Reykjavik Adventures Part One

     Reykjavik is a beautiful city full of adventures and sights I will never forget. It is inspiring in every way and opened me up to a new world.

      I had never traveled alone before and I have no regrets. Europe is amazing and I have met some of the coolest people from all over the world that I never would have gotten to know if it wasn't for  this trip. I hope my pictures in this blog will inspire someone, at least one person to travel and give it a shot as a result. If you are unable to travel for some reason, I hope this gives you a glimpse of the world.

     I got on a website called www.couchsurfing.com for this trip and found my first destination for rooming. I met an amazing Spanish girl and her Icelandic fiancee who were the best hosts I could imagine. I feel that I will have unforgettable memories due to her hospitality. She was having another girl from Taiwan stay with her and we became such good friends. Couchsurfing is such a good place to save some money while making beautiful memories with good people who are locals to the area.

    That massive tower in the picture is the Hallgrímskirkja church. It can be seen anywhere in town and it gives you an amazing view that I highly recommend checking out.

Even the inside is pretty neat to see.

There was a second church we stumbled across that I had to peak inside just because it looked so old in town called Landakotskirkja, built in 1929.

But honestly, just walking the streets was an adventure. More to come about the fun of Reykjavik.

Cross Country Skiing

     I grew up in Idaho. I have been on skis since I was four years old, but for the past 15 years, I have been an avid snowboarder. I have never tried cross country skiing before, because I had mountains. Cross country skiing is really popular here at Gunflint Lodge, so I just had to give it a try.

     The views were amazing, and the weather was nice.

     As for the skiing itself, I compiled a list of ways to describe it in my opinion.

Cross country skiing is like...

1. Walking in slippers when you are a little kid
2. Walking, only faster.....nothing like running
3. Bowling with bumpers
4. Riding the elliptical, but outdoors.

     That is the best way I can describe it. Not to say I didn't enjoy the skiing, it is better then just going for a walk because you can cover more area. I would just say it is more like working out, then recreational for me. I kept wanting to go faster, but when hills would come, my "breaks" wouldn't work because the skis are so narrow so I would often tip out of fear. I think my sport is definitely snowboarding.  I will give it a few more shots, maybe it will grow on me.

Can't get enough snowboarding

Snowboarding is one of my favorite things to do. I absolutely can't stop doing it and I am willing to hike to do get in as much snowboarding as possible. Minnesota doesn't have much when it comes to mountains, but it has so much beautiful snow. Here's a glimpse of this snow and all the snowboarding I enjoy.

How can I stay active in the cold?

 

     So I might have given this away by the photo. I can't stand feeling sedentary. I need to spend as much time outside as I can, yes, just like a kid. I have no problem with this, though, because physical activity keeps me fit. Now you might be wondering, is there even mountains in Minnesota? The answer is no. I don't need to snowboard a whole mountain. After hiking in the snow to the top of tall hills with a snowboard on your shoulders, you will be happy you made it that far and ready to ride either way. I don't need a mountain to enjoy the snow, because the dog sled and cross country ski trails in the area have fantastic hiking up and riding down. When we get more snow, I will be very excited to go back to Lutsen and skip the hiking part, but for now, I will enjoy the exercise.

Running in the Snow!

    Running keeps me sane. It's one of my favorite ways to exercise.  Unfortunately,  the recent snow around me has taken this away. Until today...

    Now I can thoroughly enjoy the views of Lonely lake again.  I recently purchased some Yaktrax.  I tried on a friend's pair before I purchased them, and they seemed pretty great. They did have an issue with coming out of place

 Both when I was running 

and later, when I was hiking. Overall, though, it did give me back some freedom I did not have before I bought them. Yaktrax did not sponsor me  to review this, I just thought I would share my secret to snow running before you hurt yourself. They are perfect on the road and over solid ice, where I didn't have to slow down one bit. I think the uneven trail caused the slippage. I will fiddle with them more and keep you updated if I find better results later on. 

As for Lonely Lake again, photos couldn't capture the beauty I saw.

But I think you can clearly see how amazing this snowglobe I live in is to look at.

 The trail is not far or difficult, and right on Gunflint Lodge property. Just don't forget to watch your head. 

Hiking the Northern Light Lake Trail

 It is pouring rain out. The ground is slippery and sticky with mud. What do I want to do today? I will go for a hike. I somehow talked a friend into joining me. We did not plan to hike the trail overlooking Northern Light Lake. As we were passing it, she mentions it to me.  I had been wanting to check it out myself, so I just had to stop. The rain makes it very lush and it smells amazing.

 You can barely see the lake through the mist, but it feels so good. I have no regrets on this beautiful hike in the rain.

Missouri Roadtrip

    I've never given a second thought to Missouri in my life. I passed through it briefly on my way to Minnesota from Mexico, but not enough to leave me any impression at all. When I arrived, I was pleasantly surprised.

   I was in Jefferson city and the surrounding area for the whole trip. It is a beautiful place to enjoy the fall colors. It was very warm compared to the cold, back in Minnesota. It was a little humid and warm the whole time, perfect weather as far as I'm concerned.

 Look how happy this dog is playing in these leaves.

 Contrasting fall colors..

 I think this is my version of a selfie.

 This giant enthralled me.

 Beautiful hand built bridge..

 Looking up through the leaves, you see a broad range of contrast and colors.

 I just thought this was a neat stump. I shares with us so many years of growth through the rings.

   The views of the woodlands were beautiful, and I even got the surprise of seeing deer (not pictured) for the first time in a while. As for Jefferson City itself, it's just not my type of town. There's not much to do if you are looking for outdoor activities to enjoy. I know state capitals usually have nice buildings and things to see around them, but that just wasn't my cup of tea. I'd rather be found hiking through nature, seeing lakes, and climbing trees.