Reading, learning and rediscovering

Every day is an opportunity to learn.  We are constantly learning.  Learning helps us grow, expand horizons, meet mew people, try new things and so much more.  In reality, we never can learn everything, there will always be something new.

This has been my life in the last few weeks.  

As you may recall, I recently found out that I have 22 trigger foods that have been wrecking havoc on my stomach and intestines, are potentially the cause of my headaches, fatigue and so much more!  I think I have read more food labels in the last 2 weeks than I have in my entire life.

Don't get me wrong, I read food labels before, but never like I do now!  Before I would take a quick scan of the ingredients, but my focus usually was more on the fat, calories, protein and carbs in anything I was considering buying.  Now, I am literally reading each and every ingredient on the label, trying to decipher what some things are, contemplating if it is "safe" for me to eat!

This weekend, I finally tackled the project of going through the pantry and cupboards to sort out what I could eat from what was now fair game for the rest of the family to enjoy.  Everything that contained Milk, almonds, cheese, onions, pineapple and more was set on one side of the table. Everything that was free of all trigger foods was placed on the other side of the table.

In the end, there was definitely more on the right side (avoid side) of the table than the left.  Wow!  No wonder why I feeling the way that I was, if I was eating so many of these foods on the "avoid" side of the table daily!  

How much of it was I eating?  just to give you an example:

Breakfast most mornings was a shake mixed with Chocolate Almond Milk, a milk based shake mix and either a banana or pineapple.  I have since learned that Milk (most Dairy) is a trigger, as are almonds and pineapple!

Now I am replacing my shake mix with a dairy free version and sticking with bananas, strawberries or other fruit!

Lunch was usually leftovers... this particular day, it was baked salmon (now on the list of avoid foods) and green beans (another avoid food!). Yes, I will miss as my salmon and

Shrimp and crab, but I still have scallops and a few other varieties of fish I can enjoy!

In the two weeks that I have been working to eliminate these trigger foods, I feel better, sleep better most nights and am starting to see higher energy levels.  Oh yeah, and I have not had any migraines!

I have also had to stop and think more about what I am feeding my body.  I have gone back to some of my favorite recipes, some of which I have not made in a long time, played with them to see what I could do to tweak them, to fit in the new diet

One of those recipes that I went back to, was my favorite chicken salad recipe!

A few years ago, I posted the recipe for this here and figured that it was time to share it again.. with a few modifications!

This light, summer chicken salad, in its original formula, was made with almond butter.  Since I can't have the almond butter anymore, I opted to make it now with cashew butter!  

What a game changer!  

Shredded chicken (perfect way to use up that leftover rotisserie chicken!), granny smith apples, grapes, cashew butter and honey!

The perfect blend of sweet and crunchy to go with the chicken!

Pure yum!

Yes, I am still learning what I can easily grab to eat when I need a quick snack or am making dinner.  I will continue to work on finding modified recipes for some of the family favorites that right now, I can't make in the same way that I did before... Chili without onions, kidney beans and cheese, just is not the same.   Same goes for sloppy joes and meatloaf.

Yes, this is a tough journey, but I know that it will be worth it in the end!  The next few months might be tough and I will miss my pizza, but if, in the end, it means that I am healthier, have more energy and can avoid the headaches, it will be worth it!  Your health is more important!

Now, time to scour the internet for dinner tomorrow!

Exciting new adventures with the EnergyBits team!

As some of you may have noticed, last week there was a new badge added to the sidebar of my blog.   I was approached by ENERGYBits to become one of their Brand Ambassadors!  I am excited to let you know that I said YES!  

Back in April, someone told me about these as a energy source and race fuel.  I will tell you that I was skeptical at first, but when I received a sample of these and was amazed by the results that I saw with just using then a few times! (you can read my original review of of ENERGYBits here)   I did some more reading on these obscure little green tablets and really liked what I was reading.   I’m not aware of anything that offers the combination of benefits you get from ENERGYbits, plus the are gluten free and NON GMO certified!

Over the last few months I have been using them on a regular basis and can say only say that I wish I knew about them sooner!  My running has improved and I have been able to push myself harder and farther this summer that I would have imagined possible!  I also noticed quickly that I did not have to rely on my previous options for race fuel anymore (many of which were loaded with added sugar and carbs).  With ENERGYbits, I had the energy to get me through a run and when I finished I was not left feeling I was starving!  Many times, I actually have to force myself to stop and eat something just to start refueling my body!   This has also bee true with my workouts at the gym!

But these are more than just fuel for running and fitness enthusiasts!!!!!

I have even found that I can focus better at work and am not hungry all the time!  ENERGYbits algae tabs are the answer for pure energy and health. The are  all naturally too. They will help curb cravings, keep the hungries away and give you a steady stream of energy that will keep you going all day!   I have even noticed that I have been drinking significantly less coffee in the last few months, simply because I don't need to rely on the caffeine from it to get me through the day!  The once in a while that I do make myself coffee at work, I rarely even finish the cup... so most days I don't even bother.

The really exciting part of becoming a Brand Ambassador, means that I get to offer a discount on products for all of you!  I know for me, I am always looking to see where I can save a few buck - running all these events gets expensive!  Running can be an expensive "hobby"!  Between race fees, new shoes, traveling to numerous races, I am always looking to save money where I can.  Now, I will admit that my first thought was that the cost of the bags of ENERGYbits seemed like a lot, but with ENERGYbits, I have actually found that I am spending LESS on race fuel that I was in the past!  

