Adventure Dog Tuesday: Yogurt? Oh, a Yuuuuuurt!

Hello, Friends!

I love going out hiking and being in nature!

So, my Bosses and I (and I guess Hunter by association) are very much into the "Great Outdoors", and are always looking into new ways to camp and enjoy nature!

A girl's gotta be able to see the pretty overlook, too!

A few weeks back, Bosses went to REI (because they don't let me in the door) and saw this interesting round tent-looking thing.  Curious, they went inside of it, and there were couches, and cots, and very nice looking things to be camping with!  Usually, our setup is a tent, so this was a completely new concept.

Our tiny little tent from REI- extra long to make sure I can fit, too!

Enter: The "Yurt".  Now, check this thing out!  Talk about a cool idea.  You could even use one of these awesome structures as a cabin, or house, or a place to hang out in nature.  Seriously- how cool?!  They give you all the instructions on this cool infographic, made by "CustomMade" and "Ghergich & Co.".  If you had the means and time to build a yurt, where would you put it?

Click to Enlarge Image



Hunkering Down in a Yurt
Infographic by CustomMade

Think you could live in a yurt?  I think it would be simple, rustic, and it screams "HEY, SADIE'S FAMILY!  SLAP ONE OF THESE THINGS ON A PIECE OF LAND BY A LAKE AND YOU WON'T NEED A CABIN (which is the only thing from stopping them from getting a cabin: $$$)!!!" 

*Please note:  I was asked to write about this infographic by Ghergich and Co., but was not compensated in any form.  All opinions are my own.*

Adventure (Sans Dog) Tuesday: Split Rock Lighthouse State Park

Hello, World!

Well, today, I hate to say it, but....

Bosses ditched me for this trip. :(  You know why?  I wasn't even born yet!

The "morning coffee" spot!

This was Bosses' camping trip from Labor Day weekend, 2013.  I was merely a breeder dog, still in Momma's tummy.  Bosses went up there and camped in the campground right down the hill from the famous lighthouse there.  This place is a little less than an hour up Scenic Highway 61 from Duluth, MN.  It's right along Lake Superior, and Bosses gotta say: it's one of their favorite state parks so far.  I really wish I were with the Bosses for this trip, but alas, there was no physical way that I could be there.  However, Bosses DID say that I did really well in the tent last time and will *maybe* take me there next time! :)

Look at the fog coming off the lake.

So....this is what I have to look forward to:

Beautiful morning out at the "coffee spot"

This campground is all either cart-in/backpack-in/kayak-in campsites.  Bosses like these campsites, because there are no loud motors from either cars or RV's.  It's a little ways off the path from the parking lot, so it's desolate, quiet, and sooooo scenic.  Bosses had to cart their stuff in about 100 feet or so to get to their campsite.  So....not terrible.

View from the campsite in the morning.

The campsites themselves are very spaced apart, which is also nice.  They were at a different campsite for a night on the way to Duluth, and you could practically reach outside of the tent and touch the other campsite's fire ring.  Well, not quite that close, but Mom unzipped the side of her tent, got out, and BAM there was the neighbor like right there, and he waved and said "good morning" while making his coffee.  Definitely not something they're used to!  But....Mom/Dad are friendly people so they made small talk.  Anywho, I digress.  Desolate campsites!

Hot coffee and eggs are ALWAYS on the menu when we camp- even I get a nibble most times!

Mom, Dad, and I all manage to fit in this 2-person "extra-long" backpacking tent.  Impressive, eh?

Waking up to serene and stunning nature was really easy for them here.  While it was brisk in the mornings in September there, they could walk to the rocky shoreline and have their morning coffee.  It was about 50 feet away, and there was a nice log to sit on.  Is there possibly a better place to sit and enjoy a morning?!  Bosses don't think so.

The log the Bosses sat on at their "coffee spot"

There were tons of hiking opportunities, which Mom says I would absolutely love!!!  The trails were lined with fresh, wild raspberries, so getting a snack on the trail was as easy as plucking them off the plants.  Beautiful overlooks, a lighthouse you can tour (no dogs allowed inside though, grrr), a little market on the weekends at the lighthouse where you can buy local things, and even access to the Superior Hiking Trail, if Mom remembers correctly.  It was splendid.

