Mountains to Midwest

Waking Up on the Far Side of the Hill

February 24, 2020February 27, 2020by mountainstomidwest5 Comments

I am a vain person.

Ever since the awkwardness of puberty has passed, I have been pretty comfortable in my own skin, confident in my personal appearance, and if I’m honest, a little cocky. Historically, the camera loved me and I loved the camera in return. It’s not that I placed all of my self-worth in something as trivial as physical appearance, I had (and still have) a healthy appreciation for my intellect, personality, talent, etc. Not perfect by any means, just generally awesome. But ever so slowly, something has been changing. It’s been such an incremental change, that I almost didn’t notice it happening.

Eat

Chanhassen Dinner Theatre

February 3, 2020February 3, 2020by mountainstomidwest1 Comment

Did you know that the Twin Cities has a vibrant and thriving theater and live music scene? It is definitely a point of pride here in the Cities. From intimate, historic music venues to enormous modern playhouses, there is something to satisfy every taste. Thankfully, musical theater is a love Logan and I both share. In fact, we first ‘bonded’ over our shared love for Jesus Christ Superstar during a house party. We were the only two nerds watching a musical while everyone else was doing tequila shots.

Adulting

Under the Knife: A Lesson in Procrastination

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020by mountainstomidwestLeave a Comment

Over the past year, I finally made a point to take care of some basic adulting that I’ve been putting off, and by adulting I mean doctor appointments. During the move to Minnesota, and the year of finding a home and planning a wedding, we had enough on our plate that it was easy to put off finding a doctor. Afterwards, I no longer had any excuse, so I set up a string of physicals, blood tests, scans and everything that I shouldn’t have put off for over a year. Because I was taking care of business, I decided to finally talk to a doctor about fixing an issue I’ve had on the back burner since high school: a twenty year old hernia.

Explore

Like a Virgin: Camping for the Very First Time

January 2, 2020January 21, 2021by mountainstomidwest1 Comment

I am an ‘indoor’ girl. As much as I like to imagine myself as being one with nature, I have definitely been conditioned (or conditioned myself) to be more in tune with modern comforts and amenities like food delivery, air conditioning, and flushing toilets. So, when our good friends, Dan and Ruthann, broached the subject of a group camping trip last year, I was hesitant to say the least; though, Logan had been slowly priming that pump for years. “Maybe you would like camping…”

Fun

Kayaking Adventures: The Maiden Voyage

December 16, 2019December 15, 2019by mountainstomidwestLeave a Comment

While it is currently 10 degrees outside, and the snow is knee-high, Logan and I can’t help but reflect on warmer times and our amazing summer. Here’s a look back at last spring, when the snow was gone, and we took our newly purchased kayaks on their maiden voyage…

It was late April, the ice was out, we had our gear, and it was 70+ degrees outside.

Let’s do this!

Adulting

Home Garden – Take One: Raised Bed on a Budget

December 9, 2019February 10, 2020by mountainstomidwest1 Comment

I have always wanted to have a vegetable garden, but until our current house, I have always been a renter or lived in a condo. And since moving away for college, I have rarely stayed anywhere for more than a year.

Our current house is on a wooded lot with several large, old oak trees, which is lovely, but means shade. Lots and lots of shade.

There is one spot on the side of our house that gets more than six hours of sustained sun. Our first summer here, I planted a single Ghost Pepper plant straight into the ground which produced enough fruit for me to spice up all my food for a couple months and make about a year’s worth of pepper jam. This year, I thought I’d go further and build a raised bed so we could finally have a real garden.

Eat

Octo Fish Bar

November 25, 2019November 25, 2019by mountainstomidwestLeave a Comment

Superb seafood in landlocked St. Paul!

We don’t often splurge on extravagant date nights, but every once in a while, a special occasion or celebration marks the perfect time for some Twin Cities seafood! The Octo Fish Bar, located in the Lowertown neighborhood of St. Paul, has literally been on our eating wish list since before we left Colorado, and it did not disappoint.

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Fun

Fitger’s 5k 2019

November 18, 2019November 18, 2019by mountainstomidwest1 Comment

Fitger’s 5k is an annual race in Duluth, MN. In 2018, it was on the list of races (USATF MN Team Circuit) in which my team competes. I assumed nothing would change in 2019 so I reserved us a room at Fitgers Inn over 6 months in advance thinking I’d hit two birds with one stone: I could participate in one of the team races for the year whilst Britt and I would get a little weekend trip to Duluth.

Explore

Duluth ‘Mini-moon’

November 18, 2019November 20, 2019by mountainstomidwest1 Comment

Truthfully, it could be a while before our official honeymoon becomes a reality, so Logan and I planned an April, three-day “Mini-moon” to Duluth, Minnesota to coincide with Logan’s running in the annual Fitger’s 5K race. Here some highlights from our weekend getaway!

Fun

Kayaking Adventures: Getting Started… in Winter?

November 11, 2019November 11, 2019by mountainstomidwestLeave a Comment

Logan is a mountain boy. He loves the challenge of scaling a steep trail to the inevitable payoff of a spectacular panoramic view at the top. We knew when we agreed to leave Colorado that trading the mountains for flat land would present more than just a change of scenery. In Colorado Springs the mountains were literally at our doorstep. By leaving the endless miles of readily accessible hiking trails, we lost our most prevalent physical activity. And while there are parks and walking trails galore in the Twin Cities and beyond, Logan does not consider ‘walking’ and ‘hiking’ to be the same thing, and thus began the search for a new hobby.