A single serving on ENERGYbits (less that $3 when purchased with my discount) is enough to get me through a 6 mile run with no other fuel (just water!).  Before ENERGYbits, I was using an average of 2 gels (1 before and 1 during) plus some sort of recovery drink afterwards, which was $4-5 in fuel at a minimum, depending on what I selected as my post race recovery drink.  Now double this for a half marathon!  

I hope you’ll try them soon and when you do, use my promotional code RENEGADERUNNER to get a 25% DISCOUNT!  You can only purchase them online at www.energybits.com so when you check out, just enter discount code RENEGADERUNNER into the coupon box and your discount will immediately show up on screen. The discount works on all products.

Also, if you are interested in trying them as a sample, let me know!  Single serving sample bags are available for sale!  So if you don't want to jump straight in an order a whole bag without trying them first,  this is a awesome option!!  If this is something you are interested in, let me know!

Direct from the company:

The company explains why ENERGYbits®are so popular with runners, athletes and fitness enthusiasts:

When a handful of ENERGYbits® are swallowed 10 -15 minutes prior to a workout, race, game or run, they provide a steady flow of energy, eliminate fatigue and speed recovery, all naturally and all without digestive distress.  The reason is simple. ENERGYbits® do not contain any caffeine, sugar or chemicals yet they have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%), all in amino acid form which are absorbed instantly to provide a steady flow of glucose. ENERGYbits® also contain 40 vitamins/minerals, natural nitric oxide to open blood vessels, antioxidants to fight free radicals, Omega 3 to reduce inflammation, iron to prevent fatigue and electrolytes to prevent dehydration. All this from just one ingredient –organic spirulina and all for just one calorie per tab.  

For more information or to buy yours, please visit:

Website: www.energybits.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/energybits

Twitter: @energybits and #poweredbybits

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/energybits

Avocado, Not just for guacamole anymore!

Avocado Fudge?

Yes please!

I am sure that, if you are anything like me, when you hear fudge, Healthy is not a word that comes to mind.  Most of the time, I think I get a sugar headache just from looking at fudge!  I do not eat a lot of sweets anymore, but once in a while you just need to keep it real!  Yes, I still have my favorites that I splurge on from time to time, but keeping it in moderation is key.  

SO, back to this fudge...  A few months ago, I was cruising the internet, trying to find a few new recipes to try.  I had about 4 avocado's sitting in my kitchen that I needed to use up before they were too ripe.  When I first came across this fudge recipe, I will admit, I was skeptical.  Chocolate and Avocado Fudge?  Together?  Admit it, when you read those avocado and fudge together, you thought it was a typo.  Would someone really mix THOSE two things together?  Not really sure about that combination myself, but I like both, so why not give it a try.  Worst case scenario?  I have a 16 year old that will eat just about anything! 

I originally found the recipe at Activeware.com and I have made it twice now, trying out different brands of chocolate each time.  Other than that, I have kept with the original recipe, but I am sure that over time I will tweak it a bit and make it my own!  Best thing?  ok, there are many awesome things about this recipe, but the fact that it only has 4 ingredients is a huge plus in my book!

The creaminess of the avocado blends perfectly with the chocolate to create the perfect balance of sweetness.  Several people that I have tried it did not believe me that there really was avocado in it!

Ingredients:
*2 very ripe avocado's (only 1 if you are not frosting your fudge)
*9oz dark chocolate
*1 Tablespoon coconut oil
*1 teaspoon Vanilla extract

Directions:
Line an 8x8 or comparable size pan with parchment paper (or plastic wrap), leaving plenty hanging over the sides (this will come in handy later!)

Slice one of the avocado's in half, scoop out the insides from each half into a food processor.  Process the avocado until it's smooth, about 30 seconds or so.  If you don't have a food processor, you can do this part by hand, it just takes longer (or you can just have small chucks of avocado in your fudge - yes I have done this before! It still tastes great)

Scrape the avocado into a double boiler and add the chocolate and coconut oil and set this aside. Put water in the lower pan of your double boiler and bring to a simmer.  Once the water reaches a simmer, put the top pan on and get ready to see it all come together!

Stir the ingredients together until everything melts and is smooth (about 5 minutes).  Once everything is completely melted, continue stirring for another 5 minutes while everything starts to thicken.

Once the mixture starts to thicken, add the vanilla, stir and scrape everything into your prepared pan.

Chill in fridge for a few hours (or until firm enough to eat - you won't want to wait 3 hours for this!).

Once your fudge is firmed up and set, pull it out of the pan using the excess parchment that you left hanging over the edges.  Cut into desired pieces and enjoy!  This last time I made it, I added a bit of coarse sea salt to the fudge before serving.  

Frosting: (optional)
cut the 2nd avocado in half, scoop out the flesh into a bowl and mash to your desired consistency.  

I will admit that I have never actually frosted this fudge.  Maybe one of these days I might actually do that, but so far I have just been enjoying the smooth creamy sweetness of these squares of pure heaven!

Enjoy! But beware... a batch of this disappears faster than something in a David Copperfield show!

What I Ate Wednesday vol2

Time again for WIAW (What I ate Wednesday)!

