Adventure, Blogmas, Camping

Adventure Coffee: 11 Fun Memories

How do you like your coffee?

I'll take mine in the woods, please.

There’s something about camp coffee – or even just drinking coffee outside in general – that hits different. I love going through my photos, and recently I was scrolling around the Photos app and noticed a common theme on our adventures: coffee! So I wanted to share a few of my many favorite adventure coffee spots with you today! In no particular order:

Moorcroft, WY, USA

Oooh I just love a fresh camp coffee in the morning! Keyhole State Park, though we were only there for one night, brings up one particular memory that I’m not sure I’ll ever forget (in a good way)! Visiting this park was at the very beginning of a ~two month roadtrip, and were ready for sleep as we had driven eight hours already (plus a hike and couple of hours spent at Devil’s Tower National Monument). It was dark, and cell service was spotty at best. 

The road – gravel of course – was sooooooo bad. It was 6.6 miles of brain rattling, vibratey awfulness because it clearly hadn’t been graded in a while and was even washed out in a couple of places. It was so bad we could only go between 5-10 miles per hour, and we truly thought the entire box of the RV was going to vibrate apart or that all of the cabinets were going to disconnect from the walls. But we made it after about an hour! We still laugh about it today.

Mug of coffee being held in front of water
Sheboygan, WI, USA

One of our earliest “collaborations” also showed us one of our rainiest camping trips ever. Embracing the suck and despite the rain, we had a really great time checking out Kohler-Andrae SP. It was also one of our favorite places for camp coffee! Who doesn’t love a beautiful view of a Great Lake? Being right on Lake Michigan, Kohler-Andrae was a beautiful park, and one worth visiting if you’re in the Sheboygan area.

Alaskan Cruise

Off the coast of Moresby Island, British Columbia, CA

This coffee didn’t come from Moresby Island (nor have I ever been on it), but that’s the closest landmark for where this photo was taken (we were on an Alaskan/CA coast cruise) so I wanted to use that just for location context. This was such a special trip. It was our first family trip since I was a kid, my aunt from Louisiana was able to be there (who has since passed), and the experiences and memories made were unbeatable.

Oak Harbor, WA, USA

Eric and I were hiking along Cranberry Lake Trail at Deception Pass State Park, which goes along Cranberry Lake (surprise, I know) and ends at the Rosario Strait (the body of water between Washington State, USA and Victoria, British Columbia, CA. We hiked into a more open area where a cute coffee trailer was parked! Eric bought a delicious latte which gave us the energy to finish out the hike, check out more of the state park, and drive the remaining 2.5 hours to our final destination: Olympic National Park.

Oslo, Norway

Great memories had here. I picked up this coffee at Kaffebrenneriet, a coffee shop in the park, and my sister and I went for a long walk. We roamed the park then headed toward another side of town. The snow was falling beautifully, and we walked around Vigeland Sculpture Park for an hour or so.

Iceland & Greenland Cruise

Greenland Sea, off the coast of Reykjavik, IS

This is the exact moment I learned how good Frangelico was in coffee, haha! Not only that, but we were headed to a new bucket list country I never thought was possible for me to step foot on, and I didn’t know yet just how life changing that was going to be! I am forever grateful for this trip and this coffee session. Someday I’ll get those memories written up to share with anyone who cares enough to read it.

New London, MN, USA

Our most recent camp coffee experience as we were there only ~one month ago! We had no plans for this trip to Sibley State Park other than to get a few miles in and soak up the crisp air knowing it would be our last camping trip of the season. We decided to hike the hiking club trail, and about halfway through, realized – wait – have we been here before? The answer was yes. We recognized the Mt. Tom lookout tower. Hahahahaha!

Cologne, MN, USA

Inspired by Logan Pass at Glacier National Park, Logan Pass Coffeehouse opened in Minnesota. It’s a lovely reminder of such a beautiful park, and provides your daily dose of wanderlust.

Minnesota Dispersed Camping

Up North, MN, USA

Last year we found solace in a special little hidden gem spot in northern Minnesota that has allowed us to revisit a couple of other times. I’m not usually a location gatekeeper, but because it’s private property I’m not able to disclose. However, there are hundreds of similar dispersed camping spots around Minnesota that can be found within the State and National Forests.

