s right, when we finished cooking our dinner (even during it) we were greeted by many energetic doggies. There are only trash cans at the front near the trailheads, so we had to carry those cans with us all the way back to the car. We probably got thoroughly inspected by over 20 dogs on the hike back. So if you ever take up the art of dog-napping, carrying chili cans is the way to go. Someone should have informed Cruella de Vil. Also the chili made the whole car ride a very gassy expedition, so that’s always a lovely side note!

After hiking around and the great chili issue of 2018, we decided to take part in the Brewery Challenge. Vermont has started a LOT of craft breweries, almost on every block. So, the Vermont Brewers Association have set up a program called the Brewery Challenge Passport Program. At participating “beer worth finding” breweries customers are give a tiny little beer passport. As you visit various breweries they stamp your passport. You can mail your little passport in to the company and depending on your amount of stamps, you will be rewarded with various prizes. It’s pretty neat. 

• 

• 

With so many of these brewies starting up, you can buy beer for really really cheap. I am talking $3 or $4 draft pours. I am not sure how long these prices will stay low, becasue some of these breweries were popping for a week day night. 

Many of the places we visited were decorated in very modern decor. A lot of them had really fun outdoor spaces, that we imagined would have been a good time during the summer. The people were really friendly and we got a cool postcard coaster at Zero Gravity. Each place had their own little twist and made them unique hang out spots. 

Perhaps the most unique ones was located next to the World’s Tallest Filing Cabinet. That was a top stop for us. I mean come on Vermont, as if you didn’t have enough going for you, you just had to throw in some of the world’s greatest. I must say, it was tall. The Switchback Brewing Company even had an IPA dedicated to this national treasure. It was a fun quirky little touristy touch. The bottom is covered in stickers by visitors and locals alike. Don’t worry they lock the cabinets so not just anyone can store documents inside. 

We tried a few flights to get a full taste of Vermont. Normally we LOVE west coast brews, but some of the ones we tasted could have easily been some of the best on the East Coast. Good Job Burlington for repping some East Coast goodness. 

After exploring the local night life, we headed to the Vermont Pub and Brewery to FINALLY try some cheese. We had to get the cheese plate to try the most Vermont cheeses as we possibly could. OH MY GOODNESS. Each one was so unique and delicious. There wasn’t a bad cheese on the plate. They pair it with honey, apples, crackers, homemade mustard, and a spicy jelly to clear your pallet in between tastings. Our favorite was the Boucher Farms Bleu Cheese. It is literally to die for! I think even if you don’t like blue cheese you would still love this creamy goodness. 

Well, I can’t top cheese because it is literally God’s gift to mankind. So I will leave you with this Vermont saying, “Vermont: Bet you can’t name two of our towns!” We enjoyed exploring this underrated state. Have a beautiful week. 

God Bless, McKayla 

We cheated a little bit in New Hampshire and on the way from Boston, Mass to Portland, Maine you drive through a corner of NH. So we got a little sample of New Hampshire kind of out of order and pre-maine so to say. Our first taste of the granite state began with the city of Portsmouth which is kinda a fun place to stop. The little town is full of wall murals and cute hometown restaurants. We HAD to stop at the quirky little breakfast joint called the Friendly Toast. (highly recommended by the lovely Ciara Noble)

This little shop is so cute and full of unique decor and funky art. The staff is really friendly (go figure) and quirky. The menu is full of interesting options and many focus on classics dishes with a famous twist. They base a lot of their dishes off of celebrity favorite breakfast choices or music puns.

Daniel chose the breakfast ramen. Which was perfect for him, because it was a combination of his two favorite things: BREAKFAST and RAMEN. I selected the Hot Cakes which was an Elvis favorite. It was a HUGE stack of chocolate chip pancakes wrapped in bacon and whip cream. The King had great taste! We were not disappointed. Friendly Toast was a great stop!

After we ate our delicious breakfast we made our way to Maine. Feel free to read our Maine post for all those details. After spending the night there we headed back into NH for round two. This second time was a bit less magical. It was raining and foggy so it was very hard to appreciate the beauty around us. We headed to Berlin, New Hampshire which is a cute town on the river. A lot of people wear cowboy hats and you get a nice hometown atmosphere. There is a huge smoke stack and a lot of building on the river. Originally, the town used the falls for power and generated business through the powerful water current. After a bit of exploring we had to try the French dish that is very popular in Northern states and near Canada: POUTINE. 

