Tag: Adventure

• Exploring Detroit

  Posted at 7:04 AM by Brittany, on April 9, 2014

  The morning of “the most epic wedding of all time” I explored Detroit. After exploring DC, and spending a few days in Pennsylvania once upon a time, I have come to a conclusion. East coast architecture is waayyy different than west coast architecture. I’ve also realized I have a slight fascination with buildings, and I like to take photos of them.

  

  

  Detroit has a bizarre vibe to it. Among some of the most rundown buildings, are the most beautiful cathedrals/churches I have ever seen (until I make my way to Ireland!)

  

  
  

  One building in particular that I couldn’t get enough of was this one…

  

  

  

  Absolutely stunning.

  Wandering Detroit didn’t last long once Megan and I realized we were the only two people walking the streets in search of adventure. Everyone else was either waiting for a bus (or God knows what else..) or hustling to work. We stuck out like a buck tooth.

  

  I couldn’t leave Detroit empty handed though. Along with exploring on foot I had to experience the city in one of two ways – food, or coffee. I chose the latter.

  

  Let me just say, I have never been so intellectually stimulated when it comes to coffee. The sleeve says it all – the art and science of coffee. The Roasting Plant is a hidden gem right in the heart of downtown Detroit. I enjoyed a freshly brewed cup of coffee, just for me.

  

  Found on IG

  Walking in to see the above contraption was a bit overwhelming, but after identifying myself as a newbie to the barista behind the counter, I was given full step by step instructions. I’m a devout drip coffee drinker so my instructions were easy – choose which beans you want from the selections in the tubes, and watch the magic happen.

  I tend to enjoy smooth, full bodied, medium roast coffees so I chose, “Sulawesi Tana Toraja.” I placed my order, and the beans flew above my head (Willy Wonka Style) to be ground, brewed, and poured into my own personal cup. I was geeking out so hard.

  

  Found on IG

  

  My brew – the closest looking thing to a beer you’ll see me drinking.

  This was the coolest coffee experience I’ve had probably…ever. I was so enthralled by my coffee. It was smooth and full bodied, just like this guy below…envision this is me with coffee in one hand and a cookie in the other. OR two cookies…definitely two.

  

  Like a boss.

  This post wraps up the recap of my week long vacation. Coming back to work was a bit rough, but how can you be bummed being surrounded by the smells of coffee all day?

  Q(s):

  • Have you ever been to Detroit? 
  • Who else would geek out over this coffee experience? Anyone..anyone…Bueller…

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Adventure, Buildings, Coffee, Detroit, Explore

• Roaring Good Times

  Posted at 6:10 AM by Brittany, on April 7, 2014

  If you’ve been following my posts lately, you’ll know I was on the east coast for some fun adventures. Although I love the idea of a completely spontaneous trip, this one was planned for months and had a purpose. I flew to DC to stay with Megan, and she and I drove north to Michigan to attend Lily’s wedding. Us bloggers are crazy folk I tell ya.

  

  Somewhere in Pennsylvania…

  Megan and I had met before, so I knew being with her for a week straight would be fine. Neither of us had physically met Lily, but somehow I knew that would be fine too. There is an unspoken bond between bloggers that makes it totally normal to do what we did.

  

  I don’t usually do well on long car rides…I drink a lot of water, which means I pee a lot. I get antsy easily, which means I need to punch dance a lot. I don’t like sitting too long because my butt goes numb, and frankly being in a confined space for 8 hours is rough.

  Much to my surprise, the long ride with Megan was not only tolerable, but dare I say fun?

  

  View from the hotel room.

  

  Canadaland!

  

  That view…

  Lily did an amazing job with this wedding, she handmade her invites, seating cards, gifts, and more. Not to mention the cathedral was gorgeous. Detroit was just littered with cathedrals. I think one of my favorite parts, was how vegan friendly she made this.

  

  Personalized/hand stamped gift. Swoon.

  

  Lily, this meal was amazing. I think marriage was on your mind while making the seating cards, because MRS.Brittany sure looks good on me!

  Oh – and she was absolutely stunning. SO unbelievably gorgeous I can’t even describe it.

  

  

  This is as Gatsby as I get…haa.

  

  My hot date.

  The theme was 1920’s and everything was perfect. I drank, I ate, I danced, and I had a roaring good time. I’ve been dying to use the photo booths at weddings, and I finally did.

  

  Congratulations to Lily and her new hubby Cory, they are wonderful together and I just adore them both to pieces. Thank you for everything Lily, your wedding was perfect.

  

  The lost face of one too many wedding induced beverages. (Britta-wemissedyou)

  

  I’m partial to this photo, I think it captures our true personalities. I also see a pirate.

  These are the friends that will last a lifetime.

  Q: What’s something crazy you’ve done recently?

