Sunday, July 16, 2017

Vacation Days 1 and 2

Dave tagged on 3 vacation days to our usual Tues/Weds, so we’ve officially been on holiday starting yesterday.  Yay for us!  Although we were off almost 3 weeks when we moved here from Texas in April, that was a relocation, and it was work.  Now that we’ve been in our usual routines for a bit, a relaxing real holiday was in order.

Dave had a nice bike ride yesterday morning and I hit Hobby Lobby, which was having a 50% sale on just about all decorative items.  Plus, I had a 40% coupon.  I’ve been keeping an eye out for a couple of things for blank walls, one in the bathroom and one over the kitchen sink.

Gecko 07162017

A bit of Gecko whimsy and good vibes for the bathroom

Celtic kitchen addition 07162017

And some Celtic good vibes for meals in the kitchen, which is often the heart of one’s home.

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One of Dave’s projects is putting place 3 new bookcases, the first of which is on the right. We’ll end up with 4 units on the really long living room wall, and the grouping will be staggered a bit in height.  The shelves are a mess in the photo, in transition.  Hope to have the other 3 complete by the end of our holiday.

Although we said “No cooking, we’re on vacation,” we had pasta here at home last night, followed by chess on the front porch.  Well, it’s our only porch.  It was remarkably chilly in the evening, especially considering we’re used to sweltering Texas evenings in mid July.

This morning saw Dave out on the bike again, while I took my time doing a few things around here (houseplant therapy, hanging the item over the kitchen sink, changing bed linens).  Once he was home, showered and changed, we headed out to Lake Bemidji State Park, which is about 7 miles from our home.

Dave cycles through here all the time on the Paul Bunyan State Trail, but had never explored the park proper. 

Dave at Lake Bemidji SP 07162017

Dave, the intrepid explorer

Lake Bemidji SP 1 07162017

There are walking trails all around the lake.

Lake Bemidji SP 2 07162017

Access to the lake from one of the several boat launch areas.

Lake Bemidji SP 3 07162017

This is where the boats come from that use the access above.

Lake Bemidji SP 4 07162017

Part of the Paul Bunyan State Trail, a section of the Rails to Trails network.

Lake Bemidji SP 6 07162017

Don’t have your own bike? No problem! You can rent one at the park.

Lake Bemidji SP 5 07162017

Another view from our walk.

(The above photos were taken with my “good” camera, a Canon Rebel DSL which I haven’t used in … well, probably since New Jersey days.  Was fun putting it back into service.)

We did have a nice walk about the park, not all of it, but a decent bit.  Went through some of the campground sections with tents and trailers; even saw a Montana 5th wheel.  It’s pretty tight confines, and I really would not want to put a big rig in one of the back-in sites.

Earlier in the week, I made a list of things we wanted to do while off and places to consider for meals.  Noticed C.K. Dudley’s was right on our way to the state park, so we stopped there on our way back, choosing to dine on the deck outside. 

Lunch at CK Dudleys 07162017

Didn’t notice until I downloaded the photo, but it looks like the “Exit Only” sign is a wee drink decoration in Dave’s glass!

We both chose the BBQ Brisket wrap, me with chips and Dave with fries.  Oh my!  It was very good and too much for us for one meal, so we each brought half home.  Service was very good and friendly, meal was yummy, and it was so nice to enjoy sitting outside.  We will definitely return.

Chilling out a bit back home now, with possibly more home improvement projects still for today (or not, after all, it’s vacation) and a chess session later.  There’s supposed to be a decent chance for auroras tonight, but not sure we’ll be up that late.

Tomorrow’s forecast looks a bit dodgy with a hefty chance of rain and thunderstorms.  That’s okay, because our itinerary (loose as it may be) is to drive into downtown, park, and explore on foot.  Downtown Bemidji is … well, pretty darn cool.  There is a sculpture walk, all sorts of wee shops and various cafes and pubs.  We have been downtown on errands with specific purpose, each time saying, “We should come back sometime and just explore.”  Well, I think tomorrow may be the day!  Even if it is raining a bit, we can duck in and out of shops.

Our holiday may not sound exciting and it surely is low-key and inexpensive, but it suits us just fine and we’re enjoying ourselves!

Thanks for stopping by!  Stay safe out there, okay?











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