Category Archives: Family Ramblings

Monopoly Traveler Reflections–Driving Out West

Heading west always meant getting on an airplane and landing on the West Coast. Because of our determination to visit every National Park on our Monopoly board, we made plans to begin our adventures by driving to bordering states to explore those parks on our board which were closest. This seemed like the best opportunity to experience how this was going to go for our family. If it didn’t go great we could head home early since we drove. I had been as far west as Sioux Falls, South Dakota but that was as far as I had ever driven. I was excited to see the open prairies of the west but not certain were the west really started. Our first day brought us to Sioux Falls where we spent the morning getting breakfast and exploring. By late afternoon we made our way further west to Wall, South Dakota were we stopped for the day. A few days later we continued on to the Black Hills and then ventured into Wyoming. The vast openness was stunning watching the tall grasses sway in the breeze for hundreds of miles.

A Pronghorn near the side of the road

Once reaching the western side of South Dakota, we kept seeing attractions depicting the Old West. I always thought Wyoming would be the beginning of the west. The Prairies seem to begin around Wall, South Dakota though which start to transition from the Midwest to the West. While driving in Western South Dakota we saw critters not found in the Midwest such as Prairie Dogs and Pronghorn Deer. It was fun to see all of these pieces of the west and experience these low, rolling hills. Many people consider this a boring drive but I was just enthralled with the landscape. Almost mesmerized by it. The only thing that would have made it complete would have been to watch storms roll over the grasslands of the west.

The vast openness of the west

As we continued west, the scenery began to subtly change. The prairies continued on for miles and miles around us but off in the distance, hills began to pop up. A few hours later, which felt like less than an hour, larger hills became visible as we reached higher points on the road. It became clear we would soon be entering the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Another area I was excited to drive through. The day continued on as we drove through the prairie moving west. Eventually we entered Wyoming and soon after turned south. While we were still in the Prairie, larger hills  were getting closer. After a short time we entered Colorado, still in the western prairies with the Rockies definitely making their presence seen.

Entering the foothills of the Rocky Mountains

After driving for a little while in Colorado we once again turned west. The mountain foothills were now all around us and the excitement to begin climbing higher into the mountains increased. The drive continued to be beautiful watching the landscape slowly transition from the vast prairies to mountains just in front of us. Soon we began going up at a fast pace. We had definitely entered the Rocky Mountains. For the next hour and a half we climbed higher and higher with steep cliffs next to us, sharp corners to drive around, and raging rivers pouring down the Mountain all while the temperatures transitioned from summer to spring. It was all so breathtaking. Seeing this all for the first time from the windows of our car was incredible. Soon we reached Estes Park, our destination and as far west as we would travel on this adventure. What a great experience and amazing views during our entire trip.

Going up into the mountains

A New Crabapple Becomes a Beautiful Tree

One summer day at work, I was told about a crabapple tree that was going to be thrown into the compost because the top had been broken so it wasn’t able to be used for our customer. I asked if I could have it? It was a nice tree and with some care it would likely be just fine. So I brought it home and planted this little crabapple in a perfect spot for us to enjoy. With a little trimming that winter, this new crabapple would be ready to grow into a healthy tree for years to come.

Our new crabapple tree

The next spring it leafed out with a few blossoms, but spent more of it’s energy into growing and recovering from being planted. While it was only seven feet tall, we were just excited it survived the winter and was full of leaves. Just keep growing little tree!

The next year it bloomed nicely

When spring arrived the next year, our little crabapple had lots of beautiful, fragrant flowers bringing smiles to our faces. Over the summer, a change for our family would be made. We had decided to move into a different house to fit the needs of our family. One of the hardest parts of that decision was leaving this tree behind. I convinced my wife we could transplant this tree as long as we did it once the leaves had dropped for the season. It had become a healthy and vigorous little tree in a short time and would very likely be able to handle the trauma of being uprooted and replanted. So that’s what we did. That fall, just before this house was sold, a friend came over and we dug this tree out and replanted it at our new house.