P.S. Peep that Women Who Explore mug <3

Big Lake, MN, USA

Another dispersed camping coffee! My absolute favorite place to work my full time job is while camping. I’m never so motivated, relaxed, and prioritized as I am while working at a campsite. Fresh air, fresh ground coffee, fresh perspective. If you have the ability to work remotely at any time, I would encourage you to try it from the great outdoors (at least once).

Our House

MN, USA

The place where we drink the most coffee – our home – is therefore the place with the most coffee photos, haha! Here are some of my favorite at home coffee-in-the-woods photos from over the years (+ one from our old home).

P.S. This post is part of the 2023 Blogmas series. Check out the other posts here.

Adventure, Blogmas, New

12 Wonderful Cliffside Memories

was looking through my Apple photos today. I love looking through “old” memories. Many people take photos and never look at them again, but I most certainly do. I like that Apple tries to categorize pictures so you can look at like-type photos whenever you want. One of the categories that caught my eye today was called “Cliffs.” Cliffs! So I had to dive in.

Merriam-Webster’s definition of a cliff: 
a very steep, vertical, or overhanging face of rock, earth, or ice.

Turns out, I’ve seen a lot of cliffs so far in my life! And they were all fun to look at. Each photo brought back another memory of that moment. I thought these photos would be a fun share for today’s Blogmas post.

Do you have any fun “cliff” related memories or favorite places to share?

Visual Memories of My Favorite Cliffs

In no particular order.

Paracas National Reserve

Ica, Peru

We were here on our wedding anniversary! We boated around protected Ballestas Island, saw lots of wildlife (shoutout to the cute South American Sea Lions and Humboldt Penguins – unfortunately no Andean condors), and learned so much history of the area. Paracas National Reserve offered some of the most beautiful views from our entire trip to Peru. I could stare at that white sand beach alllllll day!

Yellow cliff and blue water

Canyonlands National Park

Utah, USA

As you may/may not know, we absolutely love visiting National Parks! Canyons offer realllllly cool cliffs and geologic patterns! The Canyonlands National Park area has been carved out by the Colorado River over thousands of years. There are three distinct and notable sections within the park ready for you to explore: Island in the Sky, The Maze, and The Needles. Canyonlands National Park is within a couple hours drive of Arches and Capitol Reef National Parks.

Kenai Fjords National Park

Alaska, USA

Fjords in general hold some of the greatest cliffs we’ll ever see. But the fjords in Kenai Fjords National Park? 100% worth venturing over to Alaska for. You’ll take a giant boat (read: catamaran) through some incredibly choppy waters, eventually arriving within Kenai Fjords NP “proper.” You’ll witness amazing wildlife (including puffins and orcas) and landscapes.

Sermitsiaq Island

Nuuk, Greenland

This gargantuanly tall waterfall (the mountain is 3,970 ft) cascades from a massive glacier on Saddle Mountain on Sermitsiaq Island in inland Greenland. This captivating waterfall and its stunning surroundings land a spot on my top favorite cliffy areas list!

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Michigan, USA

We visited here in August of 2023 after years of it being on the wish list! A story for another time, we were at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore for a kayaking tour, and boy was that quite an adventure that I don’t think either of us were prepared for. But for this post, I’ll leave it at this: It was one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever paddled.

Cliff next to turquoise water

Palisades State Park

South Dakota, USA

Just across the Minnesota/South Dakota border lies the hidden gem of Palisades State Park. A beautiful, landscape-diverse area, you could spend a long weekend here and do something different every day. We’ve been camping and hiking here, but you could also go paddling, swimming, and Elissa has been rock climbing here. To read a full post on this park, check out this blog post.

Mesa Verde National Park

Colorado, USA

Would you believe people used to LIVE inside cliffs? Easily the most fascinating cliff situation we’ve ever seen, Mesa Verde National Park offers a unique (believe it or not that is grammatically correct) and historic glimpse into life the Ancestral Pueblo people who lived in these cliff dwellings beginning in the late 1190s. It is beautiful and it is fascinating. This photo is of the Cliff Palace Dwelling.