Split Rock Lighthouse.

Really loud horns up at the lighthouse.  Wooooo wooooo!

So, when are we going to take a trip there?! Mom says next year when the weather is nice, they'll book a spot.  Mom says they already have a site booked for us for Labor Day weekend - the best cart-in site at Tettegouche State Park (coming to a blog near you very soon).  So, this park is going to be in our near future! :) It's dog-friendly.  2 paws and 2 thumbs up! :)

View from the lighthouse.

Lake Superior was surprisingly calm when Bosses went up there.

It's a long way down if you somehow fall over the super tall fence!

View from the hiking trail along the lake.  How gorgeous is this?!

View from the lake.  It was beautiful! (The water's chilly, though.  Tons of dogs are usually out here!)

Beautiful day for a hike.  I should've grown up quicker so I could've come along!

Beautiful hiking trail lined with birch trees.

Mom and Dad are those little shadows!  What a nice beach to play fetch on.  Next time!!!

Look at all those trees.

Little creeks flow everywhere along the hiking trail.

Settlers once used this place as a gathering place, and built this cool fireplace!

The beauty of fall up on the North Shore is unsurpassable.  It takes our breath away every time! <3

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.

#AdventureDogChat Road-Trippin' to Duluth

Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

This week, I thought I'd show you a fun little trip that we took to Duluth after a camping trip on the North Shore.  Mom and Dad loooove Duluth, because the area is just so beautiful!  These pictures were taken in Canal Park, right on Lake Superior.  While the water is terribly chilly all year, sitting next to it and watching the lift bridge go up/down, looking at barges, shopping at quaint shops, and visiting a brewery are always on the "to-do" list when going there.  Enjoy!

Jax and I on Canal Park Brewery's dog-friendly patio.  We loved begging for food and watching people walk by!

 The Bosses love to go to breweries, as they are big into craft beer.  As a matter of fact, they brew beer in our kitchen.  Someday, I'd like to put in an order of "dog-friendly" beer- think there's a way to do that?

I'm underneath the table- you can see my tail and, ahem, rear end. :)  Check out their awesome beer selection!

 Canal Park Brewery has a great patio, and great service.  The servers loved having us dogs as well.  They even provided us with water dishes!  How thoughtful!

Hey, uhh, Boss, can you spare me some of that beer?  Please?

 Bosses and Jax's Bosses said the beer and food were both fantastic.  It's very accessible, too.  Mom and Dad always get beer cheese soup and a tasty beer to boot. :)

Bosses didn't want to share any beer- they said "not until I'm 3"! (And by that, they mean never, since it's bad for me)

 It was such a lovely day when we went!  The sun was shining, it was pretty warm out, and there was a breeze.  Sometimes, it's pretty cold and windy up there because of the big lake, but the afternoon was perfect!

Lovin' the North Shore life!  Watching people on the boardwalk was a lot of fun.

 I still am pretty energetic for a patio, but we're working on it.  The people passing by made me pretty hyper, and I liked to try to go get their hands for some high-quality pets.  If that fence was just a little bit shorter, I bet I could've hopped it!  Rats.

Oooooh, a barge off in the distance!  How neat!

 Dad's favorite thing to do is see the lift bridge go up and down (aside from enjoying craft beer).  He says he really wants to see a barge go through the canal- they don't go through it much on weekends.  Luckily, they have a schedule online, and someday we'll catch one going through!

End of the canal into the harbor- the lift bridge is just to the right!

 The scenery "Up North" is breathtaking.  The rocks, the water, the trees (well, not in this picture, but everywhere else)!  Everything is very quaint and serene- Mom and Dad would love to have a cabin in a place like this someday!

Some humans are crazy enough to swim out to that abandoned building. Jax's Dad did! But I think they're nuts.

A gorgeous day for a walk next to Lake Superior!

Big Boss loves me.  A lot. :)

Look!  My bosses!  I love adventuring!

