Eat. Rest. Eat More.

I spent the majority of my weekend stuffing my face and I'm not ashamed to say it. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the key to my heart. (Sweets usually work as well.) Luckily, the farmers' market was in full swing after J.M.and I worked our butts off at the gym.

Countryside Farmers' Market at Howe Meadow Akron, Ohio

I really wanted to try one of the delectable fresh pastries, BUT I stayed strong and opted for fresh romaine, organic eggs, and homegrown apples.

Talk about voting at the register!

 I love to chat with the vendors at farmers' markets. They are sweet and kind. I couldn't decide which apples to buy, so the man gave me a taste test.

DING DING DING! Winner winner, apple dinner?

 Scrumptious.

I'll take the Yellow Delicious please!

As we meandered through the market, we stopped briefly (precisely long enough to take this photo) to enjoy the music.

 I totally should have had a harpist at my wedding.

Beautiful.

Believe it or not, the apple didn't fill me up. So, we stopped to dine on the patio in the valley. The weather was absolutely perfecto. The company wasn't so bad either.

Two eggs, toast, home fries, and 3 pieces of bacon later..... we were stuffed (not a small task)!

Guys, I'm going to be honest here. I love the idea of eating organic and local as much as I possibly can. It's best for the local economy, but more importantly, it's best for your health. With that being said, I simply cannot afford to do it on a full time basis. That doesn't mean we can't support our local farmers. There are plenty of distributors in our area that provide deliciously fresh, local, and affordable produce, especially during the summer months. Start by simply shopping for your veggies only and move forward from there!

Take a look at some of the websites below for more information:

Fresh recipes:

Clean Eating

Sweet OnVeg

Local Markets:

Kreiger's Market

Akron General Fresh Market

Shaffer's Market

Sustainable Table

The 5 P's

John and I had never been on a passenger train and he didn't feel like watching me sleep for 4 hours we were not looking forward to the long drive from Scottsdale to the Grand Canyon.

Soooo, we booked a first class ticket, quite literally, on the Grand Canyon Railway. 

The drive to Williams was sunny, hot, and stunning.



And that's the last time I was warm for the next 10 hours.

We arrived at the train station with nothing more than shorts and t-shirts, only to see our comrades dressed in winter gear.

Enter the 5 P's.

Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance

And that's all I'll say about that.

 We tried to make the best of it and looked forward to buying warm souvenirs.

It was about 50 degrees and windy here, though we put on a brave face for the photo op.

Shortly after we took in this incredible view, we scurried to the closest shop to purchase our windbreakers.

Then we spent the next two hours hugging the walls of the Grand Canyon.

Donkeys and the people that ride them on this trail are my heroes.

After the hike we made our way into the lodge for a well deserved warm meal and a pot of coffee. While we enjoyed our view of the canyon, we couldn't help but smile as we watched hundreds of people running for cover as the torrential rain and hail set in.

Back on the train we ran into a bit of trouble.

But we managed to get away unscathed.

The ride home was as enchanting as the ride there.

Watching the sunset was a sweet ending to an adventurous day.





Spring Break 2012!

We like to travel.

In the midst of a long winter, there is nothing better than going somewhere anywhere warm.

This spring break's destination: Scottsdale, Arizona!

I won't kill you with boredom today by showing you ALL of the pictures we took.

I'll spread the torture over several days.

Now then, day 1: Camelback Mountain 

Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camelback_Mountain

A beautiful and strenuous experience all in one. We weren't particularly prepared for the level of difficulty of this rock climbing experience (we both wore nike running shoes), but the beauty of the overwhelming views made up for the terrifying climb.

 Oh so naive.

"We should do this twice, it's only 1.2 miles to the top."

Sooooo typical of my overachieving self.

"This is so beautiful! We're 20 minutes in. Not long til we should be at the top"

So. Wrong.

 "Ok, now, here comes the good stuff.

Hills!

Thank goodness. I was starting to think we may not get a good workout."

 "I have to do what?

Pull myself up this hill by holding on to a metal pole? What the....?"

"I'll let you lead for a little bit....

I just need to enjoy the view."

"Hmmm.  You weren't thirsty were you, Sweets?

Maybe we don't need to do this twice.

We've been hiking straight up for about 45 minutes now, I'm pretty sure the top is near."

"I'm getting a little nervous. Are you getting a little nervous? I saw the 1 mile marker about 10 minutes ago. How long could it possibly take to hike .2 more miles? You don't want to turn around do you? 'Cause I don't want to turn around."

"No, I'm not nervous at all. This feels completely, 100 percent, safe."

And folks, this is where the hike ends.

We were so close to top.

We made it 1.11111 miles of a 1.2 mile hike.

Alas, we are wimpolas.

We made the executvie decision to turn the train around and begin the hour long descent to the bottom. Mind you, it was just as strenuous, if not more, as the rise to the top.

Thus, not a single photo.

According to google, here is the view from the VERY top of Camelback Mountain.

We almost made it.

All joking aside, this was by far one of the most rewarding experiences my love and I have enjoyed together.

Now that's a vacation!

More to come....

They don't call it grand for nothin'!

You guys.
This place is awesome.
I love traveling.