Travel Thursday- Pics from Las Vegas Last Year!

I'm getting SO excited about running in Las Vegas that I wanted to reflect on some of my favorite moments from last year. I think that I'm most excited about the warmer weather and amazing shopping/ people watching! I will most definitely be bringing my walking shoes and hopefully get in some time at the pool. Already also drooling over all the amazing eateries that we will be visiting. I think I'm going to need a bigger bag to pack all the goodies I plan to get....

Sunset view from our first night at the Excalibur! The hotel isn't anything fancy, but the location is fantastic from the start line of the race and situated near the beginning of the strip/ monorail. 

View from the top of the stratosphere! It was a perfectly sunny last day that we were here last year and hoping for the same weather again this year :)

Any recommendations on places to see in Vegas or things to do? We did the Beatles Cirque Du Soleil last year and it was AMAZING. Planning to see the Michael Jackson one this year!

Best places to eat in Vegas and any good bakeries you'd recommend? Already can't wait for some treats post-marathon! 

Travel Thursday- Lake Placid

Lake Placid, NY is possibly one of my favorite little mountain towns. I've trained there for several summers when I was younger (for figure skating) and every season there is fantastic. 

If you can also manage to be there during the Ironman-Lake Placid, it's a definite must-see! It was so inspiring to watch the swimmers take off together and the camaraderie during both the bike and run portions is amazing. 

I'd also recommend visiting in the winter (when the Olympic Games were held) to get a real-feel of how the town was during the Olympics (it really hasn't grown-up too much). There is so much to see and do there, that you really don't need a car once you get there. The only thing that is really out of town is the ski mountain or ski jumps, but I think there are buses that will take you to both!

Soul Shine Bagels, Lake Placid Pub and Brewery (great atmosphere & beer selection!), Dancing Bears (the best breakfast with a view of the lake), and Fireside Steak (their steak tips are perfection) are my favorite food spots!

Travel Thursday- Pics from Maine!!

Sharing a few of my favorite pictures that I took during my trip in Maine last weekend visiting family. 

The Fall Foliage was just starting to peak and it was SO beautiful everywhere we went. 

We went Apple Picking and I got my fill of Apple Cider Donuts and HOT apple cider! Both are soooo good.... I wish I could have more...

We went to the Fair on Sunday and got to see all the cute Animals! Including these Alpacas:

And these JUST BORN THIS MORNING baby piggies! They were so cute & sleepy...Also can we please talk about how pigs can have 10-15 babies per litter? That is INSANE. This one had 14 and she should get a medal for that. Plus some vacation time too...

We also got to see the Fryeburg Health Care Display at the 4-H buillding and they displayed my Grandfather's veggies that he worked so hard on this summer! How delicious do they look?

The Ferris Wheel looked amazing! I may have ridden this a few times when I was younger...

The display from Sherman's Farm was beyond perfect. I just love all the varied colors in it. Quintessential Fall! 

Travel Thursday-Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park was an impromptu visit that we made last year on our way to California. We visited in October and it was SO hot. I think the temperatures in my car got up to over 100 degrees and there were even road signs that advised drivers to limit their air-conditioning (so their car would not overheat). We also drove through several sandstorms, which is scary/exhilarating/crazy! I couldn't imagine hiking through the sand dunes (some people were doing) and also can never imagine visiting this park in the summer! I'm sure it could be pretty enjoyable in January and the camping spots looked amazing, but it was so hot and windy that there was no way we could envision ourselves camping there in October. It's a great park to drive-through with a dependable car (and lots of gas)!

Travel Thursday- Turquoise Lake

I wanted to share one of my favorite travel spots up on the blog here today! We went to Turquoise Lake in Leadville, Colorado a few years ago (after a mis-hap with a reserved Yurt...long story...gist: it involved getting stuck on a dirt road and having to backdown the road for a good 1/2 mile...) and it is a beautiful spot with stunning views!

We ended up scoring a campsite at the last minute (because of the yurt mishap) and enjoyed a fantastic night in the high country. I was still in a boot from my PRP injection, so I couldn't do too much hiking/exploring, which was perfect to keep us relaxing with a good book by the lake (that is turquoise-looking). I can't remember exactly what campsite we stayed at, however I would recommend any spot that you come to! You really can't go wrong no matter where you set-up (but I would recommend reserving ahead and try to stay there for a few days, maybe even plan to hike a 14er while you are there!). The road that takes you to the lake continues throughout the entire lake, so it's also a great spot to run or visit various viewpoints (although the one where we set-up was my favorite since you get a good view of Mt. Elbert and others in the background).