Blogmas

Blogmas, National Parks, New

The Mountains are Calling | Blogmas 2022

Posted on

Blogmas 2022 - Post No. 5

I took a few days off from blogmas as I was writing a lot for my full time job this past week, and will be again this coming week. This means I’ll likely end blogmas around New Years instead of on Christmas day as I’m supposed to. But that’s okay! I started blogmas to continue getting myself motivated to write consistently again, and not to become burnt out, so the pauses are okay. On to blogmas post number five – The Mountains are Calling.

The Mountains are Calling

Today, December 11th, is International Mountain Day. I already posted this mini blog on Instagram, but wanted to continue the conversation here because I just love mountains so darn much.

Have you ever been asked the This or That question: “Mountains or Beaches?”

When asked, it’s always SO hard to decide which I prefer. They both have some pretty great qualities that are drastically different from one another. But time after time, I always choose the mountains.

I know, yes, beaches are absolutely amazing and I would preferably live directly on a beach if I could. But I. LOVE. Mountains.

Whenever I think back to moments where I am filled with pure bliss, joy, and serenity, mountains are always in the picture. Every time. And today, Eric and I were reminiscing when we were boondocking in Alaska in 2021, and this particular photo came to mind.

denali mountain 2021 post

We had just left Independence Mine State Historical Park and were driving on Hatcher Pass, when this colossal, lofty beast of a mountain caught our attention. We were lucky enough to be driving Hatcher Pass on a beautiful day, one nice enough to be able to see ~100 miles as the crow flies. We pulled over and were so incredibly excited to realize, after about 45 minutes of extensive mapping and research (because we HAD to be sure), that we were looking at the magnificent Denali. A mountain we’ve only been dreaming of seeing. And one we didn’t think we’d be able to even catch a glimpse of during this trip, even if the clouds were blocking the view of the summit.

The level of excitement we had was indescribable. And we can’t wait to experience it again someday.

The Mountains are Calling
Blogmas, Midwest, Minnesota, Twin Cities

Indoor Recreation Activities for the Wintertime | Blogmas 2022

Posted on

Blogmas 2022 - Post No. 4

December 4th! Blogmas Day 4. Today’s post is about Indoor Recreation Activities for the Wintertime. Something that is definitely needed on the days the temps dip below zero, especially for us, as we get antsy and bored if we have to sit at home multiple days in a row. 

So if you get antsy like we do, here are a few indoor recreation ideas for those extra cold days. 

Indoor Recreation Activities for the Wintertime

Indoor Rock Climbing

Today, Eric and I went indoor rock climbing at the Minneapolis Vertical Endeavors. The Minneapolis location is bouldering-only, which is usually our favorite type climbing, so it felt so good to be moving like that again!

Here are some Minnesota local rock climbing gyms for you to check out: 

Curling

Curling is another amazing workout of a recreational activity that’s done indoors. A surprising workout, this activity will warm you up as soon as you get started. And there are quite a few curling centers around Minnesota: 

The best way to try curling is through a Learn to Curl class, so check your local curling center’s schedule for their open times! 

Ice Skating / Ice Hockey

Anyone else who grew up in Minnesota grow up on the ice as well? Or is that just us? And we love it. 

If you live anywhere that has consistently cold weather, you’ve likely walked or driven by an outdoor ice skating or hockey rink. Here in Minnesota, it seems like we have one on every corner, and that’s great! We are the State of Hockey, after all 🙂

But on the days where it’s way too cold to be skating outside, indoor ice skating and ice hockey rinks are prime. And if you live in the Midwest, there’s a good chance you have an indoor rink in your area too. Be sure to check out your local rink’s schedule for Open Skate times to be able to drop in and skate inside to stay warm when the weather outside is frightful.

And many more...

There are so many other recreational activities that take place indoors too, such as…

  • Bowling
  • Swimming
  • Track
  • Basketball
  • Tennis / Racquetball / Pickleball
  • Dance classes
  • Yoga

Just to name a few! Community Centers, Parks & Recreation Departments, Recreation Centers, and Fitness facilities are all great resources for indoor recreation and non-recreational activities to keep you busy throughout the winter.