We brought it with us when we moved

The next spring it leafed out once again and began growing. Releaf! Over the next few years our little crabapple had adapted to these new surroundings, continued to grow and provide amazing beauty and fragrance each spring. We couldn’t believe how much it grew each year. Some of those years were cool and wet while others were hot and dry. Yet this tree just kept growing.

Some years it didn't bloom much, but it continued to grow

Some years there weren’t many blooms to fill the air with its calming aroma, but we enjoyed it still. Our little tree had some challenges during these years but continued to grow and flourish into a mature tree. This spring it put on such an amazing show as it has become a full sized tree reaching over thirty feet in height. We could never have imagined what it would become over almost 20 years its been in our lives. What a special gift for us!

And now it's a beautiful tree that is an amazing sight

What’s in Store for 2021?

While the uncertainty with COVID still persists as 2021 begins, there are events planned for me and my family this year. A year ago I had no idea what the year would bring but this year I have a number of things already added to the calendar. Continuing to get out and look for those interesting shots will be a year long endeavor as it has been for many years now. There already has been some nice opportunities as several frosty mornings painted the landscape white. Once again I will be heading to the Superbowl to participate in the atmosphere and whatever events surround this biggest of games. It takes place in Tampa, Florida this year. I continue to be nervous about the worldwide pandemic in a situation like this and will be taking whatever precautions I can to remain safe. At the same time I’m looking forward to some warmer weather and the opportunity to take photographs amongst the palm trees.

Superbowl concerts

As spring arrives I’ll continue my hunt for more of Minnesota’s native orchids. Currently I’ve began to map out a few locations and the time of summer some of these orchids bloom in to add to the calendar. It’s exciting to think about finding and snapping some shots of these beautiful, exotic plants currently hibernating beneath the snow. The goal is to add 6 new species to my list which would bring me to about half of the areas native orchids.

One of Minnesota's wild orchids

The end of spring will bring my second daughters’ graduation. While I don’t like the idea that she’ll be finishing high school this year, I’m excited for what she may do as she begins her next phase in life. It’s unknown what her ceremony will look like and how we’ll be able to celebrate this achievement but we’re hopeful for a closer to normal event. We’ll figure out something regardless. Those who had to find unusual ways to mark this milestone last year have paved the way for us this year figuring out new methods for us to use.

2021 graduation cake

Over the course of the winter, spring, and summer I’ll be in training for a big event I’ll be sharing with my daughters in late summer. We’re going to camp in the Tetons preparing to climb Grand Teton. I’m extremely excited to take this on and also quite nervous as this is a very physical activity. Will I be able to complete it celebrating the climb with my girls? My cousin and his daughter will also be joining us on this trip. The altitude is such a factor for me. I can do the hiking, which is seven miles in one direction, and climbing. Both of these are fun for me but as soon as you add in the element of thinner air, it slows me down as I need to frequently stop and regenerate my oxygen levels. Still, to be able to enjoy mountain views for several days while camping and watch the star filled sky are exciting to prepare for along with summiting with my family members once again returning to a National Park.

Grand Teton

This year has a lot of potential to gain a lot of life experience. How much will be dependent on the COVID levels as we continue to battle this virus which may allow us to return to more normal life. In any event, we’ll adjust as needed and work towards making more life long memories in 2021.

Buffleheads landing in the water

Happy New Year!

Whenever possible I like to get up to see the sun rise on New Year’s Day. Thankfully that is later in the morning this time of year as typically the night before I welcome the New Year and then retire for the night. This year I awoke, grabbed my gear, something to eat, and headed to a nearby lake hoping for a beautiful start to the first day of the year. It was a cold morning with temperatures in the single digits Fahrenheit. I didn’t plan on staying out long so I didn’t put on all of my cold weather clothing, just enough to watch the sun come up and then head home. What I wasn’t anticipating was the frost covered landscape capturing my interest.

