Best of Puerto Rico

If you want to learn more about our workcation in Puerto Rico, check out our five part series: Links to Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four, and Part Five. You can also check out our post explaining the steps we took to prepare to remote work, Making Margaritas out of Limes Remote Work Checklist.

The Mister, me, Little Man and Little Dog spent January, February and March during 2021 in Puerto Rico on a Workcation. We spent a few weeks in different Airbnbs on the various coasts including San Juan and Vega Baja to the north, Fajardo to the East, Ponce to the South and Rincon to the West. During our time on the island, we spent our free time exploring all that the island had to offer. With the three of us, you have the perspective of a 40 something year old man, a thirty something year old lady, and an 11 year old boy.

These are our Best of Puerto Rico recommendations based on our experiences:

Best Beach

There were so many different beaches on the island and we made it our mission to visit as many as we could! We visited Mar Chiquita and Puerto Nuevo near Vega Baja, Escambron Beach in San Juan, Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra, La Playuela in Cabo Rojo, the Domes and Steps Beach in Rincon, Jobos and Shacks Beach in Isabela, Crash Boat Beach in Aquadilla, Punta las Tunas in Arecibo, Playa Bramadero in Mayagüez, Playa Aviones near Pinones, Guajataca Tunnel Beach. And these were our favorites!

The Mister. My favorite beach was Flamenco Beach on the island of Culebra. The water was the clearest that I’ve seen, the sand was beautiful, had the right amount of wind and waves, but not too much that it was tough to enjoy. I can see why it is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

The Missus. My favorite beach was Crash Boat Beach. It was just fun. I liked that it had a lively crowd and that there was something for everyone. The water was not too rough (although watch out for the rip tides) and there were food options galore.

The Little Man. My favorite beach was Crash Boat Beach too! The waves were perfect and it was deep enough to jump off the dock into the water and it was relaxing.

Best Experience

The Mister. Guánica Dry Forest. This was a more secluded area so it felt like we were exploring brand new lands for the first time as a family.

The Missus. Old San Juan was just a beautiful place. I enjoyed walking the streets and taking in the views.

The Little Man. Culebra island tour was the best experience because we got to take a ferry over to the island, go snorkeling, enjoyed the beautiful Flamenco Beach and really liked the tour.

Best Restaurant

The Mister. Princesa Cocina Cultural in Old San Juan. It was great atmosphere, great drinks, great food and great service. But it was also special getting to see The Missus live out one of her travel dreams.

The Missus. Princesa Cocina Cultural in Old San Juan. I first came to Puerto Rico about 15 years ago when I was a poor student. As I was walking along the Paseo de Princesa, I happened upon this gorgeous building tucked away in this lush vegetation adorn with sparkling lights. Music was playing and I remember couples dancing in the pathway. Looking at the menu, the pricing was outside of my humble budget, but I always wanted to return someday. This trip was that chance and it was absolutely worth the wait. The ambience was just what I remembered, craft cocktails were delicious and the food even better. After talking to the staff, who were wonderfully welcoming and kind, I found out that it wasn’t the same restaurant from my visit, but regardless my opportunity to fulfill a wish from my past really made my experience!

The Little Man. Playero Fuego in Vega Baja had the best tacos.

Best Region

The Mister. Rincon and the west region stood out because it felt like a true vacation spot. It just had a great island vibe.

The Missus. Old San Juan area was a wonderful area. I love a walkable urban neighborhood and appreciated the historic charms that were around each bend.

The Little Man. Vega Baja. I liked this region because the people were so friendly, the scenery was amazing, the food was tasty. Everything was really good!

Best Historical site

The Mister. The old forts of San Juan appealed to the history buff in me. I enjoyed learning about the architecture and the role that they played in the defense of the Spanish empire.

The Missus. I enjoyed visiting the forts of Old San Juan. It was fun to walk those huge structure and to imagine life once upon a time.

The Little Man. I liked the forts in San Juan.

Best Food

The Mister. Felos food truck in Vega Baja had great food. The Arañas were delicately fried plantains filled with great seafood salads. My favorite were the crab and octopus.

The Missus. These are delicious Arañas from Felos, a fabulous food truck that you have to try if you are in Vega Baja area. Arañas are like a birds nest of fried plantain that you fill with something delicious – often seafood salad. My answer is a combo of this particular item as well as all of the amazing seafood ensaladas (salads) that I had the opportunity to sample on our adventures. Pulpo (octopus) salads were always high on my list.

The Little Man. Empanadas.

Best Drink

The Mister. The Old Man Hemingway at the Casita de Rones at Old San Juan: Bacardi 4, lime juice, cane sugra, guava rum syrup, cream de cherry.

The Missus. My favorite drink was the Bloody Choco Mary at the Chocobar Cortez in Old San Juan. It was rich and robust. One of my favorite Bloody Mary of all time.

The Little Man. Barrachina in Old San Juan, home of the original pina colada recipe and I liked the virgin one!

Best Outdoor adventure

The Mister. The best outdoor experience was the Cascada Gozalandia. I enjoyed the secluded nature of these waterfalls and it was a great hike through beautiful forests to get there.

The Missus: Most all of our adventures were outdoors. So my answer is a bit of a cheat. But I loved all of the time that we spent together as a family exploring all that Puerto Rico had to offer. Every day was full of opportunity and adventure! It was a dream come true!

The Little Man. The Guánica Dry Forest because it was relaxing and it was different because it wasn’t wet and we had a really nice time there. And the view from the Camino del Vigia was a gorgeous view.

Most dog friendly

Puerto Rico as a whole is very dog friendly. Most restaurants we visited were very welcoming of our Little Dog. There are also a lot of dog friendly outdoor activities like the natural parks and beaches. If your dog is a cute, adorable and nice one, then I would recommend just asking if he is welcome when stopping by. You never know!

The Mister. La Carreta. It was great food, great atmosphere and the Little Dog could not have been happier to be with the family.

The Missus. La Carreta. This restaurant was wonderful. Delicious food, warm and welcoming staff, beautiful decor, and they couldn’t be kinder to our Little Dog. They brought out a water dish for him without asking and the Little Dog got lots of lovin’s from the staff during brunch. You can expect a wait so after we put our name in, we walked down to Paseo de Princesa and took a scenic walk along the shore back to the restaurant. By the time we got back, our table was ready to go! Again, amazing food!

The Little Man. El Yunque, the rainforest, was the best because we got to hike with our Little Dog. But I also liked the restaurant that the Missus mentioned.

Best Waterfall

One of our favorite things to do was to find a local watering hole. There is nothing more refreshing during a hot day than to dip yourself in the cool water of a mountain spring. We went to waterfalls in all parts of the island – Charco Hondo near Arecibo, La Coco Falls and Juan Diego Falls in El Yunque, Charco Azul near Guavate, and Cascada Gozalandia near San Sabastian.

The Mister. Cascada Gozalandia. This was a great waterfall. I enjoyed that we just one of a handful of people visiting.

The Missus. Cascada Gozalandia. This was my favorite waterfall because there were two beautiful waterfalls to see in the area and a lovely pathway full of natural beauty to get to each.

The Little Man. Cascada Gozalandia. The water was refreshing and it was pretty quiet and the trails were relaxing. The only thing that I would watch out is that the path might be slippery if wet.

Best Scenic View

The Mister. The view from the Britton Tower in El Yunque is amazing. The tower’s observation deck offers a panoramic view of the forest, the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean Sea and the eastern coastal plain.

