Elissa

Gift Ideas, Lists, Tips and Tricks

2019 Adventurer’s Holiday Gift Guide

Posted on by Elissa

Does anyone else struggle with finding the right thing to buy friends and family members for a present? Or is it just me? 

I feel like whenever the November month rolls around, my brain begins to fill with anxiety as to what to get people, whether it will be good enough, or will they even use it?! What about what to get those people who just don’t want anything? As a couple who just wants to live in the moment and enjoy “experiences” rather than “things,” the “I don’t want anything” couple is us. And we do apologize to those who feel like they need to buy us things! 

But, if you’re someone who loves giving gifts: With the season of giving coming soon, Eric and I wanted to share some gift ideas for those adventurous folks who just don’t want anything! 

1) Tied for FIRST: A parks gift card! The (US) National Park Service has gift cards that can be used on annual passes, gear, or park entrance fees. You could also purchase your state’s parks gift card (i.e. a Minnesota State Parks gift card) that would similarly cover camping, gear, and entrance fees where applicable. We LOVE the parks, and appreciate being able to view magnificent nature while learning some history. Don’t hesitate to check out your local, regional, or national park’s websites for more info and to compare which gift card is best for your adventurer. 

1) Tied for FIRST: A Hot Spot! Everyone loves a good WiFi connection. Did you know that with a Skyroam Solis hot spot you can have WiFi almost anywhere? To receive this device as a gift would be amazing. Then your traveler, for just $9 per day or $6 per month, could have WiFi in 130 countries! (As of November 2019, at least.) I have used a WiFi device like this in the past, and absolutely LOVED it. This particular device is on my wish list too. You can even have up to 10 devices being used at once! After doing the math, it saved my sister and I at least $50 in just a week and a half–money that we were able to use on food and experiences instead of paying an international phone bill. 

3)  Packing cubes! The single best way to pack your backpack, suitcase, or duffel. We have two types of packing cubes: regular, and compression. We have been using the regular (typical, zip-closure cube shape) packing cubes for years, and love those. The compression packing cubes, on the other hand? GAME. CHANGER. First, you zip your items in to close the packing cube, then you zip a second zipper that compresses the items into an even smaller space! These are 100% ideal for packing, whether you’re a backpacker or checked-bag traveler. If you haven’t tried packing cubes before, they will change your life. They are the best gift for those who love to travel!

4) Outlet adapter. Specifically, an international outlet adapter with lots of plug in options. We have the Saunorch Universal International Travel Power Adapter (can be found on Amazon), and it is amazing. Not only is it great for the obvious international travel where the outlets are different than here in the United States (i.e. we used it in Europe and South America), but it was also super helpful to have on our cruise! At least on Norwegian Cruise Line ships, they have one US outlet and one European outlet, so it was awesome to be able to use this adapter with its USB ports and charge our phones at the same time. 

5) A microfiber or Turkish towel. These types of towels are quick to dry, oh so soft, and super absorbent. They also are really thin, making them the perfect packable travel towel. We bring ours on every trip we go on, and I find them to be the perfect towel for drying my hair too. I wouldn’t go on another trip without one!

6) Wool socks. No explanation needed. Every adventurer loves a good pair of wool socks. Winter wool socks. Summer wool socks. Any kind of wool socks. Our favorite brands are SmartWool and Duluth Trading Company!

7) Inflatable outdoor couch. We received the Pouch Couch as a Christmas gift and love it. It’s a permanent resident of our RV, and is awesome to have at our campsite for lounging around after a great hike. Note you’ll have to keep it away from your campfire embers, so it’s best to be used during the daylight hours. 

8) A solar powered charging bank. We have the Hiluckey brand, and it’s been awesome! We wall charge it when we can because, like all solar items, that method is faster than charging with the sun. But it’s been so amazing to be able to strap it to our backpack or have it lying on the picnic table to charge when an outlet isn’t available. This charging bank also has a few USB ports so you can charge a couple devices at the same time. It’s great to have this charging our cell phones while we’re sleeping or just relaxing.

9) SteriPEN! Eric and I have one of these, and it was a godsend on our Peru trip! You get somewhere around 3,000 uses just from one bulb! There are many different types of SteriPENs, so be sure to check out all of your options. We have the SteriPEN Ultra. The only downfall (if there is one) of the SteriPEN is that the water tastes a little different after using, but that can easily be fixed by flavor packets (or Emergen-C for that extra immunity boost). 

10) Last, but not least, food! Food is always a great idea as a gift for someone who just doesn’t want anything. Or for those who are always on the go! This could include anything from a gift basket filled with food, or some snacks to munch on while out on adventures, or freeze-dried foods for backpacking! If you really aren’t sure which type of food to give, you could always use the backup plan of a gift card to the local grocery store. 



International, Reviews, Tips and Tricks

Using Flybus in Iceland: How to Plus A Mini Review

Posted on by Elissa

In January 2019, my sister and I spent 48 hours in Iceland on our way home to Minnesota, USA from an extended stopover from Oslo, Norway. Before heading out on this trip, I booked the Flybus to and from the hotel we stayed at, which was the Icelandair Hotel Marina.

The Flybus is a convenient idea because it’s a simple way to get from Keflavík International Airport to Reykjavik city without having to utilize a taxi, ride share service, or find your own way. Their marketing mentions it’s only a 45 minute bus ride from Keflavík International Airport to the city of Reykjavik, which makes it an attractive mode of transportation. While this is true to get into the city, it actually took about two hours for us to get to our hotel.

NOTE: This post is to ensure you are informed of how the current process of using this service works, so as to avoid any surprises or inconveniences that my sister and I encountered on our trip.

The ride is, yes, actually (technically) 45 minutes from the airport to the main bus station for Reykjavik Excursions, who partners with Flybus. From the main bus station, you are then given a color-coded card and asked to walk to the parking lot on the other side of the building (not a far walk at all) and find your respective bus. Unfortunately for us, we were given the incorrect color card, which brought us on a more “scenic route,” if you will.