Frost forming on evergreen branches

As daylight grew brighter on this cold morning, I began to notice the little white crystals forming on the trees around me. This winter landscape was becoming white with frost for a beautiful start to 2021. I began to examine the frost covered branches noticing how different it was on evergreens vs bare tree branches and old flower stems from the summer before. The evergreens seem to have little beads of frost while the other plants where forming larger pentagon shaped clear crystals. It was quite interesting to think about how a minor difference in conditions could lead to frost forming differently. Was there just enough difference in the temperature with the evergreens or humidity in the air? Amazing!

Frost crystals

The cold was beginning to penetrate deeper and deeper into me reminding me I was only prepared to be there a short time. Heading back toward my car I kept getting distracted with these frost crystals. The sun began to peak out from behind the morning clouds casting some light onto these little ice formations. I had to stay and try to capture this. Heading towards some cattails I noticed the snow beneath me. It looked so soft with lots of glimmering ice covering it. That must be from snowflakes which had melted in the warm sun filled days before refreezing into clear globes of ice.

The soft snow beneath my feet

On closer inspection, I could see frost crystals everywhere on top of snow. This is something I haven’t noticed before but they were everywhere rising up from the snow covered ground. Looking just right they would glisten in the morning sunlight revealing their pentagon shapes, just like on the dried branches nearby. This was so interesting. Unfortunately it was getting more difficult to work the camera with the cold setting into my hands. It was time to go warm up, but hopefully there would be more opportunities to explore this miniature world of frost. I love experiencing something new and interesting. What a great way to begin the new year!

Happy New Year to each of you with hope for many enjoyable moments and memories!

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Good Bye 2020!

Many people around the world celebrated New Year’s Eve and Day. It felt more of a celebration for surviving 2020 instead of ushering a new year. The past year got pretty dark at times with a pandemic, unlike anything people can remember, closing down most of our activities and events. While I’ve heard more times than I care to think about how people dismissed the year as though it never existed, I have a slightly different view. Wishing away a year of my life is not something I want to do. There are only a limited number of years for any of us and I want to enjoy as many of them as I can. Yes, there has been a lot of stress and anxiety but there were some pretty great moments too. Adventures were fewer and farther in between and occurred closer to home but they still were available creating lifelong memories.

Snowmobiling in Northern Michigan

Looking over my post at the beginning of January highlighting the things I wanted to do this year, surprisingly most of those were accomplished. A snowmobile adventure was planned soon after writing that post taking me with my cousin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to ride some incredible trails. It was iffy for a few weeks leading up to this as the snow was melting with no fresh snow covering these trails but they held out allowing us to enjoy a weekend meeting some new friends while flying across the snow covered ground under a sun filled sky. A great reminder of why I love to do this whenever I can. By the end of the weekend we had covered 300 miles in 24 hours. Yeah, sleep was sacrificed a little. You can read more about it here: http://monopolytraveler.com/hitting-the-trails-in-the-u-p/ Unfortunately this also marked the beginning of the pandemic reaching the United States. Things changed quickly after.

Beautiful snowflakes fell a number of times

Many of the snowfalls that created these great trails for snowmobiling also gave me opportunities to capture these incredible little ice crystals which I continue to try to capture with the camera. Sometimes I get so lost looking through the view finder that I forget how cold it is and before I know it, I can’t move my fingers to press the shutter button. It’s often difficult to get motivated to prepare for taking these pictures but once all of my winter gear is on and the camera is finally set up, the hours go by quickly as the batteries in my camera die in the winter cold. For more photos of snowflakes head over here.