The Missus. Cueva Ventana in Arecibo. Caving is a fun adventure on a hot day. You get the chance to walk through some lovely forest and explore two different caves, the last one which opens up to this spectacular view of the valley. Who would have thought that making your way through a cave would find a such a wonderful view to remember.

The Little Man. The Cueva de los Indios was the most scenic because the sunsetting over the shore was gorgeous. (The Missus alert: you should probably make sure to get down before the sun sets entirely because it is a pretty dangerous hike).

Most Overrated

The Mister. The biobay in Fajardo was overrated because I was expecting to see some biolumnescence, not to put a tarp over my head and swirl my hand around to see some sparkles.

Note from The Missus. It was probably even more disappointing because I had raved about this experience based on my visit to Mosquito Bay in Vieques. If you want to do this (and you definitely should), I would definitely recommend going there instead. Sadly, we were unable to get to the island because the ferry was unavailable due to COVID.

The Missus. Ponce – also known as the La Perla del Sur — is one of the largest and most populous cities in Puerto Rico, second only to San Juan. Perhaps it is because of COVID, but several of the attractions disappointed like La Guancha, which is their seaside boardwalk, and the Ponce Festival.

The Little Man. The biobay in Fajardo was the most overrated, because while the kayaking was fun, the whole reason was to see the organism glow and we had to be under a tarp. The organism barely glowed and there were only a few of them. But the kayaking was good.

Making Margaritas out of Limes Remote Working Checklist

Like many other families, COVID drastically changed our lives. We went from a household of two busy professionals, an 11 year old boy and an 8 year old dog to a one income household with an extra uncle who moved in after the lockdown occurred in March.

In many ways, we were very lucky. Although sometimes luck can just really the good planning of the prepared in disguise… But from the very beginning of our relationship, we structured our life so that we could survive on one income. For that reason, we were able to deal with the changes without too many issues. And in some ways, COVID provided blessings. There was more family time together because no one was out and about. And with our Little Man doing remote learning and the Mister starting a new job, things were pretty hectic and my break from work gave me a chance to help everyone get adjusted to the new normal.

The other unexpected blessing that came out of COVID was that the remote working environment gave our family the ability to take advantage of something that the Mister and I had always wanted to do. We had always wanted to live abroad somewhere. But we figured that would be far in our future based on the nature of our lives. However, as the COVID restrictions stretched on, and winter weather hit Wisconsin, we suddenly realized that nothing was holding us back from making this dream a reality.

So you want to do a remote working trip? What now?

WHERE TO GO?

The first step was to figure out where we wanted to go. I always start my research with a good online search. So I googled “best places to remote work.”

Coincidentally, one of the very first search results ranked our town of Madison, Wisconsin in 1st place as the best place in the US to work! If that peaks your interest, we rent our home on Airbnb in case you are looking for your remote work home away from home. 😉

But we were looking for some place outside of the US. So I changed “places” to “country.” As I started to review the results, I realized that we needed to consider some other aspects when it comes to a remote working environment.

First and foremost, time zones matter. With the Little Man going to remote school and the Mister collaborating with teams in the central time zone, it wouldn’t make sense to go to a time zone that was too different from ours. So I narrowed the search to time zones that were within a few hours of ours.

What about weather? We were wanting to find a place that had better weather than Wisconsin winter. So that ruled out our neighbors to the north.

How easy is it to get there and stay for an extended period of time? I found that a number of islands in the Caribbean were offering special remote working packages. But as I examined the process of getting there, I realized that it wasn’t as easy as just booking a ticket. Often you need to acquire a visa and there might be limitations on how long you could stay. Also, with us wanting to bring our dog along, that caused its own administrative hurdles.

How is the infrastructure? Remote working requires a guaranteed connectivity to the internet and phone networks. We also needed to be confident in the electrical systems, plumbing, water, safety, etc.

Language barriers? What language is used in the country? Are you comfortable in a place where you do not speak the predominate dialect?

As I evaluated all of these concerns, I realized that there was an obvious choice for our family. Puerto Rico is a very easy location for remote workers from the United States. As part of the United States, it is basically like visiting another state. There is no need to go through any formal paperwork in order to be authorized to stay here. There is no need to get any type of international plan for our phones. The electricity and plugs are compatible with our electronics. The infrastructure is very well established. It is only two hours ahead of Wisconsin time, which is actually great, because hopefully it will train us to be early birds rather than night owls. The weather is fantastic. And while it isn’t really living abroad, the culture is so unique that it quenches our thirst for expanding our horizons.

HOW DO WE GET THERE?

So now that we’d decided where to go, we needed to figure out the administrative steps to get there.

With COVID, it can take some time to schedule appointments that you may need to get cleared to travel. I would schedule any necessary appointments prior to booking tickets for flights or other local accommodations.

HUMANS: In COVID times, you always need to consider whether there are any unique COVID specific restrictions. The island has been very strict with their precautions, which gave us a lot of confidence as to our safety while we were there.

In order to visit, Puerto Rico required a travel declaration accompanied by a negative COVID-19 molecular-based test or a 14 day self-impose quarantine.

Once we figured out the paperwork requirements, we booked our tests and then turned our attention to the actual logistics of our travel.

When looking for plane tickets, we always check the nearest airports for the best deals. So for us, it is Madison, Milwaukee and Chicago. We also double check with Southwest’s website because those flights do not get pulled by the aggregators like Orbitz or Travelocity. As we were looking at flights, we noticed that we had accumulated almost enough Southwest points to cover our flight costs! In order to cover the difference, we transferred some Chase reward points. Yay for free airline tickets!

LIFE HACK: If you are just short of rewards points to cover your flight, consider transferring credit card points rather than paying the difference

🐾DOG: For our dog, Puerto Rico required an interstate health certificate that you can get from your vet. Remember that your dog needs to have a microchip and an up-to-date rabies vaccinations in order to get this certificate.

Once we had this appointment scheduled, we booked the flight for our dog. Because our dog is a little guy, he could join us in the cabin. In order to fly, he would have to fit in an authorized dog carrier that fits under the seat. Please note that the dog carrier then counts as your carry-on bag. To make the reservation, Southwest requires that you call after booking your human flights to reserve for your dog. The flight costs $95 each way and must be paid at the airport.

Some additional considerations when traveling with a dog.

Your dog has to stay in their carrier for an extended period of time. You may want to get them used to the carrier ahead of the trip and/or work with your vet to get medicine that will relax your pup for the journey. Don’t forget a collapsible water dish so that your pup can have a drink while traveling.
Our dog is on medication. If you are in the same boat, make sure that you have enough medication to last your trip. Because we were going to Puerto Rico, we are able to have our vet call in the prescription to the local CVS or Walgreens, but you may not depending on where you decide to go.

Post Trip Update: If you depend on prescription medication, then you should start the process of ensuring that you will be able to obtain your medication well before you are at risk of running out. Despite prior assurances, we were not in fact able to have our vet call in the prescription to the pharmacies in Puerto Rico. While island life was been amazing, but we did have a scare that reminded us of why mainland US is so comfortable.

Our Little Dog has been on seizure medication for a few years now. When we came here, we made sure we got extra amounts of his medicine. But we also checked to make sure that we could refill here, if needed.

Puerto Rico has many of the same stores as Wisconsin – CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco, Sams Club. Our vet confirmed that they could just send the prescription down to one of those pharmacies – no problem.

