A path within the Mazomani Trail at the Louisville Swamp
Hello friends,
The coolness of Spring is ending and the hot, muggy days of Summer are just beginning here in Minneapolis. Also, Happy late-Memorial Day, I hope you all took advantage of the long weekend. I had to work on one of the days, so I took full advantage of the other two. The first day, I bought flowers, biked to Lakewood Cemetery, and visited my grandparents. My grandfather was a marine in WW2 and my grandmother just recently passed away in February. I try to visit them often. The other day was jam packed with frisbee, eating hotdogs off the barbecue, and walking around Lake Calhoun.
Ever since Art-a-Whirl, I’ve been keeping myself busy with my outdoor hobbies. Lately, I’ve been working in my garden, bicycling, and, as always, getting out of the city to do some hiking! I made a goal that I would go hiking more often and that I must hike one or two new trails each month. This is because The Twin Cities has some phenomenal hiking locale that I haven’t explored yet, so why not start now? This may seem daunting to some people, since there is normally a long commute to a good trail, but I’m lucky to have hiking trails just walking distance from my house. On most days, I will hike the Winchell trail or the East Mississippi River trail. As for the new trails, a couple weeks ago I travelled south-west of the cities to Shakopee with my brother to go hike at The Louisville Swamp.
The Louisville Swamp: Known for the rare type of ecosystem called oak-savannah and its historical importance in the U.S.-Dakota War of 1862
My brother, Jamie, and I had read about the Louisville Swamp last year, but for some reason in my mind I had this idea that it would not be beautiful. Maybe it’s just me, but when I think of a swamp, the first thing that pops in my head is a dark, smelly place. So, we ended up not going because of my preconceived notion. Well, a few weeks ago, my brother brought up the Louisville Swamp again and said let’s check it out. The next day, we woke up early and headed south via 169 towards the Renaissance Festival grounds. I mention this because the swamp and the festival grounds are adjacent to each other. We roll into the parking lot and start walking west to find the State trail. For the first half a mile, you walk under the shade of oak trees and you can see purple wildflowers bordering the dirt path. After that, the trail opens up and you walk into the beautiful oak savannah that this park is famous for.
The oak leaves were just beginning to bud
The only way for an oak savannah ecosystem to thrive is by consistent wildfires set by lightning or by humans, grazing, low precipitation, and poor soil quality (usually with more sand). Centuries ago, before the settlers came to the Midwest, oak savannah was commonplace, but due to the prevalence of fire suppression throughout the years, these ecosystems have become fragmented and uncommon. I’m lucky to have such a large, pristine oak savannah so close to my city, so that I can appreciate this rare ecosystem. Well, Jamie and I continued along the trail, heading towards Jab’s Farm, which is a historic ruin from a 1905 farmstead. Within the next mile, we found the actual Louisville Swamp and walked along its northern shore. It was a beautiful sight because the marsh birds were singing, warblers were playing, and Jamie and I even saw a few fish jump out of the water. (For the curious birders, I mostly saw the migration remnants of the yellow-rumped warbler).
This is Mazomani, a chief and a peacemaker
We kept walking along Flood’s Road Trail, enjoying the scenery until we found out the trail was flooded. If only we had a canoe, it would’ve been fun to continue along the trail and see Jab’s farm. As we turned around, Jamie and I promised to each other that we would come back in July to see the peak wildflower bloom and Jab’s Farm. We retraced our steps, but veered right to follow the Mazomani Trail along the east bank of the swamp. We learned that the trail was named after a chief of the Wahpeton who had lived in the local area. His name was Mazomani and he was a peacemaker during the U.S-Dakota War of 1862 and even traveled to Washington D.C. to attend several peace talks. Sadly, the peace talks didn’t help prevent The U.S.-Dakota War, which in my opinion is the ugliest part of Minnesota history. The U.S.-Dakota War was fought in the Minnesota River Valley and over 700 soldiers, civilians, and native americans died during the uprising. There was fighting throughout the whole year that didn’t subside until the U.S. had captured and interned over 1000 Dakota and Sioux. After trials and sentencing, it was decided that 38 Sioux and Dakota should be executed, resulting in the largest one-day execution in American history. Mazomani was not executed that day, but was shot while trying to mollify an escalating situation between white settlers and the Sioux. I find it’s very important to remember our history, even the ugly parts. I’m glad that the Minnesota DNR named this trail after Mazomani, so that we can be reminded of the war and Mazomani’s countless peace efforts.
We followed the Mazomani Trail up a small hill. When we reached the top, we found ourselves looking over the Louisville Swamp to our right and a small prairie with oak trees in the distance to our left. For a mile, Jamie and I walked along the hills edge, looking out over the swamp to the rest of the Minnesota River Valley. It was a beautiful sight.
Jamie and I had hoped to walk for a longer time, but due to the flooding, we decided to head home. Overall, I was very impressed by the natural beauty of the Louisville Swamp and am happy to say that my preconceived notions were completely wrong.
Much love,
-Molly
An old train-car bridge just South of Franklin Ave bridge. There is a pleasant walk called the Winchell Trail that runs parallel to West River Parkway. This beach is at the end of the trail.
Hello friends, it’s a rainy Spring day here in Minneapolis. This early evening, I took a long walk along the bicycle greenway and am happy to say that the leaves have finally arrived. My old forest biology professor used to call it “Christmas in Spring”, since all the new leaves are a bright green, popping color here and there similar to christmas lights.
Well, this last month has been fun-packed mostly with art related activities. It all started with the Minneapolis Comic-Con – Wizard World, which was hosted in the Convention Center. My brother and I had always wanted to go to a Comic-Con and we were happy to find out that one was passing through our hometown! So, when the day finally arrived, I put on my storm-trooper helmet and caught the bus with my bro towards downtown. When we arrived, I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple dwarves, elves, and people in nerdy shirts hanging out in front of the entrance. The time had come for the nerds and dweebs of the Twin Cities to congregate and become one super-geek collective.