Want more wintertime activities? Check out these posts:

Indoor Recreation Activities for the Wintertime vertical
Blogmas, Lists, Midwest, Minnesota, New

Our Midwest Winter Wish List​ | Blogmas 2022

Posted on

Blogmas 2022 - Post No. 3

It’s December 3rd – Day 3 of blogmas! Today I’m sharing our Midwest Winter ’22-’23 Wish List – a list of some things Eric and I would love to do this winter season! Hopefully there will be something on the list that you’d like to do too (or to try if you haven’t already). If you have a list too, I’d love to see it!

I spent a majority of the day messing with optimization again, mostly focusing on images this time. I had a realization midway through that Facebook users get different views from their links that vary based on whether a person profile or a Page profile shared the link. For example, if a person profile (such as my personal Facebook account) shares a link, then the image is shown to the left of the link preview and is vertical. And if a Page profile (such as the VolkmanAdventures Page) shares a link, then the image is shown on top of the link preview and is a completely different size (and is horizontal). Eye. Roll. In my opinion. Why can’t they just both be the same? Due to this, I made the decision to update the featured images of the last five blog posts from vertical to horizontal, so now there should be some consistency and formality regardless of whether a person or a page shares any links. Yay! 

Winter 2022-2023 Wish List

Skiing at Big Powderhorn Mountain (Michigan)

We have the Indy Pass again this winter season and wow how they have grown this year! They’ve double their resorts within the Midwest region here, giving us Minnesotans even more opportunities to explore the snowy areas around us. And top of our wish list this year is Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort in Bessemer, MI.

Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and around a 4hr 45min drive from us here in the Twin Cities. Not too terrible of a drive as it goes through the beautiful northern part of Wisconsin, with plenty of parks and places to stop along the way. 

Eric and I have been to Big Powderhorn in the past, and it instantly had risen to the top of our “Favorite Places to Ski and Snowboard” lists. (Oh! I don’t have a post on that yet!) Therefore, we can’t wait to get back there – which will hopefully be this season. 

Check out their page, here!

*Update: Since this post went live, we now have plans to go! 🙂

Snowshoeing at Afton State Park (Minnesota)

Snowshoeing is something we haven’t done all that often as of yet, but is something we’re growing fond of! Once of the best Minnesota State Parks south of Duluth to visit in the winter season is Afton State Park in Hastings, MN.

We have been to Afton State Park once many years ago, and it was during the winter season. We didn’t have snowshoes at the time and definitely wished we did! This park offers multiple trail options, and over 10 miles of those trails can be used my snowshoers as well. Plus, you can snowshoe off trail in this park to add even more miles to your trek, which is pretty cool!

See the Willow River Cascades Frozen at Willow River State Park (Wisconsin)

Frozen waterfalls are so so SO beautiful! Eric and I stopped at a frozen waterfall last January – at Cascade River State Park in Lutsen, MN and instantly loved them. We were lucky enough to be driving in the northern Wisconsin area a few months later and was able to see another frozen waterfall again, this time at Amnicon Falls State Park in South Range, WI.

So we want to see even more! 

There’s a park just across the border in Wisconsin that has been on our bucket list for a while, and it happens to also have an amazing and large cascading waterfall. I can’t even imagine how amazing these falls are in the winter. 

The park is called Willow River State Park and it’s in Hudson, WI. Willow River SP is a popular park with miles and miles of scenic trails and a gorgeous river that carved through sandstone to create Willow River and Little Falls Lake. 

Go Skiing Somewhere We've Never Been

We LOVE skiing and snowboarding. It’s been a big part of our history since we’ve been together, and we try to get out as much as we can each season.

And though we have been to many of the slopes around us here in Minnesota, there are so many more that we can’t wait to try out! 

