Wow. What a busy weekend. It’s nice to DO stuff on the weekends because you’re living life, experiencing things, putting yourself out there, etc. BUT by DOING stuff on the weekends, you make the weekends go by way too fast. Next thing you know it’s Monday morning at 5:54AM, and you have to be to work in 2 hours. BLURG!!
The busy weekend started out with a bang on Friday night. We met up with some friends in LeClaire, IA at the Crane & Pelican. Well, first we went to the Wide River Winery to check out their live music and their wine. It’s a small joint inside (24 people max capacity!), and because of the unseasonably chilly weather, the 2-person band was playing inside. It was loud, but everyone was very relaxed and was having a good time. The bartender was very friendly and informative. They can’t actually sell glasses of wine for you to drink there, but they CAN sell you a $6 glass that comes with 5 complimentary tastings. You can also buy a bottle and drink it there. It was a scene straight out of Gilmore Girls, to be honest with you. Even thought I was not a huge fan of the wine, I really enjoyed the 30 minutes we spent there, and now I kind of want to move to LeClaire…
After our tastings we walked up to the Crane & Pelican, which is a restaurant in an old house on a hill overlooking the river. The building was very interesting, the staff was very friendly, and the food was very delicious. The menu was reasonably priced for the type of food they serve (locally sourced), and the drinks were actually on the cheap side! My steak was a little undercooked, but overall we had a great experience and will definitely go back.
We didn’t stay out too late because on Saturday we were registered for the Beer & Bacon 5K at Sunderbruch Park. We headed out there on our bikes at 8:45. It was a gorgeous, slightly chilly day. We met up with about 100 other runners, got our free beer mug and “5K…ish” sticker, and milled around, waiting for the race to start. At the last minute, Tim decided to run the 10K instead!
The 10Kers got a 5 minute head-start, and then they let us 5Kers head out. The route took an immediately left off the paved path, onto a steep, long, never-ending hill. By the time I reached the top of the hill, I was ready to turn around and head back down to get a beer. I powered through, though, and was rewarded by one of the funnest runs I’ve ever done. Don’t get me wrong, trail running is TOUGH, but it was so beautiful in the trees, and the hills/stumps/roots kept your mind focused on the running. It was so much fun. I can’t wait to do another trail run. The only down side, from my perspective, is that the trails are so narrow that you can’t pass anyone, and no one can pass you.
After the race, we partook of the even’s namesake treats (beer & bacon), then rode down to Great River, then rode home, and then crashed. Oh, and we ate pizza for supper. Pee I Zee Zee Aye!!! Ugh.
On Sunday I had a shower in Swisher, IA that Tim was kind enough to drive me to. It was at 1PM, so the driving and shower took up most of our Sunday. We did get home in time for me to try a new recipe, however: Sausage & Sweets Breakfast Bowl. This was a very easy recipe, and it turned out quite tasty. I even used some new salt that my friend got me from Galena – Vermont Maple Sea Salt. It went with this dish perfectly.
To accompany the breakfast bowl, I made kale chips from this recipe. They are so tasty!
And that’s our weekend update. Hopefully you had a great weekend and were able to get outside and enjoy the sunshine!