Like I said last week, with all the miles and Renegade workouts, I really do eat a lot. Which is good for me, because I do like food!  Over the last few months, after I really made the big changes in what I eat, I have eliminated many things, but I have also found quite a few new foods and/or recipes that have become staples in my diet.  Over the next few weeks I will start sharing a few of these each week with you.

Today, it will only be one recipe, as I forgot to take the necessary picture for the other recipes that I wanted to share with you... oops!

The first recipe that I felt I needed to share is one of my new favorite "un"sandwiches...  who said you NEED bread for a sandwich?  Ok, most people will say that you do, but something does not have to have bread to make is a sandwich!  In reality, the bread is just a way to keep everything together so that you can get the "filling" to your mouth!  This summer summer chicken salad utilizes a lettuce leaf to transport the fillings from plate to mouth!  Genius!

Paleo Chicken Salad Summer Wrap

I found this recipe here at EasyPaleoMeals.org and after trying this one, you can be sure that I will be going back to try more of the recipes posted there!  "Boring" plain chicken is transformed into a fun, flavorful chicken salad that brings you back to feelings of warm summer days - and after the extreme cold temperatures that we have dealt with this winter, I will do anything to think warm!

*1/2 cup chopped chicken
*3 tbsp chopped Fuji apples
*2 tbsp chopped red grapes
*2 tsp honey
*2 tbsp almond butter

Mix ingredients together and wrap into a Romaine leaf

I have made this so many times that I honestly don't even measure anything anymore! I just chop up as much chicken as I have available, then eyeball the amount of everything so that I have a nice colorful mix.

You do have to be patient when mixing everything together as it does take a while for the almond butter and honey to soften, or "melt" enough to adequately coat everything else.  But trust me, it's worth the wait!

I also usually don't even bother with "wrapping" it in a lettuce leaf - I use the romaine leaf to make a boat for all of this chicken yumminess! for that matter, sometimes I don't even bother with the lettuce wrap and just eat it straight from the bowl!

ENJOY!

So what do you eat?

Ok, time to take things into a new direction. Well, maybe not in a new direction, but just shaking things up here a bit.

When I started this blog, it was named as it was, because I was looking to break some of the not so good habits that I had and replace them with new ones, tracking that journey as I went along.  That goal has not changed.  Over the last year, I have still written about some of that stuff, but my main focus had turned to all of the running that I have started doing.  Granted, that has been a HUGE new habit for me and I will continue to blog about my running adventures, but it is time to get back to adding more of the "other stuff" back in.

What exactly that will be it yet to be determined, but you can be assured that I will have fun with it along the way!

Now as I sit here, eating my lunch,  trying to decide what to write about today, it hit me... the one question I actually have people ask me all the time...

"So, what to you really eat anymore?"

I have been asked this question more times that I can count!  The answer?  A LOT!  Yes, I eat a lot, just not a lot at one time (just several times a day!).  This is not something that can easily be covered in one single post, so that brings us to the birth of "What I eat Wednesday"  Each Wednesday, my goal is to bring you a new recipe or food that I have tried, or something else related to "what I eat".

Over the last year I really have taking a look at the way that I was eating, as well as what I have been eating and made quite a few changes.  The biggest of these changes was last year when I started adopting more of a Paleo Diet.  This started last summer and I slowly started noticing more changes.  I wasn't getting headaches as often (I think I recall 1 migraine in the last 6 months), I wasn't getting tired shortly after eating lunch at work and I was sleeping better at night!  Then in November when I switched gyms and started at Fitness Renegades, I decided that it was time to just jump in.  The gym promotes a Paleo lifestyle so it was a great benefit to have an additional support system at my disposal.   There are many websites out there that will dig into the nitty gritty of a paleo lifestyle, but in a nutshell, its getting back to the basics.  Fresh fruits, veggies, meats and seafood.  It was a real learning process for me, and I am still learning.  Now, before you ask, or jump to any conclusions, what I eat is far from "perfect paleo" and I don't think I will ever get to that point.

I have eliminated virtually all bread from my diet - I think I can count the number of times I have eaten bread since November on one hand!  I also have eliminated most processed foods and dairy, I don't remember the last time I had a soda (probably less than 6 in the last year!).  Don't get me wrong, I still have my splurges!  I love dark chocolate and wine and will always find a time to enjoy those, along with a beer from time to time.  Everything in moderation!

One thing that has been a huge benefit for me is that my mom completely changed up her eating habits a few years ago and has been able to give me a ton of ideas on foods to try etc.  Plus is makes it nice knowing that when we get together with my family, I know that there will be options available for me to enjoy so that I don't feel like I am missing out on something good!

So, to answer the question, what do I eat?

Most weekday mornings, breakfast is eggs with whatever fresh veggies are in the fridge.  This week it's been sweet potato, mushrooms, green onions, spinach and 3 eggs.  I generally am never able to really eat right away when I first wake up in the morning, so I cook my breakfast at home and then take it to work to eat a little later.  

 While my breakfast is cooking, it is time to play with the juicer!  More fruits and veggies are juiced together and put into a travel mug to head to work with me for my mid-morning snack.  This particular blend was carrot, beets, green apple, ginger and pineapple.  There are days that I will also add some spinach or kale to the mix or change up the fruits, but this as turned into the pick me up that I need to keep my day going.