River Otter coming to examine me

With spring in full swing, my wife and I headed for a mini retreat for a night. After a nice campfire to end the day, we retired for some much wanted sleep. The next morning I got up for the sunrise and headed to the nearby lake enjoying some peace and quiet listening to the sounds of morning. Just before the sun rose above the horizon I heard an unfamiliar sound behind me. There was something swimming but each time I looked to see what it was it would dive under the surface. Finally I saw it surface. A River Otter! One of the creatures I’d wanted to photograph without success and here was one moving closer. It never really gave me the chance to capture a photo while it was in the water. While looking one direction I heard something near my feet. A quick glance and it was gone but there was no mistaking it. The otter had surfaced right next to me and quickly disappeared. I figured that was the end of the interaction. Fortunately a few minutes later the wild otter had climbed up onto the walkway cutting through this little shallow bay and slowly worked its way towards me. After several steps it returned to the water and was gone through the cattails. I couldn’t believe after searching for years for otters that I finally was able to photograph a wild one. Late in the year I had another chance to watch a family of otters searching for food with a few pictures making positive 2020 memories.

Pitcher Plants

As spring turned to summer I headed to Northern Minnesota in search of wild orchids. Along the way I encountered some beautiful carnivorous plants which I’d not seen in Minnesota before. There were pitcher plants in bloom and sundews dotting bogs creating an environment new to me. You can read more by clicking this link: http://monopolytraveler.com/on-the-hunt-for-more-orchids/. During that same adventure I encounter several of Minnesota’s native orchids which was so amazing. I read about them blooming but somehow it still doesn’t seem possible that they’re there and then I see them just growing out of the ground. You can read more about the search for these orchids here: http://monopolytraveler.com/the-hunt-continues/. On that same trip I watched some beautiful sunsets as the sky turned to night bringing out the fireflies and star filled skies. That article is here. It became incredibly easy to forget there was a worldwide pandemic going on. What a refreshing temporary reprieve from all that was happening allowing me to refocus once I returned home.

The Milky Way over Hayes Lake

The summer was in full swing bringing some great storms. Lightning would light up the sky in ways I hadn’t seen in a long time. These were the type of storms I had been searching for over numerous summers lighting up the sky both over head and off in the distance. One of these produced a light show that forced my whole family to stop what they were doing and head out to our driveway just staring up for a long time. The odd piece was there was so much constant lighting but very little thunder to go with it letting us know how high up these storms were. I wrote about one of these nights here

Amazing lightning shows

One of my goals for 2020 was to go camping a few times and this was accomplished. My family and I took a couple of camping trips to just get away from all of the news and attempt to refresh during a weekend here or there. We weren’t able to take a family expedition to any National Parks as I had hoped but we were able to enjoy a few weekends together just a couple of hours from home. These are times that I will remember as good pieces of the past year. One final camping trip came as summer became fall with just my wife on the North Shore of Minnesota. As an unexpected treat, fall colors arrived across the landscape leaving behind a vibrant painting not seen in several years. And we got to watch the leaves change on a daily basis right in front of our eyes. There were some beautiful photographs taken of these by many other people. I captured  a little of the fall color also which you can view on this page.

There was a lot horrific news and unbelievable events that unfolded during 2020, but there was beauty and peace to be found also if it was sought out. I’m thankful for those moments providing me with positive experiences to hold on to in this historic year. Now on to 2021 and whatever it may hold…..

Camping

Labor Day Weekend

Labor Day is to Fall as Memorial Day is to Spring. Together they are kind of the unofficial bookends of summer. As activities begin to resume, people return to their routines for the fall and winter. Although this year is unique and many are unsure of what those routines will be with the current pandemic going on, Labor Day weekend is still an opportunity to enjoy the nice weather of summer with far fewer mosquitoes and biting flies. That often includes a weekend at the lake camping and taking in some fishing or enjoying a morning sunrise while slowly drifting over the calm water.

The Campsite

With fewer organized activities it allows us to spend time relaxing and reflecting with family enjoying each others company. I’m choosing to enjoy the outdoors this weekend as much as possible. Fall will quickly turn rainy and cold leaving only the memories of summer. Whatever your weekend holds, I hope it’s an enjoyable one!

