Giving the Bucket List a Good Workout

My Hotmail account (yes, good old Hotmail) is chock full of so many items these days -- coupons, event notifications, etc. But, one thing I do look forward to seeing on the regular is my Groupon notifications. A couple of months ago, whilst enjoying some coffee on the front porch, I came across a notification for a "Back Country Brunch Tour." It involved airplanes and brunch, so of course I was intrigued. Upon doing a little more homework, I learned that the package was an awesome 90 minute flight over the Sawtooth mountains and the Frank Church Wilderness area to a ranch that is only accessible by horseback or airplane for a wonderful brunch and then a flight back. Done and done! Dave and I decided to buy the Groupon as anniversary gift to each other, and we booked the flight for our actual anniversary this year. Well, on August 8, we had some really cloudy weather, so we had to reschedule the flight for Labor Day weekend. As it turns out, that worked out great, because we had a beautiful, sunny day. And, boy was it an adventure.

We showed up at the appointed (early) time and met up with our pilot and another couple who would be in the plane with us. We walked right out to the flight area and jumped into our ride and were off.

I don't think I blinked for the entire ride. We quickly rose high and toward the huge wilderness area and mountain ranges, and the breadth and scope was just breathtaking. I thought it was awesome from my view hiking or driving --- wow, that didn't even come close. We literally flew between huge mountain peaks.

Before we knew it, a gorgeous little ranch came into view (way below) with an emerald green, grass landing strip. We banked around, had a perfect landing, and came out of the plane to a crisp, gorgeous day in tiny meadow between huge, pine-covered mountains: the Sulphur Creek Ranch. The most endearing part of the scene was the "parking lot" full of amazing little planes.

We walked into the ranch to the best "cabin" scene ever. The Frank Church Wilderness Area is protected, so this ranch was original to the area before the wilderness designation. This means that no new buildings or even expansions of current buildings can be done. The existing areas can be improved. They are also completely off the grid, with their own water and power, as well as satellite phone and internet. You can only access the ranch by plane, by horseback or by backpacking in. They have cabins so you can stay overnight (and a really amazing all-inclusive package if you do). We were welcomed with hot coffee and lots of fun conversation with the folks visiting, many of which were other pilots from surrounding areas that fly in to commiserate over brunch or take advantage of the ranch activities.

After we walked around a bit, we were served an amazing, ranch-style brunch, while we talked with the other guests and our pilots. We then had some time to walk around the property. My favorite part was their natural ponds. Just stunning.

We sat around an outdoor fire and met the ranch dogs. Swoon. It was then time to head back to reality. We had a little different route back and got some amazing views of Boise and even the big blue. I'm sure I will dream of soaring high above the mountains for a while.

Did someone say glamping?

As soon as D and I settled in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, I pretty immediately knew that my lack of camping experience was going to be something needing a remedy. There are just so many beautiful places to camp, backpack, and otherwise explore all year long. I know that a camper is somewhere in our future, and I look forward to exploring all of the PNW via our own little private home on wheels, but until that time, I wasn't really feeling the love regarding sleeping on the ground and really roughing it. So, what's a girl to do --- go glamping!

1. glamping. noun. a form of camping in which participants enjoy physical comforts associated with more luxurious types of holiday. C21: blend of glamorous + camping.

As I'm sure is the case with many of you out there, glamping options have been popping up on social media for a while now. You can really go all out, spending more on a glamping getaway then a luxurious beach vacation, but there are also some options that fall somewhere between traditional tent camping and your own tent butler (not that I'm opposed to the latter). I'd been keeping my eye out, and when a new resort popped up near Bear Lake in Utah (another destination on our list), my glamping future was set. 

Conestoga Ranch is a new resort destination near the shores of Bear Lake that offers both deluxe couples tents (basically a really nice bed in a tent with our own seating and campfire) and grand tents (that include a bathroom, shower, electricity and even a/c). They also have some cool wagons, which seem like they would be really fun for families or large events. After checking it all out, I decided we needed to at least camp a little bit, so I went for the deluxe tent and booked us for my birthday weekend. Glamping must be really popular, because a couple of days after I booked, they were sold out for the summer. Hmmmm, must be on to something.

