Author: rebeccawanderlusting

My name is Rebecca Peters. I work in the hotel industry, which allows for many amusing hours of people watching. I spend my days googling new destinations to explore and writing checklists. I live in Chicago, where I harbor a deep lust for any other destination, which is the basis for my recently started travel blog. I'm also into knitting, champagne and reading Stephen King novels. Instagram: WanderConstantReader Twitter: @rwanderlusting Find Me On Bloglovin' !

Trip Planning: Copenhagen

On August 9, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning3 Comments

Thanks to IcelandAir, I am lucky enough to get a two-for-one European vacation in a few weeks. The first leg of my trip will be spent in beautiful Reykjavik, Iceland (read more about that here), and my second stop will be in Copenhagen Denmark. I will be staying in the land of the Danes for five days and four nights. I haven’t been to Europe since I studied abroad in London six (I can’t event believe it’s been that long) years ago, and I could not be happier to be visiting again. I chose Copenhagen, because of its colorful architecture, canals and charm, plus a very convincing article I read in Afar Magazine. Because it’s a kind of a pricey city, I’m trying to find as many budget-friendly options as possible, like the hostel I’m staying in for all four nights and the Copenhagen Card that will save me museum and attraction entry fees and include discounts at restaurants. With all the outdoors adventuring I plan to do in Iceland, I will be looking forward to enjoying the café life in Copenhagen and seeking out that famous Danish Hygge*. Here is the breakdown of my plans in Denmark:

What I want to see and do:

Canal Boat Tour
Tivoli Gardens
Freetown Christiania
Explore the Neighborhoods, especially Norrebro
Take the ferry to Helsingborg, Sweden
Royal Library Gardens
The Friday Lounge at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

While there are lots of things I want to see and do in Copenhagen, I also want to leave plenty of time to wander and explore this beautiful city. I don’t want to over-plan beforehand and stress while I’m there, I just want to enjoy Copenhagen and all it has to offer.

Where I want to eat:

Copenhagen Street Food Market and Torvhallerne Market
Atelier September
Madklubben (tasting menu!)
Mother (for their rumored to be amazing pizzas)
Any where I can get an open faced sandwich on rye and a Danish pastry

Resources:

This Battered Suitcase – “Why I Love Copenhagen”
My Twenty Somethings – “Copenhagen, Denmark”
The Copenhagen Tales – “Copenhagen Weekend Tips”
On The Luce – “Visiting Copenhagen on a Budget”
Visit Copenhagen

If you have any tips for trips to Copenhagen, please share them in the comments!

**Hygge is the Danish word for enjoying all of life’s little pleasures; a term I fully plan on embodying while I’m there.

KOA Campground in Utica, IL

On August 6, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Illinois, US TravelLeave a comment

After a beautiful hike at Matthiessen State Park, our day outdoors continued on as we made our way to the LaSalle/Peru KOA Campground. It was about a ten minute drive from the park, past the highway and down a long road lined with cornfields. The front of the campground was filled with campers and RVs. We checked in at the general store/information desk, where we also purchased s’mores ingredients and one of those handy extendable forks with which to make them. The wonderful staff at the information desk gave me a map of the grounds and pointed out how it was divvied up between RVs, cabins, the campsites with water and electric, and the primitive sites without, which was where we were going. We were told we could pick any open site we wanted past the creek, so we went on our way.

A lot of the sites were already taken, so we drove a ways before we settled on one towards the back and parked on the grass next to it. Just as we had pulled out the tent and tarps from the car, it started to rain again. This, coupled with the fact that we set the tent up incorrectly the first time, made the experience a little bit frustrating. Once we had the tent set up the right way, we realized that the rain had made our selected campsite very muddy, particularly the area we chose for our tent. Luckily we hadn’t secured it to the ground yet, so we dragged it by the tarp underneath to a grassier spot.

It was such an ordeal that all we could really do was laugh about it, especially because it finally stopped raining once we had everything set. Mike got the fire going while I set up the rest our paltry camp with our two chairs, collapsible table, and dinner supplies. While Mike ran back to the general store to pick up some more firewood, I wrapped sweet corn in tin foil and threw them in the fire to cook and set the picnic table with a waterproof tablecloth.

