2017 Wrap-Up: A Big Year

Venturesome. What a year! So much has happened this past year its hard to know where to begin. I went on several major trips, sprinkled with many more little ones throughout the year. The biggest adventure: I married Jared in front of our families up in Nebraska at the beginning of July! Read on to see what else I've been up to, and at the bottom of this post you'll find the usual summary of travel stats for the year.

I try to take a birthday trip every year, though sometimes I find that pursuit difficult considering my birthday is in the middle of January. I chose to go to the beach this year, and while it wasn't hot and as sunny as I wished it was still better than snow!

In February I found myself and Callie sweltering in eighty degree weather in the Hill Country of Texas, enjoying our time backpacking at Colorado Bend State Park. It was our first of many backpacking trips this year, and it made such an impression that I want to go back! Maybe another February trip is in order!

This year I did something I've never done before, and travelled for work. Jared had the pleasure of accompanying me (other way around, but still) as we transported a sick cat to Houston for veterinary care, which included an overnight in the city. While I wouldn't wish to be stuck in a tiny exam room for so long ever again, it was still an interesting experience!

In March Callie and I headed back to Hill Country and tucked ourselves into the canyons at South Llano River State Park. I don't often arrive at a campsite with lots of daylight left, and our little secluded camp felt like a true, much needed retreat. Even if the armadillos were loud as they ran through the long grass.

Once again my little adventure dog accompanied me, this time to Copper Breaks State Park in west Texas during a weekend get-away in April. She is such a trooper when it comes to hiking and my incessant picture taking!

I headed home for the Easter holiday and spent some time with family and fine wine. Also, spending time drinking wine on a patio in Nebraska during April is pretty darn good!

Our fourth annual Father-Daughter trip has expanded a bit, now including most of my family and a good time at the River Walk in San Antonio. I can't wait to see what happens next year!

My sister and I spent a week and change deep within the deserts of the southwestern United States, where we hiked more than fifty miles, forty of which were along the Grand Canyon. We also tackled Angel's Landing in Zion National Park, and visited numerous other National Monuments along the way. No big deal or anything.

Jared's and my cross-country trip in June and July really felt like three adventures in one, what with us visiting family in Nebraska, North Dakota, and Minnesota. The highlight of the trip? I got to marry my best friend.

I packed up these two pups and headed to the mountains in Arkansas on a whim on weekend in July, needing to get back to my happy place in nature. It was Ghost's first time camping and he took it all in stride! He's going to make a fantastic adventure dog.

August, once again, found Torrey and I in the Colorado Rockies, this time spending several days backpacking in Rocky Mountain National Park in addition to hanging out around Pike's Peak. The best part of our trip was definitely seeing a bear up close and personal!

I took the dogs and myself to get lost in Lost Maples Natural Area, on the edge of Hill Country in September. While we had quite a few misadventures there, I can't wait to go back and explore some more trails.

I headed back up to Nebraska for a few days at the beginning of October and my dad talked me in to going to Indian Cave State Park while there (he really had to twist my arm...) Indian Cave was a childhood favorite, and heading back there brought a wave of nostalgia that I wasn't quite prepared for.

At the beginning of November Jared and I embarked on a whirlwind weekend up in Kansas City, MO to visit friends and attend a baby shower. While I enjoyed the nine hour one-way car ride, Jared did not. Friends are worth it, though!

Also in November I met up with Torrey at Buffalo National Scenic River to backpack fourteen miles along the national trail that parallels the river. I have yet to post about that trip but rest assured, there were many misadventures and several good stories out of the weekend!

Our most recent adventure just concluded, with us spending nine days visiting family and friends in Nebraska for the holidays. Jared and I had a wonderful time, especially when it came to hanging out with our little niece! (Callie looks like she's being squished in this picture, but she had been giving Charlotte kisses just before we took it!)

I struggled through the second half of last year after I lost Meeka, letting myself lapse on writing and travelling. This year I jumped right back into it, filling a journal full of travel entries, and I think I've been better about posting my trips on this blog! I've listed out my travel stats for the year here, and I know I can see an improvement in my travels compared to last year!

Number of Adventures: 16
Time Spent Travelling: 1615.98 hours
Number of Nights Car Camping: 7
Number of Nights Backpacking: 11
Number of Nights in Someone's House: 27
Number of Nights in a Hotel: 9
Number of Nights in a Cabin: 3
Number of Nights Driving: 1
Total Cost: $3912.93
Number of States Visited: 14
Distance Driven: 21,428 miles
Distance Hiked: 147.16
Number of National Parks/Monuments/Rec Areas/Forests: 13
Number of State Parks: 7
Number of Human Companions: 60
Number of Furry Companions: 21
Number of Scaly Companions: 2

I absolutely cannot wait for my 2018 adventures! I am planning two major trips already, but I'm going to keep them to myself until I get all of the details figured out. 2018 is going to be a good year!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Parselmouth

Jared always seems to find snakes. At work he all but attracts snakes like rat snakes, king snakes, and copperheads. While we were in Minnesota on our cross-country roadtrip last June we stopped at Itasca State Park to check out the headwaters of the Mississippi River. While there, guess what Jared found! This cute little garter snake is harmless, mostly eating insects and minnows if it can catch them, and Jared scooped it up to show our niece, Charlotte. She really didn't have any interest in the snake and Jared let it go away from the crowd of people, but I wouldn't have been surprised to see the snake following Jared around after. Its a good thing Jared and I both like snakes!

