The Most Beautiful Place in America

Deciding on the most beautiful place in America is quite subjective, but Good Morning America did vote Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes as number one back in 2011. Having been there a number of times myself, I'd have to say it's definitely tops when it comes to natural beauty. There aren't many places, if any, like it. Seeing the giant dunes climb out of a big blue lake is pretty amazing. Describing these places can sometimes be difficult for me, so I hope the pictures help a little.

Sleeping Bear Dunes on a misty August afternoon

After all the years of being with my husband, we'd still not taken the time to see Sleeping Bear Dunes during any Michigan trips. I'd always wanted to take him, so we made sure to visit on our trip this summer. Plus, we purchased a National Park pass back when we visited the Grand Canyon in May. We had no excuses to not see it this time around, and I wanted to stamp our son's National Park passport as well. He's already racked up an impressive number of stamps, and it's something that will be fun to continue over the years.

My dad joined us on our trip to the dunes. We left somewhat early in the morning for the drive to Empire, Michigan. It's a little more than 2 hours from the town where I grew up, so it's an easy day trip. Thankfully one of my good friends lent us their hiking pack for the week we were in Michigan. It made for the perfect ride for our little guy. We tried him in a pack before, and he hated it. Thank goodness he actually really enjoyed riding around in our borrowed pack. We're going to have to get one for hikes in Arizona!

 panoramic shot from above the dune climb

taking a break and eating a few snacks

While everyone else took a little rest, I decided I would tackle a taller dune and try to get a glimpse of Lake Michigan. From the dune climb area, it's quite a hike if you want to get all the way to the great lake. I did get a peek at it through the mist from atop a tall dune. It was a long ways away, but I saw it. The best part of climbing these dunes is running down them so quickly that your legs can barely keep up with your body. It's fun; I promise! I must have a thing for dunes, because back in 2010 I insisted on climbing the Great Sand Dunes in Alamosa, Colorado as well. Climb on, I say!

my dad and us... glad we brought some sand toys

no joke... this is a very steep climb

After visiting the dune climb, we took a drive around Pierce Stocking scenic drive. From there, you can park in a pull off and it's a short walk to a dune that directly overlooks Lake Michigan. If you're short for time, this is a perfect spot to quickly experience some incredible views and get some pictures. We did just that.

 someone won't wear sunglasses... or hats

Pure Michigan

One day I hope to return and maybe even camp somewhere nearby. There's so much to see and do all around the Sleeping Bear Dunes, that a few hours hardly scrapes the surface. We really enjoyed our day at the dunes.

blue skies, green trees, and lots of sand

Do you have a favorite outdoor park? Even just a local one? I love getting outdoors. I think it's great for renewal and getting grounded again. Sometimes it's so easy to forget that we have these incredible places right out our front door. I'm looking forward to exploring more of Arizona, and I can't wait to return to the Sleeping Bear Dunes again!

2015 Sleeping Bear Dunes Visitor Guide

#findyourpark

Pure Michigan | Back Home

Last week I promised pictures from our trip to Michigan back in August. I continually find myself saying better late then never when it comes to posting pictures lately. I'm amazed at the amount of digital files we have. Maybe someday I'll get around to printing some of them, because it's nice having something you can actually see and touch in your home. That aside, I love having the opportunity to share my hometown with my husband, but it was extra special watching our son experience Michigan for the first time!

We spent some time watching the sunset from the place where I grew up. There honestly isn't a day that I don't think about the beautiful lake I took for granted as a kid. I don't think too many people had a backyard like that. Like they always say, hindsight is 20/20. I'm so glad we're fortunate enough to at least make it back for visits.

No trip to northern Michigan would be complete without a bonfire. A big storm blew threw the week before our visit, so there were quite a few downed trees. I remember losing massive trees to raging storms when I was younger. There was a night my mom packed up me, the dog, and our bird and headed into town to my grandma's house. The next day we returned to multiple downed trees lying on our roof. It was crazy. Reminds you not to mess around with mother nature.

Speaking of mother nature, you just can't beat a sunset up north! We witnessed a few spectacular sunsets. They're one of the best parts of being in northern Michigan.

