The Copper Hen

The Copper Hen Cakery and Kitchen is our new favorite place to eat. Located on Eat Street in Minneapolis, it recently opened at the beginning of this month and features farm-to-table food and some tasty desserts.

Eating out is a rare occurrence for us, but after trying The Copper Hen once, we ended up going back. Twice in one week! As our friend Adam put it, all he could think about the next week after our first experience was eating there again! We could not agree more. So if you are in the area and want to try out a new restaurant, we highly recommend this gem.

My goodness. It is delightful all-around. From the dining space, to the chalkboard menus, and food presentation. And don't even get me started on the desserts or the Bacon Blueberry Breakfast Muffin!

Farmhouse BLT, Cheddar Ale Burger, and Smashed Potato Fries

Salted Caramel Chocolate Mason Jar Cheesecake 

Bread Basket

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Adam and the Classic Rustic Pizza

Lemon Kombucha and the Bacon Blueberry Breakfast Cupcake

Needless to say, we look forward to going back again. And again. And again!

Layover in Dallas

Right now, as I type this, we are technically on a really long layover in Dallas, but in reality we are back in our home state. It is a little confusing to explain, but here's the short version. On an upcoming trip, our itinerary had two legs that were not ideal layover-wise and were not bookable as saver award tickets (meaning it would cost us 35,000 miles one way per person to fly those flights rather than the saver award of 15,000 miles one way per person). 

So instead, we booked our first leg of the flight to Dallas in early May with a long layover there before continuing onto our final destination later this summer (all on American Airlines). Then we flew back using points on Southwest Airlines and the Companion Pass. To get down to Dallas later this summer, we will fly back using Southwest Airlines. This meant that instead of using 35,000 miles per person one way overall, we ended up only using approximately 20,000 miles (including the Southwest flights to and from) per person, but with the split itinerary. 

Now unfortunately, as of April 7, American Airlines has changed their policy, and you can only stopover for no longer than 24 hours. Prior to April 7, we could even move around the dates of each of the legs when booking. So eventually our goal was to watch the availability and move these flights when each segment became a saver route on the same day. We knew if that did not turn out, we would enjoy an extra weekend in Dallas, which is how we ended up there. Yes, we will be the first to admit that this is probably the strangest thing we have done yet with this travel hobby, but we were up for the adventure and looking forward to spending 36 hours in Dallas.

Our first stop after landing was the American Airlines Admiral Lounge in Terminal A to check it out, eat some free snacks, and for Matt to get his coffee. In our opinion, it was much nicer and more comfortable than the United Lounges we have visited in Denver and Newark. [For clarification purposes, we do not pay to access these lounges. Usually we use free passes that we have received from being airline card holders].

The snack area was running a little low though. It was late at night, but we grabbed some fruit as a snack and for breakfast the next day. 

The private showers are always a nice feature in select lounges, so we used them as well. Matt loved that there were 8 different water spouts! They were much nicer than the showers at the United Lounge in Newark. 

By this time (10:15 p.m.), I was hungry for a real dinner, so we grabbed the rental car and drove to the closest Tex-Mex restaurant on the list of recommendations that our Texan friends gave us. Per their recommendation, we ordered the chicken fajitas for two at Uncle Julio's. And from that point on, I cheated on my whole avoiding/limiting gluten and just enjoyed Texas food as much as I could in the 36 hour span.

We slept real well that night at the hotel and actually slept in until 9:30 a.m. the next morning which is rare in our house! We awoke to plenty of sunshine and Texas heat, so some time at the pool was a good way to ease into the day before checking out. [More on hotel reviews and an app we have started to use further down in this post.]

Then it was off to explore and find something else to eat!

Matt liked driving this little Versa around for the weekend. He used a patched-together method and strategy for booking this rental while saving in the meantime. However, a black car and the Texas heat were not a good match. We will know better next time.

Although we love farmers markets, the primary reason for visiting the Dallas Farmers Market was to eat some real BBQ.

