Lake Superior

A few photos from our first big camping trip to Northern Wisconsin and Duluth, MN...

I love these family bikes. They always make me laugh!

 Beautiful sandy beach and clear water.

I never thought we would be able to eat at a restaurant on the trip. Plans were to always cook meals in our camper. Duluth had an awesome Whole Foods. Seriously wish it was located by our house! Anyway, we saw in a brochure about Tavern on the Hill and how they focus on healthy food and try to source their products from the nearby area. We checked out their menu online and thought they might have something Kaelyn and I could actually eat. To be honest I was nervous, but David was excited to give it a try. Our poor waitress had to go back and forth to the kitchen like 20 times with questions, but we were finally able to get a meal that worked for us. Yay and thank God! Here's what we had...

Turkey burger topped with caramelized onions and sprouts. Our side was smashed cauliflower. K and I both liked it! Great place to check out if you are in the Duluth area.

A couple Sundays ago the piano player at our church was telling a story about Jesus being like our lighthouse and what a rocky journey we may have to get to Him. I immediately thought of our trip and the path we had to take to get to the lighthouse. Walking on these jagged rocks of varying sizes was not so easy, it took quite a bit of time but oh how it related to our own life journey. Our stories are all so different but we are all given obstacles to overcome, to push through and hopefully through the journey we come closer to Christ who gives us light in our darkness. He's our hope and source of good things to come. ♥

We saw a number of things. We toured the William Irvin ship which was HUGE! Kaelyn did not like going to the top deck since it was so high up but atleast she enjoyed pretending to steer the ship once she was up there. Another highlight was the Heritage and Arts Center. It had something for everyone to enjoy... history, art show, kid play area, amazing train museum, detailed wood carved furniture plus more. Lake Superior area was a hard place to leave. We debated about taking another day to see more sights in the area but decided we would just have to go back when we had more time to explore. We are so thankful for the family adventure we had and look forward to seeing new sights next summer.

California ~ Pros & Cons

One of my favorite things to do is travel and explore new places with my family.

Getting great photos of our adventures has to be the best souvenir.

Although this post only shows the "pretty" pictures we have some not so pretty memories in our minds. Ha! California was a trip we'll remember for a long time... the good and the not so good.

Let's start with the good, here is Santa Monica...

California's beaches are fantastic! I could have layed/played in the sand all week. We had lunch at the Mexican restaurant at the end of the pier. (shown above) It was good, but beware of the pigeons that come in and walk under the tables looking for food. They might think your feet look tasty.

Birds are everywhere around the beach. It is fun seeing all the different kinds/colors, but the con is when they fly over you. Watch out because they may leave a not so wonderful surprise on you or your belongings!

Another highlight for us was touring the Gamble House in Pasadena. The home was ingeniously designed by the Greene brothers in the early 1900's. The attention to detail that went into every aspect of this house is truly amazing.

 Can't help but think how wonderful those Japanese-inspired sleeping porches

were back in the day when things weren't so built up and fast paced.

 

Have you noticed how every corner is rounded? The inside of the house is the same way... every single little corner. The time it must have taken!

Gorgeous house! Pictures aren't allowed to be taken in the inside, so you will have to reserve a tour to see more. :)

California did have some drawbacks. The traffic was crazy and SLOW. You better not be in a hurry to get anywhere. The worst part though is where we stayed... Days Inn in Glendale, CA ---NOT recommended!!! So the motel was extremely outdated but was pretty clean. When I went to check the bathroom out the large ceiling tile above the tub looked like it could cave in at any moment. I was worried as I've had some crazy things land on my head before. Well in the very early hours the ceiling tile caved in for the family staying next door. It was a mess! Discount, oh no! Showers for them, nope. Uggh. But that may not have even been the worst of it. The connected restaurant to the motel had horrible service. If you are looking to be surprised with what you get then this is the place for you. Most people order off the menu thinking they will get what the description describes. Here, oh no, they will give you whatever they feel like and they aren't going to fix it. I have never been to a place where the customer is always wrong. The family we were with had a HORRIBLE experience(s). They did not get the food they ordered and were told yes, that is what they ordered and they had changed their mind on what they wanted! Oh my goodness! We asked to borrow a bowl, since our daughter has many allergies, but no, if we wanted a bowl we would have had to pay $4.95 as if we were buying the oatmeal only we would just be getting the bowl to use!!!! I don't know how many times we had to say "WOW! This is for real?!?" It definitely made for a memorable trip! I would like to visit more of California, but Glendale will not be on the list... and no Days Inn ever. So yeah, that's my review in a nutshell and the end of vacation pictures for this year. :)

A Vegas must + 10 years!

Ten years ago today I married my best friend. He has been such a huge blessing in my life. God knew just who I needed by my side, and though life has certainly not always been easy for us, we have experienced some amazing adventures together.

While in Vegas a very special couple lined up a double date night and it was so much fun! We headed to Tivoli Village which is away from the strip and away from the crowds. Just what I like... quiet, beautiful scenery, shops, food and adult time together with people I love.

We ate at the Poppy Den and oh my goodness, the food was amazing!!!

Yes, I was the crazy person taking pictures of the food. Ha! Can you tell I don't get out much? It was good for laughs. :) Anyway, I had the Mahi Mahi with onion jam & dill. Our table also shared bowls of Quinoa fried rice and Kimchi (I think thats the name could be wrong it was made with seaweed and I had to try it!) The chef also gave us Kimchi(?) pickles to try. I am not a pickle person, but these were good and had a kick that left you wanting more. There wasn't anything I didn't like. Chef Angelo Sosa is a seriously good cook; you can tell by the taste, cooking is his passion.

Love the lights and details.

If you are in the Las Vegas area, I highly recommend giving Poppy Den a try.

 

Thank you again to the couple who made this night happen. We refer to it as a wonderful & memorable 10 year anniversary celebration.

To my man ~ looking forward to many more exciting adventures with you! You are the best!