But when we reached out to get the refill, we discovered that our vet could not fill his prescription here. So they recommended 1800petmeds who assured us they could ship the medication to us. After almost a week passed, with me reaching out regularly to see what the hold up was, 1800petmeds told me that despite previous assurances, they could not ship the medication.

By the time we went through all of these steps, our Little Dog was down to his last few pills. We started rationing the medicine so he didn’t go cold turkey. But he has a seizure on the day that 1800petmeds finally tells us they can’t send the medicine. So the Mister and I made the drive to the 24 hour vet in San Juan to try to get them to prescribe his medicine. After hours there, we finally get our prescription slip to take to the pharmacy.

From there, we are feeling great. Our Little Dog will finally get his medicine. But the next morning, when I call a bunch of pharmacies to see if they have the medicine, none of them do. Walmart identifies that they might be able to get it for us, but they won’t know how long it will take until I come in person and give them the prescription slip. Luckily, the pharmacy was able to fill the prescription that day.

When living somewhere other than mainland US, you’ve got to be ready for weird hiccups like this. When trying to find a vet or pharmacy, I probably called most of the places on this side of the island and the west side of the island. Maybe 25% of the places answered their phones. Even Walmart’s pharmacy had to be called a few times before I was able to connect to someone. Just so glad that we seem to have a solution, but it was definitely stressful as we tried to figure out how to get the Little Dog his medicine.

WHAT TO THINK ABOUT FOR YOUR STAY

Lodging

Booking lodging for a remote work scenario is very different than a regular vacation. Our typical philosophy is that the place you stay when on vacation is just a place to lay your head at night. With remote work, it is a different story. You need to have enough space to allow each member of your family a place to work. For that reason, a hotel would not be the right option because best case scenario, you might have two rooms and a kitchenette. Definitely not enough room for our family that required at least three separate places to work. For that reason, we use Airbnb for our search.

Airbnb is a website that connects travelers to individuals who are interested in renting out their homes. We have loved our experiences with Airbnb because it is a really personal way to find a place to stay. From personal recommendations to small gifts upon arrival, I’ve found that hosts often go above and beyond to make your experience special.

I love the interface as well. You can punch in the things that are important to you so you can screen out the locations that don’t meet your needs. Some of the things that I identified as important to our remote stay included “dog friendly”, “kitchen”, “wifi”, “air-conditioning”, “2 bedrooms” and “dedicated work space”. I also love that you can see where accommodations are generally located on a map.

From there, we narrowed down to the locations with great reviews. That is one of the things that gives me a lot of comfort when booking with Airbnb. Both traveler and host rate their experience with the other, which gives you a pretty good sense for the type of experience that you will have.

Initially, we planned to book at least a month in the same location. Booking for longer periods of time can be beneficial because the host will often offer a discount for longer stays. Unfortunately and fortunately, while we were talking with the host and scheduling all of the appointments needed for travel, another traveler booked right in middle of the month that we intended to stay.

Luckily, our wonderful host was willing to apply the same discount to our shorter stay. So we booked to stay for 2 weeks. And we decided that this was a sign that we should find accommodations in different locations of the island.

The pros of booking accommodations in different locations is that we get to experience life in different parts of the island and there will be less travel to the things that we might want to see in each region

The cons of booking accommodations in different locations is that we have to move and get resettled. Since we were coming to live rather than just visiting, we brought a lot more luggage and it takes a bit of time to get settled in. Also, we loved our first location so much that it will be sad to leave it.

Some other considerations when looking at accommodations for remote work. Focus on identifying a prospective work space for each family member. The best case scenario is that you have one official dedicated workspace like a desk. You will likely also have a kitchen table. From there, you may have to be creative. Since it is likely that folks will be on conference calls, you should also confirm that the work spaces are able to be closed off. Most tropical homes are open concept and sound travels.

I would also reach out to the host to confirm the quality of the WIFI because remote work is not be possible unless everyone is able to connect. Another thing to consider is that things you might take for granted might not be the standard in your new country. For example, air-conditioning, dishwashers, and hot water heater may be luxuries rather than necessities. So make sure you know what your needs are and keep them in mind as you evaluate your accommodation options.

Transportation

The next question we tackled was whether we needed to get a rental car. Typically I would say no. When traveling, I think that mass transit is the way to go. I would rather not worry about driving a car in places that I am not familiar with.

In Puerto Rico, where it only takes about 5.5 hours to drive around the island, my inclination was to go without the car. My thought was that at worst case scenario, I could always rely on the convenience of door to door service with ride share options like Uber and Lyft. BUT, apparently, Uber and Lyft are not really widely available on the island. So I am so glad that we got a rental car.

Now, getting the car booked was quite the process. We tried to use points. But when doing so, you are limited to the rental locations that you can work with. Also, the prices can be much higher than you would find if you just paid cash. Also, the prices may change when comparing the locations. For example, typically, the car rental place at the airport will be much more expensive than the off-site locations.

Plan 1: Initially, my plan was to take a taxi to the offsite location. This would have saved more than $1000. But I realized that our flight would get in after the offsite rental place closed.

Plan 2: Then I thought I would rent a car for the night from the airport and then return it at a car rental place close to our home base. This would have saved around $1000. But then I realized that there were no places to return the car near us.

With no other viable options, I resorted to rent the car from airport. Rather than renting an SUV, I decided to rent a larger car to save on costs. When we got to the counter, we were convinced to upgrade to the SUV because the price for the upgrade was significantly cheaper than if we had originally booked it through the website.

Life Hack: You can often get a better price on a car rental by upgrading at the counter.

Thank goodness we went for the upgrade. Because the luggage we brought barely fit into the SUV. For our remote working stay, we ended up bringing a large suitcase, three carryon roller bags, our doggie carrier, two backpacks, a golf bag carrier, and two large duffle bags.

Post Trip Update: When remote working, you will likely have to do laundry at some point. For that reason, you don’t have to bring that many outfits. Also, Puerto Rico is pretty laid back so you don’t need fancy clothes. If we knew then, what we knew now, we would have been able to reduce the amount of clothing brought so we could have gotten rid of our large suitcase (and probably more). To avoid lugging things up stairs, we were able to reduce our things down to our duffle bags, backpacks and maybe a roller bag or two.