  

  | 45 Comments Tagged Adventure, Bloggers, Detroit, Vegan, Wedding

• Unleashing My Inner Billy Goat

  Posted at 6:56 AM by Brittany, on April 5, 2014

  I love hiking. Most of the hikes I go on in WA (state) are dirt trails that go up. Up, up, and up. Green trees towering all around me, and rivers and creeks streaming below me. While on the east coast I was able to conquer a different kind of hike, one where the trails are not paved. Instead, there are blue markers that you must “find” while crawling over rocks.

  

  Click to make larger.

  

  Megan and I met up with Sophie for a 2 hr hike at Great Falls in Maryland, and we hiked the Billy Goat Trails! Despite the snow and chilly wind, the hike was absolutely gorgeous! The snowy backdrop made for amazing photos.

  

  

  

  

  

  This was such a unique hike for me. I’m used to having visible paths to follow, so having to hunt for where to go while unleashing my inner billy goat was a ton of fun. I felt like a legit mountaineer. I now feel the need to buy tons of mountain gear and get lost in the woods.

  

  

  Can you spot the deer?

  Yea, this was definitely one of my favorite hikes.

  

  

  There were times I could barely see these markers…

  The season for outdoor exploration has arrived.

  Q: Do you prefer easily visible paths, or would you enjoy hunting for your next step?

  

  | 33 Comments Tagged Adventure, DC, Exploring, Hiking

• Exploring DC

  Posted at 4:07 AM by Brittany, on April 3, 2014

  I had never been to DC before, so being a typical tourist I was more than happy to tromp around in the snow to be able to see the sights of a new town. I was swooning so hard over the buildings and have more than enough photos to show for it, but first – pancakes. Megan and I found a recipe that I happily slaved for hours ten minutes to create.

  

  

  These were too legit to quit. SO bomb. Gluten/dairy/& egg free. Perfect exploration fuel.

  

  

  I don’t know many other people that would gladly walk in the snow just to explore, and for that I adore Megan to pieces. She also happens to be a fantastic action photographer…

  

  

  

  I really had my heart set on riding one of these bikes, I wish my town had the bike share option. Instead, I need to just BUY A BIKE already! We of course found the White House, and the Washington Monument. Obama invited us to brunch, but I was set on Woodlands.

  

  

  Found a few free museums to wander into.

  

  

  

  

  Meet Paul, my new boyfriend.

  

  I hate snow more than anyone, but this gray snowy day sure made for some fun photos. I didn’t dare carry my dSLR though, so the iPhone had to suffice. Such a charming city.

  Q: Have you ever been to DC?

  

  | 39 Comments Tagged Adventure, Bloggers, DC, Exploring, Pancakes, Random, Snow, Vegan

• Coffee For Me, Coffee For You

  Posted at 8:24 AM by Brittany, on March 21, 2014

  I don’t know what has gotten into me the past few weeks, but this blog has turned into a baking/treat/dessert/stuff my face with chocolate blog. My only complaint is that I don’t have many people to share with, so my coworkers have been getting force fed on the regular lately. In all honesty though, no one has complained. Modern day sugar mama.

  

  One of the many things I love about blogging is that it inspires me to switch things up. If you remember this post, I talked about how I go through phases of activities. The baking phase has been alive and well, but it’s time to get out and explore more. Just in time for my upcoming trip to DC/Virginia/Michigan to visit Megan (and a handful of other bloggers!!!)

  

  May 2013 – she will forever hold the spot in my heart as my “first blogger meetup.”

  I do have a post coming about coffee. Go figure. This post is a bit different though, I have been doing a lot of thinking/reading lately about organic vs. non organic coffee, Starbucks vs. local shops, which decaf beans you should buy…things like that. I have been complacent with my coffee intake lately, and it’s time to tighten the belt!

  I’m not sure what my posting will be like next week, as I mentioned earlier I have more recipe posts saved, and will be writing my coffee post today so I should have things to share. Unless I get swept away by the vacation spirit and get my blogging fix in the form of people. Megan, Lily, Alex, Sarah, Brennan, Nikki…the club can’t even handle me right now.

  Q: What has been your main blogging topic lately?

  

  | 32 Comments Tagged Adventure, Baking, Blog, Coffee, Vegan

• Wanderer

  Posted at 3:58 AM by Brittany, on March 3, 2014

  I like to wander. I find it calming, peaceful, and the best way to discover new places. Last week I took one of my days off and headed to Seattle to wander. I’ve been to Seattle handfuls of times, but always with a purpose. This was one of the first times I went with no plan, and I went all by myself. It also happened to be the first sunny day in weeks.

  

  

  I got about 4 blocks from the ferry dock when I decided to stop for lunch.

  

  

  This picture was meant to capture my lunch date..with myself. Empty seat in front of me. It was awesome.

  

  After I face planted this “chicken” sandwich, I walked..and walked..and walked some more. The weather put me in such a fabulous mood, I turned left, then right, then left again.