Cliff Dwellings

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

North Dakota, USA

A truly hidden gem over in North Dakota. Eric and I camped at Theodore Roosevelt National Park on our way to our friends Anna and Jonathan’s Glacier National Park wedding, and this park faaaaaar surpassed both of our expectations. Wild horses, bison, cliffs, canyons, a river, and gorgeous sunsets. It felt like I was staring into a Windows default background photo.

Capitol Reef National Park

Utah, USA

I love places that make me feel small, and Capitol Reef National Park does a really great job of that! It even has petroglyphs and oyster shell fossils, which are so fascinating to learn about and even better to see. Check out all three of its distinct districts: Fruita, Cathedral Valley, and Waterpocket.

Deep canyons with woman standing in front of it. Woman is small in size compared to canyon opening.

Great Stirrup Cay

Norwegian Cruise Line's island in the Bahamas, Caribbean Sea

A spontaneous trip to the Bahamas with Jessica via Norwegian Cruise Line back in 2017. Some amazing memories made and places seen! I LOVE anywhere with b-e-a-u-tiful and warm blueeeee water. We’ve since been back! This island is so relaxing.

Devil’s Tower National Monument

Wyoming, USA

One of the most beautiful and mysterious “cliffs” we’ve visited! Is it made out of mashed potatoes? Maybe. Are there aliens? Maybe. But one thing’s for sure, there’s a LOT to see and do and LEARN from Devil’s Tower National Monument! And similar to Palisades, Elissa has also been rock climbing here in the past (her 21st birthday).

Snow Canyon State Park

Utah, USA

I was here in November of 2022 as part of a group beginner backpacking trip. We didn’t backpack here specifically, but it was a spontaneous stop along the way. So much fun! You can climb in, on, over, through, and around (many) slot canyons, which easily adds them to my “I love this now!” list.

P.S. This post is part of the 2023 Blogmas series. Check out the other posts here.

Adventure, Blogmas, New

What does Adventure mean to you?

What does "Adventure" mean to you?

Let me know! I truly want to hear your thoughts.

The following post is written more like a journal entry than a standard blog, so I apologize in advance if it’s not your reading style, but I was really into it so I didn’t want to force anything else.

The word “Adventure” and the concept of it is so important to me. It’s part of who I am and what I love. It’s what drives me to want to move forward and always seek out what’s next. It’s what makes life fulfilling.

Definition: “An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky.”

Of course I may not be summiting any of the infamous 14 peaks, or breaking records trekking across Antarctica, or getting any first ascents, or hiking 4,800 miles in a calendar year, but I am deciding what are realistically lofted adventure dreams, working towards them, and even turning some of those dreams into reality. 

Though I do think of adventures as physical happenings, I also see the concept of adventure as being a big part of my own personal growth journey. It’s not solely about facing physical challenges like a mountain; it’s also about discovering this whole new “me” in the process. Being the best “me” means that I’m the best partner, friend, employee, and person that I can be – it’s good to have something that drives you.

Thinking and planning out new adventures also breaks up some of life’s monotony for me. I plan a lot of trips I’ll never even go on because I love the challenge and hate being bored. And sitting. Ugh jeez do I really hate just sitting.

Life can sometimes feel like a broken record, and the concept of (or actually taking an) adventure is the force that transforms your everyday life into a dynamic narrative, with each day presenting new opportunities and possibilities. Even at home. I think that falls under the idea to “romanticize your life,” and I will always agree with it.

With a little mindset shift and creativity, it’s possible to turn pretty much any day into some sort of adventure haha!

And for me, it’s also like a duo of a mental health spa and rehab center combined. Especially in nature, where it’s usually quiet so I can think and observe, but far so I can still have physically movement. I find it to be so healing.

Adventure is even a way to make me a little more extroverted and make new friends. While I won’t approach anyone in my local Walmart to ask what their favorite restaurant is, I will do that while traveling literally anywhere else! It’s weird. Or maybe I just become more “me” when I’m traveling and the real “me” does actually like those connections and conversations? We’ll never know. I think that’s also where organizations like Women Who Explore comes into play – I love meeting new people with similar interests, and find WWE to be one of the best places for it. If you’d like to join me sometime, I lead the Minnesota chapter. 

I lost my train of thought. But the point of this is that I love that life is really a choose your own adventure game. Or maybe, “define your own adventure” game 🙂

What are your thoughts on it?

P.S. This post is part of the 2023 Blogmas series. Check out the other posts here.