As we entered the Convention Center, one of the first things we noticed was a DeLorean from Back to the Future. Jamie was lucky enough to get a picture with it.
We looked at the map and decided to go from right to left, looking at all the stands as we walked along. While walking, you could hear an ocarina vendor playing Zelda songs on his personal ocarina, comic collectors haggling with the vendors for cheaper prices, and the normal chitter-chatter of people discussing their comic based interests. Jamie and I entered some stands to look at the board games and/or action figures, but what we really wanted to see was the talented artists. There were hundreds of tables with comic artists and each of those tables had many prints and comics to see. One of my favorites was an artist veteran from Filmation, which is a production company that produced some of the best cartoons ever made, such as He-Man, Looney Tunes, Start Trek: The Animated Series, and, of course, The Adventures of Batman. Okay, okay, I maybe exaggerating about these cartoons being the best ever made, but they are hilarious to watch!
“Holy Comi-Con, Batman!” (Did you know there is a list of Robin exclamations on Wikipedia?
One of the last things Jamie and I did was look at the actors that were signing autographs. I didn’t realize that it cost so much money to get an autograph! Adam Baldwin was signing for $40, Gilbert Godfrey was the same, Lou Ferrigno was $35, and William Shatner was $100-$200. I didn’t get an autograph, but I got to see the first three. Shatner was hidden behind a velvet curtain (so, Shatner). There were many more actors as well, I just didn’t recognize where they were from. Overall, I had a great time at Comic-Con and I look forward to going next year.
My storm-trooper brother!
My favorite cosplay of the day.
Let’s take a break from comics and talk about Art-a-Whirl, which is hosted by the Northeast Minneapolis Arts Association (NEMAA). Art-A-Whirl is the largest open studio tour in the country and it’s a one of the only times of the year where almost all of the private artist studios and galleries are open to the public. Before I delve into Art-a-Whirl, I’ll give you a brief history about NE Minneapolis. Traditionally, Northeast Minneapolis is known for its Scandinavian and Eastern European working-class immigrants. “They were drawn into the area first by employment opportunities that the grain mills and sawmills along the river offered, and later by rail and factory jobs across the city. By 1930, immigrants made up nearly 60% of Northeast’s total population.” (Wikipedia). Even today, you can still see Kramarczuk’s Sausage Company, Sentyrz Liquor & Supermarket, and Nye’s Polonaise Room. I believe the history of NE Minneapolis is important for understanding Art-a-Whirl because then you can recognize that historically working class families lived in this neighborhood. So, it would make sense that artists would be attracted to an area where studio space is cheap and prevalent, due to the abundance of vacant warehouses, an example being the Northrop-King Building. Over the last 30 years, artists have been revitalizing the NE community, resulting in business growth and a thriving restaurant scene. While walking through NE, I saw flatmates on their balconies sharing beers, young families playing with their children on their front lawns, and cafes filled with students, writers, and artists working on their latest works. It’s a lively place, which is the reason why Art-a-Whirl is held in this neighborhood.
It’s a weekend event, so Friday evening, I got off work and decided to take a walk around the NE neighborhood, looking for open-houses and food. In one of the several nooks of the neighborhood, I found a Harriet Brewing stand selling beers on tap and a Polish hotdog stand just beside it: Yes, please! There was music too, so I spent a good part of my night eating, drinking, and listening to the music. After, I walked to my friends/co-workers house, who was hosting a gallery by Joshua Nelson. Josh is a photographer and paper artist and he uses paper to make intricate scenes, such as a hand holding a beehive. It was a cool gallery, you can see more at his website. The next day, I met up with my family and we toured a family-friends gallery called 2001: A Space.
His name is Dean Hawthorne and he’s a welder and freelance fabricator. (Oddly enough, he is also the announcer for Midwest Mountaineering’s Outdoor Expo, which I wrote about in a past entry: small world!). He has a small space, but it is full of fun pieces, such as bike racks and other metal artwork. I liked his night-time scenes the most. The next gallery we visited was at Chris Kelly’s house, who is a glass blower. My Mom works with glass, so she knows Chris and has other connections with the glass artist community. We first went into his side yard, which had a bunch of glass art for sale from a different glass artist. I bought a Mason jar that is filled with colorful glass and has a solar powered LED light, which I now use in my backyard to lead the way to our fire-pit. As I entered the glass studio, I saw that they had some home-brews on tap. I filled my reusable cup and continued on my way to the backyard.
In the backyard, there was a metal casting demonstration. Right when I got there, they were transporting the melted metal into a mold. It was cool to see metal in its liquid form! After, I walked inside his house to find glass art everywhere. The lights had hand crafted glass covers, the walls were covered in colorful glass, and the food was held in beautifully made glass bowls and plates. It was almost overwhelming! There were other glass artists selling their jewelry inside, even one of my Mom’s glass teachers. When we were preparing to leave, I heard there was a glass-blowing presentation happening in the studio, so we walked over to find an apprentice working on a glass vase. I had to put my sunglasses on to watch him continually turn the molten vase in the kiln. I’m glad I got to see a glass blower in action, it would’ve been a pity to miss out of such a interesting presentation!
You’d think I’d had enough of the art scene of Minneapolis, but I wanted to go to one more event that was being hosted the same weekend as Art-a-Whirl. This event in called Spring-Con, which is the local Twin Cities Comic-Con. It’s very similar to Comic-Con, but with a focus on our local artists and more importantly, getting the not-so-well-known artists of Minneapolis out into the Comic market.