We had hot dogs and corn and chips for dinner and it was actually pretty delicious. It was wonderful to be able to sit outside and enjoy it next to the fire and take in our surroundings. Our fellow campers were also enjoying their dinner and that amazing summer barbecue smell filled the air and the view from our picnic table was beautiful. Our campsite was across the makeshift gravel/grass road from a gorgeous green field that was separated from the grounds with a barbed wire fence.

After dinner, we started a game of rummy that we played intermittently throughout the evening, continuing by lamplight after it got dark. It turned out to be a beautiful night after the rain. Mike and I both really enjoyed being off the grid and having a conversation without any distractions. We drank wine and made our s’mores after dark; the fire was still going strong thanks to my boy scout boyfriend.

After a while, we retired to the tent, tuckered out from the day of hiking and setting up camp. All the wine I drank hit me around 2:00am, and I walked down a ways to the facilities. Because we were so far back from the main building, the closest bathrooms were porta potties. They weren’t so bad. You haven’t lived until you’ve used a porta potty by lamplight.

It was definitely an interesting experience, but the stars that night made it completely worth it. You don’t get to see that many in Chicago, and it was a stunning sight. We woke up bright and early the next morning to clean up and head to breakfast. We broke everything down way quicker than it took us to set it all up. Next time we will have to camp for longer so we have more time to enjoy the hard work.

Once everything was packed into the car, we drove back to Utica to Joy and Ed’s Supper Club for breakfast. I am typically pretty easy to please when it comes to breakfast places, but this one was just bad. The coffee was way watered down and the food was not great; we felt generally unwelcome while we were there. Luckily, while we paid our bill, Mike was secretly googling another place to go and took me directly to Nonie’s Bakery when we left.

This lovely little café more than made up for our first breakfast attempt and cheered me up completely. Nonie’s is cozy and cute with mismatched mugs for coffee and mouth-watering baked goods. I had one of their sprinkled doughnuts and it was amazing. It was the perfect end to a wonderful outdoorsy trip.

Where is your favorite campground?

Matthiessen State Park, Hiking, RebeccaWanderlusting

Hiking in Matthiessen State Park

On August 2, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Illinois, US Travel4 Comments

Located in the town of Oglesby, IL, Matthiessen State Park is about an hour and a half drive from Chicago. We arrived in the very cute town of Utica at just around lunch time. We stopped in their tiny but picturesque downtown area to have lunch at Canal Port, a restaurant/bar with a great beer and whiskey selection. We both ordered sandwiches, which served as excellent pre-hike fuel.

We also stopped at Mill Street Market to pick up some ice and firewood for our campsite. The store had general grocery items and all the last minute camping supplies you could want/didn’t know you needed, like extendable forks for cooking over the fire. From there, we drove to the park, which is just past Starved Rock State Park. We had to park in the overflow parking lot in the Delta Area of the park, so we went into our hike knowing that it might be a little crowded. And it was, near the entrance to the trail and at the base of the waterfalls, but along the trails, we didn’t pass very many people.

As we walked up to the trails, we passed the “fort”, a log cabin building that was currently hosting a graduation party, and walked down a flight of stairs and across a bridge to a fork in the road. We chose to hike the Upper Dells trail first, a path that took us up past one canyon and down into another. The stairs led down into the moss-covered rock canyons, the walls rippling upwards, pockmarked with small caves. The creek running through the canyon was shallow and clear.

We followed the creek towards a small waterfall that we had to cross rocks and 2x4s to get too, only to realize that there was another, larger waterfall beyond it. To get the larger waterfall, we stripped off our shoes and socks and walked through the creek. We zigzagged across to each side until we got up to the bottom of the waterfall, the view was absolutely stunning. At the moment we reached the waterfall, it started to rain, and it didn’t fully stop for the rest of our time in the state park.