We love to go on adventures.  Have you ever been to the North Shore?  Or another place that you thought was really nifty?  Let me know, so I can tell the Bosses to put it on the bucket list! :)

Chow!

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.

#AdventureDogChat Tuesday: The Birthday Outing

Happy Tuesday!

I guess you can call this a "part 2" to my post yesterday about my super fun-filled birthday on Saturday.  This part of my day was pretty adventurous, being my first trip to a very large place filled with lots of people.

Loving the shade under these awesome trees!

We decided to go to an apple orchard for my birthday afternoon, since I love apples!  Bosses brought me along, since all three of us love to eat apples.  We headed on out to one about 45 minutes Southwest of our house, called "Minnesota Harvest".  They had lots of things for us to do.  We started by....well...finding a parking spot, which proved to be pretty challenging.  The good news was that we found one right by the playground- where tons of tiny little mailmen were playing!  More good news- I got to play with tons of tiny little mailmen, because everyone wanted to pet me.  Now that was a pretty sweet deal.

Gorgeous fall colors at the orchard.  Can't say no to those!

As soon as the Bosses could peel me away from the tiny mailmen, we went down the trail to get a bag to pick our own apples.  We picked that up, and headed out to the fields to pick some grub!  I even got to ride on the cart behind the tractor.  And believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it.  Cool.

Mmmmm, apples!

We got off the cart at the first orchard, where we got to pick different kinds of apples based on what purpose you were going to use the apples for.  We picked Haralson and Cortland apples, since Bosses like to bake desserts with them.  I heard rumors of Apple Crisp and applesauce, with the extras made into doggie applesauce and apple chips!  Yesssssss.

I love laying under the trees and smelling all the apples.  I don't touch the rotten ones, though...eeeek.

Big Boss and I were having a great time playing catch with the apples, too.  It's like catching a ball, but with delicious, delicious juices coming out when you puncture it with your teeth!  Woo hoo.

I like to catch!  They're like tennis balls, but tastier!

We wandered around after our bag was full, which involved meeting the farm pets.  I got to meet ducks (my personal favorite, as you can see), peacocks, goats, sheep, and chickens.  Bosses wouldn't let me meet the horses, since the Big Boss is deathly allergic to them.  I want him to stick around for a while, so I'll refrain from meeting the horses. :)

My ears were SO perky when I saw the ducks.  I really wanted to "play" with them. :)

All in all, it was a gorgeous fall day, with great people and activities for everyone!  They are very dog friendly, and we had quite the adventure!

Hope you enjoyed- until next time, chow!
This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.

Adventure Dog Tuesday: Fall Lovin'

Good Morning, Friends!

It's been raining these colored, crunchy things for some time now.  Bosses say it is the peak of this season they call "Autumn", or "fall".  I've been helping them to my best ability to get the leaves as evenly dispersed as much as I can!

Fall Mums in the Backyard!

One thing I particularly love about the fall is that Bosses love to be outside more.  I love to be outside ALL the time, 'cause I'm an outdoorsy girl, after all....but those Bosses are just so picky.  We haven't had much time out there in the past few days because we have our two buddies (Kaiser and Trackr) and no fence. Luckily, our little black puppy (Trackr) found a new foster home, so Bosses can devote a little more time playing and exploring outside, and less picking up, well, you-know-what. ;-)

Kaiser, 12 weeks old

Trackr, 12 weeks old

Check out this rainbow we saw after the last rain we had!!! Boss and I sat out and enjoyed the splendor.  We both thought the beautiful peaking fall colors and the rainbow were just breathtaking.

Gorgeous fall evening with a rainbow to boot!

We're gearing up for "The Big One" around here- yes!  My First Birthday!!!  It's on Saturday.  Hopefully the Small Boss will have some spare time to get all the preparations in order.  Sounds like fun to me!

Well, I've been on Bosses' computer too long- my tiny playmates are calling.

Fall colors and a rainbow.  Can't beat that!

Chow!

This post is part of the Adventure Dog blog hop, hosted by DOGthusiast and Tiffany's Diamond Dogs every Tuesday.