OUR BLOG: • Kristy & Luke

A Weekend Up North

Luke and I packed up the car late on a Friday afternoon, got Patronus ready, then headed out for another trip to northern Michigan. Both of us were ravenously hungry after a long day of
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Adventures

A Summer Backpacking Adventure

Patronus and I pulled in to the parking lot for the trailhead just after 3:00 P.M. After taking some time to get our packs situated, we made our way to the edge of the lake
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Adventures

52 Hike Challenge Spring Report

The spring segment of my 52 Hike Challenge ended up being…a bit challenging. The season began with a couple of muddy hikes with Patronus. In April I got injured. I still wanted to keep hiking,
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Adventures

Short’s Brewery with Patronus

During our most recent getaway (more about that here), we decided to have dinner at Short’s Brewery in Bellaire, Michigan with our friends and bring Patronus along as well. I’ve written about visiting Short’s before,
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Adventures

A Weekend in Northern Michigan

Luke, Patronus, and I headed up to northern Michigan to spend fourth of July weekend with our friends, Matt and Amanda and their two dogs. We spent Friday just hanging out, catching up, and relaxing
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Adventures

Visiting Tahquamenon Falls State Park

If a road trip across Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is on your bucket list, consider Tahquamenon Falls as one of many noteworthy places to stop. On a gloomy Saturday in late May, my friends and I
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Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

Adventures

Touring the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum

As we made our way from Tahquamenon Falls to the city of Munising, where we would begin our backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my friends and I decided to check out the
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Adventures

One Day in Munising

The city of Munising sits along the coastline of Lake Superior in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. After finishing our backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, my friends and I decided to take a rest
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Adventures

Camping at Wilderness State Park

Wilderness State Park is located in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula, near Cross Village and Mackinaw City. Its campgrounds stretch along the coastline of Lake Michigan. In addition to several hiking trails within
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Adventures

Planning Our Pictured Rocks Backpacking Trip

I’ve already shared about our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip and my vlog from our hike, so today I would like to talk about how we went about planning our Pictured Rocks backpacking trip. Planning the
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pictured rocks backpacking grand portal point

Adventures

Pictured Rocks Vlog

I recently did a three day backpacking trip of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan with my friends, Erin and Megan. Here's a vlog I put together of some of the things we
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Adventures

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has been high on my bucket list for several years. The section of Lake Superior shoreline in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stretching from Munising to Grand Marais is said to
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Adventures

Backpacking the Potawatomi Trail

The Potowatomi Trail is a beloved destination for hikers, backpackers, trail runners, and cyclists, offering over 17 miles of hilly trails in a quiet area of southeast Michigan. Ironically, when you look at it on
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Adventures

Our First Anniversary: Day Hiking + Touring Eloise Psychiatric Hospital

I crawled out of bed two hours before I actually wanted to, shuffled into the kitchen, and brewed myself a cup of coffee. By nature, I am a far cry from anything that could even
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Adventures

Exploring Maybury State Park

I awoke to a smiling Patronus in my face at 10:00 A.M. on the morning we had planned to visit Maybury State Park. Apparently he did not forget the night before, when I told him
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Silver Lake from Potawatomi Trail in Fall

Adventures

Hiking the Crooked Lake Trail

After weeks of patiently waiting for the trees to transform from lush and green to firey shades of red and yellow and orange, it was finally time for Patronus and I to head out on
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Adventures

Sleeping Bear Trip Report: Pretzels and Beer in Bellaire, MI

Early on in the planning process, we decided having a day to relax before making the drive home would be best, so the third and final segment of our trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes
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Overlooking Lake Michigan from South Manitou Dunes

Adventures

Sleeping Bear Trip Report: Backpacking South Manitou Island

The morning we departed for our backpacking trip to South Manitou Island in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore proved to be a bit of a scramble. Due to the gale warning issued for Friday
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Adventures

Sleeping Bear Trip Report: Camping in Glen Haven

When we arrived at the D. H. Day Campground in Glen Haven, the first thing we did after registering for our site and setting up our camp was to go check out the beach, which
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Adventures