Things to Bring

Documentation
- Plane Tickets
- Identification
- Credit Cards (added bonus for Puerto Rico, no need to alert about travel)
- Health insurance card
- COVID test results
Clothing:
- All of the typical summer clothes.
  - Underwear
  - Shorts
  - T-Shirts
  - Dresses
  - But even for a tropical trip, I would still make sure to bring at least one pair of pants/longer sleeve shirt/light sweater in case it gets cool at night.
- Masks
- Swimsuits/swimshirts: It is always nice to bring an extra pair as they will come in handy.
- Sunglasses
- Rain gear: Raincoat and/or umbrella.
Shoes
- Sneakers
- Sandals
- Water shoes
Toiletries
- Toothbrush
- Toothpaste
- Hair products
- Makeup
- Lotion
Sunscreen
Bug Spray (Post Trip Update: when we visited, there were barely any bugs)
Electronics
- Computers
- Phones
- Charging cords
- Car charger
- Camera (don’t forget to bring it if you have a waterproof camera)
- Translation app: I love the English to Spanish Translator app
- Hearing aid and extra batteries
Day bag/beach bag
- We packed our beach bag with swimsuits and watershoes, sunscreen, bug spray, and a towel and put it in the back of our rental car so that we have it available anytime we might need it.
Reusable Shopping bags: not all stores provide bags and if they do, then they may charge.
Medicines
- Prescription
- Over the counter
- First aid supplies
🐾Doggie
- Interstate health certificate
- Leash
- Poop bags
- Food
- Snacks
- Bowls
- Medicines
  - Prescriptions
  - Pill pockets
  - Calming medicine
  - Heartworm/Flea medicine
- Blanket/Bed
Optional Entertainment items
- Books (although due to weight, I recommend limiting the number or bring a e-reader. You might also want to choose books that you would be willing to leave behind after reading)
- Snorkels
- Cards

Additional items for remote working

Work supplies: make sure to bring some work shirts for those video calls.
School supplies: One of the things that we missed packing was art supplies for the Little Man. His school has this weird rotating electives schedule. Coincidentally his last day of Spanish was the day we arrived on the island. But that meant that Art class started the following day and he had none of his supplies that we bought at the beginning of the year. Luckily, this was a problem that was easily solved by a quick trip to the dollar store.

Things to buy

Which leads well into our things to buy section. My philosophy on travel is that there is no packing problem that cannot be solved with a quick trip to the store. One way to think about it is that it is a good souvenir reminder of your trip.

With the remote working trip, I would recommend making a quick trip to the local dollar store and grocery store early in our trip. Some items that might be helpful to buy include:

Food: The nice thing about having an Airbnb is that you typically have a fully stocked kitchen. I would recommend buying brands and food items that you don’t see back home. For example, I found some little octopus that I will be cooking up.. somehow.. Stay tuned as I’m sure I’ll share my cooking adventure on this blog.
Food storage: I bought some plastic containers and ziplock bags for leftovers. And a cooler bag that can be used to transport food when we relocate to our next location.
Water: Typically, we use water from the tap at home. Puerto Rico’s tap water is safe to drink but we felt more comfortable drinking bottled water.
Cleaning supplies: You may want to buy your own hand soap, dish soap, towels, paper towels, clorox wipes, laundry detergent
Personal Hygiene: If you have specific grooming products then make sure to bring them. But if you are like the Mister and the Little Man and use grocery store brands, Puerto Rico has all of the same products so you may want to wait and buy here.
Desk: I bought a portable TV tray that you can use as a make-shift desk. Like I mentioned, most places you will book may have one dedicated desk and a kitchen table. The ability to create a workspace with a tv tray will come in handy.

So far we have absolutely loved our remote working experience. In an ideal post-COVID world, we would love to be able to continue to do this every year if we could. Unlikely but goals right? =)

Up North Adventures Saturday, August 29, 2020 Day 4, Last Day Scramble

Four Day Adventure from Madison, Wisconsin to Apostle Islands

When my Seoul Sister asked me if I wanted to take an impromptu trip up to the Apostle Islands, I was immediately game. With the lockdown due to COVID, I was feeling a bit cooped up and ready for some adventures. And there is no place better for social distancing fun than up north Wisconsin where there are so many beautiful outdoors adventures to be had.

This is Part Four of a four part series: Links to Part One, Part Two and Part Three.

Legendary Waters Casino to Fat Radish
18 miles or ~21 minute drive

Brunch is a way of life in Wisconsin. Nothing beats a beautiful Bloody Mary to kick off a day of adventures. As always, it was important for us gals to find a fantastic restaurant to lunch at. Seoul sister found the Fat Radish in Cornucopia and it did not disappoint. It had a wide variety of options of fresh, healthy and delicious brunch items that you could enjoy in a lovely dining room or outdoor space. It was a beautiful day so we opted for the outdoor seating.

Seoul sister as the best social coordinator out here had reached out to Lilo, one of our friends who moved up to the UP (upper pennisula) of Michigan. Lilo drove probably 3 hours from rustic Michigan down to meet us for brunch. As you can imagine from someone who decided to move to the backwoods, Lilo is all about the outdoors and became our unofficial guide for the day.

Fat Radish to Lost Creek Falls Trail
2.4 miles or ~4 minute drive

After an amazing brunch, we set out for our day of outdoor adventures. The first stop was the Lost Creek Falls. It was a fairly easy trail, about 1.5 mile with some of the path made up of boardwalk. As we kept saying throughout the trip, the beauty of these trails was that you get a lot of bang for your buck. As mentioned, I’m not a huge hiker and there is nothing more disappointing then walking for miles and wondering if you are going in circles because everything looks the same. Not here. The path was nice enough and the falls were really lovely to see. The gals scrambled up the waterfall for a fun photo at the top while I was content wandering around the base (including going behind the waterfall for a photo).

Lost Creek Falls to Meyer Beach Trail
6.1 miles or ~9 minute drive

After the Lost Creek Falls, we decided to take on a bigger challenge: the Meyer’s Beach Sea Cave Trail. This is a more challenging trail. As you can see, there is a good amount of ups and downs but if you are up for the hike which is about 4.6 miles there and back, it is absolutely worth it. This was definitely my favorite hike of the trip.

Once we returned from the trail, we said goodbyes to Lilo and drove back to Madison. It was a beautiful trip and exactly what the doctor ordered.

Someday soon, I want to return during the winter to check out the Ice Caves and go dog sledding. Love that Wisconsin has developed opportunities to enjoy the outdoors throughout each of the beautiful four seasons.

Up North Adventures _ Friday, August 28, 2020 Day 3 – Madeline Island

Four Day Adventure from Madison, Wisconsin to Apostle Islands

This is part three of a four part series: Links to Part One, Part Two and Part Four.

Washburn to Bayfield Marina
12.4 miles or 17 minutes

Our big fancy splurge of our trip was going to be the 5 hour kayak cruise.

“The only powerboat supported sea kayaking tour in the Apostle Islands! During the first leg of the tour, you get to cruise in comfort aboard our 50-foot passenger vessel, enjoying access to the observation deck, on-board bathrooms, and light refreshments for purchase, while soaking up the sights along the way. Our specially modified passenger vessel allows us to access remote areas of the National Lakeshore that most visitors never see.

Next your knowledgeable guide will help you launch tandem sea kayaks directly from the powerboat to explore the best stretches of island shoreline up-close and personal! Our experienced captains will drop you off with the wind at your back whenever possible, positioning you and your guide perfectly for an easy paddle to explore some of the most gorgeous sea caves, cliffs, rock formations, and hidden beaches the Apostle Islands have to offer.”

A little more money than we would have preferred to spend… but we thought that it would be worth it to get to see a bunch of the islands. We woke up early that morning and headed straight to the harbor, only to be told that the tour would be canceled due to mechanical issues and that there wasn’t any availability to rebook while we were in the area. Interestingly enough, this meant that we never visited any of the islands of the Apostle Island National Shoreline because while we went to Madeline Island, which is the largest Apostle Island… that island is not officially part of the Apostle Islands National Shoreline.

Bayfield to LaPointe
3.4 miles or 25 minutes by ferry

So now that our plans had fallen through, we quickly regrouped. We realized that the ferry to Madeline Island was leaving at 8:45 AM. We raced through town and managed to make it on time. One of the things we debated was whether we would take our car over on the ferry. I was glad that we did because Madeline Island is a big island and we wouldn’t have been able to see everything if we hadn’t brought our car. Round Trip tickets were $16 per person and the car was $27.

