But They’re Worth Holding On To I have always been a dreamer. A big picture, can-do person who yearns for adventure and unique conversation starters. “Oh, I see you have a castle?” Yup, building a castle is on that list.…
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The Street Kitties of Lebanon
A tale of kings and queens, cushions and streets. When the rush of day and traffic fades away, the raucous sound of traffic jams and near misses transitions into a new auditory treat. Sweet Night Sounds To Sleep To Shadows emerge…
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The Lesson of a Lifetime, Was Hidden in my Vegetables
How being a genuine guest, changed my life forever. Riding a train from Germany to Switzerland did little for my hangover. While my head was muddled, my heart was struggling. She had finally kissed me that morning, the first time. She would…
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Dead in the Mountains
Nobody talked. It had been this way for a couple of hours. Occasionally there might be a murmur, or accidental nervous laugh. Some couple trying to keep their spirits up. Useless It is impossible to know what we were all…
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The Bunad – Norway’s Traditional Folk Costume
What Is A Norwegian Bunad? Simply put, the Norwegian Bunad is a folk costume based on traditional rural clothing and 20th-century folk costumes. But what makes the bunad so special? How come you don’t see them every day on the…
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March Update: MN State Parks
March is…an interesting time to be outside in Minnesota State Parks.
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The Minnesota State Parks Passport and Hiking Club Programs Project
Gotta Catch ‘Em All What Am I Doing? I have a photography/adventure project involving all of the Minnesota State Parks and Recreation Areas. Let’s catch you up. Lake Louise State Park played host to large groups of rambunctious pre-teens for…
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Tettegouche State Park – Winter
In winter it is as if you get a fresh start every time it snows. A new story can be told, a narrative reworked if you didn’t like the way it came out the first time.
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Gooseberry Falls State Park – Winter
The paths around Gooseberry Falls State Park were quiet though well-trafficked. With heavy snow falling, my tracks disappeared behind me. Not uncomfortable, it was just below freezing and I was fine with a single pair of socks. That’s a good thermometer.
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Split Rock Lighthouse State Park – Winter
On this frigid day in January, I awoke in my vehicle not far from Split Rock State Park. It was dark as I poked my head out from my den of sleeping bags and blankets. There were two valid reasons for such a great darkness. One, was the fact that it was still predawn and all ambient light was low. The second, was that my car was covered with a thick layer of snow.
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Jay Cooke State Park – Winter
I’m going to go ahead on record and just say that any adventure that begins…
A: Outdoors
B: On snowshoes
C: Under the first Wolf Moon of a new decade
…is going to be a good one.
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Finding Friends Along The Superior Hiking Trail
What is the nicotine of travel that no one ever talks about?
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How To: Get A Date On Valentine’s Day
If It’s This Easy, Why Wouldn’t You? This article is intended for all those who are hyper-adventurous, a little crazy, and have no idea where they might be on any particular holiday. So much so that you may even forget…
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Ten Ways To Improve Your Wildlife Photography
Trust Me On This…It Can Get Better What it boils down to here is knowing what you hope to achieve and what your intention is. If you simply want to prove that you saw a certain type of wildlife and…
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9 Days of SHT ‘Part Two’
‘Part Two’ (We’re picking up where we left off, our adventurer trekking not only through the northern wilderness but also his troubled past. Ok not that troubled but it sounds dramatic right?) Four years ago the first .2 miles tuckered…
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9 Days of SHT ‘Part One’
A Harrowing Tale of Walking “So this is how it’s gonna be?!?” I thought to myself. I was no more than a few blocks from my starting point and had picked up what I thought was an auspicious find. That…
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2018 – A Year In Review
Blowing By Quickly As always, the start of the next year leaves me scratching my head as to what happened to the previous one. Well here’s a post that will outline some (I know, just some) of what happened and…
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Beginner’s Bike Tour – Part One
Before I wow you with bike tour tales, I’m gonna hit you with some backstory. Kapish? Back, that, story for me, back that story for me… In 2009 I got my first job out of college. I was a janitor…
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Is Lebanon Heaven For Camping?