For preparedness reasons, here are 10 steps for how to go about being transported from KEF to your hotel, and information I wish I had prior to our trip:

  1. Arrive at KEF and follow signs to “Exit to Iceland”
    1. You may need to declare items in customs prior to exiting this portion of the airport
    2. If you don’t know if you need to declare your items, it never hurts to ask 🙂
  2. Once through customs, follow signs to Flybus/busses
  3. With your email confirmation (either electronic or printed), head to the Flybus/Reykjavik Excursions counter. NOTE: There are two Flybus/Reykjavik Excursions desks—one is more dedicated to the Blue Lagoon; feel free to use this desk if you want to go to the Blue Lagoon before heading into Reykjavik.
    1. Once at the counter, the agent will scan your electronic/printed email confirmation and give you a color card to use once you get to the Reykjavik Excursions/Flybus main bus station.
  4. Head to any of the Flybus busses just outside the doors of the desk, and proceed to give your larger/carryon size luggage to the handler, who will put your luggage under the bus.
  5. Hop onto the bus and find a seat. The bus driver will look at your email confirmation here as well.
  6. When the bus is completely full (meaning, every seat is taken), you will set off on your 45 minute journey to the beautiful city of Reykjavik. Next stop: the main bus station.
  7. You arrive at the Reykjavik Excursions/Flybus main bus station: exit the bus, grab your luggage and meet inside the station.
  8. Go to the counter with your email confirmation (again, either electronic or printed is okay), receive your physical ticket, and proceed to the other side of the bus station and hop on the transfer bus with the matching color to the color card you were given at KEF (note: these busses are smaller).
  9. Double-check with the bus driver that you are on the correct bus as it could be possible that you were given the incorrect color card (this happened to us and added time to our transfer).
  10. Hang out on the transfer bus until you reach your destination. Transfer busses take around 15-45 minutes to drop everyone off. This timeframe changes depending on how many people are on the bus/how many people are at different hotels or hostels.

While this transfer and extra time wasn’t a massive problem, it was pretty inconvenient to NOT have been made aware of this prior to arrival. Which is why I’m bringing it up to you! Had we known it was going to be two hours from pick up to drop off, we would have planned to eat a meal before leaving the airport or pack snacks (we finished our other snacks already on the plane), but since we thought it would only be a 45 minute bus ride, we were definitely not as prepared. Please also note that the coach busses (either before your transfer busses or after, depending on if you’re heading to or from the airport), for understandable reasons, wait to leave until they are completely full. This would have been helpful to know for planning and timing purposes as well.

Overall, the service itself is so awesome, as there are few other options to get to Reykjavik from KEF. It was nice to be able to book online and reserve our seats prior to arriving. My biggest and really only issue with Flybus was the lack of explanation of process: making it sound like you get brought directly from KEF to your accommodations, which, yes, is the 45 minute ride. However, they fail to point out that the 45 minute ride starts after a long wait to get the bus filled up, and then you’re brought to a bus hub, where you then wait, get reassigned to a new bus, and then ride with a bunch of new people to maybe be dropped of first out of the group, last out of the group, or somewhere in the middle–all which takes an extensive amount of extra time. Transparency was key here, and was just missed by the company. Otherwise, I would highly rate this company and its service.

Lists

Our Top Ten Off the Beaten Path Road Trip Games

Posted on by Elissa

Road Trip Games

Love to play games at home? Wish you had something out of the ordinary to play while on the road? Of course, there are the more classic games to play while traveling, like Uno, Skip-Bo, Yahtzee, 5 Crowns, or the many games you can play with a standard deck of cards. But we want to share with you some of our favorite hidden gem games we take on our endeavors that you may not yet know about.

Let me first share with you the criteria we used to determine our list. Aside from the obvious criteria of being some of our favorite games to begin with, or being hidden gems, we also chose these games based on:

  • Quick set up (around 5 minutes or less)
  • Small set up (2′ x 2′ square space or less)
  • Short game play (around 30 minutes or less)
  • Easy to teach, and easy to learn
  • Minimum 2 players
  • Small storage space

So without further ado, our Top Ten Off the Beaten Path Road Trip Games:

01. Love Letter

Made by: AEG (our version; currently owned by Z-Man Games)
Game Length: 15-20 minutes

AEG describes this game as a “game of risk, deduction, and luck.” There are only 16 cards in the game total, and there are groups of cards that do different things. Each card’s objective gives you a specific objective that helps you win against the other player’s.

We love this game because of how fun it is, whether you play with two people or four. The rounds are super quick also, even with all four players. This is one game we consistently bring on every. single. trip. regardless of where we go. It comes in a cute, 4″x3″ little velvet pouch that fits anywhere in our bag.

Image from Amazon

02. Jaipur

Made by: Gameworks
Game Length: 30 minutes

Gameworks’s website describes this game as a “fast-paced card game blend of tactics, risk, and luck.” You either take or sell cards on your turn, which are your currency and are used to purchase tokens that help you win the game.

We love this game because it has a quick play time and is quick to set up. We like that you don’t necessarily need an intense strategy to win, and you don’t have to put as much thought into playing. We also like how, at 8″x4″, this slim the box is great for storage.

Image from Amazon

03. No Thanks

Made by: Mayfair Games
Game Length: 20 minutes

Mayfair’s website describes No Thanks as a “card game designed to be as simple as it is engaging.” The cards in the deck are numbered from 3-35, and each card is worth its number in points. You want to get the lowest score, and you do this by placing your limited number of chits on to a card to say “No Thanks” to pass on a card, or by taking that card without laying a chit, thus re-supplying as you then take all of the chits left from other’s saying “no thanks.” You win by having the lowest possible amount of numbers and runs (you only count points for the lowest number in a run you have).

We love this game because it’s a fast-paced, light, press your luck type of game. It’s simple to play and does not take much strategy. Plus, the small 5″x4″ box it comes in can fit in nearly every bag to pack easily.

Photo from Amazon

04. Sushi Go

Made by: Gamewright
Game Length: 15 minutes

Gamewright’s website describes Sushi Go as a “super fast card game where you’re trying to grab the best combination of sushi dishes as they whiz by.” You draft cards, then pass them on to the next player. Each turn is different from the last as each player has a different objective. Players are also able to deduce what cards are left in the game as less and less cards are available to pick from as the round goes on, which makes it fun, yet more difficult as time goes on.

We love Sushi Go because it takes some strategy and planning ahead to win. This small-boxed game packs a similar amount of strategy as a big-box game. We like how it’s easy to teach due to not having many rules, and it gets a lot of laughs as the game goes on. Plus, who doesn’t love yelling “SUSHI, GO!!!” before every turn? This game comes in a small, sturdy 5.5″x4″ tin that makes it great for traveling in any bag.

Image from Amazon

05. Ganz Schon Clever

Made by: Schmidt Games
Game Length: 30 minutes

Ganz Schon Clever is a German game, which translates to “That’s Pretty Clever.” Similar to Yahtzee, you roll dice to create dice combinations for points. Your score is better if your combinations are better. There are different categories in which you can score points, along with score multipliers along the way.

We love Ganz Schon Clever because it seems like a more advanced version of Yahtzee. You’re needing to plan ahead and think about each move in order to maximize your points. We also like how this game doesn’t take up much space on a table as you only need a spot to roll dice and write on your scorecard. The box is maybe 5″x7″ and small enough to fit in a backpack.