Poutine is basically just french fries covered in gravy and cheese. I know the ultimate comfort food right? Just think mashed potatoes and gravy, but better! There are a lot of different ways to cook it I guess, but basically it seems to come down to the gravy. Whichever style you prefer you can find it up here! We found a place with a darker gravy and provolone cheese. 

From Berlin, we headed down to Woodstock and drove through the beautiful White Mountain National Forest. The weather finally started to clear so we were able to capture the timelapse posted below. Pretty area.

Upon arriving in Woodstock we were pretty exhausted from a day of driving and our early morning Acadia hike. We hit the two week on the road marker and decided we should do something a little special. I searched on Air BnB real quick and found a super cute (and reallllly cheap) log cabin tiny home that was really close. We decided to book it for the night. It had a hot tub with a really nice view of the mountains and real stove to cook on. We love our little camper van, but sometimes it feels really nice to sleep in a real bed and cuddle on a couch. The cabin was very cute, complete with a fire place, and checkered print curtains with bear pillows. So precious.

This was a very relaxing evening and it was incredible star gazing from the hot tub. We enjoyed our coffee on the porch with a lovely mountain view. This was the perfect place to soak in New Hampshire. We didn’t have to do any crazy hike, or wild adventure to experience the beauty of the White Mountain National Forest. It was a much needed break with a little rest and relaxation. Feeling very refreshed, and pleased that the weather was much nicer we hit the road Vermont bound! 

That pretty much sums up our experience in the land of the Purple Lilac. Until next time, Cheers! 

God Bless, McKayla

Formally known as vacationland, Maine was full of adventure and plenty of things to do. We started our morning in Portland, Maine. This was a hotspot for us to hit because we both love Portland, Oregon. The verdict of the East Coast Portland is: Underwhelming. It not a bad little port town, but it is much smaller and simpler than the well known West Coast Portland. It was unique to be in a town with the same name as Daniel’s hometown (kinda, close enough). We did explore main street and found some cool little stores, so the town wasn’t a total waste. We did visit the Portland light house, and that was a nice stop! With big dreams at Acadia National Park we hit the road for one of our longest treks since the beginning of the trip. 

We made it to Acadia National Park just before sunset, and started to get a feel for how huge this park really is. We found a nice campsite at Blackwoods Campground and were one of like three families there. We found a good site and decided to head out to Bar Harbor for some LOBSTER! 

We found a festive looking restaurant right on the water called Geddy’s. It had a moose on the roof decorated in Christmas lights and the inside was packed with fishing decor. There were large tanks with the Lobsters swimming around to guarantee freshness. Unfortunately, it wasn’t exactly lobster season so we didn’t get the sweet deals we were hoping for. Since it was pretty expensive, we decided to share a lobster roll. It was really good and we got it butter based. It was a little smaller than we expected, but you can’t really go wrong with lobster! Also, Geddy’s hot sauce was pretty delish

After dinner, we decided to knock out some school and laundry. Bar Harbor in the off season only has a limited amount of  stores that aren’t closed for the season. There fore our choices were limited. I got lucky and found a laundry mat that was open late and Daniel “thought” he found a coffee shop. NOPE! All the coffee shops ended up closing super early so Daniel settled for a local bar. He did look kinda interesting tucked in the corner on his laptop, but the bar wasn’t super busy so we got some things taken care of. We tried some Maine brews, with our favorite being an IPA named after a local sailor and hero in the town.

We found a pretty awesome hike called Cascade Mountain Trail. The big highlight of this trail is you can see the first bit of light hit the East Coast at sunrise. One problem sunrise in the morning was at 6:01 am. Oh well, we decided we had to make the trek so with only a couple games under our belts, we woke up at 4:00 am and journeyed to the trail. On the trail by about 4:30 am we scrambled up the trail (that was pitch black) by lantern light. The trail is less hiked than expected and parts of the trail can only be seen by little blue strips of paint. 

It was freezing. It was raining/sleeting. And it was DARK. It is a little over 2 miles hike up and the same distance coming down. We continued to trudge up the mountain at a brisk pace, as to not miss the first signs of light. I kept telling myself it would all be worth it and the view would be amazing. No such luck. We did make it to the top in time, but we were greeted with a miserable surprise.

The rain caused much too much fog and the view was completely blocked out. We were greeted by mega strength winds. The top of the mountain has barely any trees, so there isn’t anything to block the wind. There are boulders sprinkled around that I kept ducking behind for moments of peace.