We timed our visit so we could watch my dad race power boats! He builds them and races them. We're pretty proud. Chase said "boat" for the first time while we were there. Who could blame him? They are pretty fascinating and exciting to watch. Plus, they're loud. It was a little boy's heaven. He even got to sit in grandpa's boat. Those pictures will come later this week.

There were so many new experiences to be had in Michigan. Living in Arizona, we don't spend much time near water, grass, or trees. Don't get me wrong, I love our desert environment, but I think our little guy loved all of the new adventures in Michigan. Grandma bought him some fun beach toys, and we took full advantage of the water, sand, and rocks!

We all enjoyed fresh air and the outdoors. There's just something special about northern Michigan. I guess maybe you need to see it for yourself before you can really understand. Most people aren't sure what to think when you say you're from Michigan. I love when I come across someone who actually knows where my hometown is. It doesn't happen often, but it's nice to know others appreciate it too. I hope we get to visit often enough that our son will appreciate it some day too.

Our visit was filled with many firsts for our son: first time in a lake, first time driving across the Mackinac Bridge, first time watching grandpa race boats, first haircut, first time meeting some new friends, and most importantly first time seeing where mom grew up.

I have plenty more pictures to share from our trip to Michigan. I figured I'd spare you and break it up a bit. Later this week, I'll post pictures from the boat races and our trip to Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes National Lakeshore.

Happy Monday everyone!

Back to Reality & Where I've Been...

For those of you who don't follow me on Twitter or Instagram, you may have wondered what I've been doing the past few weeks. I have been absent from blogging for quite a while. I attempted to schedule a month worth of blog posts during Jenni's blog every day in May challenge, but I plum ran out of time before leaving for Colorado. I did my best, but I fell a couple weeks short. I wanted to enjoy every minute with family/friends while I was gone from home, so I put blogging on the back burner for quite a few days. I'm back now, and I'm glad to be here. Sorry this catch-up post is so long. Thanks for hanging with me through it.

{ beautiful Red Feather Lakes in Colorado }

Here's the condensed version of my trip:

Over the past few weeks, I flew off to Colorado and spent time with a good friend in Boulder. Then I stayed with my aunt and cousin until my mom flew in from Michigan. All of us, plus one of my aunt's friends, flew off to Santa Barbara, California. We stayed in a cute little town called Carpinteria, and we got to see my aunt graduate with her masters degree! I am so proud of her accomplishments. After that time in California, we flew back to Denver where I met up with my husband who was visiting friends in Colorado for a few days. That evening my husband and I stayed in downtown Denver at the same hotel we stayed at on our wedding night. We had a nice evening and enjoyed watching the sunset over the Rocky Mountains. The next morning we drove off to eastern Colorado to my husband's hometown. We spent time with his family and enjoyed country life. (If you follow me on Twitter & Instagram you probably saw some evidence of this already.) After a few days in eastern Colorado, we spent a couple nights at a cabin in the mountains with my husband's family. We really enjoyed getting away from it all. Then we met up with more of my husband's family for a delicious barbecue dinner at one of our favorite restaurants to visit while we're in Colorado! Yum. We stayed at a hotel near the airport before flying back to Florida bright and early the next day. Whew!

{ somewhere over the middle of America }

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It was so nice spending time with family and friends. Although sometimes it's the weirdest thing moving away. You start feeling like a big of a foreigner in your own hometown. Your old stomping grounds begin to feel different as well. I noticed so many things that had changed in Denver. Some of my favorite places no longer existed, and that was a little sad to see. At the same time, I've changed too. Change is inevitable, and life just keeps on trucking at a breakneck pace. Funny how that happens even when you'd like it to slow down a bit. Going back home to the small town where you grew up is a nice change of pace though. Small towns don't change so quickly. I guess that comfort always exists. The familiar is comforting, but boy is the unknown exciting too.

