First of all, I had just spent a week in Charlotte, NC (look for that blog later) for work. I flew out on Memorial Day and came back that Friday -- an entire week in a hotel room is not my idea of fun, but the conference was great and I took away valuable information.
Earlier that weekend, Dawn emailed and said that she was supposed to go on a 5K with her family and that it was cancelled and that she decided not to go. "Would I come visit her at 'the camper'?" My first instinct was OMG - not after traveling for a week would I want to drive 3 hours to get to NE Iowa and camp. She assured me that it was a NICE camper and that I would enjoy myself. So I said "YES". I would fly back in on Friday, get some laundry done, and then take off for Turkey River.
I knew it felt right because I was very excited. Not just about seeing my friend (although THAT is a BIG part of my desire to go), but also about getting some much needed R & R. And who couldn't enjoy this......
These two views of the Turkey River were right off the deck outside the "camper".
So me and the little red Cobalt (and Mat D and Chad Elliott) ventured to the great Northeast and met up with Ron and Dawn at their campsite. They just purchased a brand new camper and it is very nice: Flush toilet and a very nice shower (MUSTS for camping I say). They park their camper year round at the same spot and it is a premium one. We can sit on the deck and watch wildlife, tubers, and snakes (yep swimming snakes).
First night we had some amazing pizza and I must have needed to relax because an entire bottle of Pinot Noir was consumed. Went to bed about 11:30 and didn't wake up until 10:00 am the next day. Seriously must have needed that rest (oh yeah - and some Ibuprofen). Something about forgetting about the world and enjoying nature that makes me relax.
After an amazing breakfast by my "chefs"
(Seriously, Ron cooked breakfast for us both mornings and Dawn made these amazing burgers on Saturday night - I was extremely spoiled)
....we ventured to Elkader. It is a cute little town. Those of you that don't know my friend Dawn, she has an amazing eye for things at garage sales and junk stores. She can pick up a $5.00 chair - and with a little spray paint and fabric, resell it for about $25.00. So we went shopping in Elkader. I am a shopper, but not a "garage sale-r" so I went along to browse and about 3/4 of the way through the shops, was done. But this is where my "talent" comes in -- THERE WAS AN IRISH PUB in Elkader. I rested by drinking a Guinness. Of course that was AFTER the Wedding Cake Malt from the coffee shop. O-M-G! I ate my way through the weekend.
In Elkader there is an amazing bridge that crosses the river. It is an original structure that brings traffic into the downtown. Here is the view from the walking part of the bridge.
And here is a view of two HOT MAMAs......okay from the "hot flashes" but HOT none-the-less.
Elkader was a blast. Loved the shopping, the malt, the GUINNESS, and of course the company.
So we headed back to the campsite and Dawn made Jalapeño Popper Burgers. YUMMO!!!!! I will replicate those babies on my own grill. Another whole bottle of wine - MALBEC this time - seriously? How much rest do I need?
All in all, it was an amazing, restful weekend with great company, great food, and amazing rest. I hope to do it again real soon.
OH Wait............My favorite picture I took on my phone. Did I mention my friend Dawn's sense of style and repurposing everything? This was awesome!
So I take from this that I just needed to "hang in there and enjoy the rest and relaxation". That is exactly what I did! Thank you GARBES CLAN!
No comments:
Post a Comment