Photo from Wikipedia

06. Tunhell

Made by: Pixie Games
Game Length: 30 minutes

Set up as a game themed around Snow White, the characters are dwarves working in a mine. You either recruit or play a dwarf, depending on what you want your next move to be. Each dwarf card has different abilities that will help you reach the end objective, which is to find the monster at the end of the tunnel and defeat it while collecting the most treasure and defeating smaller monsters along the way.

We love this game because of the fun theme and unique game play. While you’re playing against each other, each player’s objective could be different or the same: defeat monsters for points and/or gather treasure for points. It’s fun because you don’t have to state your objective and it could switch as you play. This game doesn’t take a lot of strategy, but it’s favored to plan at least a few steps ahead. This game also comes in a 6.5″x4.5″ size box, easy enough to fit in a bag.

Photo from Miniature Market

07. The Oregon Trail
(card game version)

Made by: Pressman
Game Length: 30 minutes
Storage Size: 5″ x 7″

Pressman’s website describes The Oregon Trail as a game of survival. “Players work together to move along the trail, fording rivers, and playing supply cards to overcome calamities” to work your way to the end of the trail. This game is co-op, so you work together to win; however, even if you’re dead, you win because as long as one player survives until the end of the trail, you all win!

We love this game because, well, we both played it when we were younger on the PC, so we were super pumped when this game came out to begin with. We also like how it has big surprise moments where you may all need suddenly to shift focus to save a family member or livestock. While this game has a lot of luck, you also need to have a small strategy to survive until your next turn. The box size is only 5″x7″, making it small enough to fit in almost any bag or backpack.

Photo from Pressman

08. Spot it!

Made by: Asmodee
Game Length: 5 minutes, or as long as you’d like it to be!

The absolute best way to describe this game is mentioned on the back of the tin it comes in: “A sharp eye and a little bit of speed is all it takes to play the 5 quick party games included in this tin.” “There is always one, and only one, matching symbol between any 2 cards in this game. Spot it and you win!”

We love Spot it! because you can play one game in less than 5 minutes, or you can play in multiple rounds and make the game last as long as you would like! It’s a simple concept that exercises a different part of your brain. It’s hard to try to remember what’s on the card you have in your hand to be able to match with the card on the table. The game speed is determined by which player spots their match the fastest. We also love how this game comes in a round, 4″x4″ sturdy tin, making it durable enough to be packed in any type of bag.

Photo from Amazon

09. Anomia

Made by: Everest
Game Length: 30 minutes

Anomia is described as a game “where common knowledge becomes uncommonly fun.” It’s a game of speed and quick-wit, where players lay cards until they get a match. Once a player sees a symbol match, they yell out a word that fits into the category of the other player’s card.

We love this game because it makes everyone who is playing or watching it laugh. The longer you play, the harder it gets. This is an easy game to learn that really makes you use your noggin. It also comes in a small 4″x5.5″ box that makes it easy to carry in any bag.

Photo from Amazon

10. Fugitive

Made by: Fowers Games
Game Length: 20 minutes

Fugitive is described by Fowers Games as a “quick, two player game, where one player is the fugitive moving from hideout to hideout on his escape route, and the other player is the marshal trying to catch him.” Using a deck of cards numbered 0 through 42, the fugitive player will secretly move to higher numbered hideouts, trying to outsmart the marshal. The marshal, on the other hand, uses information available to him to determine at what number hideout the fugitive is hiding.

We like this game because it is deceptively simple, quick game that offers many ways to strategize. It’s fun because each player is a different character, which makes the game different for each person. You can play twice, once as the fugitive and once as the Marshall, and it’s as if you’re playing two different games. Because of this, it’s highly replayable and versatile enough to play while on the road. Fugitive also comes in a compact, 4.5″x6.5″ size box.

Photo from Fowers Games

What are some of your favorite games to bring on a trip?

As game enthusiasts, we are always looking to add more awesome games to our ever-growing collection!

International, Itinerary, National Parks

48 hours in Iceland

Posted on by Elissa

Did you know, Icelandair has a really cool option where you can stopover for up to seven days for free? This unique feature allows you to have what is essentially an extended layover in Iceland at no additional cost.

So, you decide to take the leap and extend your vacation to include the free stopover option–this is great! But, you only have a quick weekend, or two nights, to explore this country as fast (or slow) as you want.

While there are so many combinations of itinerary options on how to spend 48 hours in Iceland, I wanted to share with you the itinerary my sister and I used in January 2019, when we took advantage of the Icelandair stopover option on our way back home to Minnesota, USA from Oslo, Norway.

ICELAND DAY 1: HOURS 1-11

This is more like a half a day, really. We arrived at Keflavík International Airport in the last third of the day, just after a late lunchtime. We reserved our spot on the Flybus a couple of weeks in advance. The Flybus staff were great to work with, and so helpful with any questions we had. The total time between when we got off our airplane to when we arrived at our hotel was around an hour and a half, give or take. We bussed as a large group of around 50 or so from Keflavík International Airport to the Flybus hub in Reykjavik. Given Reykjavik is 49 kilometers from Keflavík International Airport, the ride took around 45 minutes. Once we reached the Flybus hub, we divided into smaller groups of maybe up to 10, and were shuttled from the Flybus hub to our final destinations–hotels, hostels, etc. My sister and I shared the bus with approximately three other visitors, and were the last two people to be dropped off. Our second shuttle driver was so fun and helpful with directions and recommendations for our short stay. He even tried to teach us a few Icelandic words! Mostly, how to pronounce the street names. I need more practice.

Our hotel was situated on the harbor, tucked between the cityscape industrial look of apartments and restaurants and the beautiful sculpture walk that follows the Reykjavik shoreline. The view out of our hotel was stunning, including the most beautiful, rustic old ship being restored, dwarfed by views of mountains in the distance. An eco hotel, Icelandair Hotel Marina was modest and refined. Only blocks or a short shuttle ride from all of our “must see” locations, it was the perfect accommodation for our stay, and at a great price.

Once we were situated into our room, we opted for the in-hotel restaurant, Slippbarinn. We highly recommend the two dishes we shared: the sourdough bread with dip and chicken flatbread, which had a flavorful peanut butter hummus, pesto, roasted seeds, and my favorite—avocado. Yum.

Iceland Hot Chocolate

Given we arrived at our hotel late afternoon and ate a late lunch/dinner, we opted to chill the rest of the night until our next outing by having some hot chocolate in our cozy room. Around 8:30pm, our Reykjavik Excursions bus rolled up (this company does it all). Seeming to be a theme, the two of us who were going on this excursion from this hotel were picked up by a smaller shuttle, then brought to a bus hub to meet with a larger group of about 50 folks who also purchased this adventure. After about an hour’s bus ride, we arrived at Thingvellir National Park. Beautiful park—I’m sure of it. This national park was the destination to see one of the most magical sights, the northern lights. Aurora borealis. Polar lights. Pure magic on a 20 degree (Fahrenheit) night.