From my perspective, Madeline Island is a one day visit. The ferry landing is at LaPointe, the main town on the island. It is very cute, artsy and walkable. It was a bit of a dreary day, so unfortunately the photos might not pop as much as they might have… But here are some of the sights around town.

While it is definitely worth seeing, as you can see from the map, there are a limited number of place to visit in town and, with COVID, some of the locations had already closed for the season. Additionally, there weren’t really many restaurant options that peaked my interest – perhaps because the restaurants were offering a more limited selection of menu items than would be expected due to the circumstance.

LaPointe to Big Bay State Park
5.8 miles or 10 minute drive

Remember to get your Wisconsin State Park vehicle admission sticker! If you plan to go to any other Wisconsin State parks, it may be worth it to buy the annual pass but if you plan to buy online then you should try to buy while on the mainland as internet can be a bit tricky on the island.

After poking around town, we headed to the Big Bay State Park. As you can see on the map, the trails make something of a circle 8. The parking is right in the center of the two loops. We decided to head north first on the boardwalk and then to circle back and around.

One of our concerns when looking at the map was whether the Boardwalk trail and Lagoon Ridge trail connected. If you look at the map, it is not clear that it does. Luckily they did with a bridge right across the river to a really lovely campground that I might recommend to those looking for a campground experience. One thing that I really loved was that this campground had easy access to the beach and along the lagoon is a really cheap canoe and rowboat rental option. From what I could tell, it was essentially an honor system where you would put money into a box and take the equipment out.

Staircase from the center of the figure eight down to Barrier Beach

The Boardwalk was only about a mile long and very easy walking. As you might expect, there was a wooden boardwalk that made the path easy to follow.

See below for the some peaceful and beautiful shots of the Big Bay Town Park Campground at the very end of the Boardwalk Trail.

From there, we tried to connect to the Lagoon Ridge Trail. But from the very start, it was actually quite confusing to figure out how to get to the trailhead. And once we found it, we saw a sign identifying that the trail was closed due to condition of the trail. That sparked a conversation about what the truly meant. Was it just not a beautiful boardwalk so we should get prepared to get muddy? Or was it truly impassable? Should we should turn back or try to make it work. We decided to venture ahead. And I’m glad we did because the landscape was very different and uniquely beautiful. And I liked that it felt like a true hike rather than a stroll on a boardwalk. Unfortunately, after we got a good way into the path – a little way past the group campsite, we came across actual construction barriers and a sign warning of a mama bear and cubs. We decided not to tangle with bears and turned around.

Once we made our way back to the center of the figure eight, we started off on the Woods Trail. Unfortunately, because of the weather, the path was a bit of a muddy mess. So we again headed back and took a different path. The Bayview Trail was on higher ground being along the cliff so the conditions were much nicer and the views were great. We made it all the way to the Picnic Point area and there were a lot of pretty scenic overlooks and photo opportunities.

After reaching Picnic Point area, SS and I were ready to turn back. Our companions for the day wanted to do a little more hiking. We agreed to meet back in town once they were done.

One of the best thing about our time up north was how friendly and welcoming everyone was. A couple from Iowa that we met at the Falls commented on it as well. They were like “it’s so great how nice and friendly everyone has been.. although maybe it has to do with the fact that everyone is on vacation.”

But taking it back to our travel companions today, we actually met them yesterday during our kayak trip. SS is one of the best at connecting with people and had gotten their phone numbers. They were on the same ferry as we were and we ended up spending a great day together. The craziest thing about these gals was how they met. Both of them went on an international trip with Intrepid and connected through that experience. Since then, they have been great friends despite living across the country from each other and have traveled together at least once a year both with Intrepid and without.

One of the reason why I loved this story was because coincidentally, I, too, had gone on an amazing trip with Intrepid to Thailand. Loved the experience and am still Facebook friends with my fabulous guide and a lovely Australian couple I met there. I went with my brother and he still talk about how that trip was his all-time favorite!

On our way back to town, we stopped at The Inn on Madeline Island where we grabbed a drink and bite to eat on their patio. I would recommend this as a really great stop if you happen to get to the Island. The food was really good and the view was lovely. Our friends joined us and then we headed out to our last stop on the island.

While we were walking around town that morning, a big top monstrosity caught our eye. The location is Tom’s Burned Down Cafe. It’s definitely worth a visit. Destroyed in May 1992, they cobbled together a collection of odds and ends that resemble a bar and started serving drinks again. I loved it! It’s like an antique roadhouse bar.

After a drink at Tom’s Burned Down Cafe, we headed back to the ferry and took it back to Bayfield. We walked to the Bayfield Inn and snagged a table up on the rooftop deck. The view was great. The ambience was great. But the food was not. It took forever for our food to be prepared. And was not worth the wait. If you stop here, it should be a drinks stop only.

Bayfield to Legendary Waters Casino
3.7 miles or 7 minute drive

After this, we said our fond farewells to our new friends and went to check-in at our new accommodations. SS and I decided that we would relocate for tonight only and booked a room at the local casino, Legendary Waters Casino. Compared to our lovely North Coast Inn & Chalet , it was definitely a bit a splurge. It cost more than several nights at the Chalet. If I were to choose again, I would probably forgo the casino. Perhaps it would have been different if all of the amenities were available, but Las Vegas it is not. The food options were pretty basic and the entertainment was limited to a small floor of slot machines. Also, after a busy few days of outdoor adventuring, I was ready for bed pretty quick and wouldn’t have taken advantage of entertainment options even if there were more. But SS did manage to walk away as a winner earning $50 on a $15 investment. So hooray! A great way to end another Up North day.

Up North Adventures — Thursday, August 27, 2020 — Day 2 – Lake Superior

Four Day Adventure from Madison, Wisconsin to Apostle Islands

This is Part Two of a four part series: Links to Part One, Part Three and Part Four.

I am an unusual gal in that it takes me less time than most guys to get ready in the morning. So as I was waiting for SS to finish with her morning routine, I researched hikes in the area. I happened upon this lovely website full of recommendations of the seven scenic wonders of Bayfield County. Also, really liked Alltrails.com because it provides the miles and estimated time of the hike as well as the difficulty of the hikes.

Washburn really was a great home base for an Apostle Island adventure. It was situated close to everything that we wanted to do. A few blocks south of our room at the North Coast Inn & Chalet was a lovely artisan bakery called Cafe Coco. Almost if they knew COVID was coming, they had an outdoor window from which you can order and receive your baked goods. The windows were filled with all sorts of baked goodness including gluten free options for our healthy friends. I, of course, opted against gluten free in favor of the breakfast of champions – a Veggie Hummus sandwich on Focaccia bread and a Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Danish.

Washburn to Houghton Falls Trail
a Five Minute drive from Washburn

Just so happened that Houghton Falls Nature Preserve was just five minutes down the road from us, so we headed there. We ate our Coco breakfast in the parking lot before we started off on the hike. Getting to the location early is a good plan because the tiny parking lot gets filled quickly. By the time we got there, we took the very last spot. Luckily because the trail is pretty short, you will probably be able to switch parking spots with folks who are leaving if you do happen to get there after the parking spot is full.

But this hike is definitely worth any inconvenience because it was a fantastic hike. To be honest, I’m not the most outdoorsy person. So this was the perfect hike for me. Not too challenging but with plenty of beautiful water and scenic views. This trail seemed to have something different to see around every bend.

