Mountain Time in CO

Snow Field on Peak 8

Since my last post, Derek and I have traveled to Minnesota, Denver, Michigan, and I've traveled to Seattle. Our latest adventure a week ago took us to Denver, Colorado for a second time and the small mountain resort town of Breckenridge, Colorado.

If you've been craving fresh air, a cool breeze, challenging climbs, and rewarding views, you need to make your way into the Rocky Mountains, and preferably to Breckenridge. Since my twin sister decided to move to Denver last summer, I'm now forced (willingly) to travel to Colorado on a semi-regular basis and this past time, the entire Logel clan decided to make a family trip out of it. My mom secured a condo in the mountains and after a 1.5 hour drive from Denver into the mountain town of Breckenridge, we arrived to our weekend getaway.

Derek, Nick and Ryan

One of the Breckenridge ski resort areas

The town of Breckendridge is filled with quaint boutiques, local eateries and plenty of lingering-worthy cafes. It's surrounded by snow-topped peaks and blue skies. We started our adventure with a free ride up the mountain gondola, where we enjoyed a steep climb to a snow field and then enjoyed a cold local beer in the ski resort restaurant.

Lilly Pad Lake: Friday

View from Lilly Pad Lake trail head

On Friday we awoke with a goal of hiking an easy, altitude-adjusting hike near Silverthorne. Overlooking Lake Dillon, the start of the hike provided breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. The hike was about 1.5 miles one-way and was a great welcome to the mountains. I'd recommend this lake for anyone looking for a mild adventure, with gorgeous views.

That night, we visited the Breckenridge Brewery where we sampled some delicious local brew and then ordered take out pizzas for a night-in of board games.

Derek and I

Lake Dillon

Mountain wild flowers everywhere.

Along the trail

At Lillypad Lake

Mohawk Lakes: Saturday

The first Mohawk Lake

Recommended by a friend, Mohawks Lake was a challenging, exhilarating climb. Just five minutes from the town center, the trail head for this hike welcomed us into a pine forest with cool, fresh mountain air and an uphill grade almost the entire time. After about 1.5 hours, we came to a clearing where we were welcomed by the not-so-pleasant site of cars. We could have cut off the entire first part of the hike! But, it was all part of the experience.

We continued up the trail to a waterfall, mountain lake and old mining cabins. Climbing straight up a mountain with oxygen decreasing as the altitude increased was a challenge, but just taking a peek around to see the landscape was enough motivation to keep us going. Our end goal was the first Mohawk Lake, and when we reached it after 3.5 miles of hiking uphill, we were thrilled! It was gorgeous - reflections lined the lake, with snowy mountain peaks rising not far from where we stood, almost above tree line. For four of us - Derek, Ryan, Sara and myself, we had to keep going. If you continue to climb up, you'll find several more mountain lakes, each a little higher than the last. We walked about 15 minutes further and found the second Mohawk Lake. Another gorgeous site, the lake even ran into a stream that provided delicious mountain stream water that Sara and I enjoyed for the hike down.

Abby and Mom hiking along

Up we go.

And up some more

Abby and Ryan at the waterfall.

Derek and I at the 2nd Mohawk Lake

Heading down from the 2nd lake

Sara and I

Heading down from the second

All the girls at the first Mohawk Lake

Love this view!

First Mohawk Lake

Mountain flowers

Dad taking in the view

Although this hike was pretty tough for the rare mountain hikers that we are- it was definitely worth it! Wildflowers dotted the mountainside and big-horn sheep and goats dotted the mountaintops. Bring lots of water, a protein bar and hiking shoes, and you're ready to go.

That night, we visited the Wild Women Winery in Breckenridge town center. With Naked Pete playing the piano, the winery livened up with an atmosphere similar to a Howl at the Moon. We even got my dad singing by requesting some of his favorites. The winery even offered massages, so Ryan enjoyed a 10 minute birthday massage in between sips of his favorite Tempranillo vino. Overall, the weekend was a wonderful mix of exploration and relaxation. I'm ready to go back!

A New Job and Update

Our attempt at a family photo in our St. Patty's shirts

I figured it's time for an update. Often times I have flashbacks to the German train stations or checking into a bed and breakfast and these small memories make me miss our German life quite a bit. It's memories and moments like those that we get to hold forever as we continue into the next chapter of our adventure together. The last few weeks have been busy but good. When it rains, it pours and Derek and I have been blessed with wonderful family, friends, and now, two jobs.