The good news is that there was hot chocolate on the bus. The bad news is that it was extremely cold and windy. The great news is that the northern lights showed themselves, which is not necessarily a nightly occurrence, and we could see them with our eyes! Fascinatingly, you can’t see the northern lights with your eyes super well, though. In fact, they don’t look at all like what you see in the pictures! This is because of how your camera picks up and processes the lights when you take that photo. To your naked eye, they appear to be somewhat dim and milky in color—the same color your cereal bowl milk looks like when you finish your Cinnamon Toast Crunch.

Unfortunately, my Nikon didn’t make it on this trip, and unfortunately again, iPhones aren’t great at capturing the northern lights due to their inability to shoot in manual mode. HOWEVER, fortunately, our guide allowed me to take a photo of his photo to share with you all (below). Also, in the one area where Android wins (hehe), Android phone users can shoot in manual mode and pick up the northern lights! Lucky ducks.

We stayed in Thingvellir National Park for around two hours, staring in awe at the sky. Not only were the northern lights dancing around, but the stars were so magnificent. You could gaze into the deep, dark sky for hours and get lost in its magic.

Our ride from the national park to the bus hub was so peaceful. If any discussions were happening, they were solely focused on the sky and what we had all experienced. I maybe fell asleep. Once we transferred from the large bus back into the smaller shuttle buses, things got interesting. It was around 1:00am, for whatever reason, our shuttle driver dropped us off about six blocks from our hotel. Why? Not totally sure, but it was weird. Luckily we had rented a pocket Wifi unit from Wifivox and were able to find our way back to the hotel. We learned that night that Iceland, or at least this part of Reykjavik, doesn’t shovel their pedestrian walkways.

Photo of Northern Lights in Iceland

DAY 2: HOURS 12-36

Our one and only full day in Iceland! We woke up around 5am, ready to take on the day and explore all of Iceland! Just kidding. We woke up at like 9am, missed breakfast, and were only barely awake due to not getting back to our hotel until close to 1:30am. BUT, we had some delicious pastries and coffee from nearby coffee shop, Reykjavík Röst. We had a full day planned, consisting of two places and two places only: Perlan – Wonders of Iceland and whale watching. Actually, we knew we for sure wanted to go to Perlan, but we stumbled upon a responsible whale watching tour group and couldn’t say no! We had originally planned to wander around the city, but I’ve heard that seeing a whale in its natural habitat is a once in a lifetime, magical experience, and, after seeing one in real life, we couldn’t agree more.

Perlan Wonders of Iceland

Perlan – Wonders of Iceland has a free shuttle from Harpa, making it so easy to get to from our hotel–just a quick ten minute walk and a 10 minute shuttle ride! We even had a few minutes to spend exploring the inside of Harpa and their gift shop before the shuttle arrived. Perlan was an awesome, interactive museum for those who would love to learn more about the geology and history of the country. We could have spent hours wandering around, reading, playing, and exploring. Perlan has a really cool (HA—get it?) ice cave exhibit as well, allowing you to wander through and learn about the natural ice, glaciers, and what the patterns mean. Here you can learn and feel the interactions with volcanoes, earthquakes, and tectonic plates. Built atop one of the tallest hills in Reykjavik, Perlan offers breathtaking views of the city and country. Binoculars were installed outside to capture a stunning glimpse of the mountains and water in the distance.

Mom kept suggesting that my sister and I should go on a whale watching tour on this trip also. Initially hesitant as we weren’t sure if this was the best idea, based off of the negative stigmas an activity like whale watching has, we decided to do some research. We were delighted to find that nearby Elding Whale Watching tours were ethical, responsible, and sustainability focused. According to their website, “Elding also is the first environmentally certified whale watching company in Iceland and is now the only Earth Check Gold Certified whale watching company in the world.” Wow. What an experience. Have you ever been whale watching? If not, add it to your bucket list. It’s definitely back on my bucket list–I could be out on that boat all day if it meant to just grab a quick glimpse of those magnificent creatures. Being it was winter (January after all) and cold, the tour company offers free use of their waterproof and extremely warm overalls. I would definitely recommend not skipping on that–even though everyone matched and looked like giant red Oompa Loompas, boy was that extra layer of clothing necessary when you’re out on the cold, windy body of water.

Emily & I Whale Watching in Iceland

We departed on the 1:00pm tour with our guide, Otto. There were maybe 75ish other people on the tour with us; however, it never felt like there were that many due to the amount of space on the vessel. There were multiple decks to observe from, all with great sight lines to the water and land in the distance. My sister and I had just ordered our lunch from the canteen, when suddenly the guide exclaimed “Oh! We have a beautiful humpback whale!” The lady working the canteen said she would hold off on making our lunches so we could have this experience of a lifetime, and we ran outside. About two or three minutes later, we were able to see the whale! What a beauty. It was so exciting to learn about the sea life and whales and history of whale tours and Iceland coming from such an enthusiastic and energizing guide. I wish I could describe the rush we got by seeing this whale doing its whale thing, frolicking around the water, eating and just being amazing. It was so cool to see the birds swarming around the water, a sure sign the whale is going to breach the water to blow some air or show its tail. I wish I could explain how refreshing the fresh air, mixed with wind and excitement from the other passengers felt, and how great it was to step back inside to actually eat that lunch you ordered 45 minutes ago and think about what you just saw.

But I can’t.

There aren’t great words.

Just feelings.

Iceland Whale 1

We had dinner at RIO Reykjavik. It’s not that I didn’t like the place, but after seeing a whale, I just was thinking about that and not as much about how amazing the tacos were… so you’ll just have to grab a bite there yourself. Actually I had the chicken tacos (but they aren’t just regular chicken tacos like we have here in the United States), and it was the best darn chicken taco I’ve had in my life. It got to the table and I scarfed that thing down so fast I didn’t even get a picture of it! I’m sorry! But not sorry.

Day 3: Hours 37-48

Sigh. The last remaining hours of our time in Iceland. Literally we just spent the morning pulling ourselves together, grabbing a quick breakfast at Slippbarinn, and making the journey back to Keflavik to catch our flights back to Minnesota. The first Flybus shuttle picked us up around lunchtime, and we made the connecting bus back to Keflavik International Airport in time for our 3pm departure. We had a long evening ahead of us, as we then had a six hour flight to Boston, MA, followed by a two and a half hour flight from Boston, MA to Minneapolis, MN. Luckily this gave us enough time to sleep on the plane before jumping back into reality once we got home 🙂 

Wall at KEF by Erro
Art at Keflavik International Airport by artist Erro

Flying over Iceland

Have you been to Iceland? Where would you go if you only had 48 hours to spend?