ever evolving Denver

I had so much fun exploring a the Clyfford Still Museum and downtown Denver with my friend Laura. Sometimes I feel that I need city life to get my blood really pumping again. It's amazing how refreshing it can be to experience the energy of a lively city. Denver is no NYC, but it sure can hold its own on many fronts. Denver will always hold a soft spot in my heart. I've worked, played, and was engaged in that city. It's so special to me, and it's always great to get back there.

red room at the Clyfford Still Museum

Experiencing a new part of California was great too! It was amazing being able to travel all the way across the country to see my aunt graduate with her masters. We got to stay a few days and see a whole new part of the country to many of us. I also got to spend some time with my mom. No matter how old I get, I'll always love being with my mom. I even came home with a dress my mom bought me while shopping the neat surf stores in Carpinteria!

the beautiful beach and waves in Carpinteria

Flying back to Colorado was filled with excitement for me, because it meant being reunited with my husband after 10 days. That's the longest we'd been apart since he went off to training with his current airline a couple years ago. Wow! Time flies. I hate being apart for that long at a time. It made for a nice evening of catching up at one of our favorite spots in Denver though. We watched the sun go down over the mountains from the Peaks Lounge in the Hyatt Regency in downtown Denver.

check out Peaks Lounge for great views at sunset and dusk

Off to eastern Colorado we went the next morning. We spent time both sets of my husband's grandparents. What a blessing that they're all still around and able to visit! Don't take that for granted. None of my biological grandparents are alive, so it was amazing for me to see them all still here and mostly in great health. Wow.

visited grandparents in Nebraska

We also had some play time at my father in law's house. I learned to load and shoot a shotgun, and we even shot some clay pigeons. That was something I had been wanting to do for a while, and I'm proud to say that I hit one on my second try. Would be criminal's beware. I always thought I was a good shot, but my sharp shooting that weekend confirmed my thoughts. Just call me Ashley Oakley.

If you made it this far, you rock! This post was really a brain dump and a huge overview of what's been going on in my life these past few weeks. I have still yet to figure out the best way to keep up with blogging while away from home. I've just never gotten into the guest posting thing. Maybe next time.

I have so much more to share with you, and I have eleventy million pictures to share with you from my trip. I'll do my best to break it all up and share with you over the next few weeks. We are talking major pictures of food, restaurants, mountains, ocean, etc... etc.

Sanford, FL | Small Town Travels

While browsing through my photos in Lightroom, I realized that I haven't shared much of what we've been doing on my blog lately. I had quite a few pictures from February that never even made it on this blog, and I think some of them are worth sharing. Especially some of the pictures from downtown Sanford, Florida.

{ cute little cattle egret on a car }

This past February we spent a whole day wandering around downtown Sanford, Florida. We visited an art gallery that inspired me to do some of the painting I've been doing. We also enjoyed a delicious German meal at Hollerbach's Willow Tree Cafe. (more on that later) I took some pictures down by Sanford's waterfront too. It's such a quaint little downtown with cobblestone streets and local shops.

{ we need one of these for cruising }

The cooler February weather made our time in Sanford even more enjoyable, because we could bundle up and slowly take in the sights. Sometimes the heat makes you hurry on to the indoors. Winter is the perfect time for taking in everything a new place has to offer.

During our short visit to Sanford, we noticed a few different historical markers. One of them mentioned the history of riverboats that traveled from the east coast and down the St. John's River and on to Lake Monroe in Sanford. The town served as a major gateway to Central Florida for some time.

We found Sanford to be a charming small town, and its local shops, art galleries, and restaurants made it that much more endearing. The town possesses hope for life outside of the ever expanding and generic suburbs of many American cities. Sanford has an identity, sometimes imperfect, that's all its own. Visiting this small town is a refreshing break from everyday monotony.

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Our Nebraska Travels

{ this is a repeat, with updates, of a post I wrote years ago. forgive me if you've read it already }

My husband and I took, what I guess you can call a road trip, a little over two years ago. He had to do some flight instructing in Nebraska for work, so I tagged along since we were going to eastern Colorado after he was finished working anyways. So road trip it was! Our little trip took us up through Wyoming to Nebraska, and then a couple of days later through Nebraska to eastern Colorado to visit his family.

the view from atop Scotts Bluff National Monument

I hadn't really seen much, if any, of Wyoming before our road trip. Seeing new places always excites me. You can just imagine my excitement when I spotted my first wild antelope during our drive! Seeing animals for the first time in the wild always makes me jump for joy! It's the little things, really. You should have seen me when we saw dolphins, in the wild, on our honeymoon. Joy.