Similar as before, I went with my bro to the State Fair Grounds, which is where Spring-Con was being held. We walked inside to find lots of talented artists selling their prints and comic books. I found some of my favorite artists from Fall-Con such as Drew Brockington. You can see his art at www.cannibalrainbow.com. I also found new artists who I liked very much, such as Thomas Boguszewski who you can check out at ThisisArtinProgress. Overall, It was a wonderful time checking out the art and talking with the local artists. Seeing all these young artists inspires me to draw more and to work even harder of my personal projects. Thank you Midwest Comic Book Association for hosting this fun event.
Well, this has been my art-packed life. Thanks for reading. For my final art plug, here is my brother’s tumblr: Chubodactyl. (You can see his drawing above).
Best,
-Molly
The view of the Mississippi River from the Washington Pedestrian Bridge on the University of Minnesota Campus
Hello friends,
It’s raining here in Minnesota and the early Spring flowers are finally blooming. This last weekend, my roommate and I spent most of our Saturday morning cleaning up our garden, so to prepare for planting this week. We’re hoping that the freezing season is officially over. Also, my local neighborhood association met up and we worked together to clean up all the trash that had blown in from the recent windstorms. It was dirty work, but I still enjoyed myself because it gave me the opportunity to meet some of the neighbors I hadn’t met before. When we finished up, I walked around, and I was impressed; it’s pretty amazing what a little bit of work can do to make a neighborhood look more welcoming.
You know what else was happening this weekend? The Outdoor Adventure Expo, hosted by Midwest Mountaineering! During the Spring Expo, there is a boat auction, great sales on outdoor equipment, 120+ presentations from experienced adventurers, 100+ of exhibitors, The Radical Reels Tour, and cheap beer and food. I spent a majority of my weekend working the Expo and interacting with like-minded people. It was fun talking to customers and exhibitors and hearing about their stories or future trips. As I mentioned in my last blog, I actually gave a presentation about my backpacking trip through Mongolia, mostly focusing on my backcountry trek through Bogh Khan Uul National Park and my experience on the Trans-Siberian Railway. I also premiered my short film, Mongolia: A Journey to the West. You can see it at my youtube page or below.
I was surprised to see so many people interested in my presentation. To be honest, I thought it was going to be my family, a few of my friends, and maybe a couple people who had seen the ad in the newspaper. But, I was totally wrong; the room could sit up to 60 people and even before my presentation started, the room became standing room only. I didn’t take a head count, but I think there was at least 70 people in there. I’m always a little nervous to talk in front of an audience, but I actually kept my cool and gave a well-timed and a well-executed presentation (at least that’s what my Dad said…). For my talk, I showed pictures of Bogh Khan Uul and told stories about the trek, I explained about my film and premiered it, and then I ended the presentation with a few pictures and a few short videos of my time on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Overall, I’m very happy with it and I’ve been asked to give a second presentation in the near future. One last thing, when I finished my talk, a few people came up to ask me questions. Most of them were about WWOOF.org and couchsurfing.org, but there was one individual named Paul Schmid who came up to me, gave me his business card, and asked me if he could interview me for his podcast called The Pursuit Zone. He defines his blog by saying, “the idea behind The Pursuit Zone is to interview people that dream big, get out of their comfort zones, and accomplish ambitious pursuits.” He has interviewed some spectacular people. If you have a free moment, you should check it out! I’ll also let you all know if he contacts me and uploads my interview onto his site.
You maybe wondering what Molly is up to now, since she has finally finished her film and the Spring Expo is over. Well, for the upcoming weeks, I am planning on doing a big renovation on this blog. I think I’m ready to move from amateur to semi-less-amateur blogger. Also, I’ve decided that I’m going to start a film project, where I’m going to go through all of my footage from my 7-month trip and make short videos to document my experience. Meaning, I’m going to go through a transition from being solely a blogger to becoming a “vlogger” (video-blogger). I’ll still be writing posts and catching you all up with my life, but I’ll also be spending more time making short videos. In the meantime, I’m going to make a youtube channel (or vimeo channel) and connect it with my blog. I’ve never done a blog makeover before, so it may take me awhile.
Again, thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy my most recent film!
The next time you will hear from me will probably be about the Minneapolis Comic Con, which is this upcoming weekend (yay!), and a summary of my blog renovation progress.
Till next time,
Much love,
-Molly
Playing Hammerschlagen with fellow Spring Expo employees.
I went hiking at Fort Snelling State Park. Such a pretty place.
Hello friends,
Here in Minnesota, the ice is melting and I think winter is finally near its end. People are leaving their homes to enjoy the day, which means Minneapolis will feel like a lively city again. I look forward to seeing people flood the bicycle greenways and working on their gardens this upcoming Spring.
As you may know (if you have been reading my blog), I have been quite active this winter. Even in negative degree weather, I was still out and about, going on walks, playing ultimate frisbee, snowshoeing, or hiking in a nearby state park. Now that the weather is even warmer, I’ll be keeping myself extra busy. I plan on working on my garden when the ground thaws, bicycling to work, and playing Twin Cities Ultimate League games. But, that’s for the future, I’m sure you’re more interested in what I’ve been up to lately.
Well, as I mentioned before, I have been walking a lot. Everyday, I go on a long walk. Sometimes, I walk to the nearby library and rent out picture books to read to the children at my job. Other times, I walk along the Mississippi River and daydream. But on most days, I leave an hour early before work and take the long route to my work place. I’ve always liked walking, but in the last month, I’ve really learned how important a long walk is to me. I’ve noticed I’m much more relaxed and I think it is because I’ve been taking the time to walk and collect my thoughts. I spend most of my time thinking about what has been eating on my mind lately and reflecting on it. If I have nothing to think about, I’ll go into a somewhat meditative state or I’ll sing a tune. Either way, it has been very healthy for me and I’m thankful for having the time to go on these long walks. Soon, I’ll be converting my walking time into bicycling time, but I’ll make sure to fit in those personal reflective moments in my schedule.
