elephants

over easy cafe

Over Easy Cafe

North Scottsdale

9375 E. Bell Road
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

Caramelized banana and pecan brioche French toast

Ham and cheese omelette

Larry's Parents winter in Mesa, Arizona. This year the family came to visit them for Christmas. And yes we brought the snow too. Never knew it snows so far south before. Every trip I plan the second thing I look for are the restaurants.

Vegetables Omelet to much veg in the Vegetable omelet..owell

The number one restaurant in Arizona I wanted to go to was Over Easy Cafe in Scottsdale and in Phoenix. So one of the morning I dragged my in-laws with to the cafe for breakfast. They always eat cornflakes for breakfast and could see eating anything else. Larry and myself said this was our best breakfast ever... Well, I don't think they will be going back. Caramelized banana & pecan brioche French toast just melted in my mouth. The best tasting french toast in my life. The coffee was also wonderful, but because it was a weekend and it was busy coffee refill were slow. So times you can't just have cornflakes and coffee, relax.

North Shore miniature pine cones

Chapparal Campground

Chapparal Campground

Near Wonewoc, Wi

Chapparal is a 30 minute drive to Wisconsin Dells.  

The camp ground is a short drive to the Sparta Elroy trail.  

This was a trip with the Gelandesprung Ski Club out of Green Bay Wisconsin.   Our spot was able to hold two fully hooked up RVs.  A lot of room around our spot to hang out.  









We served both breakfast at this spot for the club.  Most of the club tented.  There were many areas for the group to spread out.  We cooked dinner around a fire pit on Saturday night.

 Mike enjoying the clean up of  packing up his tenting supplies

Kieth and Becky had a huge area to camp on.

I think Keith found a beer someone left behind

Two days of biking the Sparta/Elroy and 400 trail.

The tent area is just down the road from the RV road.  Lots of privacy.  

Adam ready for another day of biking.

Banning State Park

Banning State Park

July 22nd 

Banning State Park is about a hour and half drive from the Twin Cities, just off of 35W and north of Hinckley.  Banning offers some beautiful waterfalls on the Kettle River.  The best set of waterfalls are located at the Big Spring Falls.

   
Campground has only 11 electric sites and only 4 sites over 46ft.


Park does have a dump stations on site which is very handy.

When we made our reservations there was only one electrical site open.  In the spring the state parks made all of their site reservable from same day sites.  This was the only way we could even get into Banning.

There are 17 miles of trails through the woods and along the river.  We really enjoyed hiking alone the High Bluff, which had big boulders to climb around.  This took us to a 10-15ft falls flowing into wolf creek.

Big Spring Falls was the highlight of the trip and the best kept secret.  The Big Spring Falls is hard to find and the road is very rustic road to drive down, keeps most visitors away.  One has to drive into Sandstone and rely on google map to find Pine Ave S because this state park location is not marked.  But it is so worth the stop.















Careful where you hang over the edge looking down at the river.  We found places to cross over to the island and looked back at areas we had been standing.  You could see not much under supporting the top.  So areas you could see sink holes.  In area connecting the island was sink hole pounds which looked pretty deep.  You could see where in high waters these areas were covered in water.

Bear Head Lake State Park

Bear Head Lake State Park

is near Ely, MN

May 27th- 30th

about 4 hour trip from the twin cities

There are so many big lakes in and around the park.  This park is great for fishing or canoeing/kayaking but not great for people who mosquitos love.  So many lakes and standing water are prefect for breading blood sucking mosquitos.

There was so many different areas to enjoy a private paddle around the lakes.  The long drive into the park brings you deep into the heart of the park.    

This park has 45 electrical sites and 26 sites which our RV would fit in.  But most of these sites are hard to mover around the trees.  This was an issue for us, but after a couple tries we were able to get the RV into our spots.  

Room for a picnic but not a tent.

Not a lot of room on either side of the RV to back it into it's spot.  This is 31e.  

Next time this will be our spot.

Wide open to back the RV in.  Room on both side.  

Not as many trails can be found here.   These trails are in the woods so make sure you use bug spray. We walked the Norberg Lake Trail, which was the hiking club trail. 

Close to Bear Head park is Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, only 15 minute drive.  Tours take you down the mine about 2700 miles in 2 minutes.  The cars would hold 12 mines and only 8 visitors.   

After the tour we checked out all of the buildings that was part of the mine.  The park has 7.4 miles of trails where you can see other parts of the mine.  

Tettegouche State Park

Tettegouche State Park

May 23rd

Tettegouche State Park is located along the Lake Superior.  The main office is also a rest stop on 61 hwy, with nice restrooms and a huge lodge.




It also has small museum and gift shop.  There are a number of tables and chairs to rest in.  Free WIFI for those who need send messages home.







Make sure to ask for a map and ask any trail question.  We asked about all of the falls and trails.   Any thing that we might need to know before heading out for a hike.












22 Electrical Site and a number of these site were long sites.  We picked site 27e, which back up to the back of a rocky hill.  Out of all the sites this one was the most secluded site in the campground.









Our back window had views a jack rabbit wondering around on many days.  We have found in most state parks you normally see snakes, squirrel, chipmunks and small birds.  Seeing a jack rabbit is rare.

Tettegouche has a number of waterfalls and two are just located near the campground.  Trail to see the High Falls and the Two Steps fall offer many views of the falls.  Check off the swinging bridge to see the falls from the other side of the river.  The Cascades Falls can be views by parking in the cart in camping parking lot.  After you check that falls out, check out the bridge and the waterfalls there.  There are trails leading down to Lake Superior.

When at the main office we asked about the Illgen Falls.  We were told it was off of hwy 1 and entrance is after #5939.  A small spot off the road could hold two cars only.  As we walked to the falls we could see the Illgen Falls cabin.

On our last day we walked out to Shovel Point, which had a number of stairs.  It was a long walk in the cold windy day.  You could see the main lodge as you walked alone the trail.  There were places to look back.  We could see the fog setting in.  By the time we got to the end it was hard to see anything.  We know where the lodge was but could not see that far.  On a clear day it would be
a nice place to look out into Lake Superior.




Lady Slipper Lodge Civilian Conservation Corps built in 1935 first had open shelters but due to the cold weather doors and windows were added to the structures.  These building are so beautiful in color and structure.  And to think of how many people use these building of the years.  Money well spent.