Now on to lunch.  Many times lunch at work is leftovers from the night before (if there is anything left) but this week I found huge tubs of baby spinach on sale!  So, I picked up some chicken breasts and cooked off 4 of them on Sunday to put in the fridge to use during the week.  Today's salad was my baby spinach topped with chicken, raw almonds, blueberries, strawberries and avocado, topped with an oil free pomegranate vinaigrette.

There is no going hungry for this girl!  Which is a good thing because with intense workouts that I get at Fitness Renegades and all of the miles that I run, I need all the energy I can get!  There are so many different foods that I have tried in the last few months that I will slowly share with you as time permits!

Now that What I Eat Wednesday has been mad official, it is time for this girl to get some sleep.  The foods that I eat definitely give me energy, but after a 12 hour work day, there comes a time when you just need to call it a day and get some rest!

Until next time...

Munising Vacation winds to a close

The final day of our weekend in Michigan had to come to a close. Today we would be on a mission to visit a few more places, find a few geocaches and head for home.   But before I get to today, I want to back track to last night and the phenomenon in the sky.  Last night was one of the best nights for local viewing of the Perseid meteor shower.  We spent at least an hour out on the front lawn of the motel, enjoying the meteor shower, listening to the soft waves crashing on the shore.  Darrin decided to get nice and comfortable and grabbed his hoodie and fuzzy pants and laid down right on the shuffle board to watch the spectacle in the sky.  Unfortunately I was not able to get any pictures, but I can assure you that it was really cool thing to see.  Apparently from what we were told, Sunday night was going to be the best night to view it even better, but since we were not going to be here, we would just have to enjoy it while we could!

This morning we didn't have a lot of plans before leaving town so we decided to so some exploring and find a few geocaches along the way.  Darrin and my dad have been on a mission this summer to see how many consecutive days they can log a cache find.  So, Darrin said we had to find a few today!  There were still a few in the area that we didn't find last year, as well as a few new ones so we had our work cut out for us.  We finished off the stuff we had in the motel for breakfast, packed everything up and go ready to head out.

Before I get into today though, I want tell you more about this awesome little motel that we have grown to love.  Sunset Motel on the Bay in my eye, the original waterfront motel in Munising (I guess it probably is, as I only know of one other waterfront property in town and that just recently opened).  A friend of mine recommended this property to me before Darrin and I made our first trip up here.  Ever since that first visit, we don't even look for other places to stay for this trip.  Sunset is our home away from home.  The staff always going out of their way to make sure that you have everything that you need, offer suggestions on places to go or see.  It was at their suggestion that we discovered Johnny Dogs on our first trip here and you all know how that turned out for us!  Each room has a perfect view of Munising Bay, one even has a balcony overlooking the shoreline!  There is a private beach with a fabulous sand beach which makes a perfect way to unwind after a day of hiking, biking or whatever you find to do in this fabulous area.  If you are traveling with kids, there is  a playground and plenty of room to run!  One of our favorite things that they offer to guests is that they have grills, charcoal and everything that you need for a cookout!  When Darrin was grilling last night, he stopped in the office to ask if they had paper plates, he came back with paper plates, plastic silverware, napkins and even a bag with salt, pepper and a few other grill seasoning!  Bags of ice are also readily available so you don't have to run to the gas station to buy ice for you cooler before you leave on you daily adventures!

Ok, back to our Sunday Funday (or at least morning)...

After breakfast, we headed out towards Christmas to do some geocaching.  The first stop brought us to the Range Lights just outside of town, where it didn't take Darrin long to grab 3 cache finds.  In one of them, he even found a Minion!  He decided to leave the Minion to hang out in his lakefront cache to enjoy the view a little longer.  As we were walking back toward the car, I noticed that there were some wild blueberry bushes along the treeline, with a few berries just waiting to be picked and eaten!    Once we got back to the range light and started heading towards the car, I noticed that there were several more blueberry bushes long the trail, with even more berries on them! We started picking some for an light after breakfast snack.  However, I was thinking that these would be a great snack for the road trip home... but I would need to find something to put them in! 

Darrin and I headed back to the car and I did find a single ziploc bag to collect my snack for later!  in a matter of about a half hour, we had half of the bag filled - and we didn't even make a dent in the number of berries that were out there! We will definitely be coming back there next year for a quick blueberry fix!  

After a few more quick geocache finds, it was off to find lunch,  Since we couldn't get our lunch time Johnny Dog's Fix yesterday, we decided to head there for our last meal before we headed home.  When we pulled into the parking lot, it was exactly as we found it yesterday... empty.  It was at this time that Darrin noticed the sign that they were closed both yesterday and today for private functions...  guess we are finding a new place for lunch!

Chicken Pecan Cherry Wrap

As we drove around the block, we happened to notice a small welcoming front porch with a sign indicating we had stumbled across the Rock River Lunch Bag.  We have never been here before, it's not a chain restaurant and we were hungry!  Guess we found our lunch stop for today!!

This wonderful little place was exactly what we were looking for! This was a quiet little cafe that was cozy and warm. We were greeted by a very welcoming staff that was ready to answer any questions that we had about the menu.  When I asked about what they were most known for or what some of the best / favorite options were on the menu, we were told about 2 different options...  The first was the Fresh Whitefish dip and the second was the Chicken Pecan Cherry Wrap.