Planning Our Trip to South Manitou Island

Growing up, the Traverse City area was a favorite vacation destination for my family. My mom loves the beach and shopping, and my dad likes fishing, antiquing, and the woods, and this area of Michigan
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Adventures

Sleeping Bear Vlog

Video journal of my weekend backpacking trip to South Manitou Island in Michigan. If you’re interested, you can read the rest of my trip report to South Manitou Island by clicking on the links below.
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Overlooking Emarald Lake in Yoho National Park

Adventures

Our Honeymoon: Road Tripping to Banff National Park

For our honeymoon, we took a road trip to the Canadian Rockies with our dog! Why the Canadian Rockies, you may ask? From icy alpine lakes to hot springs with gorgeous views, from mountains to
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Adventures

Relaxing at Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge

As we were driving back to our hotel from one of our many excursions in Banff, Luke and I randomly decided to pull off on the side of the road to explore an area called
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Girl and Great Pyrenees Hike the Lake Agnes Teahouse Trail

Adventures

Hiking from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes

The hike from Lake Louise to the Lake Agnes Teahouse was one of the excursions on our trip that I was most excited about!
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Adventures

Cruising the Icefields Parkway

What’s the perfect compromise between wanting to rest and also wanting to explore while you’re in Banff? Taking a trip along the famous Icefields Parkway, of course!
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Adventures

Exploring Johnston Canyon

One of the excursions we were most excited about during our trip was Johnston Canyon, a trail ascending and descending through a deep canyon carved into colorful rock, filled with waterfalls, running through a beautiful
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Adventures

Summiting Sulphur Mountain and Relaxing in Banff Upper Hot Springs

There are two ways to reach the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park: hike 3.4 miles uphill navigating your way up a dirt trail studded with roots and rocks, or ride the Banff
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Man and Dog at Takakkaw Falls British Columbia

Adventures

Hiking to Takakkaw Falls

Our trip to Takakkaw Falls wasn’t originally part of our “itinerary”, but we were so glad that we got to experience it! It was by far Luke’s favorite adventure that we went on while in
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Adventures

Patronus’ First Camping Trip

After months of preparation, the time for our first backpacking trip was finally upon us.
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Finishing 51 Mile Bike Ride in Northern Michigan

Adventures

Zoo-De-Mack Weekend

Last Friday, my friend Erin and I packed up the car and headed up to Mackinaw City for the 29th Annual Zoo-De-Mackinac weekend while the guys enjoyed the houses to themselves for the weekend. The
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Haunts

Our Wedding: The Reception

When we began looking at venues, we knew from the moment we set foot in the building that TV’s Grand Event was going to be it. When we got engaged, we knew two things for
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Crafts

Five Things to Make in October

As much as I have always loved spending long, relaxing days at the pool or beach, long hours of daylight, and and being able to read a book outside without freezing my butt off, there
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DIY + Thrifting

DIY Boho Accessory Organizer

This DIY project can be done for under $20 and just a couple hours of actual “work”. (Psssssh, like crafting is work.)
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DIY + Thrifting

Dill Pickle Soup

I love soup, and today I’m going to share my personal dill pickle soup recipe. If you’ve never tried dill pickle soup before, you’re probably wondering why in the world someone would ever want to
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Crafts

DIY Bouquets & Boutonnières

I knew pretty early on into our wedding planning that I wanted to make my own bouquet. After hearing how much people typically spend on wedding flowers, plus hearing all kinds of horror stories on
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Crafts

DIY Skeleton Monster

Here’s a brand new monster creation, circa Halloween 2016! I have been searching for the perfect life size skeleton for some time. Unfortunately, most of the models I have seen in the past have either
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DIY Haunted Halloween Scarecrow Tutorial

Crafts

How to Make a Badass Halloween Scarecrow

As a kid growing up in the 90s, I was obsessed with that show Are You Afraid of the Dark?. Like, hardcore obsessed. I distinctly remember this one episode of the show where these two
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DIY + Thrifting

