View from the Bottom

This is from the North Kaibab Trail. AKA the great big hole of perspective. Ribbon Falls is in the distance.

Ribbon Falls

My second favorite waterfall in Grand Canyon NP, but the one I can reach hiking without ropes or rafting. We hiked from the north rim last October and stopped at Ribbon Falls for the first time. Then in May we hiked down the South Kaibab and stayed at Phantom Ranch for two nights. On the day off, I hiked along the Bright Angel creek and back. Initially I thought the hike was relatively flat, but there is definitely an incline hiking from Phantom Ranch.

San Juan River Trip

I made it back to the river being invited to join a kid's trip on the San Juan from Sand Island to Mexican Hat. Thanks to a friend I met on the Colorado we met a great group of people we travelled down the river with and had a blast. It was my daughter's first river trip and we turned her into a river rat. She liked riding on the oar boat more than the duckie and was spoiled rotten by the teens that doted on her. We spent three glorious days on the river rafting, visiting archaeology sites and hiking.

Early morning jam session

Peach jam with peaches from the house of my friend's parents. I really like making jam. The jeweled jars are beautiful and make easy gifts for the kids to give to teachers and friends. It is also nice th make something that lasts more than a meal or two.

Happy Summer

Making peach coconut ice cream on the deck.

The Culinary Tour of Marinette

My grandma passed away on September 14th. We flew out Thursday to celebrate my grandma's life, visit with family and embark on a culinary tour of Marinette as we ate out with different family members.

We moved away when I was three, but apparently the food of Marinette resonates in my being as a culinary treat. I am not sure if it is a taste I acquired in the womb or if everyone equally enjoys the no calorie left behind experience of a pat of butter on everything along with the usual grease accompaniment especially when they come deep fried or "broasted". One local delicacy is the deep fried cheese curd. Family sends us Seguin's Cheese Curd and have made pizza deliveries via airplane from Brother's Three, that is how much we love this cuisine.

Our first stop after checking into the hotel was Brother's Three Pizza. We met up with two of my aunts and had deep fried cheese curds and mushrooms. The pizza was a greasy sausage, pepperoni and mushroom.

Before the wake we met my uncle and his family at Schloegel's for Cornish Pasties and more deep fried cheese curds and mushrooms.

After the wake we took the back room at Jozwaik's Bar and Grill which is home of the Wabash and Brother's Three Pizza that tasted like I remembered it. Of course we ordered more deep fried cheese curds and mushrooms. I got to talk to my aunts and uncles, my dad's cousins, my cousins and meet Cliff's family.

The next day was the funeral and lunch was served in the basement of the church. The dessert table was almost the size of the regular buffet. We ate lightly so we could stop at Mickey Lu's for brats, cheeseburgers and malts with my cousin before heading to my aunts to watch the ASU/ Badger game. We picked up the food there and brought it back to the hotel after stopping at Seguin's Cheese for cheese curds, Limburger cheese (aka stinky cheese), Makinac Island Fudge and Door County Wines which all successfully made the trip back home. Otherwise my clothes could have been ruined by cherry and blueberry wine. My cousin bought stinky cheese but forgot to put it in the hotel fridge so it created a very unappealing odor in their room.

The evening of the funeral we went to Trade Winds with my aunts, uncles and some of my cousins. They have frog legs and a fish fry, but our group had a limited menu, so I had prime rib as it was the only thing that wasn't battered and deep fried.

We did miss out on the perch fish fry, which I remember at the Elk's Club on Friday's, but I think we did the town of Marinette justice food wise. Somehow I think it was more about being together and breaking bread with some very special people I am proud to be related to and call my family. We honored my grandma, who most of us, excluding in laws gathered around the table were there because of her life and the life she gave to us.

Leg room for sale

Hubby has often made fun of the Southwest Airlines upgrade to board first. I found the perk that $25 will get you aside from the option to change flights (which we did to a nonstop and saved $11)- LEG ROOM. It is almost like first class if you overlook having to share an arm rest.
Granted sitting in the exit row won't work when flying with kids and if you were boarding a connecting flight you might be SOL, but today it works and $25 isn't a bad trade off on Southwest where they don't charge $50 for luggage.