How to, Lists, Tips and Tricks

How to Pack for a Surprise Weekend Getaway in 5 easy Steps

Posted on by Elissa

In April, Eric told me to take a few specific days off in September so we could go on an anniversary trip—a mystery location. He told me to pack my bags for a long weekend, but didn’t tell me where we were going. Could you imagine my anxiety? I LOVE planning trips! But I knew I was in good hands. Though I knew the weekend’s activities were being taken care of, I was still stressing about one thing—packing!

It’s so hard to pack for a weekend without knowing what the activities will be, let alone the CLIMATE. So, what do you do—how do you pack?

I will preface this post by saying I was told if the weather was going to be extreme (i.e. snowy vs. a heat wave), but wasn’t told if it would be chilly vs. beachy. I could have asked more questions, but I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could pack appropriately and try to move past my packing anxiety.

Step 1: Just breathe.

I know that picking out clothes and packing is the single most important thing to prep for a trip, but sometimes you just need to do things blind, and that’s okay.

Step 2: Start from the top

Without knowing what the climate will be, it’s best to start with tops, which I personally feel are the most stressful part of outfit planning. Or getting ready for the day even at home.

I went with two lightweight, long sleeved tops to be my staple items of the weekend. Not knowing if I’ll be at a beach or colder, windy weather, I thought this might be the most neutral option. Lightweight, long sleeved tops can not only be dressed up or down, but can also be layered to accommodate almost any type of weather.

Two short-sleeved tops were also brought along. These are perfect for warmer temperatures! Shorter-sleeved tops (i.e. a fitted cap-sleeved top or a simple t-shirt) are the perfect item to layer! You can wear a cute jacket, a sweatshirt, or a shawl over these if you are in cooler temps, or wear them without layers for warmer temps.

Step 3: The bottoms

This step was probably the easiest one for me. I’m pretty comfortable in jeans in almost any weather, but still wanted something lighter just in case we were going somewhere warmer. I opted to stick with a light-denim colored pair of jeans and a pair of capris should it have been a warmer day.

Jeans and capris are great because they can be dressed up or down. Jeans also work with nearly any type of weather. Jeans and capri pants also work with any top or shoe type. For this trip, I opted for a skinny jean, and a straight-cut capri pant.

Some of my packing anxiety went down also when I layed out both pairs of pants and all tops on my floor to make sure they would all match each other. Mixing and matching saves room in your luggage and allows for more outfit choices with less actual items of clothing.

Step 4: Accessories

Though I don’t accessorize my outfits too much, I do have two staple accessories that I never travel without: a scarf and shoes.

Fashion scarves are great in any weather and climate. Not only do they look good, but they are also great for creating shade or keeping warm. I packed a larger, medium-weight scarf that can be worn with multiple styles around my neck or even as a shawl around my shoulders when untied. The scarf I brought this trip was earthy shades of blues, greens, and tans. I’ve brought scarves of varying colors (i.e. shades of purple, green, white, etc.) on previous trips, but wanted to go with more neutrally colors since I wasn’t sure where I was traveling.

There are also really great infinity scarves out there that have a special pocket in them to conceal your passport, wallet, phone, or anything that is needing to be hidden. While I don’t yet have one, I am really excited about the Speakeasy Travel Supply scarves and am hoping to buy one soon.

Shoes! My favorite thing to have and my least favorite thing to pack. They are always so bulky and difficult to fit in any bag! This is why picking the perfect shoes are so important. For this trip, I brought my black, lightweight Nike Tanjuns and a pair of Sanuk Yoga Sling 2 sandals. I feel like I could walk for days in either of these shoes (though probably not recommended—maybe get some real hiking boots for that 😉 winky face). Plus, these Nikes and Sanuks work with the previously-mentioned outfits, regardless of which I was wearing that day. Woohoo!

Speaking of, does anyone have any tips on how to pack shoes better? I just wrap them up so the bottoms don’t touch the rest of my clothes and use them as storage as best as I can, but I feel like there’s gotta be a better way…

Step 5: Miscellaneous Items

Since I wasn’t sure where we were going, I probably definitely packed more than what was needed in the miscellaneous category. Here’s a list of a few random items I brought with juuuust in case.

  • Swimsuit
  • Lightweight gloves – i.e. small “one-size” knit vs. full-on winter
  • Passport – we flew within the continental United States, so I could have left my passport at home and brought my passport card instead
  • Lightweight jacket
  • Baseball cap – but with the Timberwolves logo-basketball 😇
  • Sunscreen! If you’re like me, you will sun burn even in the snow…
  • Camera

So where did we end up? Boston, Massachusetts! It was chillier, but beautiful and so amazing! Highly recommend visiting Fenway Park and taking in the town’s rich history. We even spent one day in Salem. In love!

What would you pack for a mystery weekend getaway?
International, Canada

Dinosaur Provincial Park

Posted on by Elissa

Day 1

Dinosaur PP Welcome Sign
Welcome to Dinosaur Provincial Park!

We arrived at Dinosaur Provincial Park around 6:15pm, roughly about 11 hours after leaving Turtle Mountain Provincial Park in Manitoba. Dinosaur Provincial Park is part of the Badlands in Alberta, and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We were especially excited to explore because we heard you could come across fossils at pretty much any given point you were in the park. 

Upon arrival, you drive down into what feels like a mini (mini is not correct–it’s massive) Grand Canyon to get to the campground and trailheads. You’ll drive past (and feel free to stop!) a parking lot atop the badlands offering a breathtaking view. The Red Deer River runs through this park also, which can you catch a glimpse of from the view. We didn’t have a canoe or kayaks with us, but there is a launch on the west side of the park. 

Dinosaur PP Pano 2
Dinosaur PP Pano 1
Dinosaur PP Pano 3

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Though having a mostly neutral color pattern, the beauty of this provincial park was incredibly unique. After checking in at the office, which is inside the Cretaceous Cafe, and setting up camp at site S-30, we knew we just needed to start exploring right away. Before setting off, we were bombarded with horrendous mosquitoes. (Don’t let them stop you from visiting though, just be prepared with a lot of bug spray.) I think we fully bathed in bug spray about 4 times before exploring. Anyway… 

Biking was only allowed on paved and gravel roadways, which is pretty typical and definitely makes sense. The trails and roadways are clearly marked with great signage, which definitely avoided any confusion. Don’t forget a bike lock so you can park your bikes and hike some of the trails along the way.