After a few months of resume editing, networking, emailing and job searching, I have a new job and start next week. As the Marketing Specialist at HCC Medical Insurance Services, I will have a wide array of responsibility including campaign management, vendor relations and public relations/media relations. As with many marketing positions, I'm sure my responsibilities with reflect the current task at hand and involve versatility and adaptability. That's what I love about marketing. The company sells travel insurance -  and most marketing campaigns revolve around different travel topics. It's a needed product, and the popularity of travel insurance is growing. As I told the team in my interview, this is my roundabout way of getting into the travel industry! Needless to say, I'm thrilled for this opportunity. I'm looking forward to getting back into the marketing and communications network in Indianapolis and beyond and continuing to grow and develop my skills.

In other news, my car died last Friday. That was great fun! Luckily, as my car started huffing and puffing, I was driving alongside a giant church parking lot and was able to pull in and keep my car in the parking lot overnight. Long story short, my car will soon be in its final resting place as a donation or junkyard scrap. After looking for new cars all weekend, we settled on a great Subaru find in Lafayette  We'll be returning on Friday to pick it up.

Last week Derek and I went wine tasting at a local wine store that offered free tastings from 11 Italian wine makers. The weekend before, Derek and I spent time in my hometown of Evansville - it's always nice to go home. Stuart and Simba are getting along much better, and seem to really enjoy each other's company. Until our next adventure...

Stuart's pretty sweet

Naptime for the boys

The new car

Experiment in the kitchen: Greek yogurt souffle (I got the recipe here. ) Great light dessert.

Experiment 2: Banana cupcakes with homemade cream cheese icing. One word: Delicious

A Visit to the Indy Craft Beer Scene

This past weekend I wanted to find something to do out of the house and in the city. With Derek's recent devotion to homebrewing, I figured a tour of a local craft brewery would be a great Saturday afternoon adventure. Via email I signed up for a 1:00 pm tour at FLAT12 Bierwerks located on the edge of downtown Indianapolis.

The tasting room had a warm, conventional feel and Derek and I were immediately offered free samples of the craft beer. Once the group was gathered for the tour, our tour guide shared with us the process and procedure for making beer at Flat 12. The coolest thing for me was to see how the company has grown. So many of the craft beers start as small batches brewed for taste testing and experiments. This brewery continues to grow and most recently, they started bottling. The labels are designed by a local artist and the brewery participates in local beer nights at restaurants and regional festivals.

The biggest difference between German and American beers is the type of ingredients. In Germany, the standard pils and weissen has four main ingredients: barley, wheat, hops and yeast. Here in America, we allow almost anything. At Flat12, the most interesting thing I remember was that they brewed one type in an old whiskey barrel with vanilla beans.

I'm no beer expert, and I won't try to be; I leave that to my husband. What I do think is cool, though, is the culture and entrepreneurial spirit of microbreweries in Indianapolis. According to the brewer and tour guide at Flat12, it's not a competition between breweries, but more like a club where brewers lend a helping hand to each other. Like many aspects of Indy that Derek and I are getting reacquainted with, the microbrewery sector is definitely on the list. And it's on the (long) list of places to take our German friends when they visit in May!

For more information on the microbreweries of Indianapolis, visit this list on VisitIndy.

"Please support your Indiana craft breweries."

The fermentation area

Derek and I with our sample favorites.

Derek bottled 70 beers this past Saturday. We'll have a tasting party in about two weeks!

Meet Stuart

Hey guys!

About two weeks ago I got a contagious urge that spread to my husband. I wanted a friend for Simba, a kitten that could snuggle and play with our large, still growing Maine Coon. Now I might sound like a crazy cat lady, and maybe I am, but there's something special about opening your family to a new member, to automatically feel a bond with a little being that solely relies on you. Derek and I found the perfect addition: Stuart.



I suppose it was meant to be. About two weeks Derek and I set out on a scavenger hunt, popping in and out of two humane societies and two Petsmarts to no avail. We were searching for a medium/long-haired kitten about 8 weeks old. The following week, I surveyed Indyhumane.org and waited for kittens to be posted to their list of adoptable cats. I revisited the Humane Society when a beautiful long-haired kitten was posted and as soon as I got there, the family right before me snatched the application. It wasn't meant to be.