The traditional campfire

2020–A New Year and a New Decade

The start of the next decade comes with no adventures planned. This is such a weird, and even a little uneasy, situation for me. At least it should give me some time to get projects done around the house that I’ve been meaning to do. There’s some discussion about a quick snowmobiling trip this winter. It’s been several years now since the last adventure on a snowmobile. Outside of that I’m a little lost for what’s in store for the next year. Maybe that’s a good thing.

Hitting the trails on a snowmobile

There are definitely some things I would like to do in this next year. One of those is some camping. I’m sure I can come up with a few spots I’d like to visit and explore in Northern Minnesota.

Tent camping

Another adventure for 2020 could be visiting a National Park or two with my family. This is difficult to do with everyone’s schedule so varied between school and jobs. Hopefully a summer trip can be managed. I would love to take some more time in Utah or maybe go see Glacier National Park.

Visiting a National Park

Working on my photography seems to be a continual goal and one that I’d like to work on further in 2020. I use to set a certain number of photos I’d like to attempt in a year. This new year has me trying to work more on subjects and composition rather than just getting out and shooting. Last year really highlighted some beautiful subjects and compositions for me. Being creative seems to be a challenge and finding the best composition can be difficult for me but I still enjoy trying.

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2019- It’s just about over

There’s a lot of year in reviews coming out at this time of year. I really was planning on skipping such a post and just continuing on with some of the stories of recent adventures but there’s one thing that continues to drive a post like this. Gratitude! I’m so grateful for all of the opportunities and new experiences over this past year. Some of them in different places while others in locations I’ve been to previously, but all of them were new adventures to me. Looking back over my list of things I wanted to do in 2019, they were all accomplished which led to so many great adventures. The year started with a trip to Northern Minnesota to see the frozen North Shore. It was an extremely cold day but the sights were so amazing it was worth braving the elements for. The next day ventured inland of Northern Minnesota to see birds heading south for the winter where I did get to see a snowy owl. That was such a beautiful bird to watch perched in a tree and soar overhead.

 Snowy Owl

Once spring began there was a trip to Utah to explore a few of the many off road trails in such an incredible landscape. Moab is home to a big playground of outdoor adventures. From hiking, biking, and photography to dirt bikes, Razors, and off road vehicles, it has it all. And it’s against a backdrop made for television and movies.

Utah's amazing landscape

Once spring was beginning to morph into summer, there was a week long journey to Northern Minnesota to go camping. The first time I’ve camped near the BWCA. Such a beautiful experience, especially when the mosquitoes and black flies took a break from their constant attacks.

The beautiful BWCA

A month later a trip to Isle Royale began. A few years ago I planned on returning to this National Park but those fell through late in the summer. That was a bit crushing and extinguished my motivations for hiking for awhile and made it so I wasn’t convinced it would happen again this year. As it got closer the plans continued on course and the day came to drive to Grand Portage, MN to board the boat. It was at this point I felt confident this adventure was going to happen. Something I will remember and am so thankful I got to share the experience with my youngest daughter and a cousin of mine that has joined me on a number of adventures.

An amazing sunset on Isle Royale

That completed my plans for 2019 but were not the only adventures for the year. In addition to these I really enjoyed the winter weather with all of our snow and cold well into March. As winter began to lose it’s grip I took an opportunity to visit Wabasha, MN for the spring eagle migration. It was so much fun to see so many eagles along the Mississippi River. Shortly after that I visited a Heron Rookery in Minneapolis. Who would think a large number of Great Blue Herons would nest near downtown Minneapolis? Thanks to a few other photographers for letting me know about this spot. Late summer brought a weekend adventure to Blue Mounds State Park with a great mix of photography subjects from storms to Bison. Once fall arrived I finally decided to see what Carlos Avery Wildlife Area is all about. I hope to return to this place a little more frequently and see what it’s like during the seasons, especially during the spring bird migration. Late fall brought a trip to Florida for a school trip mixed with some days working. It was nice to feel summer weather once again before returning to Minnesota’s cold and snow.