Fresh Whitefish Wrap

That was a decision maker for us.  Darrin ordered the Whitefish Wrap and I ordered the other!  The Whitefish dip is made fresh and tasted phenomenal!  The lettuce, tomato and onion in the wrap were the perfect accompaniments to the fresh fish!   I think I was lucky to get a single bite of Darrin's wrap before it was GONE!  He literally inhaled it, as well as the chips!  My Chicken Pecan Cherry wrap was amazing!  The combination of the cherry and pecan in the tortilla was awesome! We will definitely have to come back and check out a few more of the options on their menu!

After an amazing lunch, it was time to hit the road for home.  We have already started out list of places we still need to check out when we make our trip next summer.  Reservations at the Sunset are already made, just like each and every year.  There is one exception for out trip next year... we are tentatively planning on coming up one week later.  Each year we see the signs as we come through Escanaba for the fair, which always starts the day AFTER we have to be home.  Next year we are planning one week later so that we can stop at the fair on the way up on Friday!  I don't even remember when I was last at the UP state Fair, but I can pretty much guarantee it's been over 25 years!

Of course our trip hope can't be without any pitstops... no road trip that Darrin and I make is a straight drive with no stops!  This time we made it to Escanaba before we had to stop!  We already knew that we had to stop for gas at some point soon, but before we did that, I spotted Sayklly's chocolates and gifts as we drove through Escanaba.  I had to stop to see what new and interesting treats that had in their chocolate case!  I found a few chocolates I had to bring home that included toffee chocolate covered pretzels and dark chocolate sea salt caramels.    As we were walking through the store, I stopped to check out their HUGE selection of gummy candies... bears, worms, footballs, you name it, they probably had it as a gummy - and this would include those AWESOME gummy frogs that I keep me going back to Orange Leaf!  This was the first time I ever saw these gummy frogs anywhere aside from OL so I had to get some!!  We have joked around that Matt has an Orange Leaf addiction, as he has to go there all the time, but I go with him just as often just so I can get my gummy frogs with my FroYo - it's a good thing we are doing a lot of running this summer to make up for the OL and gummy's that I have eaten!  Darrin was laughing at me as I was bagging some up to take home - until he found the gummy bullfrogs and decided that he needed one of those too.

Our final pitstop on trip home was at the Norway Spring - an artesian well, right along the highway.  This spring provides clean, crisp cold water constantly.  There is an awesome little park at the spring so you can get out and stretch your legs while you fill up your water bottles and can get right back on the road!  We always make a point to stop here whenever we drive through the area.  This time, Darrin had to do some digging in the car to find a few bottles to fill up. There is nothing that beats awesome fresh clean water.  Why would I pay for bottled water when I can stop here?  I just wish it wasn't a 2 hour drive from home to get my water!

As this weekend comes to a close, I really can appreciate everything that I have and the opportunities that I am able to enjoy.  I have an amazing family and awesome friends that make each day an adventure!

Munising weekend - Day 2

Munising, Day 2

There is nothing like waking up to the sounds of the waves just feet from your door and birds chirping outside your window!  No time to waste - there were bike trails calling and our friends Beth and Chad were going to be in town today!  We were on a mission to get in our bike ride before they arrived in town, so that we could spend time with them, sharing our adventures and favorite spots in the area!

After a quick breakfast in our motel room, it was off to the Valley Spur Bike trails, just south of town.  The Valley Spur trails include 4 loops, of varying distances and expertise levels. We opted for the longer loop (12 miles) that was calling our name.  According to the maps, aside from the hill at the beginning of the trail, this was a fairly level trial.  This sounded like just what we were looking for!

Ok, a hill at the beginning?  I knew we were in trouble when this "hill" was named "Stairway to Heaven"!!  This was no little hill!  The incline was steep, winding and decorated nicely with rocks, tree branches and other random features.  I was determined to make it to the top without having to stop and walk my bike!  After the first turn, I lost Darrin in the trees behind me... there was only one way up the hill so the sooner I got to the top, the longer break I could get while I waited for him!!  After what seemed like forever, the crest of the hill was finally in front of me - and I was ready for a short rest.  From a quick look at my phone, that first part of the trail was less that 3/4 of a mile.  I would swear that it was more like 2 miles - at least that is what it felt like! But I made it all the way to the top without having to walk! Once we got past that hill, the rest of the trail was a piece of cake.  At one point, where the ATV trail crossed the bike trail, which crossed the horse trail, I think we ended up getting turned around and found ourselves on a gravel road instead of the bike trail.  We knew which direction we were heading, so we kept going.  Eventually, if this road didn't bring us back to the trail (Which Darrin was pretty sure it would from when he was studying the map at the motel) we knew that eventually we would come back out to the main highway, which would get us back to the car.  Darrin was right, we made our way back to the trail right where he thought that we would.  Before long we were back at the car, completing our biking adventure.  As a result of our missed turn in the trail, we didn't hit the 12 miles that the loop should have been, but we did hit right about 10.5 miles.  Excellent morning ride!

Beth and Bill from Uncle Ducky's with her new kayak!