Luckily, the foliage above provided great coverage for most of the trails. After slipping our shoes back on, we climbed up a set of stairs that led out of the canyon and over a bridge that stood directly above the falls. On the other side of this bridge, there is a dirt, illegitimate path that takes you up to the side of the waterfall and provides a gorgeous view, too good to miss. The actual path from the bridge leads through the woods back to the fort again, in a roundabout way.

We took the other path next, to the Lower Dells. The path brought us directly to yet another set of stairs, leading down to another bridge. We crossed, went down another set of stairs, and that’s when it really started to rain. The bottom of this canyon was 100% mud, and the rain made it one big mess.

After a pep talk from Michael, we went through it towards the next waterfall anyways, despite the obstacle. It really is a miracle that neither of us didn’t fall face first into the muck. We picked our way carefully across the well trampled path, and splashed through the streams to rinse off our shoes. The last waterfall seemed to be the most beautiful because it was the hardest to get to.

It had the largest pool at the bottom of it, people were swimming, kids were sliding down the rocks and everyone seemed determined to ignore the rain. The caves around the cave were climbable and fun to explore. We crawled through them, dodging ankle-twisting holes and daddy long legs.

The way back to the head of the trail was just as slippery and treacherous, but we made it! Those stairs were a little bit harder on the way up then down, and by the time we made it back to the fort, we were exhausted. We headed back to the car, ready to start the second leg of our adventure, camping at KOA campground.

Have you ever been to Matthiessen State Park? Which trail was your favorite?

Trip Planning: Iceland

On July 29, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning3 Comments

In 5-ish weeks, I’ll be boarding a night plane bound for Reykjavik, Iceland. I’ll arrive in the early morning, as most direct flights do, and stay for six days before moving on to Copenhagen. I am so beyond excited for this trip that every time I talk about it, my voice takes on a high-pitched squeaking quality. I have never been to this enchanting island country, but, with everything I’ve read and seen of it, I think my only problem will be trying to see it all in one go. I’ve been doing a ton of research on tours and activities in Iceland in the past few weeks. It would be very easy for me to book my whole trip full of tours because they all look so amazing. But, I also want to make sure I leave plenty of time to enjoy the city of Reykjavik. I’m entranced by this colorful city and I can’t wait to explore it.

Here are some of my trip details:

Accommodations:

AirBnB for (2) nights – this is my first time trying AirBnB and I’m excited to see what all the fuss is about. The location is a little bit outside of downtown, so I will definitely be utilizing public transit.
A Boutique Hotel for (3) nights – for the second half of my trip, I’ll be staying at an artsy boutique hotel that is more centrally located.

Activities:

Whale Watching – I’ve booked a whale watching tour with Elding Tours which involves three hours on a boat in the arctic. I am ecstatic about the possibility of spotting some whales.
South Shore Excursion – A minibus will be transporting me to the magical southern coast of Iceland to see glaciers, waterfalls, black sand beaches and hopefully puffins!
Kolaportid Flea Market – I’m lucky enough to be in Reykjavik over a weekend so I can visit this unique flea market. I will have my eye out for some local specialties.
Heading out to the Grotta Lighthouse to try and spot the Northern Lights
Hiking on Mt. Esja
Swimming at Nautholsvik Beach
Walking along the old harbor

The two things I can’t decide if I want to splurge on or not are the Golden Circle Tour and the Blue Lagoon. I know that these are both very popular Iceland activities, but I am still on the fence. They are both pretty pricey and I’m not sure I’m as interested in them as I am other things.

Resources:

I’ve been reading a few blogs on Iceland to get some ideas of what I want to do while I’m there, including: Unlocking Kiki, Young Adventuress, and Hand Luggage Only. I also acquired an Iceland Lonely Planet book from a friend which has become a great factual resource!

I can’t express how much I am looking forward to this adventure. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to go and explore a new country. If you have any Icelandic travel tips, please share them in the comments and stay tuned for more details on my Reykjavik travels!