  

  No matter how many times I have been to Seattle I almost always venture to Pike Place, just to wander some more. It was a slow day at the market, and sadly the vegan scone I had my heart set on was gone. I have been wanting to try this scone for a while now.

  

  Just when I thought my luck ran out after missing my opportunity with the scone, I wandered my way across the street from a place I had JUST seen on Cooking Channels show Unique Sweets (which I happen to be obsessed with.) I was sure they wouldn’t have any vegan chocolate, but I had to go in just to see what the hype was all about!

  

  The super tiny, smaller than a quarter sized truffles were $2..EACH. NO WAY. I was just about to walk out after reading milk chocolate, salted caramel labels when I saw this…

  

  4 minutes and $4 later I walked out with the most expensive piece of chocolate I’ve ever purchased. I blame my missed scone opportunity, and the fact that this place was on TV.

  

  I’m trying to live my life on the edge these days, and spending $4 on this tiny bar of chocolate is completely wild and crazy. The presentation was gorgeous, well done Fran.

  

  The story behind this store is exceptional quality products, from only the top chocolate producing countries. Fran’s passion for chocolate is like my passion for coffee, I dig it. Oh, and the verdict on my pistachio, toasted hazelnut, dark chocolate from Madagascar bar?

  Meh. It went well with my morning coffee, and had rich cocoa notes at the end of my bite, but it wasn’t worth $4 that’s for sure! I think I’ll stick to my $4 cupcakes.

  Q: Would you buy expensive food if it were on Food Network or Cooking Channel? Yes…yes I would.  

  

  | 46 Comments Tagged Adventure, Chocolate, Seattle, Vegan, Veggie Grill

• Discover Portland: Foodie Tourist

  Posted at 7:18 AM by Brittany, on February 26, 2014

  My trip to Stumptown coffee would fall into the playing tourist category, but was so monumental it deserved a post of its own. After my race I needed coffee, but I also needed something else…something sugary and naughty. I needed a VOODOO doughnut.

  

  

  Initially I went to the location downtown, but after seeing how long the line was I decided to drive to another location. Still a line, but not nearly as long.

  

  I would have waited, but my copilot said no.

  The wait time was about 15 minutes, not bad. I somehow pulled willpower out of my back pocket as if it had always lived there, and I saved my two donuts for later.

  

  

  I got a classic powdered doughnut with a raspberry filling, but you don’t want to see that. What you’ll want to see is the chocolate, Oreo, peanut butter doughnut that rocked my face so hard I kicked myself for only getting one. Seriously..unreal. I’d drive back just for this…

  

  

  iPhone photos

  I saved this treat for specific reasons, I had my stomach set on a Portland vegan meal. I’ve wanted to try Bye and Bye since reading about it in a blog post a yr ago. I’ve never been a fan of bars or pubs, but this place stole my soul. I would come here every weekend. With an all vegan menu, cute customers, and an even cuter bartender I was swooning..hard.

  

  

  Arrows point to what I ordered.

  The food was amazing, but my photos are terrible. It was dark and I used my iPhone, so I’ll spare you my atrocities and share these photos I found online. My meal was out of this world, and I could easily eat the same thing everyday. Photos linked to original source.

  

  

  I could meet my vegan/granola soul mate at this bar.

  With a full tummy, it was time to finally head home! I got about 20 minutes into my drive and it was doughnut time. My two day trip to Portland has been alive all week as I spaced out these blog posts, and I can’t wait to go back. When I do I’m grabbing a Voodoo to go with my free Stumptown coffee. Pure bliss.

  Q: What’s your favorite way to experience new areas? By foot, food, and exploration! 

  

  | 53 Comments Tagged Adventure, Donuts, Portland, Run, Vegan, Voodoo donuts

• Discover Portland: The Pittock Mansion

  Posted at 7:01 AM by Brittany, on February 18, 2014

  Thank you for all the birthday wishes from my last post. You are all too good to me! 

  Upon my arrival in Portland, the weather was so atrocious I had to find something indoors to peak my interest. I didn’t have anything planned, the main reason for the adventure was to run my race, but that wasn’t until the next day. After sitting in a car for three hours I just needed to MOVE. I didn’t care where or how, so I Googled the nearest mall.

  

  While driving to the mall I saw this cemetery and suddenly got the urge to take some photos. The rainy, foggy weather made the perfect backdrop if you ask me.

  

  What a wonderfully eerie start to the trip. 

  About a mile from this cemetery I found a sign that said, “Pittock Mansion next left.” Having no idea what the Pittock Mansion was, I decided why not follow the sign.

  

  

  This place looked straight out of a Steven King novel, so of course we went in.