Bear Lake deserves its own blog entirely, because it is the most beautiful lake I’ve ever seen. Dubbed the “Caribbean of the Rockies,” you absolutely feel that you are on the shores of a calm ocean when you are visiting. Unfortunately for us, August is a bad month for wildfires, and we dealt with a lot of smoke and haze. But, even with that, the views were absolutely stunning. Garden City, UT is the home of Conestoga Ranch, and after our 5 ½ hour drive, we were immediately rewarded with the charm of the area. Zipz was our first stop in town for some snacks and rest, and it set the tone for the “beach-ish” vibe of most of the towns surrounding beautiful Bear Lake.

Once we made our way to the ranch itself, we were impressed with the quality of their canvas tents, bedding (hello high thread count sheets and luxurious down comforters), as well as their “bath house,” which provided really, really nice bathroom and shower facilities. Their grounds included an outdoor Campfire Grill, a gameroom, the aforementioned bathhouse, as well as individual firepits and picnic tables at each campsite. They also had on-site bicycle and water toy rentals. This was definitely some upscale camping! We ended up having a couple of breakfasts and a dinner at the Campfire Grill, and their presentation, food and live music was very, very impressive. 

                     

We were able to get firewood each night (props to boyscout Dave who does the best job ever at building campfires), and they provided LED lanterns for use in the tent and outside if you needed to walk around after dark. They had an awesome little General Store on site for snacks and basic provisions. The town of Garden City also provided some stunning public beaches and a lovely Mexican food dinner. (This was my bday weekend after all, and yes, D, you can get good Mexican food in Utah.)

                     

Now that we have a lay of the land, we are anxious to return next year (before fire season) and bring a few more camping essentials to make the stay even more fun. Glamping is officially on my radar, and there are a few places in Montana that are next on the list too. In the meantime, there’s always an RV show to get us looking forward to the future!

3 Things I've Learned in my 40s

Well here we are. The big 4-2 ... coming right up. I remember the anxious countdown to the big 4-0. It is such a very grown up milestone after all. I had just moved to Idaho and made some major quality of life changes, and I got to celebrate the big day on the beach. 40 was looking awesome, and then time seemed to pick up speed, and I have started waking up a little more sore each day. And, boom, I'm full on embracing this decade now. But, as many have said before me, with the physical challenges has come some true mental rewards and lessons learned. So, my topic today is the top 3 things I've learned so far in my 40s.

1. Health should be your top priority
I didn't focus on my health until my mid-30s, and I wish almost every day that I could go back in time and learn that lesson sooner. There is nothing more critical that learning to nourish your body and be active in a way that will bring you stress reduction, disease prevention and overall happiness. There is nothing that tastes as good as being healthy feels, and there is nothing on my to do list that is more important than moving and feeling my stress melt away and my happiness vibes going up. I may have learned the lesson late, but I did finally learn it. I appreciate every opportunity I have to move and thank my 42-year old body for allowing me to do these things and take care of myself. It's been a long journey, but I'm happy to keep working at it every day. And, oh yeah, thank you 40s, because I do have to work at it every day.

I want to feel like this all the time.

2. Stop apologizing
Many of us fall into the category of people pleaser. That one REALLY describes me. Something so positive can turn so negative when you focus all your energy on pleasing, to the detriment of yourself most of all, but also important folks in your life that should be a priority. As we mature, I think all of us learn the lesson of quality, not quantity, but I see many friends still struggle with apologizing if we cannot be all things to all people. We need to stop that behavior! Do what you can, be honest and earnest, and the rest is just what it is. No apologizing. This creeps up in so many parts of life, but it ultimately lessens you and your efforts, so I say, no more. (And I'm not sorry for that.) I could write a whole blog on the other side of this coin, apologizing too much in the business world, but I'll save that for another time. Let's just say, the same rules apply.