Worldly Recipes: Risotto

On July 27, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Worldly Recipes2 Comments

I love making risotto. It’s as simple as that. The act of making this recipe has a soothing familiarity to it that is very relaxing, plus Mike and I both almost always have seconds so it’s a popular dish in this apartment. Risotto can be made for any taste, with any number of ingredients. I typically make this dish in the fall and winter, but this past rainy weekend had Mike and I craving something hearty. It has a wonderful warming quality about it that will shake away any rainy weather blues. You can really use any protein or vegetables you want to, but this time around I used short rib, peppers and mushrooms to flavor this particular risotto. It’s a fairly simple recipe that takes a little bit of knife-work, a lot of stirring and a little patience to pull off.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 cup red and green peppers, chopped
1 1/2 cup bella mushrooms, chopped
1 lb short rib, sliced into 1/2 inch squares
3 1/2 cups beef broth
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Salt, Pepper and Oregano to taste

And here’s how you’ll combine them:

First and foremost, pour yourself a glass of that wine. You have a whole bottle and you only need 1/2 a cup of it for the food.
Chop your vegetables, separating the onions and garlic from the peppers and mushrooms
Slice the short rib to cook separately
Heat butter and olive oil in a large pot
Add in onions and garlic to sweat
Add in rice
Add in peppers and mushrooms and saute
Start adding in liquids, 1 cup at a time and stir continuously
Season as needed with each addition
In a separate pan, saute short rib in a tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper
When there is only a cup of broth/wine left to add, add in the cooked meat
Stir in the parmesan cheese
Cook off the rest of the liquid and continue stirring, rice should be tender but not chewy
Enjoy!

Try it out and tell me what you think!

Have you ever made risotto before? What is your favorite kind to make?

Camping Essentials

On July 23, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning1 Comment

Next weekend, Mike and I will be trundling down to Utica, IL with a carful of camping equipment for a night under the stars (sort of). We’re camping near Matthiessen State Park, where we will be exploring during the day. I have not been camping in a very long time, but lucky for me, I’m dating a former boy scout. With Mike’s wilderness knowledge, my camping expert sister’s advice and all of our borrowed supplies, I think we will be just fine. The plan is to hike at Matthiessen during the day, check into our campsite in the late afternoon to set up, and spend the night cooking various items over the campfire. I have to say, I am very excited for this little weekend trip enjoying the great outdoors. Especially with all of the fun camping accessories that come with it. Here are the camping essentials I wouldn’t go without (*please note: this is not a professional camping adventure, just one bougie night in a tent):

Grilled Cheese Sandwich Iron – Our dinner will be happily cooked over the fire with these handy little sandwich irons and no grilled cheese will ever taste better. My parents have hauled these with us to every camping trip, so it’s kind of a tradition.
Photo via Amazon
Wine Tote + Glasses – In order for me to fall asleep without my brain hearing the tell-tale twig snapping that horror movies are made of, we will need to have wine in cute plastic glasses. I’ve been really into rosé lately, so that is what we will be bringing with us into the woods.
Lantern – This is needed to light our way to and from the bathrooms and brighten up the tent after we put the fire out. This particular lantern is quite bright and clips to the top of our tent for maximum efficiency.
French Press – The French press is a must-have for a couple of caffeine addicts our in the wilderness. It’s perfect for preparing our morning fix fireside. Add a couple of mugs and we’re good to go.
Photo via REI
Bug Repellent Candle – We’re bringing a couple of these beauties to keep the insects at bay while we sit by the fire. We purchased them at target for a couple of bucks each and I’m sure they will be invaluable after the sun goes down.

In addition to these camping essentials, we will also be bringing a pretty large tent (leftover from Mike’s Boy Scout days), sleeping bags, pillows, rain covers, tarps, food, water, and other basic woodsy supplies like sunscreen and bug spray. I am beyond excited to try my hand at camping again, especially since it was on my 26 in 26 list. Right now, it looks like it will be a little stormy next weekend, but I fully intend to power through. Feel free to share your favorite camping tips and tricks in the comments!

What are your must-have camping essentials?

