Silver Bay Getaway

Dustin took an extra day off of work so we could venture further North this weekend. His Grandma lives in Silver Bay (about an hour north of Duluth), so after the xmas festivities in Duluth - we headed up to the Northland. It is SO serene, quiet and gorgeous in the Silver Bay area! We spent the first day with relatives (enjoying their indoor sauna immensely). The next day was a day of sweating and playing...... :
This is a rarity for a Minnesotan to admit...but I have actually NEVER been on a snowmobile before. EVER! Not once in my life... Well, in the North country this is completely unacceptable. So, after a quick snowmobiling tutorial, Dustin gave me my own snowmobile and away we went! The trails were really beautiful and not ONE other snowmobile was to be found (thankfully - I am not an advanced rider and needed all the space I could get on the trails!) I managed to successfully complete our mission - riding up to Finland, Minnesota - relatively unscathed. I did get stuck in some deep snow once and nearly clipped a tree...but otherwise, felt like a bit of a veteran :) We rode for several hours and I LOVED IT ( never thought I would say that). I just felt like it was a great way to experience winter in Minnesota!
After riding, we decided to stop at Gooseberry for some cross country skiing. We had actually skied the previous two days in Duluth and Silver Bay, but felt like trying out one last spot before going home.
Well, after 4 days of 35+ degree weather, it wasn't surprising that the trails were quite slow and mushy.
Enjoyable scenery though - especially when the trail came out by Lake Superior. It isn't every day that we get to ski next to the most beautiful lake in Minnesota! :) [ps: you can't imagine how difficult it was to get these pictures...we made tripods with twigs and mittens and helmets...]
Having spent a few days in the Northland...I have returned home 100% more relaxed and rejuvenated! Now, I need to return my focus to finishing school and preparing for a real job............ :(

duluth christmas

dustin's buddies in duluth had their annual xmas bash last weekend. the highlight was the outdoor hot tub...granted it was an unusually warm nite for a Minnesota winter evening, it still felt fantastic! no pictures from the hot tub just yet...stay tuned :)
i'm starting to feel a part of "dustin's duluth crowd". having been to this party last year as well... I think I'm starting to fit in! it's tough to be the odd one out at times, but i'm glad they have welcomed me as their own :)