3. Wear sunscreen but lay off the regrets
My fair skin has been asking for this one for a long time, and I finally have gotten the message over the last 10 years or so, which is WEAR SUNSCREEN. Just Google some images of skin cancer if you aren't convinced. But seriously, I so wish I would have done this religiously for so much longer than I have. If I had, I wouldn't be checking out my girl Heather's lovely Periscope recordings all the time for great makeup tricks! Better late than never, but the lesson within the lesson on this one is also about regrets. I've always had a huge problem with re-visiting the past for any reason (large or small) to think about what I could have done differently. That behavior is so exhausting and really hijacks your present moments. So, as with the sunscreen, do your best, and if you screw up, leave it in the past and do better next time.

Now I'm going to prepare for tomorrow. It's going to involve eating some cake, going for a run, and not being sorry about a nice, living in the moment day for the big 4-2.

Puppy Love

I love puppy dogs. I'd pretty much rather hang out with a room full of doggies than anything (or anyone) else. To sum it up, this shirt explains my life goals:

So, when Dave and I recently had a conversation with our financial advisor, and he was talking about how he and his wife have taught their children from the beginning about the principle of giving, it perked up my need to look into a cause. His example was simple. When their kids get allowance, they are required to split the money into three categories: spend, save, and give. This was also coupled with another conversation I had recently about a friend who requires her child to pick a volunteer project both during the school year and over the summer. I did some volunteer work in school and always found it rewarding, but as an adult, I've honestly found a hard time finding the right opportunity with an organization that was willing to take advantage of the time I was offering. After having a few of these inspiring conversations, I decided to give it another go and tried again by exploring some options on the web site volunteermatch.org. I had heard good things about the site, and after some searching, I came upon on opportunity with a local humane society that looked like it might be just perfect for me. I did my research, reached out for more information, filled out an application, and after a couple of weeks and a background check, I was selected to move forward to their training program and start volunteering. Yea! 

What I like most about this organization already is that they rely heavily on volunteers. They are very organized in their training, scheduling and how they care for these dogs. They are also a private organization, which means they are privately funded based on a true love of dogs. This fits all of my personal criteria and seems to be a good fit in that they actually want to take my offer of time and greatly appreciate it. I've already had my first training session, with a mentoring session set up this week and then a little more training over the weekend. After that, I'm all set to do walking shifts, vet transportation and adoption counseling on nights or weekends that fit into my schedule. 

An urgent opportunity arose last night where a momma and her three, 3-week old infants had been rescued in Gooding, ID and needed to be transported back to the Boise area to be placed in a foster home until they can be adopted. The shelter needed someone to step in and make an almost 4-hour round trip drive. Dave and I were able to help, and we drove this sweet girl back to town to her new foster mom last night. What a rewarding experience. And man, what a shout out to Dave for helping out when this wasn't his idea. :)

I'll get to work my first shift as an adoption counselor this weekend, and I've been told the experience is so rewarding, as we get to help these sweethearts find their forever homes. I'm really looking forward to that, as well as spending time doing something meaningful outside of my Game of Thrones binging. So, fine, I'm almost all caught up on GoT, but you get the idea.

And when I'm not helping these new doggies in my life, I'm still catering to this crazy head and her bone addiction.

Check out www.volunteermatch.org if you are interested in finding some volunteer opportunities in your area. And, please please please, adopt - don't shop.

Travel keeps me sane(ish)

Ahhhhh, travel. There's no better word for me. Okay, maybe "cupcakes" sort of ties, but cupcakes will wait for another blog. As a matter of fact, I had a Key Lime cupcake on my trip last week that deserves its own blog entirely. Nom, nom. So, anyway...

I never traveled much growing up. As a matter of fact, my first time on a plane was for my honeymoon trip to Disneyworld. But, for Dave and I, we started early (even in those salad days) with the dreams and plans that we would sneak in any trip (big or small) whenever possible. For me, this quote sums it up.

So, considering I want to read very far into my book... have suitcase, will pack at a moment's notice. Since I just finished a really fun trip to San Francisco, I thought that a travel topic was in order, and since I'm the sucker who clicks on every link on the Internet that starts with "Top Ten ..." (or 5 or 12 or ... you get the drift), I thought I'd stick with that theme, and cover my Top 10 Travel Must Haves. Are you in? Okay, let's go.

10. Coolio bag that folds up in a tiny little pouch.

So my friend Kate hooked me up with this little gem as a birthday gift right before my last trip to Italy. I've seen lots of different styles since then, and this little guy sure is genius. It folds up so tiny, but so nice and roomy for carrying things around while you're traveling.