Leave me a comment below and tell me about an animal that you seem to have an affinity for! You all know I have a thing for squirrels, I want to know what likes you!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Babe the Blue (B)Ox

On our trip up north visiting family Jared and I found ourselves in Bemidji, MN with Jared's immediate family, including his mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law, and niece. We made a special trip in to town to see the statues of Paul Bunyan and his companion, Babe the Blue Ox. Charlotte, our niece, wasn't too sure about Babe at first, that is, until Jared pointed out Babe's butt. From then on "Babe the Blue Box" was a monument of laughter, and when we bought Charlotte a little Babe the first thing she did was turn it around and point out the ox's rear. Jared sure knows how to turn a potentially scary something into a funny something, and that is what I hope Charlotte will remember every time she looks at Babe the Blue Box.

Leave me a comment below and tell me about a time when someone turned something scary into something funny for you! I'd love a good laugh!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Uncle and Niece

You all know by now that Jared and I aren't having kids. And honestly, why would we when we have the world's most perfect niece to dote on? On our trip up north to visit family we got to spend time with Jared's brother and his small family, including their young daughter. Almost as soon as Charlotte saw Jared she wanted him to take her to the playground, and the resort stay was spent with Jared catering to Charlotte's needs. She wanted to go down the slides? He did too. She wanted to swim or play in the sand? So did Jared. She has him wrapped around her little fingers, and if I'm being honest she has me wrapped too. We don't get to spend near enough time with Charlotte or her family as we would like, but we make the most of the time we do have together.

Leave me a comment and tell me about family you would do anything for. Family stories are good stories!

A Snapshot and The Scoop: Late Sunsets

Something I've never really thought about was the sun and its movement through the sky relative to a person's location. On our trip up north this past June I got a reminder that not everybody has the same sun as I do back home in Texas. We were so far north in the summer that sunsets there were late, much later than I was used to. It was 9:30pm and the sun was still in the sky, and sunsets lingered past 10:30pm. I'm a sunrise-sunset girl, but 10:30pm is past my bedtime! I stayed up a few times but mostly was asleep at my normal time - before the sun slipped below the horizon.

Leave me a comment below and tell me if you've noticed the sun sets at different times depending on how far north or south you are. Was it just me who was surprised?

Exploring with Family

Stoked. I am so flipping excited: I have a whole new family I get to explore with! Back in June when Jared and I visited his family in the northern part of the country I got to know my soon-to-be in-laws a little bit better. We spent several days with Jared's family at a resort near Bemidji, MN, and aside from the kayaking, swimming, campfires, and cookouts we held, Jared's parents, siblings, little niece, and I took off for an afternoon to explore the nearby town and state park.

Our first stop was Babe the Blue Ox and Paul Bunyan, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. Charlotte, our niece, wasn't too sure about Babe at first, but when Jared picked her up and pointed out the ox's butt from the parking lot where we stood she seemed to get over her hesitation pretty quickly. Quickly enough to pick Babe's nose, anyway. Her and Uncle Jared had a good time picking noses and pointing out Babe's rear end every time they had a chance.

From Bemidji we headed to Itasca State Park, a mid-sized park located less than an hour from town that just so happened to contain the lake that is considered the headwaters of the Mississippi River. You read that right. We got to see where the Mighty Mississippi begins its course across the country, until it runs into the Gulf of Mexico. It was full of other visitors, of course, but we couldn't pass up the chance to walk across the headwaters of the river, though it is a relatively small stream at its beginning. We spent some time splashing around in the water with Charlotte and Adam, Jared's brother, while we were watched by Jared's parents, Chuck and Renee, and Adam's wife, Kelli. Jared, Adam, Charlotte, and I all pulled off our shoes and walked across the Mississippi River!

We spent a couple hours in the park before heading back to the resort for dinner, but I'm sure it was only the first time I get to explore with my new family members. I'm determined to take Kelli on a camping trip, and I can't wait for Charlotte to grow up enough to go adventuring with me as well. Who knows, maybe we can get the whole Johnson family together for a camping trip some time in the near future. We can even bring a camper and have things like air conditioning and running water. It'll be fun, I promise!

Kayaking with Jared

Enthusiastic. You guys know I hardly ever get to travel with Jared. On the rare occasions that he does travel with me it is usually on a trip to visit family or to meet up with family, though he did go with me to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - where he proposed! This past June he and I embarked on a nearly two week adventure where we went and saw a large part of his family in North Dakota and Minnesota, as well as my parents and siblings in Nebraska, and we also just so happened to get married while we were up there.

Anyway, one of the places we visited was the town of Bemidji, MN and a resort called Finn'n Feather, where we spent several days with his extended family celebrating his grandparent's 60th wedding anniversary. The resort is located on a lake, one of the 10,000 or so in Minnesota, so of course we all took advantage of staying right on the water. Most of us fished, some of us swam out to the water toys, and a few of us took boats, kayaks, paddle boats, and stand-up paddle boards to explore the lake.

Well, this was one of the few times I could convince Jared to go exploring with me, so we strapped on life vests, grabbed a couple of paddles and kayaks, and hit the water. We paddled around the resort's shore for a bit, then decided to head across the lake and explore the opposite shore. He and I spent several hours on the water, poking around the reeds and water lilies to see whatever we could. The lake was calm and the wind wasn't bad, making it a perfect day for kayaking. We heard loons calling and saw a bald eagle soaring overhead, while closer to home dragonflies played among the grasses and we got showered in baby spiders as we pushed through the reeds along the shore.

We saw lots of little fish and a few big ones in the green-hued but incredibly clear water, and back towards the resort we saw turtles among the yellow water plants, poking their heads above the water for a breath. We headed in when we got hungry, though not without splashing each other a little bit, and Jared chasing me around threatening to flip my kayak. We found out I'm faster than him in a sprint, but he can outlast me if it came down to it... Oh, the things you learn.