The best part of the trail was at the very end cliff overlooking Lake Superior. The water was crystal clear and beautifully green blue on that sunny and gorgeous day. You could see straight to the bottom. This was a perfect area to cliff jump into Lake Superior. There were a few larger boulders in the water to avoid, but for the most part, the bottom was sandy. While you definitely don’t want to dive in head first because your tippie toes would touch bottom after jumping, it was definitely a great place to enjoy the lake as there was a safe way to clamber out of the water and back up the cliffs. Warning though, the water is COLD! Jumping in is definitely the way to go when it comes to Lake Superior, especially on a warm sunny day like we had. After the initial shock, you got used to the water really quickly and then the sun and air dried you off quickly after getting out of the water. But knowing me, if I tried to dip my toes in first, the cold water would probably have convinced me not to get in.

Houghton Falls Trail to Meyer Beach Cave Kayak Tours
26 miles or 33 minute drive

The hike and unexpected swim was a perfect way to start our morning. We were able to enjoy that experience fully without feeling rushed getting to Meyer Beach. Although we did make it just in time for our 2 PM kayak tour because we stopped by Cornucopia Marina on our way. Note that you should probably try to get there a little earlier than we did because parking is also tight here and there is a $5 parking fee for the Meyer Beach Parking lot that you have to go out of your way to pay. Make sure to stop by the fee station, fill out a fee envelope and display the receipt on your dashboard.

My sporty friend SS really wanted to do a kayak adventure so this was something that she booked as soon as we decided to go two days before. And I agree that this is definitely something that you need to do if you want to fully experience Apostle Islands. Full disclosure, not outdoorsy includes not being super sporty. The good news is that means that you can feel confident that if I could handle the kayaking demands of this tour, then you can too! It also helped that this tour used two-person tandem kayaks which meant that sporty SS could be counted on to really paddle us around.

We booked our two hour kayak tour with Rustic Makwaden and would definitely recommend them! As you can see, there are definitely some beautiful sights to see.

Meyers Beach to Cornucopia
4.6 miles or 7 minute drive

Between Washburn and Meyer Beach is the tiny town of Cornucopia. If you have a little extra time like we did, make sure to stop by the Marina that includes a few cute little shops. Each of these little seaside shacks were unique shops that had lots to look at.

It was there that I bought my sporty fanny pack… A most functional, practical and nostalgic buy that helped me keep my phone handy and dry in the kayak and throughout the weekend of outdoorsy fun. If only 90s me knew how handy a fanny pack truly could be….

Cornucopia to Washburn
20 miles or 24 minutes

Dinner was at Good Thyme, a fabulous restaurant just on the outskirts of Washburn. They offer a high end, gorgeous experience. The restaurant caught our eye as we were driving past that morning and we called and made reservations for that night. I’ve found that it never hurts to try even the day of because you never know whether you could squeeze in. As you can see, the vibe is just county chic with the wrap around porch, rockers and lighting. They have a lovely outdoors space in the back and an amazing menu. I went with the Pistachio Creamy Shrimp Ravioli and it was the BEST. While I am not an outdoorsy or sporty gal, I am definitely a foodie. And you can just tell that this is a restaurant owned by foodies. One of the things that caught my eye about this restaurant was that they offer foodie trips to exotic locals like Morocco and India. I would absolutely love to take a trip like this one day!

Washburn Pub Crawl
Less than a mile of walking

After dinner, what better way to end the night than with a few drinks. We dropped our car off at our Chalet and then headed off by foot. We started by walking north to the Firehouse Bar. Had a drink there and then walked down to the Snug which was a very cute Irish Pub. Had a pint there and then ended the night at Patsys on their patio. On the way back home, we stopped by the IGA to grab a bunch of snacks in case there were late night munchies. A great way to end a wonderful day in the Apostle Island.

Up North Adventures Wednesday, August 26, 2020 Day 1 – Road trip from Madison

Four Day Adventure from Madison, Wisconsin to Apostle Islands

SS asked me on a random Tuesday and we left the next day! The only thing we had planned was our lodging. We decided to stay at the North Coast Inn & Chalet in Washburn, WI. An little motel style place with rooms that each had a unique theme. As you could see, ours was an adorable nautical theme.

For a last minute booking, we definitely lucked out. It was affordable, clean and super cute. For me, accommodations are never what I spend my money because my goal is to see everything there is to see outside of that room. So a room is just a place to rest my head until I can wake up and get going. This was definitely a great place that I would recommend to those who have the same philosophy.

Madison to Stevens Point
113 miles or 1 hour 50 minute drive

Our journey started at 10:30 AM when I arrived in downtown Madison to pick up SS. It was a 5 and a half hour trip if you drove straight. But we decided to take it easy and enjoy the trip up. Stevens Point, WI is about a 2 hour drive from Madison and was a logical place to stop for lunch.

Downtown Stevens Point was an unexpected delight. There were so many cute shops like Gepetto’s workshop, an amazing toy store that wonderful to explore.

We grabbed lunch at the Wicked Willow, a vegan restaurant right next door. It was a great vibe and, while I’m not a vegan, SS is definitely a healthy eater so wouldn’t be surprised if eating here was her secret plan. But either way, it was nice to see that there is a great option for folks in Stevens Point who are looking for vegan, organic, local fresh food.

After lunch, we wandered the street and saw tons of cute places to poke our heads into. One really interesting spot was Agora, a local makers market, where artists throughout the area can sell their goods. Definitely worth stopping into just to see what types of artists are being featured. Also worth a stop was the Companion shop. Whenever I travel, I always want to check out the pet stores to see if I could find a cute gift for Bowser. I’m sure he misses me when I’m gone so I want to bribe him to win back his love. They had a little discount basket where I was able to pick up a Bloody Mary chew toy. So Wisconsin!! The cutest part was that one side was full and the other empty.

Stevens Point to Rhinelander
92 miles or 1 hour and 30 minute drive

After taking in downtown Stevens Point, we continued on. Next stop was Rhinelander. Rhinelander is basically the vacation capital of the Northwoods. It’s the big city in the area with its 8,000 people. Rhinelander is surrounded by beautiful wilderness with easy access to over 1,100 lakes. People from all over come to the Northwoods to stay in cabins or other rustic accommodations so that they can enjoy fishing, hunting, boating, 4 wheeling, skiing, snowmobiling and other outdoors adventures. Rhinelander is where you go if you want to enjoy small town charms like getting ice cream at the Windmill or mini-golfing at Pirates Falls.

SS had a friend who was quarantining in her Northwood cabin. So we made a quick stop there to say hi. But for those who haven’t been, I would definitely recommend checking out Rhinelander and all it has to offer. And while you are there, make sure to keep your eyes out for the Hodag.

Rhinelander to Washburn
129 miles or 2 hour and 30 minute drive

By the time we headed out, it was getting later in the evening and we decided that Ashland would be a good place to stop for dinner. When I choose a place to eat, I usually like to ask a local for recommendations or rely on trusty internet reviews. Based on the time, we didn’t have too many options available and just chose the place closest to us. There were three restaurants right in a row – “Deep Water Grille”, “South Shore Brewery” and “The Alley.” Confused as to which place to go with, I asked one of the people leaving the restaurant for a recommendation and was told that it was all the same place.