The sun was setting, so we opted to only bike around 2 miles. From the south campground, we followed the road north toward the public loop road. We followed this for about .75 miles before deciding we wanted to save this loop for the morning. So instead, we changed direction and headed toward the north campground. This road took us past the play park, amphitheatre, circled back past the visitor centre, and finally back to our campsite. But, not before stopping at the John Ware cabin first. We listened to a 4 minute audio recording about John, but the gist is that John Ware was a cowboy in the Carolinas who was born into slavery, left for Texas after the Civil War, became really good at riding and training horses, and is most known for bringing cattle to Alberta for the first time. He had a really interesting backstory and left a legacy that is well worth the listen. You’ll have to go and listen to the rest of it yourself! Or read in one of the many books about him, but it’s best to just go and visit 🙂

Learning about John Ware’s cabin closed out our short adventure for the evening. We decided to have some dinner with a fire to wind down. Dinner this night included burgers and beans. Because the mosquitoes were so bad, we didn’t have dessert, and we cut our night shorter. Once our last log on the fire burned out, we went into our tent early to play games before bed. We played one of our favorite road trip games, Love Letter (I’ve mentioned this game what feels like a billion times before). Eric also taught me a new came, Convoy. It was good, but not Love Letter good, haha. After games, we were soothed to sleep by the faint guitar music someone was playing a few campsites down. 

John Ware’s Cabin
Our Campsite

Day 2

Wow. This park is amazing. We were so busy from the moment we woke up to the moment we went to bed that I barely took any notes! 

Breakfast today consisted of the usual yogurt and granola bar. Though late for us to be on the move, we left on our bikes at 10:30am. Taking the Public Scenic Loop Road, we brought our bike locks knowing we would be hiking at most of our stops. Bikes are not allowed on the hiking trails, so they must remain on the paved or gravel driving roads I mentioned earlier. We went on some longer hikes throughout the loop bike ride: 

Hike 1: Badlands Trail

This is a loop trail (our favorite kind of trail!) shorter in length at just under 1 mile. Though short, this trail is worth the stop for the fantastic views! 



Hike 2: Trail of the Fossil Hunters

This is an out-and-back trail, and only about .5 miles long. Though very short, it was a fun little trail with lots of information!  It was really cool to see the quarry site, and don’t miss checking out the fossil display at the trailhead! Just before this trail, between Trail of the Fossil Hunters and the Badlands Trail, be sure to stop at the fossil houses! 

Fossils in Fossil House


Beautiful Textures throughout the Park


Beautiful Badlands


Loving these textures!


Loving the Rock Textures Here


Loving the Rock Textures Here


Awesome Geology Here


Hoodoos


Loving the Rock Textures Here



Hike 3: Coulee Viewpoint Trail

I should tell you that, before the Coulee Viewpoint Trail, we wanted to hike the Cottonwood Flats Trail (1.4 mile loop). Unfortunately we couldn’t due to how intense the bug situation was. Visiting here in the spring may be better for this trail. Anyway… 

The Coulee Viewpoint Trail is not on the scenic loop. This is a .5 mile loop interpretive trail. To get there, you need to start at the visitor centre, so we finished the scenic loop and decided to continue here to check off all the trails at Dinosaur. This trail may be short, but it really packs a punch as it has some REALLY steep terrain. Trekking poles and my inhaler would have definitely been useful for this one.

Dinosaur Provincial Park Eric Biking

Eric by the River


Back at the Campground

Back at the campground, we had a super late lunch of chili and chips & salsa. Around 3:00pm, we made our way to the visitor centre to check out the gift shop. Once we were in, we noticed a huge dinosaur skeleton in the middle! There was also an interactive map of the park that would light up the different trails to show their route. In retrospect we should have stopped here first so we could see this map beforehand (we had a printed map, but this one was just so cool!). 

This was one of the coolest visitor centres we have ever seen. We learned so much about the history of the park and area, and feel like we barely scratched the surface. Next time we visit, we’re hoping to get a guided tour of the preserve, which is actually what makes up a majority of the over 18,000 acre park (only accessible as a park ranger or through special programs). The museum and gift shops were both amazing. We bought a magnet and some snackies, of course. 

Visitor’s Center Visitor


Inside Visitor’s Center


Visitor’s Center Light Up Map


Caulee Viewpoint Trail Sign


Loving the Unique Trails Here



View of our Campsite


Us!


Caulee Viewpoint Trail


Eric took up yoga apparently


Hoodoos


Hoodoo on Caulee Viewpoint Trail


Caulee Viewpoint Trail


Day 3

This Canada road trip was pretty quick moving, so we got up early and headed west toward Calgary. Next up: Banff National Park. 

But first, I’d love to share the rest of our photos with you: 












Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Banning State Park

Posted on by Elissa

Banning SP Tent

Eric, Archie and I visited Banning State Park on 6/9-6/10/2017. Even though this was just one overnight stay, Banning State Park quickly became one of our favorite Minnesota State Parks and quickly made its way to our “return to” list. There are so many great things to do and see at this park, we can’t wait to go back!

Banning SP sign

Established in 1963, the Banning State Park land was originally part of the Banning Sandstone Quarry. Affected first by the Great Hinckley Fire (which also affected St. Croix State Park), followed by several other fires, the Banning Sandstone Quarry never was able to recover and make a comeback. According to the Minnesota DNR website, “all that remains of the site are weathered ruins along the Kettle River.” The website also states that “In 1995, the local community of Sandstone, the DNR and the Pollution Control Agency worked together to remove the Kettle River dam and return the river to its natural state which now showcases the Big Spring Falls and the Sandstone Rapids.”

Recreation

Banning State Park offers a wide variety of recreational activities; there’s something for everyone! Summer activities include bird watching, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, biking, rock climbing, and fishing. Included in summer activities, and so very unique within this park, are its five rapids: Blueberry Slide, Mother’s Delight, Dragon’s Tooth, Little Banning and Hell’s Gate. Winter activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling.

Wildlife

While we were there, we only saw a raccoon and varying bird species. Even though we hardly saw any animals, the Minnesota DNR website mentions here that the most “common species include white-tailed deer, black bear, coyote, fox, raccoon, beaver, red and gray squirrels, snowshoe hare, and ruffed grouse.” Also, to beware, we went in June and there were SO incredibly many ticks that we spent most of our time brushing Archie and plucking ticks off of him, even in the middle of the night.