Perfect timing to finish our ride too.  Just after we arrived back at the car, Beth called to say they were about 30 miles from Munising.  Just enough time for us to head to the motel, take showers and meet them at Uncle Ducky's to pick up their kayak!  People say those goofy contests on facebook to like and share this post are just a scam to get you to a certain website or page... Beth will proudly tell you that they are not!  Thanks to Uncle Ducky and his contest, she is the proud owner of this new kayak!  Oh the places she and Chad will be going now!  So happy for you my friend!!

Muldoon's Pasty's

Once we had her kayak securely strapped to the top of her car, it was time to find lunch!  Where were we heading for lunch?  Why Johnny Dogs of course!  Unfortunately, we pulled into their parking lost to find that they were closed for the day!!!! Closed for private parties/events... What to do next?  So, second best... it was off to try Muldoon's Pasty shop.  Voted best pasties in the entire UP, they must be good.  The wonderful smell of fresh baked pasties really can wake up a person's senses!  The small pasty and gift shop is located in a small house right on the main highway heading out of town.  You can't miss the quaint little house with the huge sign out front advertising their award winning pasties. This was the first time that Beth was actually having a fresh pasty!  The few times she had them before was when we brought frozen ones home and shared with them.  Reheating them is ok, but nothing beats one fresh out of the oven!

Summer fun with old friends, sharing adventures!

Muldoon's Party's go into the oven weighing just over a pound each, filled with beef (or chicken if you so choose), potatoes, carrots and rutabaga, wrapped neatly into that beloved flaky crust!  These were definitely worth the stop for lunch!  We enjoyed our tasty treats outside in the perfect afternoon sun, planning our plan of attack for the rest of the day.  It would be an adventure, taking Beth and Chad to some of our favorite places that we have found over the last 2 years!

After a quick stop at the motel to drop off Beth's car and get some water, we were off!  First destination for the afternoon was Miners Falls and Miners Castle, just a short drive from our motel!  When we arrived at the parking are to Miners Falls, we were disappointed to see a sign that read no pets beyond this point... Beth and Chad were traveling with their dog today and she loves to hike!  She would not be able to join us on this one.  Beth offered to stay behind with Maya in the parking area while we make a quick run down to the falls so Chad could at least get some pictures.  A short time after hitting the trail, we saw at least 3 groups with their dogs... I guess the sign didn't pertain to them.  oh well, we were not the ones that were breaking the rules, we were just out to have a fun afternoon!

Miners Falls

Miners Falls never disappoints.  The viewing platforms at the top, as well as the bottom give you the complete feeling of the power behind this tall but fast moving wall of water!  This is one of those local hot spots that we have stopped at each and every summer we have been here - it is always just as remarkable as the times before.

From Miners Falls, it was on the Miners Castle, just down the road a little further!  Along the way to Miners Castle, you will also find the turn off to Miners Beach.  This is one of the most popular beaches in the area and you will always find a a crowd here!  It doesn't matter if you reason for heading there is relaxing on the beach, swimming orto launching a kayak, Miners Beach is truly a destination!

Miners Castle is probably one of the most recognized areas of the entire Pictured Rocks lakeshore and is visited by thousands of travels each year.  There was a second turret out on the point, but that was lost due to erosion back in 2006.  It is interesting to look at pictures from previous years just to see how things have changed over time, mainly due to the effects of mother nature!  The thing that always amazing me when we visit this area is how clear the water is down below!  One day I will travel this area via kayak so that I can get that unique up close perspective of this awesome area!

Now it's time to head to the other side of Munising for out next stop of today's adventure!  Scott Falls is just West of Christmas, about 15 minutes from Munising.  This waterfall is right along the side of the highway and I don't know how many years I drove right past it growing up before I even realized it was here!  It is a small waterfall that you can walk right up to, behind, under, through, whatever your choice for the day might be!  as you can see from the picture, Darrin opted for the INTO the waterfall option.  Yes, the water was cold, but it actually felt very refreshing after being out in the warm summer sun all afternoon!

One of the cool features of this falls is that you can easily walk from the base of the falls to the top via a short trail just to the left of the pool at the bottom.  Give you a totally different perspective of a waterfall when you can literally stand in the water right at the top, just before it makes it decent of the edge!  By the time we left Scott Falls, I thing each of us had somehow found our way into the water, even if it was just walking in the cool pool at the base of the falls... including Maya!  It is a good thing that we always have a tote filled with towels in the back of the car!  Darrin needed to sit on one and Beth needed to try and contain Maya's muddy paws so they didn't get the car covered in mud!

From Scott Falls is was a short drive to Bay Furnace.  A local gem that we found 2 years ago on our first trip through the area.  Bay furnace is the location of a huge stone blast furnace that was was used when iron ore was smelted in the forge and melted into pig iron.  The stone furnace is the only things that remains of the small town that once was in the area.  One of Darrin's favorite things to do when we visit Bay Furnace is to do a little "rock" picking.  If you look carefully you can find some awesome purple "rocks" that were created years ago when the melted iron was cooled in the cold waters of Lake Superior  Darrin has found several of these awesome purple treasures over the years and was having fun this year finding some for Beth.

Beth and I at Bay Furnace

While Darrin and Beth were carefully searching the waters for treasures, it gave Maya a chance to burn off some energy and tear up the beach.  Once again, good thing we had those towels in the car, she was really going to need it now as her white fur was now caked with wet sand from the beach

Our final stop on our adventures for the afternoon was at the Munising Lookout to get a true birdseye view of Munising Bay, all the way out Pictures Rocks.  This was a quick stop tho on our whirlwind tour as it was quickly approaching the dinner hour and we were very much looking forward to a cookout for dinner to complete this awesome day!