The drive to Scotts Bluff alone was exciting to me. Nothing like a good old fashioned road trip to get new energy flowing. The plains are beautiful in a very different way than many popular tourist destinations. There's something incredibly peaceful to the lack of land development. Looking around and seeing fewer buildings is good for the soul now and then.

During our time in Nebraska, we took a little side trip to the Scotts Bluff National Monument. One word: incredible. Okay... maybe just one more word: inspiring. We were pleasantly surprised by free entrance to the park on the day of our visit. They were cleaning and preparing for National Parks Week, so we scored free entrance to drive up to the overlook.

walking a tiny portion of what used to be the Oregon trail

We basically touched history at the Scotts Bluff National Monument! The park ranger told us if we walked the paved path that ended on a dirt path, we would end up on what used to be part of the Oregon Trail back in the day. We actually walked part of the Oregon Trail! I told Nate that I hoped we wouldn't have to forge the river ahead {Oregon Trail anyone?!}, and he didn't find that to be as funny as I did. We also both survived the trip to the Bluffs without dying of dysentery {sorry, just one last Oregon Trail mention}. All joking aside, the park was beautiful.

Our visit to Scotts Bluff National Monument made me a bit nostalgic. I told Nate that I wished we could ride around in wagons. It didn't take much mention of snakes and animals to make me feel very grateful for my Jeep Liberty 'wagon' instead of the fabric covered ones they rode down the Oregon Trail. How brave!

After setting foot on the actual Oregon Trail, we got into our Jeep Liberty 'wagon' and started driving to the overlook. I couldn't help but think about all of the history held in the layers of the bluffs all around us. It sort of made me want to learn more about archaeology! I loved my archaeology classes in college, and they might have been my favorite classes of all. It was amazing to think of how long ago these rocks were created and that each layer tells a different story. They estimated the top of the bluff to have eroded at least a foot since the 1930's! I wonder where it's headed? Hope it sticks around for a while so that everyone can experience its beauty.

The view from the overlook was breathtaking! We discovered some hiking trails that led all around the high part of the bluff. The weather was a bit windy, and we weren't dressed for hiking (we were not planning a visit to the bluffs) so we merely ventured about 30 feet onto the trails. We did enjoy many beautiful views of Scotts Bluff and the surroundings. We even spotted Chimney Rock in the distance, which was tough to see from the elevation of the town. It was almost as if you could see forever in every direction! The air was so much more clear than the polluted city air of Denver.

The landscape, plants, and animals were amazing. I spotted a tree clinging for dear life to the side of the bluff. It would be a long fall if those roots let loose. Nature has some amazing survival techniques!

The landscape was incredibly varied depending on which direction you looked. The town and river were to the north. You couldn't spot a bluff or mountain to the northwest. The south/southeast had more bluffs and varied land. It's amazing how many times I had flown over (even visited once) this part of the country without knowing what beautiful landscapes could be found on ground level. Maybe next time I fly over the plains I'll imagine more things like this below me.

After leaving the Scotts Bluff National Monument, Nate and I snooped around a bit. We found this quiet little neighborhood near a golf course on our way back into town.

Nothing like a golf cart sign to bring you back down to reality.

Just in case you were starting to feel connected with nature, the signs reminds you that you're in a human world. Yes. After leaving the bluffs, we drove right down to Dairy Queen for Blizzards and chicken fingers! Nothing like some human creature comforts after getting connected with the wild history of the West.

Overall, our little road trip was surprising and relieving. It's always nice to get out of the city every once in a while. The land was not always what I expected, and it was surprisingly often more beautiful than I had anticipated. Not to mention, there were some pleasant surprises along the way.

