I Love Saturday Mornings....

I love Saturday mornings when spending them with friends, enjoying the summer weather and what we have left of it!  We hiked in Taylor Falls Park today... well, hiked AND climbed I should say.  Most of the trails bring us to a boulder or two to climb up on and over to keep going on with our journey.  We even discovered things we haven't seen before on the trails... devil's cave, natural potholes carved into the rocks, and so much more.  We tried new trails, and even "off-roaded" a little... we crossed the border and went over to the Wisconsin side of the river and took in the views and trails from that side... most people we happy to cross back over to the Minnesota side... especially after seeing some Packer fans hiking as well.  So our "Welcome to Minnesota" sign pictures, were truly a relief (to some... I'm a Packer fan... SHHH don't tell!)  After we crossed back over, we headed to this old-fashioned ice cream shop and rewarded ourselves for our accomplishments that morning!  We conquered our fears and met some new people... as we do every day as a part of E&A! Events and Adventures Minneapolis

What An AWESOME Memorial Weekend!!

 After loading up our cars and heading towards the Dells, we were more than anxious to get there.  Upon arrival, some members had already arrived and staked out their space for their tent to be set up... some already had a beer cracked enjoying the sunshine and to kick off the weekend!  As we got the main canopy set up and all of our supplies unloaded, it was time to get to our own tents... but wait!  Some super nice guys have already started on mine!  I guess it pays to be "the boss"!  Haha  As more and more people arrived, we helped them find their perfect place to set up a tent, then assisted in set up as needed.  After the chatter and laughing began to rise, it was time to head up to the restaurant for some fish fry!  As we sat on the patio eating dinner, we looked down the table at our fellow E&A-er's that were all ready for a fun weekend!  When we got back to the campsite, the bonfire was already burning and people were already gathered around, pulling up their camping chairs, grabbing their coolers... and I thought it was a perfect time to whip out the smores:  Marshmallows, chocolate bars, graham crackers, rolos, fudge stripe cookies, oreos, etc... have you ever stuck a rolo inside a marshmallow before you roast it?  The best thing ever!  And as the night lingered on, so did the campers... laughing, playing cards, beer pong, stories around the fire and more... as everyone started to awake the next morning, we started breakfast and got on with our day of hiking and a jetboat tour.  That night, we all returned from our activities and gathered for dinner.  More bonfire and laughing followed and continued until the wee hours of the morning.  Another hearty breakfast on Sunday, followed by the Riverwalk and Ziplining... and wow!!  Was that fun!  Another check off the bucketlist for me!  As we returned to our final dinner of the weekend, some were already dreading having to leave the next morning... I know I was!!  But as we packed up that Monday morning and we said our goodbyes and gave hugs all around... we were left to our thoughts of what a great weekend we had as we drove home... but not to worry!  Labor Day weekend is only a couple months away and we will see everyone again! Events And Adventures Minneapolis

What's Better Than A Hike?

 A hike in the snow!  Well... what else are we supposed to do with this Minnesota snow that never quits?  Let's make the best of it!  We hiked and climbed and laughed along the way... maybe threw a snowball or two... even if we did have to bundle up a little for the weather, that didn't stop us from coming out of hibernation for this beautiful winter day to be OUTSIDE!  They are sometimes few opportunities for this, so let's take advantage of it... in the same way, use the opportunity of being an E&A member to its fullest!  Get out there, meet new people, talk to someone new at every event you attend... as I've said before, I meet someone new at EVERY event I attend, so you will too! Events And Adventures Minneapolis

Another Great Hike!

I was thinking about how great our summer was and all we have done and accomplished together, and one of our August hikes came to mind.  A simple afternoon hike can turn difficult depending which path you choose.  If you hike in a park, there are usually maps and paths to guide you, but sometimes it's fun to "off-road" and take the path less traveled.  We started out on a very wide, tarred path with many people surrounding us, then it slowly got more narrow with no one else in sight.   Boulders came to be an obstacle, so we started to climb.  I looked back, as I was leading the pack, and the looks of determination on the faces behind me, told me to keep going.  We went up and then we went down and then up again.  When we arrived at the landing overlooking the river, we all took in the view... as we all took a drink of water as well.  We took a victory picture then and as we headed back, I was thinking about how our lives are much like this hike was... may seem simple at first, but there are difficulties along the way.  What goes up, must come down, much like our climb on the boulders.  But the best part about it is that we learned something about ourselves as we did something we may have never done before... we pushed ourselves, where other times we might have just given up... and we did this because we first took a leap of faith and joined E&A.  This may be the first step, but it's not the last... and I'm looking forward to sharing many more of these victory moments together!

Events And Adventures Minneapolis