Dancing in September

Hello everyone and happy Labor Day!

As days roll on, our plans continue to be revised. My mother's current housing situation has changed and Olive will no longer be joining us on our travels. Although this trip alteration saddens my heart, we continue to march tempestuously into our planning process. That being said, we are eager to announce our latest news: Connor and I have set a date for departure! Our families will be dropping us off in Toledo, Ohio on September 17th. As this date approaches quickly, we are spending our days procuring last minute items, refining our route and spending time with our families and friends.

We spent labor day weekend in Marquette, Michigan; a beautiful place about four hours north of Petoskey. Each year we attend The Marquette Blues Festival as a family, not only to see incredibly talented musicians and to dance, but to visit and play together as a family, too. If you're ever in Marquette, Michigan for Labor Day weekend, I suggest you check out and support the Marquette area Blues Festival.

Here are some photos of our travels north in addition to Connor's twenty first birthday!

Sharing some love at the Blues Festival

My Aunt Kim, Cousin Liz and Mom.

Jumping around.

Flipping about. 

Sharing some snacks atop Northern Michigan for Connor's twenty first birthday.

Our great friend, Pete, and my brother, Guy, celebrating Connor's twenty first! 

Sharing some birthday kisses.

Until next time,

Bea

An Additional Member

Greetings, readers! I have some life-changing news to share with you. My mother, who has lived in her current residence for over twenty four years, has signed with a realtor to sell our beautiful home. Emotions have been rather high as we learn to part with the space that fostered many of our childhood and adult memories. What a lesson to learn that experiences will transcend structure because they are woven into who we are as a family. Because after all, no matter where you go, there you are. 

If you're looking for a great house in Petoskey, Michigan, click here.

So. That being said, a change for the trip has presented itself. Due to a no-animal policy for my mom's new housing options, my incredibly fluffy, introverted, multi-named canine, Olive, will be joining us on our bicycle tour! We are still learning how this will modify our touring plans as we gain understanding of the limitations that accompany a four legged companion. Regardless of any future struggles, I will not give my dog away due to minor inconveniences. She is family. Welcome to the tour, noona baby. 

The DoggyRide:

The DoggyRide Novel Dog Bike Trailer is a slick option for any dog owner interested in traveling with their pup. Whether strolling through a park or bicycle touring like us, the DoggyRide is a well thought out, finely crafted, user friendly option for short or long distance canine adventures. It folds easily for storage and transportation, provides versatility with it's three wheel stroller kit and offers a water repellent coat for all season riding. For more information about the DoggyRide, click here. 

Happy Momma taking Olive swimming! 

My crew.

It's here!!

:-)

Olive's new home.

Assembly. 

Olive's first practice round. 

Happy puppy.

My new setup!! 

Until next time,

Bea

Bags n' Pads

Greetings, readers!

Connor and I have had some of the most productive days yet! Yesterday, my mom let us borrow her car so we could share a date day about 37 miles south of Petoskey in Gaylord, Michigan. Our plan was to head to this marvelous warehouse called Jay's Sporting Goods which carries a pretty endless supply of miscellaneous camping gear and equipment. While perusing about, we stumbled across this tiny little clearance rack which was filled with a plethora of dinged bowls and damaged products, but among the garbage, luckily enough, we were able to snag the remaining two adult sleeping bags -- Big Agnes sleeping bags. We would find out shortly that the bags fit us perfectly, were in impeccable condition, had never been used, and were incredibly inexpensive simply because they were last year's model. We were totally pumped. Needless to say, our day of Gaylord shopping was very productive, and it ended perfectly with our favorite casual date night of Qdoba dinner and an Ice-capp from Tim Hortons. To continue our excitement of sleep related items, today, after over four weeks of waiting patiently, our Thermarest Prolite Plus sleeping pads finally arrived!! Cheers to happy, warm and weather protected sleeping!