Apparently, these restaurants were all under the same ownership and were even physically connected. The Deep Water Grille was the fancier location with more of an upscale feel and menu. The South Shore Brewery was the casual bar dining option and the Alley was in between and offered items from both menus. Pretty cool concept. We decided to sit at the bar in the Alley.

Dinner was ok. Started off well – the chicken and wild rice soup was really good. But for whatever reason, maybe it was the vegan lunch, I had the hankering for a big piece of red meat and ordered the smoked Ribeye. Wasn’t terrible, but wasn’t worth the price for me. And the drink wasn’t doing it for me either.

While we were finishing dinner, we got a call from the North Shore Inn keeper asking when we might arrive. We grabbed our check and raced over. Checked in and then settled in for a lovely night’s sleep. We wanted to get well rested because tomorrow was going to be an exciting day of outdoors fun!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

I’m the ultimate SocialSportsFan. If I could (and I have), I would just skip the whole game and spend the entire time tailgating. But last Sunday, my best buds Mr. and Mrs. CountryStar invited the whole family to join them at the Brewer’s game. The initial plan was to do some good ole tailgating before the game. And if that ended up being the case, this post would probably be very different. But as the week went on, the weather looked more and more questionable. So plans changed, which leads me to this post featuring SocialSportsFan and FamilyFun Life Hacks.

When we first looked for tickets to the Brewers/Cubs Sunday game, tickets were pretty pricey. To be honest, I had every intention of buying the tickets and kind of forgot to follow through. So as the day grew closer and the weather looked more crummy, the Mister and I decided we would play it by ear and buy tickets at the last minute. That morning, the weather still looked pretty questionable and tailgating was out.

But Mr. and Mrs. CountryStar always have a backup plan so we jumped in the car and headed towards the stadium.

In the car, I pulled up the StubHub app and looked for tickets for three (me, the Mister and the Little Man). Because it was only a few hours before the game, the ticket prices had dropped dramatically. So for the same amount that we would have paid for seats in Section 227, I was able to get tickets right behind the visitor’s dugout in Section 121. Trust me I got lots of love from the Mister for this!

Here is the view from our seats 12 rows from the field. Sure beats the second tier!

LIFE HACK – If you are a SocialSportsFan like me, and aren’t super committed to the game, wait until the last minute to buy tickets. That way, you can back out if the weather isn’t looking great or something better comes along. But, more importantly, you can get BETTER TICKETS AT BETTER PRICE because the prices drop on available tickets as the game time approaches.

Since we weren’t tailgating, we decided to meet at O’Lydia’s, a local restaurant/bar close to the stadium for brunch. This was a great choice because there was ample free parking in the O’Lydia’s parking lot and a free shuttle to the stadium. By taking the shuttle, we saved at least $20-30 per car (current weekend pricing for General or Preferred Parking).

The food and drinks at O’Lydia’s were cheap (especially compared to the stadium prices) and the transportation was so easy, both there and back. O’Lydia’s had two buses going back and forth and we basically were able to jump on a bus as soon as we were ready to head to the stadium and jump on a bus when we were ready to leave. No waiting or searching for our ride. Which reminds me of another

LIFE HACK – Rather than paying for parking at the ball park, FIND A BAR OR RESTAURANT THAT SPONSORS FREE SHUTTLES TO THE STADIUM. Make sure to build in time to grab drinks or food at the location. It’s the right thing to do for the business that is coordinating transportation and the food and drinks will probably be cheaper than at the ball park!

Mr. and Mrs. CountryStar had their little girl about a year ago. This was her first ball game. The Brewers give first timers a certificate or pin to commemorate the occasion. Lil CountryStar got a certificate – which wasn’t as exciting as a pin in my opinion, but I suppose beggars can’t be choosers.

LIFE HACK – if you are bringing someone to their first ballgame, stop by the guest services and the Brewers will give you a little something to commemorate the occasion.

The Brewers are family friendly
This was something that I wasn’t super aware of, but there are a whole host of Brewers adventures geared toward families.

I discovered this by happenstance because rather than watching the game, I, the SocialSportsFan, started wandering around the stadium. I spotted an awesome activities center on the first level behind the right field where you could try your hand at batting practice, a race against the sausages, a picture in a giant baseball glove and a chance to create a bobblehead using your own image! Trying to figure out where that was located for the blog lead to a bunch of other FamilyFun.

In addition to the U.S. Cellular Power Playground that I found at the field level of the stadium, there are apparently two other play areas.

On the Terrace Level is Bernie Brewer’s Clubhouse, an allegedly equally fun play and concession area full of padded stuff for smaller kids. It’s a hike to get there, but if you’re using your Terrace seats from the club you’ll be on that level already.

Outside of the ballpark there is a playground at Helfaer Field too, so the kids can play there while you’re waiting for the gates to open.

But the best FamilyFun hack of all is the Brewers Kids Crew. (although maybe not the best for a SocialSportsFan like me since this means you’ll have to come back for more games). All Brewers fans 14 and under are eligible to join the Kids Crew, presented by U.S. Bank — the exceptionally-awesome, unbelievably-affordable, no-grown-ups-allowed, official Kids Club of the Milwaukee Brewers. For just $30, membership includes seven exclusive items, six free tickets, five unique perks, and four special events. Unfortunately, people love deals and the Kids Crew is sold out for this year. But check back for 2020.

Finally for the Ultimate Brewer’s experience, take the Bernie’s Slide Tour. As some of you may know, the Brewer’s mascot, Bernie Brewer slides down a slide after every Brewer home run and win. The Bernie’s Slide Experience includes a behind the scenes tour of Miller Park; Up to 5 slides down the Bernie slide; “Amazing Photo Ops and memories to last a lifetime” – the Brewer’s words, not mine; And Bernie may even make an appearance. The experience begins 1 hour before the gates to Miller Park open (generally 2.5-3 hours before game time), no exceptions. Unfortunately, this tour is not allowed for anyone under the age of 8.

This Experience will cost a pretty penny – In addition to the game tickets, you will have to pay $100 per person for Weekday Games (Monday – Thursday) and $125 per person
for Weekend and Holiday Games (Friday – Sunday, Holidays).

With all of these sports adjacent adventures, you might be too busy with all the FamilyFun to notice the actual game! Perfect for a SocialSportsFan like me.

LIFE HACK – Leave before the end of the game to avoid traffic.

Fun Fact – the origin of the “Bernie Brewer” was 69-year-old Milt Mason, camped out in a trailer atop the scoreboard in late June 1970, vowing not to come down until a crowd of at least 40,000 attended a game. A bat day crowd of 44,387 showed up to bring their adopted hero down from his perch on August 16.

Adult Summer camp

Summer camp was a rite of passage that I never got to experience as a kid. So it was such a blast to be able to experience it as a 30 something year old.

Camp Halcyon (http://camphalcyon.com) was featured in O magazine as a top adult camp experience. Which inspired me to write about my awesome experience at Camp Halcyon about a two hour drive from Madison Wisconsin.

$459 for four day all inclusive experience. Your bunk, delicious food, all you can drink (and not the cheap stuff, I’m talking craft cocktails from one of the top cocktail bars in Wisconsin), and all the fun activities you could ask for.

The accommodations are cozy and rustic. It’s not glamping but it’s just what you’d imagine summer camp to be. And there are all sorts of touches that make it clear how much the camp staff cares.

The schedule is full of adult fun. It’s a choose your own adventure weekend. The day can start with yoga or massages/straight razor shaves on the beach. Or sleep in and head to breakfast and enjoy the bacon bar.