It Just Might Be I was on my second trip to the land of Lebanon. To answer your question, as is also asked by every single Lebanese; my brother and sister-in-law live here. Not only is it a unique and…
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What You Need To Know To Climb Mount Meru
You’re heading to Tanzania and you’ve heard of Mount Kilimanjaro. However, did you know there was another option? Just a stone’s throw away is Mount Meru…and you might just find it’s a better fit for you. Mount Meru Facts 70…
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99 Spur Trail Solutions For Everything
There can be many, varied roadblocks when you start to think about yourself and traveling in the same context. Some walls are put up by others. Some you’ve put up yourself without realizing it. At the end of the…
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So You Want A Woman AND A Man?
If I’ve learned one thing while traveling; it’s that even though as humans we’re all very different…we’re all very much the same. We all like to eat, we all want to be happy, and we all want to feel good. …
Read MoreHow To: Get A Date On Valentine’s Day
If It’s This Easy, Why Wouldn’t You? This article is intended for all those who are hyper-adventurous, a little crazy, and have no idea where they might be on any particular holiday. So much so that you may even forget…
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Bike Tour – Part 4 “Wet Washington”
Remember that awesome mushroom book I bought on Day Two of the trip?
Yeah, after the night of infinite terror…
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Bike Tour – Part 3 “Washington In”
Alternate Titles “Washington is a Waste of Time” The two days that best described our time in Washington were the first day in, and the last day out. Advice given to us by a former Highway 101 bike rider suggested,…
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Bike Tour – Part One
How To Start An Adventure So I ticked the box next to something on my bucket list recently. An 1100 mile bike tour down the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Now, far too long after completing it, I shall tell…
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How To See Minnesota In 30 Hours
Why would anyone even want to do that? Minnesota is huge, it is the 12th largest state. It is approximately 360 miles wide and 407 miles tall. In order to see it all in just over a day…
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Things You Can Do With Free Time
How do you afford to travel, how do you get there, and how do you pick where to go? My secret has ultimately been to…
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Mille Lacs Kathio
Sometimes I will have a free day sneak up on me and I just won’t know what to do with it. They are rare and usually a surprise via cancellation or change-of-plans. However, a few weeks ago, I found myself with a…
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iPod Photography – The Lost Files
Yes, it’s true. There are times where I’ll scoff at those who think that the camera in their phone is the next best thing and that’s all they need. Why bother carrying around something that takes up an extra pocket,…
Read MoreThe Art of the Barter
Depending on where you’re raised and your understanding of the world, you might wonder why things are the way they are once you’ve left your comfort zone. Take for example, myself. I was raised in rural Minnesota. Some might see…
Read MoreA Tale of Adventure
Reliable internet is not what Nepal is known for. Nor should it be. But let that be my excuse for trying to jam an entire month’s worth of exploring into one simple blog. Each step is slightly harder than…
Read MoreDoctor’s, Pills and Pushups
“Can you please roll up your sleeves? We’ll do two in each arm. These could hurt a little. Wow, no blood. You might feel those tomorrow or later on…when I last got my flu shot all the sudden a couple…
Read MoreEarly Preparations
I could probably write you a mini-novel describing all the things that go into organizing a trip like this. Every aspect has to be looked at, from what shoes you’re going to wear to what shots will be needed to…
Read MoreHanson Photography…is heading abroad!
Life is meant to be lived. Even if it means graduating from college but not moving into any particular career right away. Even if it means going against the wishes of your parents and ideas of your friends. Even if…
Read MoreHitching in America
Life just isn’t the same as it used to be. Kids could run and play in the yard and parents didn’t bat an eye thinking about them being picked up by crazies. If you just started flying commercially in the…
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