Finding Unique Souvenirs

On July 19, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Tips, Trip Planning1 Comment

Souvenirs are abundant, with gift shops around every corner in most destinations, it’s not hard to locate something to remind you of your vacation. What is difficult is finding something that isn’t kitschy or cliché, something that won’t sit on your shelf unused and unloved, collecting dust. After all, how many mini spoons, snow globes and I ❤ Wherever shirts do you really need? Now a days the souvenir trends are shifting away from things that loudly proclaim where they’re from and towards more understated items that bring back memories from distant lands. I always have such a hard time getting rid of things I bought as souvenirs, so all of the old items are in a Tupperware container under my bed. Not ideal for remembering the place I bought them fondly. Lately, when I travel, I look for more practical things to bring home. And when I say practical, I mean things like the Elvis clock we bought in Memphis, the one that his hips sway with each tick and tock. Things like that.

We also have a tendency to buy magnets because they’re cheap and easy, but we’re running out of real estate on our fridge so they won’t be a practical souvenir much longer. With that said, the following are some ideas for alternative souvenirs from your upcoming travels:

Home Décor – Make your home décor unique and fun by having pieces you’ve curated yourself through your travels. These kinds of souvenirs will adorn your home and bring back memories every time you look at them. I like to look for unique wall art or travel themed antiques. When we traveled to Grand Rapids, MI, I got a beautiful antique globe that is now on my desk.
Food and Beverage – Food and drinks make great souvenirs because you can enjoy them and then they are done, not cluttering your shelves or gathering dust. I like to bring back beer or wine from different destinations, specifically Spotted Cow Beer every time we go up to Wisconsin.
Photos – The best and cheapest souvenir is, of course, pictures from whichever destination. The key is actually doing something with them instead of leaving them in the paper envelopes from the photo counter. Frame your favorites and hang them up or create your own album for each trip with Shutterfly!
Books or Albums – Books, albums, or whatever form of entertainment you prefer make great souvenirs. You’ll enjoy them as you read/listen/watch and remember the destination where they were purchased. I prefer books, which is why I usually pick one out for each trip, like “Wilderness Essays” by John Muir from the John Muir Woods book shop.
Everyday Items – I recently read this article about buying everyday items from your travels that you will use constantly, and therefore be constantly reminded of where you got them. I think it’s a genius idea! Everyday items are typically less expensive than your usual souvenirs and you will actually get a lot of use out of them.

What do you think? What kind of souvenirs do you like to get when you’re away?

Favorite Travel Memories, Top Five Friday, RebeccaWanderlusting

10 Tips for Hiking The Smoky Mountains National Park

On July 12, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Tennessee, US Travel2 Comments

Last month, I traveled with my family and Mike to the Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. While we happily hiked through the wilderness, to waterfalls and up mountains, we ran into some interesting situations. Some of them we were prepared for, like the bugs and heat, and some were unpleasant surprises, like the hoards of people on each trail. This particular National Park is huge; it has multiple entrances and crosses state lines. There are plenty of hikes to enjoy, but also plenty of research and planning to do beforehand. After spending a few (not nearly enough) days exploring the park, I amassed a few tips to help you lovely readers plan a trip to the beautiful Smoky Mountains:

Obtain a Vehicle: Because the park is so big, it’s pretty necessary to have your own way of getting around. It was extremely helpful to be able to choose our own routes through the park based on what we wanted to see and do. There is a trolley service that runs through Gatlinburg and into Smoky Mountains National Park, but it limits your options as far as hikes go.
Stay in a Cabin: Staying in a beautiful cabin in the mountains really made this trip for me. There are plenty of hotels in downtown Gatlinburg, but none have as much charm as the cabins. If you have the means to do so, there are plenty of options for cabins of all budgets. We found our amazing cabin through Elk Springs Resort.
Wear Proper Shoes: This is key! I can’t tell you how long it took me to learn this lesson: Chuck Taylors are not suitable shoes for hiking. Wear gym shoes or hiking boots, your feet will thank you for the comfort and your hiking buddies will thank you for the lack of moaning.
Grab a Map and Plan Your Hikes: As stated above, Smoky Mountains National Park is big. Look into what hikes are available for the time of year you’re visiting and pick the ones that interest you the most. Maps are available at all of the visitor centers and usually cost just a dollar donation.
Get Going Early: Despite its size, this park can get very crowded. We thought we were the early birds, starting at 9 or 10am, but we were sorely mistaken. Try to get going early to beat the crowds, otherwise you’re apt to be waiting in line just to move down the trails.
Be Patient: Keeping #5 in mind, though it does get crowded, you are in a beautiful place and (mostly) everyone else is there to take in the beauty too. Don’t let this ruin your time, be patient and enjoy the park.
Bring Bug Spray and Hand Sanitizer: Because we were visiting in the middle of summer, the mosquitoes were out in full force. We slathered bug spray on before each hike to keep them at bay. And… if you have ever used a wilderness bathroom, the hand sanitizer is self-explanatory.
Pack a Picnic: If you are planning on hiking all day, there won’t be anywhere for you to purchase a meal. Bring your own picnic lunch and stop at one of the many picnic/scenic areas to enjoy it. Be sure to dispose of all food garbage properly to protect the bears!
Hydrate: This may go without saying, but I’m going to say it anyways. Don’t get too distracted by the gorgeous scenery and make sure you’re taking plenty of water breaks!
Stop at Scenic Overlooks: Most importantly, stop at all of the scenic overlooks you can find. They all have fantastic views and can double as your picnic area! My favorite was New Foundland Gap Lookout: great view, North Carolina – Tennessee State Line and plenty of seating for snacking.

Have you ever hiked in Smoky Mountains National Park? Which hike was your favorite?

26 in 26 – Halfway Point

On July 8, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn Travel Goals, Travel Tips3 Comments

A while back, I wrote this post about my 26 in 26 goals for life between my 26th and 27th birthdays. Now that we are just passed the halfway point, I thought I’d share the list in its entirety and check in with how I’ve progressed through it so far. The 26 tasks are either things that I have always wanted to do but haven’t made the time for yet, or things I’ve gotten started but want to improve upon. I have until December 4 (when I will turn 27, ugh) to complete everything, but I still have quite a few things left to do. Here’s where I’m at:

Finish all the books I currently have on my shelf: This is a work in progress! I’ve read 15 books so far this year thanks to my daily commute and my inability to sleep on planes. Most of them have been by Mr. Stephen King, who dominates three out of the twelve shelves in my library.
Go camping: The camping trip is booked! For early next month. I haven’t camped since I was really young, so this will be a baby step back into the world of sleeping in tents and peeing in the woods. We’re planning on camping near Matthiessen State Park, just south of Chicago.
Take an Amtrak train somewhere: I have romanticized taking an Amtrak trip for years, and I so want to do this sometime soon. I just don’t know if it will happen this year. The problem with train travel is it just takes so long and I’m running low on vacation days :(.
Have something I wrote published again: Last year, I was lucky enough to have a short story published in Sheriff Nottingham (a literary journal). It hasn’t happen yet this year, but I would like to have something else published, either fiction or non, online or in print.
Master a new recipe: Done! I have officially mastered the bibimbap recipe, but I am always looking for more to learn!
Host a costume party: This has not happened yet either, but I am hoping to host an all out 70’s disco party. BEFORE Halloween though, so the holiday doesn’t steal my thunder.
Paint a picture: Done! I can’t vouch for how well it’s been done, but I did enjoy making it! Painting is so relaxing, I wouldn’t mind adding it to my growing list of hobbies. Here’s a photo of my “beautiful” painting from Instagram:
Learn to play the ukulele: Do I get a half point for owning the ukulele? I need to sit down to watch some youtube videos so I can check this one off the list.
Write more short stories: Done! Perhaps this is what I can get published. 🙂
Learn French: I started learning on DuoLingo and lost touch with it. I need to get back on this though because it’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a long time.
Invest in a good pair of shoes: They haven’t been purchased yet, but I have my eyes on these.
Take a fitness class: I’ve been getting by with Sadie Nardini’s yoga videos, but there are tons of options in our neighborhood to complete this one for real. I can’t wait to try one out.
Get a start on that novel I’ve been meaning to write: Done! It’s something that I’ve been chipping away at in my spare time. As much as I love writing about this blog and real life adventures, I love writing fiction just as much.
Find/Create an additional source of income: Still working on this one! I’ve put some things out there, we’ll see if anything comes back. I’m feeling pretty hopeful about it!
Have a spa day: Done! I went to the Mario Tricoci Spa on Michigan Ave and wrote about my experience here.
Travel to Canada: This trip had been planned for April, however plans changed and we ended up doing a smaller trip instead. I haven’t lost all hope for this trip, so maybe we can fit it in on a weekend before the end of the year.
Start running again: I know, I know. I’ve had seven months to do this simple thing, and I haven’t yet. That’s not to say I haven’t been working out, I just haven’t done this.
Join Trover: Done! If you don’t know what Trover is, it’s a website to share travel pictures and tips for different destinations. You can find my Trover profile here.
Reorganize my wardrobe: Not quite done. I would really like to get rid of most of my clothes and create a more grown-up, capsule wardrobe. It’s a work in progress.
Pay off my loan: Done! Simple as that.
Start treating this blog like a business instead of a hobby: This is another work in progress and goes with #15. I’m trying though!
Go on a Chicago Boat Tour: Last year, this was on my list and I waited until it was too late. This year, I will book this even if I have to go by myself. I’m thinking of booking this one.
Sell clothes, books and movies I don’t use anymore: Halfway done! I’ve done quite a few rounds of selling things I don’t use and donating a lot of other things, but there’s still more I could get rid of.
Have a Woody Allen Movie Marathon: Done! The only reason this is on the list is that I love Woody Allen Movies, and wanted an excuse to watch more of them.
Attend a new music festival: Almost Done! I’ll be going to Pitchfork Music Festival next weekend!
Take a class: There was a writing class at the Newberry Library I wanted to take, but I would have missed the first two classes due to travel. Hopefully, I’ll find another one!