Once we made a run through the grocery store, it was back to the Sunset Motel to fire up the grill!  That is one of the best perks of the motel!  They have grills, charcoal, grill utensils and everything  that you need for a cookout without having to haul everything with you!  There is nothing better than a cookout, right on the lake to follow up an afternoon adventure with good friends!  Darrin got to work right away to get the coals just right for our feast of burgers and hot dogs, along with some cold beer and chips!  Everything was cooked to perfection and Darrin was now referred to by the hotel staff as the weekend grill master!  Pure perfections!

After we got everything cleaned up from dinner, we had one last adventure for Beth and Chad before they headed home... the true hidden gem of Munising!  Tannery Falls is virtually just across the road from the motel, up a short trail.  This, in my mind is the coolest waterfall in the area. It is not well advertised so there is rarely anyone else at the falls when we have been there.  I have heard tho that you do need to make sure NOT to park on the main road near where the trail starts or you will be ticketed.  There are areas close to the trail where you can park, so that might be your best option!  :) The walk back to the falls takes you right along the end of a rock cliff through a narrow cavern.  The tree cover of the cavern always keeps the air temps a little cooler that what you leave from when you start the hike!  Just when you are really getting into enjoying the quiet hike, you round a bend and discover a breathtaking little waterfall (i say little, but it is in actuality 40 feet high).  This again, is one of those falls that you can really interact with!  Today, this was where Darrin took his 3rd shower of the day, as he had to walk into the water again!  This falls is right near one other waterfall (Memorial Falls) which we had not made it to yet so that was another adventure for later (later tonight as it would turn out...).

Tannery Falls

Darrin was actually not the only one that tried out the water at Tannery today.  Beth and I also had to show him that we were out to have just as much fun as him!  And I will tell you one thing - that water was cold.  Much colder than the water at Scott Falls earlier in the day, but we were not about to let a 15 year old have all the fun!!

This afternoon spent with Beth and Chad was an amazing afternoon.  It really makes you realize how much friends can make a difference!  This summer I have come to realize that I have some simply awesome friends and family that I have been able to share unforgettable memories with!  The summer may be winding down quickly but I am determined to make the most of the summer days that are left and start thinking out the next adventures and see where they take me!

the quiet evening sunset over Munising Bay, Sunset Motel

Annual Mom and Son Weekend

The 3rd Annual Munising Weekend has finally arrived!  The weekend that Darrin and I head up north for a weekend of hiking, biking and waterfalls around Munising Michigan.  It all started in 2011 when I found an awesome deal on a Pictured Rocks Kayaking trip.  Last year we biked the entire loop around Grand Island.  Each trip is also full of hiking to the many beautiful waterfalls in the area, checking out new, fun places to eat and relaxing on the lake!  This year we left all of our plans up to whatever we felt like when we got there!  With the car packed and bikes loaded up, it was time to hit the road!

This year we started out the adventure with a visit to Fayette State Park with my parents.  Darrin had actually been traveling in the area with them for the past few days so I drove up to meet them Friday morning.  It still amazes me that I grew up just a few hours from this park and never visited it until today! This is definitely a park with a great deal of history and being able to walk through the remains of these buildings really makes you wonder what life was really like when this was a bustling iron smelting community!

We were able to spent a good part of the morning wandering through the open buildings, walking the various trails around the park and taking in the natural beauty of the surrounding cliffs.  It is amazing how easily we forget to stop and take a look around us each and every day!  Walking through the beauty and history of this park really helped me to remember to slow down and enjoy things.  In the every day hustle and bustle of life, being able to slow down and just enjoy the little things is something that I need to do more often - starting today!

After we spent the morning at the park, Darrin and I started out weekend adventure by heading the rest of the way into Manistique where we had to target destinations - the Mackinaw Winery and lunch... not necessarily in the order!  It was all going to depend on which one we found first.

As it turned out, the winery was right along the highway, next to the marina, as we drove into town!  I guess we knew where we were meant to stop first. Mackinaw Trail Winery is a family owned winery with locations in Manistique, Petoskey and Mackinaw City.  With a little bit over everything, you are sure to find something that you will enjoy!  My favorites?  I will have to say that the Blackberry was amazing as well as the late harvest Riesling.  Both of these made their way home with me, long with a few other selections!

Next order of business?  Lunch.  When Darrin and I travel together we have a few "rules" when it comes to where we eat.
1.  No fast food.  We don't eat much fast food anyway, so why eat it when we are on vacation?
2.  No place that we can eat at home - which pretty much eliminates any chain type restaurants, forcing us to find those local hidden gems!
3.  No place that we have eaten before.  This encourages us to continually try new places.  Now, we have found that we have broken this rule a few times, and have added a condition to this rule - if we go someplace that we have eaten at before, we have to get something different - no ordering the same thing from the menu!