You know what else has returned back in my life? Jazz. I used to listen to jazz all the time a few years back, but in recent years I stopped listening to jazz all together. Well, my buddy Sean invited me to a Vocal Jazz Night at Jazz Central, featuring Abacus Jazz trio. Jazz Central is in Northeast Minneapolis and hosts jazz performances 5 nights a week! It’s a pretty hip place. You enter on Central Ave and follow a long hallway until you find a stairway going down (by this time, you can hear the music coming from the basement). As you walk down the steps, the lights get dim, you take a left, and you enter a low ceiling room that is covered in twinkly lights. When you enter the room, you see jazz performers to your right and a bunch of seats to the left. Sean and I found a couch near the back, sat down, and focused our attention on the performers. I closed my eyes and listened to the music. After a couple songs, I learned that Sean had met the band before, so he chatted them up and in the end they played a song in my honor called, “Mali.” I thought that was pretty cool. The rest of the performance went really well. I think my favorite part about Abacus was that they played equally. It seemed like each instrument had their own solo in each song they played. I liked that. It was a very laid back kind of place; I highly recommend it to anyone looking for something to do in Minneapolis. If you’re interested in knowing more about the Jazz culture, check out Jazz Police. They are very up-to-date on the upcoming jazz performances in the Twin Cities.
This is Mr. Michael
And for the last thing I’ll mention, I’ve picked up a new hobby. Every Thursday, I dedicate 2 hours of my evening volunteering at a bicycle shop called Mr. Michael Recycles Bicycles, also known as MMRB. My friend Sean (the same one who I went to Jazz Central with) had worked at MMRB in the past and heard that I wanted to learn bicycle maintenance. So, he invited me to join him a couple months ago and he’s been teaching me how to fix bicycles ever since! He’s a great teacher and I’ve become much more comfortable with basic bicycle maintenance thanks to him. But enough about me, let me tell you about Mr. Michael and his wife, Benita. So, MMRB is a private company that gives away bicycles. They gather discarded/donated bicycles, repairs them, and gives them away. Simple as that. They run their business primarily as a ministry, so their calling is to give away bicycles. They do sell parts and vintage bikes, but only to offset business expenses, so that they can continue giving away free bikes to people in need. I think the coolest part is the community that is formed through this process. Volunteers come in every week to fix discarded bicycles. Think about it, instead of going out and partying on their Thursday night, these volunteers spend their evening helping out for a good cause. That’s what I really like about MMRB. I like the people. They are so kind and patient, especially to my non-stop questions about how to true a tire or the best way to take apart a wheel hub. I really appreciate the work that they do and I am happy to be apart of their community. Their website is a bit outdated, but if you want to hear about their upcoming events, then the best way is to like them on Facebook.
This is my friend, Sean. We were working on this bike together.
Well, that has been my life recently. This next month will be full of bicycling, working, and editing my Mongolia film. I finally have a set presentation time. It’ll be on April 25th starting at 7pm in the Expedition Room at Midwest Mountaineering. I’ll be presenting about my backpacking trip through Bogh Khan Uul Strictly Protected Area, Mongolian culture, and my experience on the TransSiberian Railway. If you’re interested in going, then please stop by. I’ll probably be posting more about it, maybe putting up a sneak preview when the presentation gets closer.
Well, thanks for reading. Till next time.
Much love,
-Molly
Making pizza with friends at my house.
My friend, Anka, posing on Lake Superior
Hello friends, as always, I hope you are all doing well. For me, these last couple weeks have been jam packed with fun activities.
In my last post, I mentioned that I was planning on going to the Apostle Island Sea Caves up near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Well, I did go and I decided to make it into a 2 day trip. The drive to Bayfield takes about 4 hours from Minneapolis and I noticed that my friends who work on the Philadelphia Community Farm in Osceola, WI were on the way. I had been telling them for awhile that I’d like to stop by and see the farm, so that’s exactly what I did.
Well, my brother and I woke up very early to start the long drive to Bayfield. We picked up our friends in Osceola and made it to The Apostle Islands within the afternoon. And what an afternoon it was; the weather was perfect! The sun was out and the temperature even reached up to 42 F (5.5 C). It was the perfect day to hike out to the ice caves and explore the Lake Superior Coast. I could write a bunch more about what I saw and how much I enjoyed myself, but I thought I’d rather make a film about my experience. I brought my Sony HandyCam with me and took some footage. Here’s the short film I made.
After the caves, we jumped into my car and drove back to Osceola. Anka and Ulysse, my friends at the farm, invited us to stay with them that evening. We stayed in the guest house and pretty much passed out right when we got back. The next morning, I woke up bright and early to the sun hitting my face. My brother was already awake, so we got dressed and walked over to the main house for some good ‘ol fashion raison and oatmeal. That morning, I met 3 other people who live at the farm; Verna, Robin, and Monty. Verna is the owner of the farm and caretaker for the people who reside in the main house. Monty has lived in the main house for a long time. He has autism and spends his days thinking and helping out on the farm. I didn’t have a chance to get to know him, but Anka told me he unconditionally loves all animals. Robin has also lived in the house for a long time and helps with household chores. And from what I observed, she is probably the most well-liked person in Osceola. When Anka and I dropped her off at the Community Fitness Center, it seemed like everyone knew her!
Anka was kind enough to give me a tour of the farm. I was able to meet all their animals, even their barn cats. In total, they have 1 donkey, 2 barn cats (that I know of), 4 sheep, and lots of chickens. After the animals, Anka showed me their acres of lands and brought me to their greenhouse. This is where I met Carter. He runs the greenhouses and I believe he does most of the CSA Organic vegetable and fruit distribution. He is a “salt-of-the-earth” kind of individual and from I noticed, he knows a whole lot about gardening. Another cool thing about the farm is that they invite more than 1200 children and adults each year through Inter-related Programs. If you’d like to hear more about these programs and how you can get involved, go to their website: Philadelphia Community Farm! One last thing, if you are also interested in joining their CSA, here is the link: CSA- Buttermilk Falls. They are very sweet people and I promise anything you get from them was grown with compost, sweat, and love.