If you’re looking for new places to ski or snowboard this season, here are a few places in the Midwest that caught our attention: 

Snowshoe Once per Week

As mentioned earlier, we’re relatively new to snowshoeing, having only done it a handful of times over the past few years. We’ve learned that it’s a hidden gem of an activity that provides quite a workout each time.

And best of all, snowshoeing can be done anywhere! As long as you have snow, the world is your oyster. You don’t even need a designated trail. In fact, you can even help with other trails, like fat tire bike trails, by going out on the trail first to start packing the snow after a fresh snowfall.

Because it’s such a good workout and so easy to do in your own backyard (or anywhere with snow), I couldn’t not add this to my winter wish list. 

Winter Hike the Superior Hiking Trail (Minnesota)

Winter hiking is a new love of ours. We’ve found that hiking in chilly (not freezing haha) weather is much more refreshing, comfortable, and energizing than hiking on a hot summer day. So we’re thrilled that winter weather hiking season is now here! Another big goal of ours is to hike the Superior Hiking Trail, so why not do both at once? 

The Superior Hiking Trail (SHT) is an incredibly scenic route that spans 310 miles, with one end at Jay Cooke State Park in Carlton, MN, and the other end at the Canadian border where it connects with the 4,800 mile North Country Trail. 

I’d love to hike the SHT in its entirety (over time), and hiking it in the winter sounds like the best, not to mention the least buggy, time to do it. 

Our Midwest Winter Wish List
Blogmas, Lists, Minnesota, New

5 Fun Family Activities for this Holiday Season | Blogmas 2022

Posted on

Blogmas 2022 - No. 2

It’s December 2nd, and therefore blogmas Day 2! Today’s post is about fun family activities for this holiday season.

I spent most of my after-work hours attempting to optimize this website’s performance, which I hope is making your site experience much better! There was an annoying JavaScript issue that slowed my site speed down by like 500% and it was gross. And took forever to figure out. 

Anyways, on to blogmas installment No. 2! Technically a day late due to not getting home until 10pm from running errands, then falling asleep with only one paragraph left to write, but better late than never! Not off to a great blogmas start haha! I’ll get the timing right for tomorrow 🙂

5 Fun Family Activities for this Holiday Season

1. Write and Send Santa a Letter

One of the most fun childhood memories I have from growing up is writing a letter to Santa and sending it to him up in the North Pole. There was just something so fun about writing a letter telling Santa how good we were throughout the year and our wishes for the next year. AND he even wrote back! How cool was that?

He’s still at it even all these years later, too. And here are the steps! Along with his address: 

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Dr
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

2. Christmas/Holiday Market

Christmas and Holiday Markets are so beautifully decorated, and provide many options for entertainment for families looking to get into the holiday spirit. With delicious treats, drinks, and activities, there’s a little something at each market for everyone! And, as a bonus, you can also get some holiday shopping done simultaneously haha! Here are some ideas for markets to visit around Minnesota: 

Don’t forget to check your local events to find one in your town, too!

3. Bonfire with S'Mores and Apple Cider

Ahh, the smell of burning firewood. A cozy reminder of the fall and winter months, and truly one of the best seasonal activities for families. Bonfires are warm and provide a great opportunity for campfire drinks, like hot apple cider and hot chocolate! 

The only thing that’s missing from the warmth of the fire and beverages, is a nice campfire snack, like s’mores! Between picking out the ingredients, heating up the marshmallows (not to mention the laughter that comes from accidentally catching them on fire), and putting together the s’more itself, these sticky snacks are a fun experience for all ages!

Bonfires and s’mores can both be made at home, or you can find a bonfire event in your local community!

4. Visit Santa and his Reindeer

Once Santa sends a letter back, how exciting would it be to see him in person? There are lots of fun opportunities to visit Santa around town throughout December, and many of those events have reindeer too!

Oftentimes Santa’s helpers are there to help with taking photos and are there to teach others about the lives of the reindeer up at the North Pole (including what they and the other helpers do in the off-season). These are fun and educational for everyone!