• 

• 

This trip took a lot out of me, but did teach me the importance of the journey. It was good exercise and it did force us to get an early start. We did get a few specks of nice views on the way down. But we are definitely putting Acadia on our summer destination vacation list. 

• 

• 

Finally, we made it back to our car! We immediately stripped down and wrapped up in our blankets to thaw out. We threw all our soaked clothes into a trash bag as to not soak the rest of our wardrobe. It felt so great to finally be dry and warm again in the refuge of our fearless Santa Fe. We decided to head towards the closest Planet Fitness for warm showers. It was still sunrise so we got a nice drive through Maine while there was still light. Maine is full of lakes and tranquil nature parks. It remained rainy and foggy for the rest of the day. So we enjoyed the rest of our views from our car as we headed towards New Hampshire. 

God Bless, 

McKayla 

We made our departure towards Massachusetts after our time in the country’s smallest state, and we had a drive ahead of us. We traveled towards Cape Cod, MA-which for those who are not acquainted with MA, is the farthest east you can go in MA, on the tip of that curly pointy part of land that juts out of MA into the Atlantic.

• 

• 

• 

It was windy! The sky was a beautiful pale blue without a cloud in the sky. We made the rounds to various lighthouses that littered the coasts of Cape Cod Bay, before settling down on the beach for a few moments to eat breakfast.

• 

What a great idea, right? Let us cook a meal in the cold, east coast wind while sitting in the rough, coarse sand that gets everywhere… Perfect! It was actually much better than I anticipated, but it was very chilly and a little inconvenient to cook an egg scramble with no table.

• 

• 

While Mickey and I cuddled for warmth while gorging on a delicious egg scramble, we watched the waves wistfully as they crashed violently with the shore that had driftwood strewn across the sand. It was a beautiful and peaceful sight, and what a perfect moment it was. Owners and their dogs walked by cheerfully, an older couple walked the water hand-in-hand, an old lady walked up to the water completely naked.

Wait… What?

McKayla and I were taken aback in horror as a lady that looked to be in her 90s walked up to the water break, threw her towel to the wind-literally, and then jumped into the frigid abyss blissfully and began to bathe shoulder-deep in the saltwater. We could not help ourselves from laughing out loud before covering our eyes in horror. I mean, no offense, but what would you do in a situation like that? After her bath she wrapped up in her towel, waved to us with a smile on her face, and then happily hopped along off the beach. Good morning, Massachusetts.

• 

• 

After our free show on the beach, we headed north towards Boston. On the way, we passed through Dennis, MA, and sent our good friend Uncle Dennis, a postcard from his own town. Boston is home to beautiful scenery, terrible drivers, and annoying accents. The only thing more annoying than the accents were the slew of Patriots fans everywhere in sight. Boston is a gorgeous city.

The Public Garden looked perfect in the 5 0’clock sunset that layered warm colors over red, orange and yellow trees that almost made them glow. McKayla was very excited to see the famous Make Way for The Ducklings! Statue. She thought they were very cute.

• 

• 

We also visited another snobby rich kid college here as well: Harvard. While we did not explore the campus this time, only the Arnold Arbortreum to get lost in the wonderful gardens that called this place home.

It took us 2 hours and many expletives hurled at other drivers to find parking for this damn place. Boston, learn how to drive, PLEASE. Once the sun had set on the city that never sleeps learned how to drive, we visited a local restaurant to sample the world famous Boston Clam Chowder (CHOWDAH). We sat down and took in all the Bostonesque components that surrounded us. Sam Adams sludge lager was being served everywhere, the Patriots were on every tv set, and people talking way too loud and obnoxiously to be serious beset us on all sides. When our bread bowls overflowing with the clammy goodness was served, we could not have been more satisfied. It was perfect!

Whoever invented the bread bowl deserves a raise, it really is the most incredible use of bread in our time-thank you good sir/ma’am for discovering such a delicious device for our dinner. After our chowder and their bowls had been demolished, we decided to go see the entire city from the view of the Skywalk Observatory.

The 50th floor that the Observatory called home let us see as far as a mile in all directions. What a view. A crystal clear night sky laid view to a bustling city that looked much more peaceful through a birds-eye view. We spent a few moments up there, just taking it all in. Once we had our fill, we journeyed our way back to Meredith so we could make our journey north to the city of Portland, Maine: The other Portland.

God Bless!

WOW! Rhode Island may be the smallest state, but it is packed with huge views, ocean front mansions, and is home to some of the friendliest people. Daniel and I were nothing but impressed with this unexpected little gem. If you are familiar with the Great Gatsby, then I am sure you won’t be surprised that most of this movie was filmed in this dream land. Well, I could drool over this little paradise all day, but I will skip the cringe and get explaining our adventures. 