Why, Hello there.
Anka with her Donkey friend named Burrito
Chickens!
I’m happy to have had the chance to visit the farm and I already know I’ll be coming back sooner than later! They’ll be needing help in a few weeks with turning the soil and planting seeds in the greenhouse. So, I plan on being there with my boots and gloves ready.
Other than that, I’ve been enjoying my days in Minneapolis. I went to a Jeremy Mestersmith concert this last Friday. He’s a local artist and I’d recommend him to anyone who likes an indie songwriter. My favorite song of his is called Tatooine (and yes, it is a song about Star Wars). Here’s more of his stuff through NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert.
Thanks for reading everyone. I hope you enjoy my short film.
Much love,
-Molly
Jeremy Messersmith performing at First Ave
Frozen Willow Falls with my brother and sister. I hiked here with my brother last year too. I was happy to bring my twin sister along this time to hike in the beautiful Willow Falls State Park.
Hello friends, I hope all of you are taking care of yourselves. I have some good news! In late April, there is an Outdoor Adventure Expo hosted by Midwest Mountaineering, an outdoor equipment store, in which people from all over the USA come together to premiere new outdoor equipment. Well, I was asked by the Expo organizer to present about my recent 7 month backpacking trip, mostly focusing on Mongolian culture, my backcountry trip in Bogh-Khan Uul, and my Trans-Siberian Railway experience. I’ll be premiering my film at the Expo, telling stories, and answering questions about my trip. If you’ll be around Minneapolis during April 25th-27th, then you should stop by the Expo! When the date gets closer, I’ll let you all know the time and day of my presentation.
This last month has been one helluva cold one and it also has brought ups and downs for me. You’ve already heard about one of my ups, so the first sorta-down is that my twin sister has moved to China, once again, to start a new job. Her first job was to help film with a National Geographic crew. I mentioned in my last post about some filmmakers who Colleen befriended in China, well these are the same people. Just this week, she finished up her work with them and now she is moving to Beijing to start her new job at WildChina, a sustainable travel company. She will be assisting in developing sustainable backpacking routes in Yunnan Province, China, mostly focusing on the areas she has experience in, such as the treks near Shangrila and Luguhu. If you are interested in visiting China and finding ways to go off the beaten track, you should check out WildChina. You can find them here and they have a blog too. I look forward to seeing where this new job takes her (and hopefully I can tag along on one of her future treks!). The second down in this past month is that after a long battle with dementia, my grandmother of 88 passed away. She was a great lady and I’ll miss her a lot.
My grandma, Mimi
About 2 weeks ago you might’ve heard about the “Polar Vortex” that ravaged the Midwest. It was pretty darn cold, but us Minnesotans still find ways to get outside and combat it. At least, I know I did! During the coldest days (-40F/C), I stayed inside and if I did go out, I bundled with lots of layers. But, when it warmed up to 0 to -10 (-17C to -23C), I was outside bicycling to work or going on walks for exercise. I also have been snowshoeing with the family, since the snow this year has been fantastic! I’ve been able to keep myself very active during this cold Minnesota winter and here are some of my highlights from this past month.
Frozen Minnehaha Falls. I slide down the stairs on my butt with my good friend, Katie.
Snowshoeing across Lake Calhoun with my older sister and brother. The City of Lakes Loppet was happening that weekend too. We stopped by to see the festivities and found some very cool snow sculptures! This was my sister’s favorite.
And of course, my favorite winter activity: Snow-Ultimate! I play every Saturday morning.
Well, that is about it. For the next couple months, leading up to the Expo, I’ll be busy organizing and editing my film. I’ll also keep busy with all the fun winter activities that I’m planning to do, such as downhill skiing, learning how to cross-country ski, and snowshoeing. The next time you hear from me will probably be about the Bayfield Ice Caves. I’m planning on seeing them next week.
Till then,
-Molly
These are the three individuals who shared their homes and became our tour guides of Los Angeles. I won’t go into too much detail about the whole trip, but I’ll share my highlights.
Santa Monica
The first highlight is our trip to Santa Monica and seeing the pier. Us and Diana walked to the theme park and looked out to the ocean. I saw Malibu to our right and Catalina Island to our left. After walking around, Diana encouraged us to walk through the shopping district. There were a lot of street performers, but one of my favorite parts of that day was when we passed a stand that said, “Handwriting Analysis, Twins are Free…”. Colleen and I were intrigued so we tried it out. We learned that he was collecting handwriting samples from people so that he can write a book in the future. Well, we wrote down a phrase and he determined Colleen and I are complete opposites. It was very funny seeing my sister’s face when he called her a “control-freak,” and then with a smile, Colleen replied, “excuse me, I’m not a control-freak. I’d like to say I’m just very organized.” He then looked to me and told me that I’m the kind of person who spins the paper roll and uses one big wad of paper while using the toilet… How did he know!?! The rest of the day was spent walking along the beach and meeting up with an old high school buddy in the evening.
The pier
Colleen and I saw a lot of the city by car, thanks to Diana and Ricky. We drove around Beverly Hills, the inner city, and other famous parts of LA. I won’t talk about these experiences, but there is one more highlight that I’d like to share with you and it is quite the story.
On the third day in LA, Colleen had to go to a film crew meeting. We were picked up by Ricky and Jane and were whisked away to Culver City. During the car ride, Ricky mentioned that he had to go to a film shoot after the meeting with one of his fellow documentary filmmakers. That prompted me to tell Ricky about my past film experience. I minored in film in college and I even made a documentary that was premiered on Oregon Public Broadcasting (I believe they still play it, even 2 years later). Here’s a link if any of you are interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgcOH5UvsyE.