No pressure to do any of the offerings, whether it’s whiskey tasting, craft cocktail class, cookie decorating or archery. But for those ambitious to try it all, camp allows you to collect your merit badges that highlight all you’ve done during your stay.

Camp Halcyon offers a huge variety of activities that you would usually have to pay lots of cash for. For example, they offered a couple of paint and drink options during the weekend with an amazing instructor to lead you through. On Groupon, a paint night (without all the free drinks) is currently $27. And this is just one of many different options!

Love that the event was situated outside.

Some of the fun of doing a paint night is that while everyone is painting the same picture, everyone has their own technique that comes through. It is fun, especially when you have a group of friends, to see how all of the different paintings turn out. The Mister decided to go to a craft cocktail class instead of joining me on the paint event. But I snagged a picture with original picture by the instructor for comparison. Can you tell which one was done by the professional artist and which one was little old me?

Another unique class was beer bottling class taught by a local brewpub in Greendale, a suburb outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. In addition to teaching us a bit about beer, they let us go through the entire bottling process from start to finish (including sealing the bottle top and putting on the label). We were supposed to keep the bottles in a dark, cool place for a few months and then try it out. It’s been at least a year since we’ve bottled it.. Is beer the same as wine in that it just gets better with age??

Below, please find the finished beers by me and the Mister. Also, see the string artwork that I created as well at the arts and crafts station.

Another of my projects from the arts and crafts station – my tribal bandana.

Another craft made by me – candles with different essential oils. I was a crafting busy beaver.

And after all of the craft cocktail classes and whiskey tastings, head over to the axe throwing station to try your hand. In addition to axes, you can throw knives and ninja stars. Whatever strikes your fancy.

Just highlighted a few of my favorite experiences. I was so busy that I barely got any beach time. But no matter the time or day, the beach is always available with fun adventure platforms set up in the water.

I’ve already raved about the drink situation. But the food was amazing as well. No cafeteria style lunch lines. We had amazing variety (including options for our vegetarian friends) and everything was delicious. As you will learn about me, food is my favorite indulgence. Every meal was different and delicious!!! For example, one night was surf and turf night with amazing steak and shrimp (and Portobello steaks for the vegetarians or little piggies like me who want to try it all) with this delicious treat as a great way to end the meal.

In the evenings, there is a different activity planned each night. Scavenger hunts, trivia, movie night. But you can always count on bonfires, smores bars, hookahs on the beach and so much more! And, for those that might get hungry after the evening activities, there is a nacho bar available each night.

The best part of summer camp was meeting the people. Camp Halcyon had people of all ages and persuasions (from families to bachelorette parties to 40th birthday parties), but they all had something in common. Everyone came in open to meeting new people and trying new things. It was one of most welcoming experiences and I can’t recommend it enough!

Date night in a box – Let Love Grow

One of my favorite indulgences is the subscription box. In some ways, it is like a surprise present to yourself because you never know what you will get.

Date Night in Box is my latest subscription. This subscription is geared towards couples and crafts an experience that can be experienced from the comfort of your own home. I loved this idea because rather than just getting stuff, this was a way to have an experience together. From what I saw about the box, it seemed really a well curated experience. They send you a plan for an entire gourmet meal that you cook together and a snack. Provide a custom playlist for your night as well as a number of date activities for your evening.

Just got the box today. Sadly, my Mister just left for a business trip so I won’t be able to dig in just yet. But it did give me a chance to take a sneak peek and go grocery shopping so we will be all ready to go when he is.

The box was ADORABLE. And I love that the box was 100% recyclable – going along with the grow theme!

Opening the box, I immediately dug into the stuff. Below, please find a picture of the items provided along with this date night. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed. We got a basil plant kit (which I expected based on the theme), a soy candle, pack of cards, dice, four tea bags and a steel straw kit for two. Not much to get that excited about.

But then I started to dig in. The first thing that caught my eye was the recipes. The Mister and I love to eat and enjoy cooking together. I really loved that they provided a signature drink along with the rest of the recipes. The Mister loves to experiment with cocktails and I am sure he’ll be excited to give this one a whirl. The Farro and Creamed Kale recipes are right up my alley. But not sure if the Mister will love the veggie focus as much as I will. But he will definitely love the sweet treat at the end of the meal. The Little Man and I will have to prep this tomorrow so that it’ll be ready to go when the Mister is back home.

The next thing that I dug into was the booklet. I love the detail of the Date Guide. As mentioned, the date packet has a number of different activities.

I really like the Table Talk. See below. Coincidentally, the Mister and I have been talking about our next trip. When we first started dating, we had a plan of doing one domestic and one international trip a year. I think we’ve been pretty good about trying to stick with it, but life gets in the way. Back in the day, the planning used to be more carefree and spontaneous. Lately it feels like even the planning for fun can feel like work. We have also been working on our communication. Looking at these things in terms of our stage of growth might be a different way to shake up how we talk and that change could help deepen our understanding of each other and ourselves.

Another activity that we haven’t done before is creating a relationship timeline. This timeline is unique because it starts with our date and talks about our future relationship timeline. Rolling the dice that came with this box, we can identify where we see ourselves/important milestones in X amount of days, weeks, months, years. So roll a 1 and we might talk about what we want in one day, one week, one month, one year. Kind of a cool way to check in to make sure that we understand each other’s vision of we want for ourselves in the future.

The eco-friendly cards were provided so that we can play a card game together. http://www.datenightinbox.com/card-games provides directions on a couple of great options including a custom game created just for this game. The Mister and I and the Little Man love a good game. So this is a good excuse to make the time to do that together.

While playing the cards, the box recommends enjoying the snack. Each box contains a snack. Not really loving the iced tea snack idea. The steel straw is a nice touch, especially since so many places are turning to the “paper” straw or no straw at all. But it just felt a little lazy.

The date booklet ended with some eco-friendly lifestyle tips as well as some ideas to continue the date night.

Overall, I love this concept. I signed up for a 6 date subscription, so look forward to more reviews to come. But this box did not wow me. I loved some of the activities like the timeline and the table topic. But the “snack”, candle, and the card games did not add anything to the experience. I’m looking forward to experiencing this with the Mister and maybe the actual experience will change my impression.

But for now! If you want to add this to your own adventures in planning, now is a great time to get started – there is a discount of two free dates with a purchase of a 6 or 12 month subscription with the code NIB2FREE. A planning tip – you do not save any additional money using this deal to sign up for the 12 month subscription!!

Here is the math – For the 6 month date plan, you get charged $239 for 6 dates and $464 for the 12 month date plan. I signed up using this deal, so the way that the 2 free dates works is that they discount your package cost by 2 dates. In other words, you get charged $160 for 6 dates (~$27 per date) and $387 for 12 dates (~$32 per date).

Clearly the 6 month subscription is the best bet to maximize your savings. Feel free to use my referral code – http:// https://date-night-in.cratejoy.com/refer/Jenni-JJJZMLWF

The Journey Begins

“Adventure isn’t hanging on a rope on the side of a mountain. Adventure is an ATTITUDE that we must apply to the day-to-day obstacles of life – facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown and, in the process, discovering our own unique potential.”
– John Amatt

Welcome to my Adventures in Planning. Where I share my tips and tricks that can help you plan for your best life full of adventure both at home and abroad.

post