Our first stop in Rhode Island, was the town of Newport. It is the picture perfect town for a dreamy American port. Immediately upon entering this town you can tell it is full of wealth. There are huge mansions on every corner and expensive car cruising around every street. The Tennis Hall of Fame is located in the middle of this town and there are many courts sprinkled around the city as well. You could easily spend a whole day, walking the streets, eating at the Ma and Pop restaurants on each block, watching wedding parties waltz around, and enjoying the fancy gazebos planted everywhere. But in our personal opinion the greatest treasure of Newport is The Cliff Walk. It is a 4 mile walk along the Rhode Island shoreline. Full of rocks, interesting tunnels, places to enjoy the ocean view, stone bridges, incredible palaces, and a balance of paved sidewalks and rocky terrain, it is heaven to any adventurous soul. 

• 

• 

On their website, The Cliff Walk is described as a, “world famous public access walk that combines the natural beauty of the Newport shoreline with the architectural history of Newport’s gilded age. Wildflowers, birds, and geology, all add to this delightful walk.” This Natural Recreation Trail was created back in 1975. It allows people to view the historic region as well as enjoy the beauty of the New England shoreline. With the mighty waves crashing against the rocks, and viewing powerful whirlpools from the bridges, it is hard to not fell close to God. You can taste His glory in the strength of the wind, and spend the afternoon admiring His majestic artwork. If anyone wins the lottery, and would like to sponsor Daniel and I’s retirement home on this beautiful shoreline, it would be greatly appreciated!

Not only will you find incredible homes sprinkled along this path, there are also unique little tunnels and beautiful stone bridges. This 4 mile hike takes you on a journey back in time, feeling like you are in the Hobbit with these moss covered tunnels. Sitting on the rocks it’s hard not to feel like the Little Mermaid with the mist of the mighty ocean blowing through your hair. With the shoreline being covered in rocks, instead of sand, there is a soothing crackling sound as the tide rushes in and out. I will attach a video at the bottom so you can get a taste for the music the ocean makes, but trust me it’s more delightful in real life! 

• 

• 

• 

• 

There were parts that were so incredibly windy you could lean forward and the wind would hold you. The wind was constant so there was barely any fear of falling. Daniel and I of course discovered if you open your jacket you can instantly transform into a flying squirrel. The wind fills you up into a little sumo wrestler costume and you very fluffy. You gotta try it!  

After we finished this amazing hike, we decided to take a stroll up on the street filled with mansions. These old homes are guarded by huge iron gates and often times beautiful sculptures. As we were walking we discovered it was also very windy up on the main road. The trees had huge trunks and creeked with the wind and age. One tree in particular made an extra loud groan, and we became concerned. Daniel said, “That tree is about to blow over.” Sure enough moments later the tree came crashing down! It fell probably about 8 feet in front of our feet and barely missed the two cars. The little car had to speed up and the truck slammed on his breaks to barely miss this giant oak. The iron fence was bent as easily as cutting through butter. Both lanes were covered by this old tree, and we rang the mansions intercom to alarm the elderly lady living there. With the fire department on their way, and everyone thankful to not be crushed, we decided to head North. 

• 

• 

After our near death experience, we drove to the Rhode Island’s capitol: Providence. We visited the capitol building which was very beautiful and placed on at least an acre of green lawn. The building is quite old, and the architecture is quite impressive.

It was much less windy in Providence, but definitely still chilly. We decided to head to a local coffee shop and try Rhode Island’s state drink: Coffee Milk. We chose Dave’s Coffee and were welcomed by the sweet aroma of caffeine and sugar. Apparently you can get Coffee Milk with a variety of milk and even blended with ice cream. As recommended by the locals, we chose our coffee milk with oat milk. The official drink of Rhode Island did not disappoint. We paired it with a delicious peanut butter and toasted fluff doughnut! 10/10 would recommend and/or eat again.

After an exciting morning we choose to have a relaxing evening. We found a nice park and cuddled up in Meredith to watch a movie. After recharging, we spent the evening exploring downtown Providence and trying some local brews. The beer wasn’t our favorite, but the people definitely made up for it! Rhode Island is one of the nations greatest hidden jewel. Massachusetts, you have your work cut out for you. And just like that we were Cape Cod bound! MA we are headed for you.

Cheers!

McKayla