And let me tell you, it was the best BBQ we have ever had. Pecan Lodge is located within Shed #2 and is open from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. or until sold out on Wednesdays through Sundays. You know it is REALLY good when there is a long line and a wait. We arrived at noon and waited at least a half hour to order.

By the time we reached the register, they were sold out of a lot of their menu, including The Hot Mess, Pulled Pork, Jalapeno + Bacon Mac and Cheese, and Peach Cobbler. 

So smoked Ribs, Brisket, and Sweet Tea were in order. We were a little disappointed in the options available, but once we tasted the Ribs and Brisket, it was long forgotten.

And now we cannot wait to make a stop here on the other layover this summer. But this time, we will try to be there at opening before they sell out. Later this month, they are moving out of the Dallas Farmer's Market to Deep Ellum, so we are looking forward to a second visit in the new location.

We paid a visit to AT&T Stadium in true Packer Fan fashion and had to admit that it was pretty impressive. The inside of the stadium and screen over the field definitely supports the "everything is bigger in Texas" slogan.

Our last sight-seeing stop was the Fort Worth Stockyards to wander around and see the cattle drive, held twice daily at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. 

Probably our favorite part of this whole area was the Longhorns. 

After spending the better part of the day in 95* heat and sunshine, we were hungry and thirsty for dinner, so Spring Creek Barbeque it was.

We ordered Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Peach Cobbler, Sweet Tea for me, and a local brew for M.

As far as hotels go for this trip, we used an app called Hotel Tonight [note: this app only works on Android devices, iPhones, and iPads]. It is really user friendly, and some cities offer better deals than others, but they are constantly changing. The only catch is you can only book a hotel room for the day you need it. The app releases hotels that are available for a discount for that night only at 9 a.m. local time. The nice thing is that there are a range of prices from very basic to more luxurious, and the prices are less than you would normally pay for the rooms.

Back in March, Hotel Tonight was offering a $56 credit to those who signed up, so we signed up every email we have, plus our parents' emails as a nice gesture and surprise for them. It only took a little time to change the credit from Euros to US Dollars ;), and because of it, we have a fair number of credits to use by the end of March 2015. 

Dallas had good redemption options, so we were able to use two of the credits towards hotel rooms on this trip. The first night we decided to splurge and spend $42 (after the $56 credit) for a room at the NYLO Dallas/Las Colinas. It was definitely a "hip" hotel according to the Hotel Tonight classification, but we enjoyed our stay here immensely.

A quick look at some of the rooms available on a Friday night in Dallas.

$98 - $56 credit = $42 for a one-night stay
 Not bad for a hotel room that would go for over $100/night after taxes!
Plus because it was considered a travel expense,
we were able to get reimbursed the $42 from our Barclay Arrival card.

The outside of the building was mostly brick, with an industrial feel. 

The room was very nice with a pillow-top mattress and even a docking station on the end table.

There was a sitting area, but Matt's favorite part of the room was the Keurig complete with complimentary K-cups.

The bathroom was average.

There was a hot tub (pictured below) and a nice sized pool outside along with a bar area and plenty of lounging chairs.

The goal the second night was to stay as close to Love Field for the cheapest price possible because we had an early morning flight. We had two options and selected the Baymont Inn Love Field. It had better reviews and ratings from people who had stayed there before compared to the other option. 

Quick view of the hotel options near Love Field

$74 - $56 credit = $18 for a one-night stay

So for $18 out of pocket, we stayed at the Baymont Inn near the airport. On top of the good price, Matt even had a chance to grab some breakfast the next morning. Our room was not as fun as the previous night, but it was comfortable and clean enough to get a good night's rest before catching a flight home.

All in all, it was a quick visit to get the first leg of a summer trip completed, but we love any opportunity to spend time together and experience a new city ... even if it is only 36 hours. 

Joshua Tree National Park

"The really wonderful moments of joy in this world are not the moments of self-satisfaction, but self-forgetfulness.
Standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon and contemplating your own greatness is pathological.
At such moments we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside ourselves."