We eventually made it to the restaurant and I spent a wonderful hour with Jane. She is a cool girl, I would even go so far to say that she is a kindred spirit. As the meeting winded down, he asked his friend about the film shoot. His friend told him that something had come up and he couldn’t make it. He asked his back-up friend, but he couldn’t make it either. By this point, Ricky is freaking out and as he was about to give-up, I noticed a glint in his eye and he looked at me. He points at me and says, “Molly! You have film experience. Do you know how to use a Canon 5D?” I replied with, “no, but I am comfortable with a Nikon.” Ricky said, “Close enough, Jane will teach you how to use one while we drive over. Now get in the car!” I jumped in and Jane started teaching me the basics about the Canon 5D. Ricky also prompted me about where we are going, why we will be there, and what I will specifically be doing. He said we would be filming for an airplane company and that I’d be in a private plane, filming another plane, as well as Catalina Island. At this point, I’m feeling a little nervous. And as my hands started to perspire, Ricky added, “Oh, and I forgot to mention. You know the fancy camera that I showed you? Well, you’ll have to pretend that you own that because you may be using it for the shoot.” Gulp.
Luckily due to Jane’s great teaching abilities and my amateur improv skills, the whole shoot went very well! It was actually very laid back. I was in the back seat, which meant I didn’t have to stress too much about filming, since I had the worst cinematographic position. I mostly looked out the window, enjoying the view of LA and Catalina Island at dusk. Even now, I still remember the beautiful peaks of Catalina with LA in the background, glowing dimly in the twilight. I will remember that experience for the rest of my life.
This is the type of plane I flew in.
LA at night. This is while we were landing.
Me with my headset, watching Catalina Island pass by.
Well, I hope you enjoyed reading my post. My next post will likely be about my winter hobbies in cold Minnesota.
Till then,
-Molly
Till next time. <3
It’s almost Christmas! Here is Colleen decorating the tree.
Hello friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did. My sister and I cooked dinner for our family, except for my Mom’s Uncle Ben’s Rice. It had been 5 years since I shared Thanksgiving with my twin sister, and for that, I am grateful.
I’ve been pretty busy since mid-November. I told you all in my last blog that I was heading to San Francisco, CA for my older sisters wedding. After SF, I would also join my twin sister to Los Angeles. I won’t burden you with all the details, but in this post I’ll mention some highlights from my time in SF!
SF at sunset.
My family arrived a few days early, so we could help my sister, Meghan, prepare for the ceremony. Another reason for getting there early was so my twin sister, Colleen, and I could attend the bachelorette party! It was held in a hip night club that hosts burlesque shows. If you don’t know what burlesque is, I guess I would say it is a mix between classy stripping and theatrical performing. Women use feathers and fabric to cover themselves and then they tease the audience by taking articles of clothing off one-by-one, but they cover themselves with their prop (huge feather fan, for example). I enjoyed my time and the best part was that the performers were all shapes and sizes. If you have the chance to attend a burlesque show, I’d recommend it. It will be an experience that you’ll never forget.
While in the city, Colleen and I spent a day bicycling around town. We biked to the Golden Gate Bridge, down the Embarcadero, up into China town, and through the financial district. On another day, we went to Japan town. I was very excited to eat good Japanese food and let’s not forget to mention that the zen temple, Sokoji, was in the area too. During my time in Japan town, it felt good to eat delicious sushi and to say hi to Buddha in a Hondo again. I would say this area is a must-see for any travelers coming through San Francisco. Something else I did that related to Japan was my reunion with my friend, Akiyo (I call her A-chan). I met her in Japan, but specifically at Tokurinji. She lives in Oakland, so she was only a BART ride away. She invited me to her home and as I walked through the door, it felt like I was in Japan again. Her walls were full of Japanese art, her shelves had Japanese books and pottery on them, and her doorways had fabric separators. During my stay, A-chan served me tea and we talked about our friends from Tokurinji. It felt great to reminisce about Japan.
Me posing in front of the Hondo of Sokoji Temple.
Japan Town.
Hey look, Alcatraz!
And of course, the wedding was unforgettable. Meghan and her now husband, Kevin, decided to rent out a ranch in wine country. They invited all of their friends and made their wedding a whole weekend event. People stayed in cabins and spent their free time hiking on the nearby trails or enjoying the sunny weather. On the first night, there was a talent show. There was acrobatics, improv comedy, a family musical performance, a rap, and much more! My twin sister and I wrote and sang a song. I played the ukulele and sang the chorus, while Colleen told embarrassing stories about Meghan in rhythm. That was so much fun!
The second day was the wedding ceremony. Colleen and I were bridesmaids, so we hung out with Meghan while getting our hair and make-up done. (For anyone who knows me, they would know that this is a big deal. I never wear make-up.) Throughout the day, I couldn’t stop looking at Meghan because she looked so beautiful. She had flowers in her hair, her hair was in perfect curls, and her dress fit her perfectly. She also couldn’t stop smiling. Eventually, after lots of photos, the ceremony began. I played Somewhere Over the Rainbow when Meghan and my Mom and Dad were walking up the aisle. And, well, I guess the rest of the wedding went like a dream. Oh, what a night.
My sister, my brother, and a friend hiking nearby the wedding grounds.
Meghan in her dress.
Me playing baritone ukulele during the wedding ceremony. Photo thanks to Pim Robert
As you can see, my trip to SF was oodles of fun. So much more happened, but maybe we’ll chat about it over coffee sometime.
Thanks for reading. I’ll write about my adventures in LA soon. Here’s a sneak peak.
Why is Molly in a plane?! Read my next blog to find out!
Much love,
-Molly
Here’s me in Muir Woods. I hiked it with my twin sister and my two older brothers.
The Minneapolis cityscape from the UoM campus.