Dessert Nachos

Ahhhhh, September. The last kiss of summer, the first taste of fall. The month of bonfires and apple picking, of Oktoberfest beers, and if you’re anything like me, hoarding copious amounts of new pens and notebooks and
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DIY + Thrifting

Vintage Bar Cart Makeover

I am really excited to share my latest DIY project with you guys! The basement of my house is petty much set up for entertaining. There’s a bar area, a table and chairs for dining,
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DIY + Thrifting

Halloween Dirt Cake

I’ve posted before about how much I like making dirt cake for parties, and Halloween is most definitely no exception. This year for Halloween, my DBF and I hosted a Halloween party at my house.
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Crafts

Repurpose An Old Bracelet!

For today’s project, we’re gonna take a random old bracelet and give it a little makeover! One of my favorite things about this type of project is that it doesn’t require a lot of time or money.
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DIY + Thrifting

Poltergeist Soup

Remember that classic scene in the movie, Poltergeist, where it’s pouring rain outside, and one of the characters falls into a muddy swimming pool full of skeletons? Well this year on Halloween, I decided to
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Crafts

Antique Shadowbox Collage

If you’re strapped for cash (or just want to be a little smarter about how you spend your money) but your creative juices are flowing, take a cue from these craft projects of the past!
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Adventures

A Weekend Up North

Luke and I packed up the car late on a Friday afternoon, got Patronus ready, then headed out for another trip to northern Michigan. Both of us were ravenously hungry after a long day of
Read More...

Adventures

A Summer Backpacking Adventure

Patronus and I pulled in to the parking lot for the trailhead just after 3:00 P.M. After taking some time to get our packs situated, we made our way to the edge of the lake
Read More...

Adventures

Summer Camping + Hiking with Patronus

It was hot and sunny on the afternoon when Luke, Patronus, and I loaded up our car and headed out for a weekend of low key camping. There was still at least an hour of
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Adventures

Planning Our Pictured Rocks Backpacking Trip

Adventures

Pictured Rocks Vlog

Adventures

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks

Adventures

Backpacking the Potawatomi Trail

Adventures

52 Hike Challenge Winter Report

For the first time in my life I have hiked through an entire Michigan winter. As I mentioned in here, Patronus and I set out for our first hike of 2019 during the first weekend
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Life at Home

How + Why I’m Journaling My Hikes in 2019

One new thing I have decided to try this year is keeping a hiking journal. As you might remember if from my previous post, one of my goals for 2019 is to hike more often,
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Adventures

First Hike of 2019!

On Saturday, Patronus and I set out on our first hike of 2019! It was a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the high 40s, so I decided to skip my usual coffee time in
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Adventures

Another Winter Hike

It was time for another outdoor adventure, so Luke, Patronus and I packed up the car and headed out to meet our friend Mike for a fun winter hike. The weather was at least 20
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Adventures

Day Hiking with Dogs in December

When Patronus and I awoke, the temperature was in the 40s with no chance of rain, perfect for a weekend outdoor adventure! I put on my favorite cold weather moisture wicking shirt, an insulated vest,
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Adventures

Our First Anniversary: Day Hiking + Touring Eloise Psychiatric Hospital

I crawled out of bed two hours before I actually wanted to, shuffled into the kitchen, and brewed myself a cup of coffee. By nature, I am a far cry from anything that could even
Read More...

Adventures

Exploring Maybury State Park

I awoke to a smiling Patronus in my face at 10:00 A.M. on the morning we had planned to visit Maybury State Park. Apparently he did not forget the night before, when I told him
Read More...

Adventures

Hiking the Crooked Lake Trail

After weeks of patiently waiting for the trees to transform from lush and green to firey shades of red and yellow and orange, it was finally time for Patronus and I to head out on
Read More...

Adventures

Sleeping Bear Trip Report: Backpacking South Manitou Island

Adventures

Sleeping Bear Trip Report: Camping in Glen Haven

When we arrived at the D. H. Day Campground in Glen Haven, the first thing we did after registering for our site and setting up our camp was to go check out the beach, which
Read More...