Status: 11/26 done! Here’s to five more months!

Up North, Maiden Lake, WI, RebeccaWanderlusting

Up North: A Photo Blog

On July 5, 2016 By rebeccawanderlustingIn US Travel, Wisconsin6 Comments

Of all the places I have traveled, my favorite place of all can be found Up North. A tiny town on a beautiful lake, hours on the boat spent with family, home cooked meals, what more could a girl ask for? I’ve written about Maiden Lake before, but this time I will let the photos do (most of) the talking.

Picture this: A gravel driveway leads to a picturesque cabin perched on a hill overlooking a beautiful lake. The front door leads to a homey kitchen flanked by a bedroom, bathroom and living room, all of which are cozy as can be. At the back of the first floor is a fairly new screened in porch, perfect for catching a glimpse of the true blue lake below or snagging a quick cat nap. Above and below the first floor are more beds to sleep the multitude of house guests that flock to this Midwest Paradise.

From the porch, a thin stone-lined path leads down to a semi-private cove of Maiden Lake; the trees swaying in the light breeze flash views of the cobalt water as you move down the path. Once at the shoreline, the lazy waves from the speedboats racing by lap at the rocks, creating a unique melody.

In the early morning, before the speed boats are allowed to create a wake, the lake is perfect for kayaking, paddle boarding, or swimming across. The water is calm and it’s glassy surface perfectly reflects the sky above. You could paddle into the center of the lake and almost feel like you’re the only person around.

Once the boat is loaded with all the chips, dips, snacks and booze it can carry,we cruise around the lake, tubing and water-skiing. This was the first year ever that I was able to get up on the skis and take a few turns around the lake. It was exhausting and so gratifying.

In the middle of the day, when the sun is especially hot, we anchor on an edge of the lake to mix the cocktails and go for a swim. The water in Maiden Lake is as clean and cool as they come. The neighbors’ boats circle around the lake as we watch, riding out the waves they make while we talk and laugh and dive into the water to cool off.

The evening activities typically include wine by the lake, sunset cruising, delicious meals, boat parades and perhaps some fireworks. Whatever we choose to do, it is always relaxing and revolves around enjoying the cabin and the lake.

Every year that we make the trip Up North, it seems that I want to stay longer and longer. You can’t beat the peacefulness, the fresh air, the hours spent out on the water… I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, I can’t wait until next year.