Hello friends, I hope all is well. I haven’t done too much traveling this month, but I’ve kept busy by delving into my other hobbies. Mostly, i have been bicycling and playing ultimate frisbee. I also found a job! I’ll be a Recreation Specialist for Minneapolis Park and Rec. I’m happy to have a job, especially one where I can play with children. Other than that, I thought to myself recently that my friends from the other side of the world would maybe like to know what I am up to. So, I decided to write about my local adventures and what a Minneapolis nature girl does for fun. Here are a couple highlights from this Fall. 
The Greenway map of Minneapolis
As I said before, I’ve been biking a lot. One of my goals for this Fall was to learn the bike trails of Minneapolis and to use my car as little as possible. I’d like to say I accomplished my goal. I used my bicycle daily, either to bike to Bryn Mawr Park for pick-up ultimate frisbee, to Lake Calhoun to meet up with friends, or to Minneapolis to drop off job applications. From my house to these places, it usually took 40 minutes to over an hour to bike there; all thanks to the Greenways! I would also bike for pleasure. Here’s a funny story about one of my long bike rides. One morning, I decided to bike to Minnehaha Falls. It’s right off the Greenway and I hadn’t been there since I was a little kid. It’s almost 15 miles one way, so I packed myself a lunch and prepared for my morning/afternoon activity. I started off on the Cedar Lake Greenway and then took a right onto a smaller bike trail that joined up to the Midtown Greenway. It was a beautiful day, so it wasn’t surprising to see lots of people biking on the trails. About halfway through my ride, I pass a biker and heard someone say, “Hey! Do I know you?!” I kept biking, thinking this wasn’t directed to me. Eventually, this biker catches up to me and asks the same question. I look over to see an old classmate from the University of Oregon! Her name is Colette and we took film classes together. She told me she was on a cross-country road trip and she stopped in Minneapolis for only 5 days. Due to a lot of coincidences, our lives crossed and I couldn’t of been happier. I invited her to join me to Minnehaha Falls and then ended up giving her a sorta tour of Minneapolis’ bike trails. I spent the rest of the day with her, met some other Oregon transplants, and even went retro bowling at the Bryant Lake Bowling Alley (a must see if you are visiting the Twin Cities.) I’m glad to have given Colette a small dose of Minnesota’s charm and I wish her luck to the rest of her travels! I hope to see her again. 
Minnehaha Falls
I could talk even more about the bike scene in Minneapolis, but instead I’ll share with you some of my other Fall highlights. In previous posts, I’ve talked about one of my other favorite hobbies: hiking. There are many great hiking trails near the Twin Cities and one of my favorites during the Fall season is Crow-Hassan State Park. This park is mainly prairie and maple forest. During the Fall, the maple leaves turn into a vibrant yellow. Here are some shots of my hike.
The maple stands. This photo doesn’t do it justice, the forest was completely yellow. 
Prairie. Minnesota was once covered in prairie, but due to colonization and fire repression, prairies have dwindled. Nowadays, there are conservation groups that do control burns to save our native prairie fields. 
The Crow-Hassan State Park is very large. Its hiking trails are perfect for cross country skiing during the winter. I hiked this trail with my brother a couple weeks ago. We always find interesting fauna and flora during our hikes. Jamie found a well preserved Gardner Snake. It seem to have died peacefully. We left it in plain sight, hoping that a naturalist or a child might find it. I found a Stinkhorn mushroom. I won’t go into detail about the Stinkhorn, but if you are interested, you should check them out. They smell bad and they have a funny structure. Other than that, we enjoyed the beautiful weather and hiked till our stomachs started to grumble.
I’ll summarize the rest of my Fall activities through my photos. 
I went to an apple orchard in Orono with my brother and sister (My sister just returned from China this month!). We picked Honey-crisp and Fireside apples hoping to make a pie, but they tasted so good that we ate them all instead!
I carved pumpkins with my brother and sister (mine is to the left). Halloween was fun this year. We were dog sitting and were able to pass out candy to children. We then walked the dogs through the neighborhood and witnessed the Halloween tradition of groups of children running from house to house yelling, “Trick or Treat!!” For my international friends, when you’re a child on Halloween, you dress up and run around your neighborhood asking for candy. When you knock on the door, you must say, “trick-or-treat” and then the person gives you candy. Fun, right? The next day, Colleen (my sister) and I went to a Halloween party. I dressed up as Amelia Earhart and Colleen dressed up as an archer. Funny enough, I met two people at the party who were Oregon transplants. We had mutual friends from Eugene, OR. One of them I even recognized because I went to one of his performances at a friends party. What a small world.
Last, but not least, Colleen and I went to a kung fu demonstration. Colleen even participated in a short kung fu training. Master Beng lives in the Wu Dong mountains in central China and travels to the USA to spread the good word of internal kung fu. I really enjoyed my time watching Master Beng and the local kung fu artists.
Well, that’s my Fall in a nutshell. This morning, there was snow on the ground and I can tell that Winter is almost here. I’ll be hanging up my bike soon, which is sad, but now I get to pull out my snow shoes! I’m also going to be apart of a Broomball team, so I’ll be keeping myself busy. In a week, I’ll be flying to San Francisco for my older sister’s wedding. I’ll be traveling for two weeks. One week in SF and the other week in Los Angeles. I’ll tell you all about it in my next post.
Till then,
-Molly
In my last post, I said I’d bake a mixed berry pie. Well, I did! (My friend Julia is to the left)
Hello friends, it’s Molly and this is my first post since my 7 month trip. If you read my last post, I mentioned I would still use this blog for my adventures in the USA. So, lets start!
All is well in the Midwest, well I guess except for the government shutdown, but that’s everywhere in the USA today. If you didn’t know, the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is a renovated heath care program. It has gone through the senate and was deemed constitutional by the Supreme Court. The republican dominated house does not want it to be funded, but the democrats do. Last night (Monday), Congress had to make a decision about funding government programs. The republicans said, “let’s fund the government, except for Obamacare. We can delay that decision.” Of course, the democrats said they wanted to fund Obamacare. Due to the stubbornness of both sides, there was no decision on government funding. So now, we are at a standstill and the majority of government workers are not at work today because there is no money to pay them. Which is why this situation is called The Government Shutdown.
