~Adventures North

On a recent trip to Minneapolis I enjoyed my first trip to the Mall of America! Although I have heard of this wonderful place before, I never imagined a mall complete with an amusement park, lego world, and of course hundreds of stores.

Lego world was huge and it was amazing to see the structures that were created.


We enjoyed building and racing cars, plus my childlike husband even made a new friend with similar interests.


Then it was off to the amusement park and indoor rides! I must say that the craziest part was cresting the hill on a roller coster, while looking at the roof beams a few feet away from your head!


We also took time in the cold weather to visit Walker Sculpture Gardens, where art is bigger than life!






We then walked to a nearby bridge that leads to downtown Minneapolis. The bridge is art on it's own, with scrawling poetry along the beams and colors that morph and blend with the sky. This was by far my favorite site on the trip!

~All boy!

First, let me apologize for my long absence. I must confess that I have not been lacking in picture taking, but instead in the time to upload and sort all the images. That being said, these photos will take us back to a brisk fall day in Iowa. We traveled for a wedding, however my darling nephew became the focus of my photos in no time.

Bo and I spent the afternoon playing and running around is his beautiful yard.





I just can't get enough of this smile...




He's also a born athlete, I can't wait to see what this kid can do!

~Wedding Season

Wedding season takes on a whole new appeal when you put the word "destination" before wedding. One of my best college friends was married last month at The Grand Marriot property in Mobile Bay. The original hotel was constructed in 1847 and then was used during the Civil War as a hospital. The property has since been expanded and improved creating the most beautiful wedding venue I have ever seen. Here is a glimpse...

The lovely couple during the ceremony


The reception was held at Julep Point overlooking Mobile Bay




View from the reception at sunset


and finally, Kevan and I enjoying a wonderful evening

~Bonnaroo

For six consecutive years, Kevan and I have left the luxury of our home to join thousands of dirty hippies to camp in a field and sweat in the sun, all in the name of good music! I have never been able to pinpoint why music draws me the way it does, especially since I am not musical on my own, but the thrill of a live show inspires me in ways I cannot describe.

A glimpse of Bonnaroo for those who are not as motivated to attend on their own..



Before the storms rolled in...







Where's Waldo?


A glimpse of us on day 3, still plenty of energy left!

~The Masters

Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Master's golf tournament every year, thanks to the thoughtful mind of Bobby Jones. People travel long distances to see the tight race between top athletes like Tiger and Phil, to eat a bite of the homemade pimento cheese sandwiches, and to admire the winner as they are fitted for that coveted green jacket.
Although my experience at the Master's included all of these things, I invite you to enter the lottery for tickets not so you can enjoy a sporting event, but instead so you can enjoy the grounds. I do not exaggerate when I say this is the most beautifully landscaped place I have ever been and there is no grass where I would rather nap than a luscious hill next to #16. Here is a glimpse of what thousands of dollars in fertilizer and grooming could do for your backyard...or hopefully someday mine!











Plus a little glimpse of my golf attire, courtesy of my sweet husband

~Travel should be mandatory

New York City was probably the best trip I have ever taken, apart from maybe my honeymoon. It was incredible not only because of the once in a lifetime experiences...like ice skating in central park, going backstage at the NYC ballet Nutcracker, hanging out at the Estee Lauder Suite, and attending an ABC Christmas party...but also just being a part of such a large force of people. Moving around as just one in those millions, yet feeling so close to the people around you, made me want to leave small town Tennessee and play in the city for a year or two!

~Summer days

Bo Hyde may be one of the kindest souls I have ever met. He is always loving, incredibly adorable, quick to give big hugs, and he's also amazingly photogenic! Did I mention he is also my nephew?

~Snow fall

Iowa in January is usually not a travel destination but this amount of snow was something I had always wanted to see. My husband and I took the trip to celebrate the incredible life of Helen Dorthea Spick Dunn, who passed away after an amazing 98 years. This is the farm where she lived for most of that life, the farm that her husband plowed, and the farm that her grandson now tends. Snow has never been so beautiful to me as it was in this terrain.