5. Drive / Walk through a Holiday Light Show

Holiday light shows are such a fun experience for the whole family! With multiple light show events throughout Minnesota, there are endless options for entertainment. Here are a few places to check out: 

Best of all, if you walk or drive around your city’s neighborhoods there are fun free light shows put on by the community! Our favorite free light show is put on by a couple of houses in a neighborhood down the street from our old house. 

Looking for more winter ideas? Check these two posts out:

Fun Family Friendly Ideas
Blogmas, Gift Ideas, Lists, New

5 Simple Items to Keep You Warm While Outside this Winter​ | Blogmas 2022

Posted on

Blogmas 2022 - Post No. 1

Welcome to December 1st!

And that means it’s Day 1 of Blogmas, which I’m participating in for the first time ever! Blogmas is an annual challenge that creators do from December 1st until Christmas. It’s mostly just for funsies, and to push ourselves. You’ll see bloggers do blogmas and vloggers participate in Vlogmas, or sometimes each will do both! I wanted to do this in years past but I couldn’t fully commit due to roadblocks, but this year – nothing is standing in my way! Except for myself, so hopefully I overcome this anxiety of not knowing what to talk about each day. 

I mean, I know what to write about, I have what feels like an endless supply of ideas, but more so ensuring I carve out the time to get them written, formatted, optimized, and set up correctly each day. 

I’m a little rusty, so bear with me! With that, I wanted to have goals around why I’m doing this – why I’m going to spend a couple hours writing, optimizing, formatting, and creating a blog post each day for blogmas. And those goals are: 

  1. To get into a writing habit, 
  2. To find my voice, 
  3. To challenge my way of thinking, 
  4. To become a more efficient and overall better writer, and 
  5. To find new ways to serve you, my readers!
Now that my goals for blogmas 2022 have been established, let’s get started. And maybe bear with me on this first one as it’s definitely on the extra rusty side!

5 Simple Items to Keep You Warm While Outside this Winter

1. Down Filled, Fleece-Lined Hat

You know how nice a puffy coat is in the winter, but have you tried a puffy hat? I just learned about them recently while on a trip and my mind was blown. 

This down hat is sure to keep you warm while outside this winter, even on the coldest of days! Not only that, but a down hat equals lightweight and packable, so you’ll be able to easily stuff it into your pocket or a bag should you happen to get (dare I say it) too hot. 

2. Fleece-Lined Leggings

I recently went backpacking for the first time, and the temperatures were in the lower 20’s after the sun went down (that’s the desert for you!). 

Not to be dramatic, but, without these fleece-lined leggings, I likely would have frozen to death. Just kidding, that was really dramatic, but I run cold so I would have had a significantly worse time without these leggings!

3. Wool Insoles for your Boots

Wool is one of the best natural materials to stay warm on the cold winter days. Wool inserts are a total game changer when it comes to combating cold feet! Plus, they’re comfy!

4. Puffer Blanket

Puffer blankets can be used pretty much anywhere, and they’re super lightweight and packable!

You can pick one up in fun bright colors and patterns, or as a solid color to be more discreet. 

I also have the Rumpl blankets on my 15 Life-Changing Gifts for Adventurers gift guide, but I just had to bring it back for this post too, because they are just so great!

5. Rechargeable Heated Socks

And finally, I can’t think of a better way to keep you warm in the chilly weather this winter than to have rechargeable heated socks. Honestly, my least favorite part about the winter is when my feet are cold. I love being outside, but if my feet are cold, I give up. I can name dozens of events where I’ve been having a great time other than my feet making me feel miserable!

These puppies are on the Christmas lists of both my husband and my brother in law this year, and have already sold out once since being added to those lists, so it’s safe to assume they are in high demand!

Eric and I could have used these when we were dealing with the -2*F wind chill during the Minnesota Gopher football game a couple of weeks ago haha!

5 Simple Items to Keep You Warm Outside this Winter