                     

                   Tiny travel bag takes Tuscany

9. Best lip balm evah

I should say that this guy is on the list thanks to how drying air travel can be. But, the truth is, I love me some lip balm. I've tried them all, and this one is my number one fave. It's thick and creamy and a great nude tint. And....and, it tastes like a glazed donut. You're welcome. But seriously, it comes in several shades, and I will be trying them all. 

8. Travel docs holder

So, everyone out there loves Etsy as much as me, right? This little gem is an Etsy find, and it's as practical as it is cute. Even in our electronic age, there is still so much paperwork with travel: passports, confirmation pages, etc. It all fits in this little guy, including a pen for filling out those international travel documents mid-air. It's inexpensive and comes in a bunch of different prints too.

7. Big bag for cords

While we're on an Etsy roll... you can find a fun, new little bag there, or use a makeup bag, large wristlet, etc. The idea is that you can have all your cords in one place! I got so tired of mine finding their way all over my larger travel bag or purse, and invariably, sinking to the absolute bottom when I'm scrunched up mid-air, that I decided to start putting them all together. Big win. Next I'm on the lookout for a cord organizer to go in the bag. (Rejoice all my Type A friends.)

6. Cashmere travel set

So, it's time to sneak a little wish list item into the mix. I don't own this one, but if a bunch of gift cards dropped on my lap, I might add this to my travel collection too. COZY!

5. Sunblock 

Have you seen me? I'm a fair-skinned chick. I have embraced the "sunblock is my life" mantra. I have a close relationship with my dermatologist. :) So, I know all things sunblock, and this keeper (found in one of my monthly Birchboxes) is a GREAT sunblock for the face. It's mineral-based, so it goes on very sheer, not greasy at all, and it has a nice tint. It has great staying power too. 

4. Maxi dresses

Comfort, comfort, comfort. Comfort is muy importante for air or car travel. Enter the maxi dress. I recently found some super cute ones at Target. Wherever you find your faves, these things are awesome. You can layer a jacket or sweater and be super comfy (and cute) while traveling with usually no wrinkles at your destination. Off the plane and onto an excursion and no need to change.

3. Steamer-style luggage

Okay, one more wish list item (David reads this blog after all.) I saw this collection (and Website) in one of my travel magazines, and holy schmoly are these things awesome. This is steamer style luggage, but with modern conveniences like the pull handle. Mama really likes. (Especially the Carry On from The Entrepreneur collection David Fox... ahem... I mean in case anyone was looking for more detail.)

2. Easy groceries for when you get home

This isn't exactly a fun tip, but you'll be glad you listened to me when you get home, tired and full of post-vacation blues and you are stuffed from eating out, and you have a little something to tide you over until reality has to fully set in. Cooking extra before you leave and freezing a few leftovers will work or just buying a few things that will last until you get back to whip up a quick dinner. Dave and I did this last night for our first night back. I made extra pasta sauce before our trip that I had frozen and also had some fresh ravioli I had picked up from the store and froze before we left. I took them both out when we got home late Sunday night, and it took about 10 minutes to whip up a nice pasta dinner, so we could put off the grocery store for another day. Nothing says vacation is OVER like the grocery store.

1. Travel books for photos

This is my favorite tip and something I wish Dave and I had done since the beginning of digital photography, but we are catching up now. Many of you know this and probably use it, and that's the Shutterfly photo book. Our first big project was the book that recounted our trip to Italy in 2012, but since then, we've started a yearly tradition of picking just a few photos to make a smaller book. I find that I look back on these pictures so much more than I thought I would. To go find all the past vacations that are saved online or on CDs... well, it's just too much trouble. Plus, it's fun to show others your trip in this way, rather than scrolling through a bunch of small digital pics on Facebook. 

Thanks for hanging in for my Top 10 Travel Must Haves list. There's one little tip I'll leave you with as a bonus, and that is Have a Great Travel Buddy. Unfortunately mine is taken, or I'd loan him out. He's great at taking pics, carrying shopping bags, general entertaining conversation, and most of all, genuine support of my wanderlust. Time to book that next trip!