Since this was the first time that we were traveling through Manistique, we knew that we had many available options, so when we were at the winery, we asked for a recommendation.  The gal that was working suggested Upper Crust Deli, which was located right across the river from the winery.  With the crowd that was already sitting in the restaurant, we knew that we made the right choice!  Unfortunately, we now had the next big decision to make - which of the dozens of amazing sounding sandwiches did we want to enjoy?  I opted for the Ultimate Grilled Cheese - complete with several kids of cheese, mushrooms and Canadian bacon (hold the red onions please).  served with a side of chips and a pickle, this was just what I was looking for!  I don't remember what sandwich Darrin ordered, but it was piled high with pastrami, mushrooms, cheese and onion.  The best part of the menu here is that you have your choice of several different fresh baked breads to build your sandwich on!  This was the perfect place to stop to refuel for the rest of vacation, day 1!

Time to move this adventure to Munising!!  I think this year was the first time that we were not at the motel to check in early!  On our first trip to the area, Darrin and I were lucky enough to have received a recommendation on where to stay that has turned into the only place we stay when we are in the area!  The Sunset Motel on the Bay is an awesome little motel, right on the lake that never disappoints!  Over the next few days, I will add more about this gem of a property!

Since we ate lunch later today, we were off to find some waterfalls!  Darrin's choice for our adventure this afternoon was Laughing Whitefish Falls, about 30 miles from Munising, just outside of Chatham.   From the parking area, it is a short 20 minute walk to the top of the falls.  From there, you can take a few flights of stairs down to a lookout point at the base of the falls.  This is one of the tallest waterfalls in the area, in fact I thought I read somewhere that it could be the tallest readily visitable waterfalls in the state.  Breathtaking views in the quiet serine area make this a place that I could just sit for hours...  unfortunately, dinner time was approaching and Johnny Dogs was calling our name, so we made this a short visit and headed back to town!

Johnny Dogs is one of those exceptions that we have made to vacation dining out rule #3.  We discovered Johnny Dogs on our first trip to the area and have to stop at least once each time we visit the area.  The menu is filled with gourmet hot dogs, burgers and wraps, as well as fries and a variety of other sides.  Each time we visit, we order something different and have never been disappointed!  Darrin says that we have to keep vacationing in Munising until he gets through the entire menu.  I think that will be a never ending task, as each year we come back, there are new things on the menu!  This time, it was the Guadalajara dog for me (Lime Creme, Pico and avocado) and the Homewrecker for Darrin (Deep fried hot dog, homemade chile, smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and fried onions.   Instead of eating there, we grabbed our food to go and headed back to the motel.  Nothing better than enjoying Johnny Dogs outside, sitting along the lake with the waves softly rolling in!  Sorry, once again, we were too hungry to post pics of our dinner... will have to try harder next time not to forget!!

We closed out the evening with watching the Packers Pre-season game - at least until we both fell asleep from a wonderful, exhausting day!

Tomorrow the adventure continues!

Birthday 1 Mile Fun Run

Ok, if this is what it is like to turn 40, I really don't know what people are complaining about!

Yesterday was the best day I could have asked for!

I had homemade Run Chata cupcakes to take to work that my awesome son made for me, which everyone loved!  They all know and love Darrin's cupcakes and when I sent out the email letting everyone know that there were cupcakes to be eaten, I had to add the disclaimer that they would NOT last all day.  If they wanted one, they better make sure they come early!  By the end of the day, there were 2 left!

I was also treated to an awesome birthday lunch by my dear friend and running partner Matt.  There of course is thanks that go out to my boss who was ok with my taking a little longer of a lunch break so that we could go out for something besides fast food or pizza buffet!

Wendy, Tom, myself and John before the run

Then after work, I ran with my other running partner Wendy in the GB Downtime Mile.  Tom also joined us for the run (even though h ran ahead of us and finished before us) and John came along for the ride.  A few days ago, Wendy told me that we were going to shoot for a 9 minute mile... I told her she was crazy!  Running in 70+ degree temps is never something that I enjoy, but I was going to see what I could do!  We started off to a flying start and by the time we got to the first turn, Wendy told me that we needed to slow down - we were running at less than a 7 minute mile pace!  We slowed down and crossed the first bridge.  Once we got over that bridge and turned the corner we fell into a comfortable pace and were shooting for that 9 minute goal!  By the time we were crossing the second bridge, heading to the finish line, I had a feeling we were going to be close to reaching our time goal, but I was not sure if I could actually keep up the pace!  Upon the final approach to the finish line, reality hit me... I was going to run  my mile in UNDER 9 minutes!  My Runtastic App told me that I just crossed a mile shortly before the finish line... and the timer at the finish line said 0:09:02 and I went 1.09 miles... which translated to a 8:20 min/mile!  We rocked that mile!

awesome birthday cake at Republic Chophouse

Once Christopher was done with work, he met up with us at Titletown and then we headed over to his place across the rive so that I could change out of my running clothes and figure out where we wanted to go for
dinner.  After some deliberating, and Christopher talking up the awesome Prime Rib sandwich, we headed to Republic Chophouse!  The food was amazing!  Crab and Cheese Quesadilla, crab stuffed mushrooms and prime rib sandwiches! Everything was phenomenal!  Just when I could not eat another bite, the waitress brought out dessert for us...  a HUGE slice of Red Velvet Cake! This "slice" of cake was bigger than my head!! The photo was actually taken after I had already cut off a piece of it, so you can imagine just how big it was!  Even with 3 of us eating it, we ended up taking over 1/3 of it home!

All in all, it was a fabulous day!  I got to spend it with some of my favorite people in the world!  Many thanks for making it extraordinary!