Later the next week, I visited once again to find out that the adoption center is closed on Thursdays. So, on Friday three kittens were posted and I was waiting at the door for it to open at 1:00 pm. There was a very long line, with about 15 people waiting behind me. Once the doors opened, I saw the female medium-haired Simba look-alike (but with gray hair) and handed in my application. In addition to this adorable kitten, there was another heart-breaker that kept chasing his tail and falling off the shelf in his cage. He was so adorable, but I had already made up my mind. I was at the checkout counter, about to purchase a female, medium hair when the clerk informed me that my apartment complex would require an additional pet fee and deposit. Well, I wasn't planning on that, nor was I informed of that detail. I left in a hurry, and quite frustrated. Once home, I straightened things out with the apartment complex and then called Derek, who happened to be on his way home. He continued to drive straight to the Humane Society to see if the kitten was still available for adoption. She was not, but the cute, playful gray-haired male kitten was still available. And so, Derek brought home Stuart. After looking for awhile with no success, Stuart ended up in our home, and we couldn't be happier!

Stuart Guggenberger

Simba was a bit sour about the new kitten. He hissed and tried to claim his territory by always being on higher ground, but he's coming around. Today they wrestled a bit, but Simba really just looks like an older bully. He his four times Stuart's size, but can't help it. With time, they will be fine!

And so, there he is. Stuart Guggenberger. What a stud.

Snuggle time with mom

Watching the Today Show with mom

Simba's warming up to Stuart

Back in Indy

My two boys!

Now that our European adventures are over, I don't have as many adventurous stories to share with you. However, Derek and I have moved back to Indianapolis and plan to not lead dull lives. We've settled into our apartment, Derek has started back to work at Freudenberg, and I'm on the hunt, the job hunt that is. I'm striving to fill our calendar with dinner dates, volunteer opps and explorations, and Derek's alright just taking it one day at a time. Can't say I blame him.

Anyways, this weekend we enjoyed the sun, our couch and the gym. Yesterday we visited Fort Harrison State Park for a long, fresh-air filled walk followed by some beer tasting at a new local brewery, Triton Brewery. This is what I love about Indianapolis - there is always something to do, even if you have to dig a bit to find it. With many state parks nearby, microbreweries popping up everywhere, unique neighborhoods and towns to explore, and not to mention, a thriving downtown culture, we'll have no problem staying busy at our own pace.

We've joined separate gyms; Derek's feels more like a "guys gym" or workout basement. Mine offers every type of class I could want, as well as my end treat, the sauna. For church, we plan to visit a few in our area and join where we feel most comfortable.

I plan to use this blog as I previously have - to share our adventures and lives, whether gallivanting around Europe or making a home here in Indy.

And lately, my adventures have been in the kitchen.  Here's what I came up with last week, and both meals met my husband's approval:

Butternut squash soup: Before

Butternut Squash Soup: After

In chicken broth, I boiled one peeled butternut squash, a head of cauliflower, two potatoes, half bag of mini-carrots and two small onions. After all vegetables were tender, I used my awesome new hand blender to puree the vegetables to an edible soup. I topped with a bit of paprika, and done! Delicious!

I adapted my recipe from this Allrecipes pizza crust entry. I like to add some garlic salt/powder and basil into the mix for a flavorful crust. Top with your favorite pizza toppings! We use olive oil, tomatos (no sauce), mushrooms, onions, peppers and sometimes, squash. And of course, meat for Derek!

A day in the park!

Beer sampling @TritonBrewing

Back in the States & My Favorite Photos

We've been back in the U.S. since Saturday night, but it's already felt like more than a week or two. After spending the night in Detroit for a cancelled flight, we arrived to Evansville, Indiana on Sunday morning; Simba was an angel the entire trip. We spent Sunday afternoon with family and Monday packing up the moving truck. On Tuesday, we arrived to our new apartment complex in northeast Indy, and moved into our new home. On Wednesday (yesterday) we purchased a couch and bed, and today our new furniture will be delivered. I'm currently working on lightning speed Internet and loving every minute of it!

To say the least, we've accomplished a lot in a few days, and our apartment is starting to feel like home. Simba enjoys exploring the new area and sleeping on his favorite desk chair that he used as a kitten. I'm working on organizing my Europe photos for albums, prints, etc, and wanted to share my favorites with you. I'll update again soon with photos of our new place!