Specifications and details about our Sleeping bags and pads:

Bags: 

Connor will be sporting the Big Agnes Fish Hawk 30° sleeping bag which comes from a classic series of down bags that offer warmth, compressibility and comfort. The Fish Hawk bag also offers Downtek water repellent down insulation, no-draft collar seals for optimum warmth and efficiency, and continuous vertical flow chambers to eliminate potential cold spots. For more information on Connor's Big Agnes Fish Hawk sleeping bag, click here.

I will be rocking the Big Agnes Lost Ranger 15° sleeping bag which is essentially an identical bag to Connor's, but my bag will offer 15° more warmth than his. If you would like to learn more about my Big Agnes Lost Ranger sleeping bag, click here.

Some additional features that apply to both Big Agnes bags include built in pillow pockets, integrated full sleeping pad sleeves, and a great couples option which mates the left and right zip bags with the same zipper. 

Pads:

When staying warm is equally as important as packing lightly, the Thermarest Prolite Plus sleeping pads are, in my opinion, an excellent solution. It's tapered shape reduces weight by nearly 10% and the diagonal-cut foam provides efficient insulation. These key features eliminate excess bulk and allow for an impressively compact roll-up. If you're interested in learning more about the Thermarest Prolite Plus sleeping pad, click here.

My incredibly handsome traveling companion. 

En route to Jay's Sporting Goods in Gaylord, Michigan. 

Checking out some clearance items. 

Snuggling up in the Big Agnes Fish Hawk sleeping bag. 

Mummy mode at Jay's. 

Our Big Agnes sleeping bags! Fantastic finds. 

Our Thermarest sleeping pads are finally here! 

Clearly pumped about our new beds. 

I'm pumped, too! 

Bea's pad on left speeds ahead quickly in the self-inflation process. 

Our Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 3 tent. 

Our tent all bundled up. 

We're still beginners, but I'd say our set up time is pretty speedy! 

Our new beds!

Our sleeping situation. Like I mentioned in a previous post, the three person tent was pretty necessary! 

Until next time, 

Bea

Just checkin' in.

Hi there, folks!

First of all, I would like to gratefully thank all of our viewers for taking the time to care and read about what Cons and I are up to. When we posted our link to Facebook, our views jumped from roughly 600, to over a thousand -- in two days!!! Your support and interest means so much to us, and we thank you for your time! 

As our adventure approaches, the lives of our loved ones are shifting as well. My sister, Sarah, is house hunting in South Carolina, my brother, Guy, is walking confidently towards his future, and my mother has been blessed with the opportunity for change and growth. On the other hand, Connor's sister, dad, and grandma are all reaching a new year of life with several back to back birthdays! It has been so fun to have the opportunity to share another summer with the people that we love the most. 

Madeline Jo refusing a celebratory birthday song.

Beautiful birthday girl.

Spending precious time with the people we love. 

Until next time,

Bea 

Catching up

Hi there, folks! 

Jeepers, long time no see! I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that today is the first of August. Connor and I have been struggling to pick a date for departure, but we're guessing that we'll take off the weekend after Labor Day. With summer festivities coming to a close and the tour growing near, Cons and I are working diligently to tie loose ends of packing details, route planning, and the frustrating task of purchasing necessary miscellaneous items. Through the thick of planning and work, we are still finding time to relax, play, and share laughs with the ones we love. Here are a few pictures of what we've been up to!

Connor and his beautiful sister, Maddie, at Blissfest!

Connor and I catching some shade at Blissfest.

Galavanting around Gaylord, Michigan's Alpenfest! 

A fun evening at the 'plucker party.' An annual gathering at Connor's farm to celebrate another successful year for his family's flower landscape business, Polly's Planting & Plucking!

Claire, the eldest child of the Mitchell family that I nanny for, on a Latitude 45 rental bike. 

Emma, the middle Mitchell child, on a Latitude 45 rental bike. 

Declan, the tiniest Mitchell, in a Latitude 45 rented children's trailer. 

Curious little bugger. 

Cons and Declan playing on the beach after peddling a few miles on the Little Traverse Wheelway. 

Cruising on the Little Traverse Wheelway with Declan rolling caboose. 

Olive posing with our new Asus Vivotab RT. 

Playing with our new toy. 

Connor joins the iPhone world!

Until next time,

Bea