Sometimes you just have to open your eyes to the beauty around you!

this song does fly over states justice....
but that doesn't mean you shouldn't see them for yourself

Places Are Like People

What is your favorite city? Today I found myself thinking about how I would answer that question, and I'm honestly not sure I could ever choose just one place. Places are like people to me. I don't think it's fair to choose a favorite.

Every place I have ever visited has at least one lovable quality, and people are the same. As a human, I want nothing more than to be loved, and I at least attempt treating others with that idea in mind. Great cities like Chicago and New York City may have obviously glamorous activities to partake in, but have you ever felt the wind whip across your face from the open plains of Nebraska? Have you ever listened to a rushing mountain stream just after the snow melts? In quite the same way that some people require a little extra digging to their truly endearing qualities, places like Alamosa, Colorado may require a second glance when it comes to finding their greatest charms. The best treasures don't always appear knocking at our front door.

Returning to that question about my favorite city. I can tell you something I love about each place I've visited. The smells while driving across Nebraska may make you think twice about eating beef ever again, but some of the most peaceful and welcoming places I've visited have been in the Cornhusker state. Sometimes the greatest strengths of a place lie in the spirit of its people and not always in the tangible evidence. Like I said before, take a second look and you just might find something that you like about the most unsuspecting of places. Keeping an open mind never hurts either.

Day Trip to Mount Dora

A couple of days ago I promised you more photos from our day trip to Mount Dora, Florida. If you are not familiar with the area, it's located not too far northwest of Orlando. My husband recently flew with someone who grew up there, and he had nothing but good things to say about his hometown. We decided that we should give Mount Dora a try for ourselves!

We drove the 'back roads' from the Tampa Bay area to Mount Dora, and upon arriving we met up with another one of my husband's coworkers. We had not seen him since they were both in new hire training in Las Vegas together months ago. After a little searching on the internet, we decided on visiting The Goblin Market for lunch.

We found the restaurant entrance located off of a quaint little cobblestone alley. The first thing we noticed inside the restaurant were all of their interesting Halloween* decorations. Even with a plethora of holiday decorations, the restaurant was very cozy and intimate. The dining rooms were inviting, almost like eating at some one's home, and separated among two floors. Upstairs I found a gorgeous bar area, similar to the downstairs area where we ate, with bookshelves lining the walls. If you know anything about me, you know that I love books. Eating my meal surrounded by shelves of books was like a food/book lovers heaven.

* (I asked our server if the restaurant was always decorated with skeletons and spiders.

With a name like Goblin Market one can never be too sure. They were indeed for the upcoming holiday.) 

Our server was more than helpful answering all of our my questions about the food on the menu. I finally settled on a burger and was a bit disappointed, but my husband and his coworker Jim both loved their meals of an ancho-rubbed chicken sandwich and blackened salmon salad. I typically end up wanting everyone else's meals. My husband usually orders the more tasty option, and I almost always steal bites of his meal. That's how I roll; somehow I almost always choose the less appealing menu option.

After eating lunch, we walked around town a bit and wished that we had taken part in the Segway tour of town. We watched as the tour members zipped past us on a couple of different occasions. However, after hearing my husband's coworker tell us about watching someone get thrown from a Segway, I'm not so sure I want to hop on one any more. My own two feet work pretty well, and they rarely throw me to the ground by accident.

We loved the walkable downtown of Mount Dora!

Do you have a favorite small downtown?

Fall in Florida

After all of my whining about how hot the temperatures have been here in Florida, October was ushered in by some lovely fall-ish weather. I suppose my definition of fall will change the longer we spend in Florida. We have welcomed this Florida fall weather with open arms!

The cooler temperatures make being outside somewhat tolerable, so obviously my husband and I took our day off of work together and made the best of it. Cooler temperatures really help with lugging around a camera bag while hoofing it through town. Seriously, no one wants to look like they just walked through a sprinkler while walking about the streets.

Some photos from our recent day trip to Mount Dora, Florida :

See... fall in Florida isn't that bad.

Come back in the next couple of days

to read more about our visit to Mount Dora!