I wanted to summarize this issue for my friends abroad, I hope this is helpful!
Lately, I have been enjoying my time back in Minnesota. It has been over a month since my trip and I’ve kept myself busy. I’ve been job searching, reading, playing ukulele, nerding out on computer games, playing ultimate frisbee, and most importantly bicycling. My Dad’s 1979 Panasonic may be a little heavy for a touring bicycle, but I love riding it around Minneapolis. The Green Way (the bicycle highway) is only a 10 minute ride from my house and I use it almost everyday. It’s so handy.
As you can see, I have lots of free time. So, a couple weeks ago, I went to La Crosse, WI to see the premiere of a documentary called Mysteries of the Driftless. The organization that produced this film is called Untamed Science and they summarize themselves as, “a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring the next generation of scientists and science minded citizens through adventure based media.” I know one of the filmmakers, his name is Rob Nelson. He let me sleep on his couch when I was in Charlotte, NC. What a nice guy. I was hoping to see him and his family, but he couldn’t make it to the premiere.
Well, I bet you are wondering what “driftless” means because it’s in the title of my post and it’s in the title of the documentary. Before I tell you, here’s a bit of history. About twenty-two thousand years ago, the most recent glacial period was at its peak. This is commonly known as the Ice Age. During this time, glaciation, the movement of glaciers, was ravaging the land. These huge blocks of ice migrated across the USA and flattened everything in its path. In Minnesota, most of our landscapes are rolling hills or it’s completely flat. This is solely due to glaciation.
Well, glaciation occurred for over a hundred thousand years and formed what we in the Midwest know as the Great Plains. Oddly enough, due to the placement of the Great Lakes and other geological factors, the small area that includes SW Wisconsin, SE Minnesota, NW Illinois, and NE Iowa was never touched by glaciers. Imagine, there were a hundred thousand years worth of opportunities for this area to be run over by a glacier, but it never did. This is why this region is called The Driftless and that is why this place is special. The Driftless area is completely different from any other place in the USA (possibly the world). What it is famous for is its bluffs (a steep cliff), deep underground caves, and endemic species. It is also well known for its primitive cave art. If you are interested in learning more about The Driftless Region, you should check out the documentary. Here’s the link. Mysteries of the Driftless. I also follow Untamed Science on Facebook. If you want to learn more about them, you can check out their website too.
The Mississippi and the bridge that connects Wisconsin and Minnesota
I really enjoyed my time in La Crosse. It has a small town feel and the downtown is adorable. It is full of antique shops, local restaurants and bars, and bike lanes. I was pleasantly surprised to see how bike friendly the town is. I brought my bike with me and spent the whole first day riding on the trails. There are 8 miles worth of trails going through the marshes of the Mississippi and then I jumped onto the country roads and biked till the premiere that evening. While biking, I noted that La Crosse is nestled in the Mississippi Valley and surrounding it are the famous bluffs. On my way back, I was fortunate enough to bike along the steep cliffs.
After the premiere, my couchsurfer host, Ryan, brought me to his house and I was surprised to see he lives right beside the highest bluff in the area, Granddad Bluff. Ryan was born and raised in the Driftless Region, so he told me he doesn’t think twice about living next to such an iconic marker. Also, before seeing the documentary, Ryan had never heard of the term “driftless,” so he was very surprised at how special his hometown is. It was pretty cool talking to him about the documentary, but also about his life in general. He is a very interesting guy. He is a ex-Peace Corps volunteer and he just got back from 3 years in Madagascar. Thanks Ryan, for letting me crash on your futon!
La Crosse, WI. You can see the Mississippi River and the cliffs in the distance.
Another view, but facing NW. Those are the marshes I biked through.
The next day, I hiked up to Granddad Bluff. I got a few pictures of the town, as you can see. The hike itself was pretty easy. You can either climb up by the highway or there are random trail heads at the bottom of the cliff. It was quiet hike, since it was a Tuesday afternoon, I really enjoyed that. I walked most of the trails that Granddad had to offer by mid-afternoon, so I looked on the map and saw that Hixon Forest Nature Reserve was nearby and decided to check it out.
Here’s one last look from Granddad bluff, but to the SW.
I drove to Hixon Forest Nature Reserve and had to make a decision. Either take a right and walk into an open prairie or take a left and go into the forest. I decided the prairie because I thought I’d get better views of the landscape. I learned quickly that I found a mountain biking hub and I ended up walking on some intense biking trails. I passed some bikers and I was really impressed by their stamina and courage! There were steep drops, steep inclines, and lots of natural obstacles. You’d never find me on a bike on that trail, I was completely content walking, thank you very much! I found myself in a forest eventually and had fun trying to identify the trees. I only had a tree identification book of the Pacific Northwest, but it was still useful in some regards. There were lots of oaks, sugar maples, and white pine. I wish I knew more about the area because there were some very pretty trees that I couldn’t identify.
I walked in a white pine forest for a short while. It was part of the biking trail.
The next day, I woke up nice and early and decided to go on one last bike ride. I biked through the town, stopped by the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and went on the marsh trails again. I rested at a bench that had a view of the bluffs. I thought to myself, “wow, I am in a place that has looked like this for hundreds of thousands of years.” It really is a blast from the past. To think that prehistoric creatures, Indians, and colonial settlers have walked where I walked and have seen what I seen. How cool is that? Maybe it’s just me being a dweeb, but what really matters is that I enjoyed my time in La Crosse.
Hope you liked my post and that you learned something new.
best,
-Molly
Molly's Journey to the West 