Banning SP Archie Pack

Itinerary

Day 1: Arriving around 3pm, we wanted to ensure we allowed ourselves plenty of time to hike to the backpacking site and start exploring. The slower hike took only about 30 minutes. The grass was relatively overgrown, taller than Archie, making the 1/4 mile hike rougher than expected. It was very buggy and there were a lot of downed branches and brush (one log to crawl over also). Once arrived, we immediately set up our two person tent and, as usual, made ourselves at home.




Our campsite doubled as a backpacking site or canoe site; which seems like it wouldn’t work, but: you can either A) park and launch your canoe/kayak from the boat launch, or B) park to the side and hike from the same boat launch area. Because our campsite was also reachable via canoe/kayak, we had a beautiful view of the Kettle River. Not only was the view awesome, but the banks of the Kettle River made it easily accessible for dipping our feet in.

Banning SP Kettle River

This campsite had so much greenery–it was so gorgeous!

Banning SP Butterfly
Ferns at Banning SP

This site even has a toilet in the woods (somewhere).

Toilet Sign in Banning SP

We spent the rest of our little-remaining daylight hours wandering around our campsite and sitting around the fire. Since we were backpacking, our food supply consisted of mostly granola bars (Nature Valley, of course), trail mixes, and freeze dried foods. Dinner included said trail mix (AlpineAire chocolate cranberry crunch) and a delicious meal of Mountain House spaghetti.

Banning SP Spaghetti Dinner

Day 2: Unfortunately due to the extremely large tick population this year, our main priority was to head out of this campsite early in the morning. Since we hiked in, we brought a freeze dried breakfast that only required water–a rather interesting bowl of Granola with Milk & Blueberries from Mountain House. Definitely worth trying but also not my favorite of the freeze dried foods.

Once we packed up and returned to the car, we made our way back to the main part of the park. From here, we parked in the eastern-most parking lot near a picnic area and Blueberry Slide Trail. This trail was so amazing; I highly recommend it. This is a great trail for those who love to hike but require lower-to-medium impact terrain.

Banning SP Blueberry Slide Trail Sign

And those views! You hike right up to various rapids; if you’re into whitewater kayaking, this is the Minnesota State Park for you. We were here in June, and saw a few whitewater kayakers heading down the Kettle River. It was neat to see they were able to ride the stretch of rapids, then easily portage their kayaks back to the starting point within a short distance.

Blueberry Slide Trail took you straight to the waterline of the Kettle River. Just past the rapids was a calm area of water. It was refreshing to play and cool off in, especially for Archie.

After playing in the water for a while, we continued to head down the Blueberry Slide trail. I’m not sure if you’ve heard of painted rocks, but it started as a “treasure hunt”-type social movement to bring joy to peoples’ lives. We were lucky enough to find a painted rock hidden within the sandstone walls.

Future Plans

Banning State Park has five canoe sites (one, which we stayed at, can be a backpacking site also). We would love to return to this park with our kayaks/canoe and actually paddle to a spot! We also ran out of time to go on most of the almost 20 miles’ worth of trails. This was due to the amount of time spent hiking the trails by the river (Blueberry Slide Trail), which had a few really neat spot with rapids. One in particular, Wolf Creek Trail, really catches my attention as the 4 mile trail leads to a hidden waterfall.

Cost Breakdown

  • Daily Park Admission: $7 per vehicle (though we purchased an annual pass for $25)
  • Canoe-In/Boat-In (also their backpacking site): (1 night): $15
  • Food: $22.50 (total)
    • Mountain House freeze dried meals: $13 total
    • AlpineAire trail mix: $6
    • Nature Valley granola bars: $3.50
  • Archie’s treats & dog food: Brought from home; bought in bulk
  • Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

Misc. Info

Year established: 1963
Distance from Minneapolis: 93.1 miles
Temperature: High  of 74* | low of 51*

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota, Minnesota State Parks

Glacial Lakes State Park

Posted on by Elissa

Glacial Lakes Sign

Eric and I visited Glacial Lakes State Park from 2/17-2/19/2017. This time, Elissa’s sister, Emily, tagged along for her first camping trip ever! We enjoyed this smaller Minnesota State Park, especially for its ease of access and navigation. The trails were a great mix of level and steep, depending on which way you went (unfortunately a trail map wasn’t available at the time at the ranger station or online, so I do not know the names), and always had great views and areas to explore. According to the HikingMN.com blog, “the 2,500 acre park is a series of rolling prairie hills formed thousands of years ago by receding glaciers.” There are also signs around the park to give you its history, so our plan when we return to this park is to check out all of the glacier-formed kettle lakes and continue to learn about the history of this area.

Recreation

Winter activities include hiking, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, and ice fishing. As this park’s focus in its lake, summer activities include swimming, fishing, canoeing, kayaking, stand up paddleboarding, horseback riding, biking, geocaching, and hiking.

Wildlife

The Minnesota DNR website states that “many species of prairie and woodland birds make their home at Glacial Lakes…” where “squirrels, deer, beaver, wood ducks, raccoons, pileated woodpeckers and occasionally coyotes can be seen.”

Glacial Lakes SP Cabin

Itinerary

Day 1: We arrived around 6pm after about two hours of driving. We set up camp in our cozy cabin, which included two bunk beds (the lower bunks were full-size) and a table with benches for chairs. Slowly settling in, we decided to step outside to make some dinner. After firing up our old Glowmaster twin burner camping stove, our chicken noodle soup from Bear Creek was ready in less than 30 minutes (including the time it took to boil the water).

After dinner, the three of us decided to play some games in the cabin. We kicked the games off with one of our favorites, Love Letter, which is also mentioned in our Afton State Park post. In addition to being to being what seems like the worlds easiest game to tote around (it’s so small and comes in its own bag!), you can make this game as quick or as long as you’d like, making this one of our favorite games to bring on camping (or any kind of) trips! Eric absolutely loves learning new board games, so he brought with a brand new one for all of us: Grand Austria Hotel. While less than ideal for tent camping due to its large box and set up, it was great for cabin camping. Including teaching us the game, which is maybe more intermediate leveled, we spent around an hour and a half to two hours total playing it.

Glacial Lakes SP Board Game in Cabin

Day 2: Since we played games until midnight (or maybe later?), we decided to not set an alarm and start our day when we naturally woke up, which ended up being around 10am–oh, how nice it was to sleep in! Knowing lunch was in the near future, we had a light lunch, which consisted of bananas and the delicious Pillsbury Mini Blueberry Muffins; if you haven’t had these, you’re missing out. I’ve purchased a case of them on multiple occasions! Still waking up from sleeping in, Eric made coffee in his commuter java press from GSI and we decided to start a game. This time, Hanabi: a challenging co-op card game for 2-5 players where you give and take clues to each other to reach a common goal.