  

  Most of my photos from inside didn’t turn out well enough to share, so if you’re curious you can click this Google link for some better photos. It was gorgeous, but creepy. Every room had something in it that made my neck hairs rise. I was expecting orbs in all my photos.

  

  

  It didn’t take long to tour the place, maybe 35 minutes. I couldn’t help but think about how epic this place would be for hide and seek. Except I’d never want to be alone in there.

  

  

  Orbs…or water drops on my lens. You decide.

  Perfect piece of Portland history. No need to tour a boring mall.

  Q: Do you like sticking to a plan, or jumping off the path to discover something new? Both..in different ways and at different times. So vague of me.

  

  | 37 Comments Tagged Adventure, Mansion, Nature, Portland

• Finding Beauty

  Posted at 6:25 AM by Brittany, on February 12, 2014

  I’m a snow hater. I think snow is gorgeous when it coats the mountains, or the trees near a cabin in the woods, but I hate when it blankets the streets near my house. I don’t know why, possibly because I’m too proud to ever call into work unless I am dying, and driving in the snow gives me premature hemorrhoids. That’s a joke, but you get the idea.

  

  

  When it snows and I have to drive (OK so I never HAVE to) my knuckles grip the wheel so hard they match the snow. I am one of few in my clan of friends and family, because most people around me get just as excited about snow now as they did when they were 12.

  

  When it snowed Sunday morning, my plans to go out were quickly changed. I got 2 minutes from my house and saw multiple cars in ditches, one sticking almost straight up.

  

  You better believe I turned right around and planted my fanny back in the safety of my house. Then I grabbed my jacket, my boots, and my camera. Snow may irritate and scare me, but it sure is pretty. The perfect excuse for some photography.

  

  This elementary school was the perfect spot to experiment with the ISO of my new camera. It’s like night and day (literally) with the different settings of light exposure.

  

  I stumbled upon some old pallets sitting in a yard, and this turned out to be my favorite shot. I am a sucker for all things wood!

  

  I had no where I had to be until 7 that night, so I made peace with the snow and enjoyed the beauty around my neighborhood. Until next time snow…this time you win.

  

  

  Quite frankly though, I am ready for spring. My skin can’t handle any more of this dry air!

  Q: Do you like the snow?

  

  | 47 Comments Tagged Adventure, Nature, Photography, Snow, Winter

• Post Vacation Blues

  Posted at 9:40 AM by Brittany, on January 6, 2014

  I’ve always been fascinated by the ability of an aircraft to take me from a place that looks like this..

  

  Brown, dry land.

  To this..

  

  Green, snow-capped land.

  Airplanes are fascinating, but that is beside the point of this post. Despite the wonder that was the fog line on the evergreen trees upon my arrival in Washington, this post is dedicated to some of the amazing adventures I encountered while away in Arizona.

  

  This will never get old. Fog laying on the tree line is my favorite.

  One blogger meet up. I met up with a fellow plant based blogger and had a lovely time talking blogs, food, life, and of course…coffee. =)

  Two big decisions. I researched and purchased my first DSLR camera and it should arrive in my arms sometime this week. I also set up my 401K..boom, big girl pants ON.

  Three  mountains climbed. Self explanatory.

  

  Four trips to Sprouts…in less than a week. We don’t have one in Washington!

  Five toppings on my grilled pizza. Spinach, pineapple, potatoes, rosemary, & brussels sprouts. It’s January and I was able to stand outside by the grill in shorts/tank top.

  

  Six packs of sugar in my dads coffee. I was one proud daughter when my dad attempted to get away from Splenda after I told him real sugar was “better” (your body recognizes real sugar and can properly digest it, fake sugar..not so much), however we need to figure something else out because six packs of sugar for one small cup of coffee is not good!

  This article breaks it down perfectly. I’m just happy he tried..baby steps. Love you dad!

  Seven family members attending The Sound of Music together.

  

  

  This is why I bought a DSLR..this quality is horrific.
  

  Eight Harry Potter movies watched. After a complete HP marathon, I have finally seen EVERY movie and after the last one ended I felt a piece of my soul die. I’m still recovering.

  

  Nine *plus six* miles run with my Garmin. Gary held out for 15 miles of casual running.

  Ten days without my retainers. If you know me, you’ll know I wear my teeth huggers EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. Very rarely do I miss a night, and when I discovered I left my retainers on my bathroom sink in Washington I was DISTRAUGHT! Convinced my teeth were being shifted by tiny gnomes every night, I was so happy to be reunited with them.

  Until next time Arizona, keep it classy.

  Q: What was the last vacation you went on??

  

  | 54 Comments Tagged Adventure, Arizona, Family, Hiking, Random, Running, Vacation, Vegan

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• BRITTANY- Self proclaimed minimalistic nomad striving to maintain a balanced, healthy life with good food, long hikes, deep connections, exploration, and lots of potatoes.

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• Contact: blissfulbritt@yahoo.com

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