Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to the Apostle Islands we go....

My car is pointed east and we are off to northern Wisconsin to the Apostle Islands and we can't wait. The kayaks are loaded up on top of my car and the bikes on the back. We are set and on our way (now hopefully the weather agrees with us that we want to spend copious amounts of time outside). We have rented a small semi- rustic (which I am thinking means it has a bathroom - I am not 100% sure and frankly don't really care) cabin on the shore in Bayfield. The area looks gorgeous and everyone who has told us about the area loves it, so we are jazzed. Now we have four hours to chill in the car, don't worry I packed all the essential road trip snack food (soda, cinnamon gummy bears, sunflower seeds, and snack mix).

We had a luncheon bbq with lots of our family and friends who were still hanging out around the Brainerd area, lots of people are sticking around to explore the area for a few days. It was lovely to be able to see them all one more time before we departed, they came a long ways to be with us yesterday and I am glad lots of them are making family vacations out of it while they are here. I LOVE my family and my extended family! My mom is staying with Dakota because her brother's family and a few other family friends will be in town for a few days. That will be great for Dakota to have the chance to run and play with everyone while they spend their days hiking and exploring, I heard word that they may even venture up to Duluth.

There will be a full photo review of the wedding coming once we get back home (Wednesday or Thursday depending on how antsy I am to get them uploaded and posted) - so don't think you are getting short changed on that piece at all. It was soooooooooooooooo much fun to see soooooooooooooooooo many family and friends (yes all those "o"s were necessary).

We plan on taking more than a couple days just into the new year and are going somewhere warm. We figured since June, July, and August really are the prime times to be up in northern Minnesota/Wisconsin we were foolish to leave the beautiful weather when next winter we will be more than game to escape. So there will be a honeymoon part 2 come this winter.


What is a road trip essential food for you?
Where is one of your favorite places to road trip to?

Ice Out date

My sweet lime green kayak taunts me every time I go into the garage
as she sits beautifully behind Dakota's travel kennel and some yard tools
Marc's kayak is on the ground below mine

I think (knock on wood) that spring/summer may have actually arrived in Northern Minnesota. We have FINALLY gotten rid of the ice on the lakes around here, I hear up north there are still a few lakes with a few remains of ice in them. I never ever would have predicted this late of an ice out date. Fishing opener was over a week ago and there were some very unhappy fishermen due to the amount of ice still on the lakes as their beloved boats sit on shore and they make plans for how to catch the largest walleye.




While I really don't care a whole lot about fishing, although I do appreciate when a friend shares a fish or two for me to grill up, I do care that the lakes and river gets warm enough so I can put my kayak in the water. I am willing to go out paddling when the water is cold but not sooooo cold that hypothermia creates a real fear and reality if I were to tip over for one reason or another. Every year it seems that someone goes out on the lakes too early, flips over for one reason or another, and dies of hypothermia. The threat is real and so I impatiently wait, my kayak taunting me every time I go into the garage. I have my rack on top of my car all ready to go at first word that the lakes have even slightly warmed up from freezing temps.

Fingers crossed by the end of the month or early next month we will be able to put our kayaks in the water and do some serious paddling.