We went outside to start exploring around 12pm. Leaving from our cabin, we walked past the picnic areas and set foot on Mardy’s Trail. This trail took us along the lake shore, past boat launch, fishing dock, and beach. The lake was frozen over, and ice fisherman could be seen in the distance.

Glacial Lakes SP Mardys Trail
Glacial Lakes SP Canoes


Turning on my MapMyRide iPhone app, we continued on the trail and decided to make our way around the entire 56-acre Signalness Lake. With the weather unexpectedly being in the mid-50’s, the trails were a slick combination of icy and muddy the entire way around (though the warm temps were definitely welcome!). Emily is an avid geocacher, so we would veer off the trails every so often in search of a cache.

Glacial Lakes SP Signalness Lake MapMyRide

The three of us spent the entire day hiking on the trails surrounding Signalness Lake. The trail terrain varied, and even had a wooden boardwalk around one portion of it. The views were so beautiful!

We returned to the cabin once it started to get dark out (sundown began at 5:45pm). Starting the campfire right away, we made some Annie’s Bernie O’s, opened up the s’mores kit, and sat and talked for a few hours before heading to bed.

Day 3: Having a two hour drive to the Twin Cities, and a four hour drive to Emily to get back home, we woke up early knowing we would need to leave shortly thereafter. The three of us walked around the cabin and picnic area in the morning to see the views of the lake one last time. We had some leftover firewood, so we started a fire to warm up before heading out (keep in mind that you always need to put a fire out, dead out, before you walk away).

Cost Breakdown

Daily Park Admission: $5 (we have an annual pass for $25)
Cabin (1 nights w/elec): $70
Food: $19.16 (total)

  • Annie’s Bernie-O’s: $2.19
  • Bear Creek soup kit: $2.99 (x2)
  • S’mores: $6 for all items
  • Pillsbury Mini Blueberry Muffins: $4.99/case of 6
  • Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

  • Ohuhu double sleeping bag & pillows (used as two single sleeping bags)
  • Glowmaster Twin Burner camp stove
  • Mess kit
  • Coleman battery-operated lantern
  • Slippers
  • Base layers
  • Wool socks
  • Winter coats
  • Columbia snow pants
  • Columbia hiking boots
  • More packing tips from the MN DNR

This Park is Good for those who: 
…want to stay in a cabin
…want to walk around a lake
…want to go on a quick weekend getaway
…want to see deer
…enjoy easier hiking trails

Misc. Info 
Year Established: 1963
Distance from Minneapolis: 134 miles
Temperature: High of 55* | low of 30*

Camping, MicroAdventures, Minnesota

St. Croix State Park

Posted on by Elissa

Eric and I camped in St. Croix State Park the weekend of June 28th, 2013. Located in Hinckley, MN, this park is only about 15 minutes off of I-35 in northern Minnesota.

Home of one of the biggest fires in Minnesota history, a tall fire tower is a great highlight of this park–of which is accessible for guests to climb. Located on the St. Croix River (which is a National Scenic Riverway) and within boundaries of the Kettle River, this state park offers endless possibilities of trails, both in the summer and winter months. We hiked many of their trails, and enjoyed kayaking down the river.

St. Croix State Park Feature

Recreational Opportunities

Kayaking, canoeing, hiking, biking, mountain biking, horseback riding, swimming, wildlife observing, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Wildlife

This park offers a wide range of wildlife, including deer, fox, raccoons, beavers, black bears, coyotes, and (though uncommon to see) eastern timber wolves. Birds are also abundant in the parks, including owls, eagles, osprey, flycatchers and warblers.

Man standing on steps

Itinerary

Day 1: Prior to our arrival at the Park, we stopped at the Hinckley Fire Museum, and learned about the town and Park’s extraordinary history. It’s so amazing how this thriving logging town bounced back after flames over four miles high leveled nearly a quarter million acres in just four hours in 1894.

After we checked in around 4:00pm, we set up our tent in the Old Logging Trail Campground, set out our chairs, and got comfy. Our camping trips usually tend to have a laid-back first day, especially if our arrival time is in the afternoon. We had Spaghetti-O’s for dinner, with s’mores for dessert.

Man sitting on bench on beach (St. Croix)

Day 2: Breakfast consisted of eggs and toast. Our only full-day in St. Croix State Park, we took advantage of the opportunity to visit the Park’s fire tower, an experience not all Minnesota State Parks offer.

Eric and I at St Croix State Park

After climbing to the top of the fire tower, we decided to go hiking along the St. Croix River. We switched between the River’s Edge Trail and River Bluff Trail. Both trails are among the 127 miles of hiking trails within the Park. With amazing views along the way, both trails are great for beginner hikers looking for beautiful scenery.

We had deli turkey and cheese for lunch. Dinner comprised of our beloved foil packet dinners, first introduced by family friends at Lake Carlos State Park years back. Being delicious and easy to make, we have variations of these hobo meals almost every time we go camping.

St Croix Sun

Day 3: We had delicious eggs and bananas for breakfast. After breakfast, we took a long walk on the paved trails before heading home for the weekend. There are 5.5 miles of paved trails, which are located in the middle of the park, and can be used by either hikers or bikers.

Future Plans

There are just so many miles of trails, we definitely want to explore more! I feel like we saw a lot in the hours we were hiking, yet barely made a dent. We also would love to take a bike ride from the campground to the beach, following the park’s 5.5 mile paved bike trail.

Eric is hoping we can make it to St. Croix State Park in the winter so he can bring his snowmobile out, since there are trails which connect to Chengwatana and St. Croix State Forests. St. Croix State Park also offers some great snowshoeing through the woods, and we’re new at cross-country skiing so, with 11 miles of groomed trails, this park offers the perfect trail system for us to perfect those skills.

St. Croix River

Cost Breakdown

Park Entrance Fee: $5 (though we purchased an annual pass for $25)
Tent Camping: $23/night
Food: $26 (total)

  • Spaghetti-Os: $1
  • S’Mores: $6 for all items
  • Eggs: $2/carton
  • Toast: $2/loaf of bread
  • Deli turkey: $3
  • Cheese: $2
  • Foil packet meal: $9 for all items
  • Bananas: $1 for two
  • Water: FREE (we use refillable water bottles)

Gear Brought

  • 4 person tent
  • Sleeping bags & pillows
  • 2 burner camping stove & fuel
  • Mess kit
  • Hot dog and marshmallow roasting sticks
  • Hiking boots & flip flops (for around the site)
  • Base layer to wear as pajamas
  • Lightweight capri pants
  • Lightweight/breathable tops
  • More packing tips from the MN DNR

Misc. Info

  • Year Established: 1943
  • Distance from Minneapolis: 101 miles
  • Temperature: High of 73* | Low of 59*
St Croix Sign