Herons preparing a nest

It was an unusual year for adventures which I’m very thankful that I got to share with others. An adventure is a lot of fun but it’s even better if I get to share it with others. I’m humbled by these opportunities! Currently I don’t have anything planned like this for next year which makes it even more of a memorable year.

Blue Mounds State Park

What’s Up For 2019?

Our National Park Monopoly board has ended but there are plenty of adventures yet to be had. So far the next year has a couple of travel plans in it. Up first on the list is a trip to Northern Minnesota to explore the frozen North Shore with our French Student we are hosting until the end of the school year and in search of birds that migrate to Minnesota from farther places north in search of food and easier conditions than their summer homes. Seems a little weird to think birds actually travel south to Minnesota for the winter. One such bird that I’m hoping to see is the Snowy Owl which resides in the arctic during the rest of the year. Northern Hawk Owls are another bird traveling south along with Pine Grosbeaks and Evening Grosbeaks. Along the shores of Lake Superior during the cold reside an amazing winter wonderland. Ice coating much of the shoreline, frozen waterfalls, and snow covering the landscape make for a beautiful scene many don’t get to see. It can definitely be cold but appropriate clothing makes being outside in Northern Minnesota actually enjoyable. This should be a good way to kick off Two Thousand and nineteen.

A four wheel expedition

Another trip currently in the plans is exploring some of the off road trails in Utah. Designed and constructed his Jeep to go off road. We decided it’s time to take it out on and adventure and enjoy the fruits of these labors. Utah is well known for these types of activities with trails catering to multiple skill levels along with different off road vehicle levels. Skill levels vary and make sense as each trail adds experience to the driver as well as those navigating a trail but vehicle levels? As it turns out not all off road vehicles can handle the same conditions. Stock 4 x 4 trucks can handle many dirt/gravel/sand roads as long as they don’t have too large of ruts or too steep of angles for the vehicle to climb. Lifting a vehicle along with different types of suspension systems can increase the trail difficulty it can handle. For the serious off roader things like winches, extra fuel tanks, skid plates, and on board air compressors can increase the types of trail challenges a vehicle and driver can handle. Trails can be ranked in difficulty by different means such as the likely hood a vehicle will tip over or what type of equipment must be present in order to attempt that trail. Our sights are on easier to moderate trails for this trip as Utah is very remote and getting help can be a bit of a challenge if something were to go wrong. I’m looking forward to crawling around the Utah landscape and seeing some amazing sights.

In search of waterfalls

Early in the summer there’s an adventure planned to go back up to Northern Minnesota to show another friend of mine the North Shore which he has never seen. During our week there we hope to see Minnesota’s native orchids in bloom along with the beautiful area of Duluth and multiple waterfalls along the shores of Lake Superior. With any luck there will be a nice summer storm producing some beautiful lightning out over the big lake. It can be a beautiful time to be in that area with all of the spring blooming flowers and wildlife roaming with their young even if the temperatures tend to get a little cool at night and the mosquitoes are starting to hatch in full force. We’ll be camping for the week and exposed to the elements which most likely will include rain. I’ve never had a full week up at the North Shore so am looking forward to being able to explore things in a little more thoroughly.

Back to the island

One final adventure in the plan for this next year is a backpacking trip to Isle Royale. I tried to do this a couple of years ago but things didn’t really work out to actually do it so I’m going to try it again. This time there should be plenty of moose to see but also a potential wolf howling off in the distance as they’ve began to relocate wolves onto the island to help control moose populations. If there are too many moose, vegetation can get decimated along with disease going through the herds which is something people would like to avoid if possible. A different route is planned bringing new views and areas to explore and things to photograph. The challenges of a longer hike and ways to reduce the weight of the backpack are things I’m looking forward to taking on.

As the year progresses I’m sure there will be other possible adventures and unforeseen events to make for a fun new year. Here’s wishing all of you a promising and eventful 2019!

Swan flying by