-John Piper | Don't Waste Your Life

Although it was not the Grand Canyon, a weekend trip to Joshua Tree National Park in California was a great reminder that we are made for a magnificent joy that comes from outside ourselves. 

Since it was a quick weekend trip, our carry-on backpacks were loaded up with non-perishable groceries (fruit, trail mix, jerky, stuff for avocado wraps, pb&j) for meals ahead of time. However, we did make a quick stop the next morning to pick-up a case of water to bring with to the desert.

Joshua Tree National Park is located about three hours from Los Angeles. It covers approximately 800,000 square miles and contains two deserts, the Mojave and Colorado. The Visitor Center was our first stop to watch an introduction movie and more importantly, to get our National Park Passports stamped.

From there, we drove into the park to see the rare Joshua Tree(s) and to spend the day hiking.

The Joshua Tree is native to the southwestern part of the United States (California, Nevada, Arizona, and Utah) and only grows in the Mojave Desert at 2,000 - 6,000 feet. In order to reproduce, the trees rely on the yucca moth for pollination.

I lost track of the number of times we pulled the car over on the side of the road and got out to walk among the Joshua Trees, amazed by their unusual appearance.

The first hike was a couple of miles, up and over to a valley containing an oasis. It was remarkable and welcoming to see forty-nine palms standing tall and green, providing some shade, all while being surrounded by nothing but desert.

Split Rock was the next stop and there is a newer trail here that opened about two months ago. The rock formations were absolutely incredible. 

As it was springtime, the Joshua Trees, cacti, and some other plants were blooming. The colors on the cacti especially were vivid compared to the dry and brown surroundings, ranging from pinks to oranges depending on the species. 

And the rock formations and views throughout the entire park were truly incredible. 

I even got to do a little birding too. The hummingbirds were my favorite. 

This time of year, the average high temperature is 85* with a low of 50*. Thankfully, it was a cooler, pleasant day around 65* with a lot of sunshine. We were craving some Vitamin D after the long winter, so it was a warm welcome.

Matt especially took to climbing and jumping from boulder to boulder. The area near Skull Rock was the perfect playground for him.

The six-shooter tour came to Keyes View which overlooks the San Andreas Fault line.

Hidden Valley was another nice area with easy and flat hiking.

We could not help but marvel at creation and the One who created it all.

As the last rays of sun brought final warmth to the desert, we pulled over at Quail Springs and climbed up the nearest rocks to watch the sun disappear behind the mountains. Oh, how we were reminded as the day came to an end that we were made for joy that comes from outside of ourselves.

On Sunday, we worshipped with one of my college roommates and her husband at their church. It was so good to see them and catch up for a bit. She recommended brunch at The Source in Hermosa Beach.  It was delicious; I ordered a turkey panini, a zucchini-carrot GF muffin, and the healthy glow 2 [orange, carrot, apple, spinach, ginger juice]. 

From there, we ventured over to the Santa Monica pier to rent bikes.

Once and a while, there would be sand on the trail, so we would hop off, walk through, and then continue on. All in all, the warm sunshine made the afternoon and leisurely 16 mile ride even more enjoyable for us Minnesotans. 

Last but not least, Matt loves to review and breakdown hotel stays, so if you ever find yourself in the area here are some of our thoughts after staying at two hotels halfway between LA and Joshua Tree NP.

Holiday Inn Colton-Riverside North: A one-night stay required 10,000 IHG points and was what you would expect from a typical Holiday Inn, comfortable and basic. There was a continental breakfast which Matt loved, but for foodies and health nuts like Adam and I, we could have gone without. Yet, we did manage to eat some yogurt and bananas.

Four Points by Sheraton Ontario-Rancho Cucamonga: A one-night stay required 3,000 SPG points. We have become fans of SPG properties, and our experience here was no different. It was a very nicely decorated and comfortable room. Although breakfast was not included (a markdown from Matt), we preferred this stay over the one at the Holiday Inn.