Adventures

Planning Our Trip to South Manitou Island

Adventures

Sleeping Bear Vlog

Adventures

Our Honeymoon: Road Tripping to Banff National Park

Adventures

Relaxing at Emerald Lake and the Natural Bridge

As we were driving back to our hotel from one of our many excursions in Banff, Luke and I randomly decided to pull off on the side of the road to explore an area called
Read More...

Adventures

Hiking from Lake Louise to Lake Agnes

The hike from Lake Louise to the Lake Agnes Teahouse was one of the excursions on our trip that I was most excited about!
Read More...

Adventures

Cruising the Icefields Parkway

What’s the perfect compromise between wanting to rest and also wanting to explore while you’re in Banff? Taking a trip along the famous Icefields Parkway, of course!
Read More...

Adventures

Exploring Johnston Canyon

Adventures

Summiting Sulphur Mountain and Relaxing in Banff Upper Hot Springs

There are two ways to reach the top of Sulphur Mountain in Banff National Park: hike 3.4 miles uphill navigating your way up a dirt trail studded with roots and rocks, or ride the Banff
Read More...

Adventures

Hiking to Takakkaw Falls

Adventures

Summer Adventures with Patronus and Bruce

After a couple weeks straight of hot, muggy weather which was definitely nowhere near ideal for going on fun adventures with a dog, Patronus and I were both eager to get back outside and do
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Adventures

Patronus’ First Camping Trip

After months of preparation, the time for our first backpacking trip was finally upon us.
Read More...

Adventures

Day Hiking with Patronus

Saturday was National Trails Day and the weather was almost 70* and partly cloudy, so the three of us decided to visit a state park and do some hiking. Not only was the weather perfect
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Adventures

Zoo-De-Mack Weekend

Adventures

DIY First Aid and Emergency Kit for Adventuring With Your Dog

As the days get warmer and more opportunities arise for us to take Patronus on new and more exciting adventures, we wanted to make sure that we had a first aid kit that was relatively
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Adventures

Spring Training with Patronus

Exploring a greenway trail. Last weekend, while Luke was busy doing some boring adult stuff, Patronus and I had the chance to explore a paved trail with my brother. Brandon and I have both been
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Adventures

Snowpocalypse 2018

Last weekend we got nailed with a snowstorm that brought over 9 inches of snow. What did Matt and I decide to do that day? Take our dogs on an adventure, of course!
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Adventures

Cabin Fever

I’m not going to lie, I always get a little stir-crazy in the winter. Since it’s usually cold during the winter where we live, and there’s not a whole lot going on, it can be
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Adventures

Backpacking the Pictured Rocks: My Gear List

Today I thought I would share my Pictured Rocks backpacking gear list with you. While I am by no means an expert, nor do I have an ultralight base weight, I thought sharing my Pictured
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River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent Great Pyrenees

Adventures

River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent Review

I decided to do a River Country Products Trekker 2.2 Tent review after picking up this budget-friendly, ultralight, 2 person tent for weekend backpacking trips with Patronus. In this video, you'll see my first time
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Adventures

2018 Hiking Gear List

I've already written about Patronus' hiking gear list, and mine and Luke's camping gear list, so today I thought I would share my hiking gear list with you. Clothing and gear items are always a
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Adventures

2018 Camping & Backpacking Gear Review

Now that we've had several different chances to test everything out, today I thought I would share a camping and backpacking gear review post with you. Before I get into our actual gear list, let
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Adventures

Our Dog Gear List for Hiking

One of the questions I get asked rather often is which backpack Patronus wears and how well it works, so today I would like to share our dog gear list for hiking with you. When
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Adventures

How I Saved Over $1,300 on Hiking and Backpacking Gear

I have always enjoyed spending time outside, but the idea of shopping for all the gear I would need to go backpacking felt really overwhelming. Most of the vacations we went on when I was
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DIY + Thrifting

5 Ways to Save Money

I hate spending money on boring adult things that I don’t care much about. Like seriously, I hate it. When it comes to shopping, my motto is basically “splurge on the things you care about
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Travel

DIY + Food

Hiking, Biking, and Running

Thrifting, Reviews, and Shopping Tips